The Battle Vs The War

With Tom Finneran’s hiring, Julie Kahn’s reign of terror may have won a battle, but she’s sure to lose the war.

Already, foolish attempts at reasoning are being made by WRKO’s managers, including a sad misconception about the value of media attention. Sources say that Howie Carr is actually being encouraged to rip Finneran to shreds, with the idea that any publicity is good publicity.

Because of their lack of experience, what they don’t realize is not only is it not good for WRKO, it will actually speed up Finneran’s demise, as Carr is positioning his forces for an all-out offensive against the convicted felon.

Tommy Taxes doesn’t have a chance.

Meanwhile, Finneran is said to believe that the intense opposition to his hiring will quickly subside, within a week or so, which will allow him to do the show without serious challenges from callers.

Yes, the callers could very well drop off after an initial week or two, but that doesn’t mean anyone is listening.

In his arrogance, Finneran believes he understands the world of talk radio as well as the legislature. But he’s about to learn a very tough lesson, as he realizes he’s working for a station whose audience simply doesn’t want him, in an industry where he doesn’t belong.

This is why Kahn is all but sure to lose the war: she thought she could force her will onto the listening public. When this goes bad, as it most certainly will, Kahn will go right down with him.

Finneran Still Negotiating

It’s a testament to the sheer level of misery present at Entercom Boston that employees are coming out of the woodwork to give us confidential tips. Anybody still in the building is clearly looking to get away from Julie’s Reign of Evil as soon as possible.

And one that we can report tonight is that Finneran spent a good portion of the day negotiating with WRKO’s station management in a long, closed-door session. Is the deal really done?

And what is taking so long? Is Finneran really in a position to push for even more money? If not for WRKO, he’d be unable to secure the night shift at his nearest Store24 or Stop & Shop.

That’s why many who have contacted us feel there’s something fishy going on regarding Finneran’s deal. Why is a inexperienced felon worth big money? If they offered him $10 an hour, would that be too high?

UPDATE: am hearing at least one TV station is reporting Finneran’s been hired. At this point, it’s anticlimatic.

Herald: Finneran Announcement Tomorrow

The least surprising story of the day is that WRKO expects to announce Tom Finneran’s hiring tomorrow at 11am, according to the Herald.

In establishing this site, we never expected to change Julie Kahn’s mind. She’s bound and determined to bring WRKO to its knees and the next phase of the station’s comlpete destruction will begin tomorrow. Opposition, no matter how strong, only forces a person with this mentality to further dig in her heels.

Kahn is simply never going to admit that she has no idea how to program a talk radio station.

At the same time, her determination to rescue a crooked convicted felon friend with no experience hosting a daily talk drivetime talk show seems not to have set off any alarm bells at Entercom headquarters in Pennsylvania. That isn’t surprising either.

While her huge ego and astounding arrogance will eventually be her undoing, for now, she’s still being protected at some level of the company.

In the meantime, all it would take is for about four of Howie’s callers to bring Finneran to the point of exploding into an uncontrollable rage.

The Publicity Trap

If you’re one of WRKO’s managers, the Tom Finneran “deal” must look wonderful right now.

After all, Boston’s news media outlets are tripping over one another to get the latest details on Boston’s political Felon du Jour and his impending radio gig.

And a couple of the columnists at local dailies are sure Finneran will be a hit. Meanwhile, their car radios are locked in on NPR for the drive home from Boston.

How can all of that Finneran publicity do anything but help WRKO?

In a nutshell, this is why talk radio stations occasionally fall into the publicity trap. It’s the same mentality that brought Al Franken and Janeane Garofalo to Air America.

The day Finneran kicks off his first show, the Globe can be counted on to be in studio to chronicle his initial moments on the air. Ditto for Channels 5, 7 and 25. Isn’t it great?

Beyond those first days, however, Finneran’s talk gig will become old news and local media outlets will get bored, moving on to the next topic.

At the same time, Finneran’s lack of real on-air experience will begin to show after these initial programs. While many people, politicians in particular, have one or two decent shows in them, keeping it going beyond that is the downfall of almost all of them in this medium.

The truth is that it takes years to learn how to do talk radio correctly and beyond that, it’s necessary to have a basic level of talent that most wonkish politicians don’t possess.

And worse, someone with Finneran’s sheer level of arrogance and thin skin isn’t used to dealing with people who disagree with him. In fact, this could very well become a show that simply can’t take calls, given that Tom would be forced to lower himself to the level of the little people.

As a result, after a one-month ratings spike as people tune in out of curiousity, the sad reality will kick in: there isn’t a constituency for a Finneran talk show and there never was.

Experienced talk radio programmers know all of this, but Julie Kahn does not.

ELSEWHERE: my Radio Equalizer site will be down until sometime after noon today.

Welcome To SaveWRKO.com

For over 25 years, Boston’s WRKO has been a national news-talk trendsetter, providing for New England a rare dissenting voice against Boston’s entrenched media and political establishment.

From the legendary voice of the late Jerry Williams, to Howie Carr and others heard today, it continues to provide a rare check on the excesses of Beacon Hill’s powerful elite.

In turn, WRKO’s fiercely loyal listeners have rewarded the station with consistently high ratings and substantial revenues.

And now, with Massachusetts facing single-party rule and few opportunities for speaking out against the tax-and-spend agendas of Governor Deval Patrick and his legislative partisans, WRKO is needed now more than ever before.

Without any apparent business-related reason, however, WRKO as we know it is now facing sudden extinction. In recent months, we’ve seen multi-sided debates between callers and hosts disappear, while fluffy, non-controversial programming takes its place.

We’ve seen WRKO’s entire newsroom shown the door, including award-winning anchors and reporters, for reasons that still remain baffling.

And we’ve also noticed an obvious clampdown on conservative opinions, in addition to an apparent edict against criticism of Governor Patrick outside of Carr’s program.

In its place, there are news reports that the ultimate Beacon Hill Democrat Party insider, convicted felon Tom Finneran, will soon be handed the all-important morning drive slot, despite his incompatibility with the station’s audience and lack of full-time talk radio experience.

Next, we wonder how long it will take before industry leaders Rush Limbaugh and Howie Carr are also removed from the station’s lineup.

Beyond that, WRKO is for the first time ever run by local managers without any experience programming talk radio. With their flawed decision-making, that lack of format expertise shows. In addition, it appears that one local executive is attempting to impose her own tastes on an unwilling audience.

While we understand that airing Red Sox games will likely boost evening ratings, there is simply no justification for throwing away the rest of the station’s schedule, especially when there’s no evidence that planned changes could improve the station’s ratings and revenue.

Watching the wholly unnecessary implosion of a great heritage talk radio station is sad, but hopefully preventable. Now, WRKO’s many listeners must make their voices heard, before it is too late.

Sleazy Talk Deal Means Felon Avoids Punishment

Despite the new felony conviction of a sleazy, unpopular former Democrat Party legislator, a key WRKO / Boston manager continues to dig in her heels on a dubious programming move, seemingly without regard for the damage it will do to the station.

Meanwhile, disgust over former Massachusetts House Speaker Tom Finneran’s felony conviction yesterday continued to generate anger today, particularly over the light “punishment” received for his guilty plea on perjury charges.

Here’s a newspaper editorial (and another here) that sums up the situation perfectly:

Somewhere in the definition of arrogance lies a propensity for saying things even the speaker knows aren’t true, a tendency to intentionally overreach, even when it’s not necessary, to remind everyone else that you can get away with anything.

That may be the best explanation for why Tom Finneran lied on the witness stand in a civil suit challenging a legislative redistricting passed by the House in 2001. Even in a town that has produced such paragons of arrogance as Billy Bulger and John Silber, Finneran’s arrogance can be breathtaking.

Everyone knew Finneran’s fingerprints were all over the redistricting map; that’s how the redistricting process works. But, when called to testify about the action, he said he had no role whatsoever in designing the map in question.

That part of Finneran’s testimony was so unbelievable that the judge questioned it in a footnote in the opinion ruling the new districts violated the civil rights of minority voters in some Boston neighborhoods. That footnote inspired an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office and an indictment of the then-house speaker for perjury. The case was closed yesterday, with Finneran pleading guilty to obstruction of justice.

If not for WRKO’s interest, however, Finneran really would take a hit, as he is losing his pension, right to vote, carry a weapon or run for office. In addition, his plum job overseeing the state’s biotech council is now said to be on shaky ground.

As a result, it’s really WRKO’s Julie Kahn who is determined to ensure that Finneran escape punishment, as she’s standing at the ready with a pot of gold to reward a notorious Beacon Hill crony.

This is despite Finneran’s lack of talk radio experience, in fact, he’s yet to do a single show on the increasingly- troubled station. Nobody knows if Finneran could last a month without realizing just how difficult it is to host a daily drivetime talk show, much less be entertaining or compelling. Most former politicians fail in talk radio for this very reason.

As an insider with many fellow crooks to protect on Beacon Hill, Finneran is the opposite of what one would consider a potentially successful host to be. Instead of taking on corruption, he’ll be there to defend it, as a convicted felon himself.

For an example of what does work, look to WRKO’s Howie Carr, (seen in this photo) who has spent decades skewering the very people Finneran protects, with the ratings to back up his rhetoric. He spent most of yesterday’s show lambasting Finneran, with callers in full support of Carr’s position.

That’s why this deal, which would pay Finneran many times more than even experienced hosts could ever expect to make, appears dirty more than anything else. At the salary level on the table now, even the best potential ratings and revenue could never hope to make up for his high cost. Finneran may very well end up making more than Carr, which smacks of shady dealing in itself.

In addition, in a concession to his clear lack of attributes for hosting a daily morning drive show in a large market, Finneran will likely be paired with a co- host. That brings the overall cost into the stratosphere, up to Air America levels.

Beyond the sleazy Finneran deal, Kahn has been busy rearranging WRKO’s schedule to fit her own liberal political beliefs, rather than maintaining the conservative programming that has served the station very well for years. That’s despite the utter failure of libtalk in the Boston market.

One WRKO host even switched his previous on- air opposition to moonbat Governor Deval Patrick to a supportive stance, which probably saved his job, at least for the short run. However, the moment his views conflict with Kahn’s, even by accident, expect him to go as well.

Clearly, at no point is there any consideration of what would build an audience or an advertising base, it’s simply one of the nation’s worst radio managers forcing her own will upon a listenership that is already scrambling for alternatives.

Due to her clear lack of programming expertise, Kahn has yet to learn what will be a painful future lesson: you can’t force an audience to listen to what are your own personal tastes.

Julie, if you have any questions about this, simply contact the many former Air America executives who are now busy clogging unemployment lines in New York City.

UPDATE: Boston Globe now reports Finneran will likely lose the biotech position:

Thomas M. Finneran, the former speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives who pleaded guilty yesterday to obstruction of justice, will likely lose his $416,000 a year job as president of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council after its board of directors meets Monday to decide his future, according to a person familiar with the board’s discussions.

Finneran is hoping to keep his post as the state’s top biotechnology lobbyist despite pleading guilty to a felony, said another source who is close to him. Allies and legislators have been calling board members to express their support for Finneran.

But the guilty plea makes Finneran too much of a liability to keep as spokesman for an industry dealing with important regulatory and public-relations issues, said the source familiar with the board’s discussions. The 20-member panel, which includes executives from biotechnology and drug companies with offices in Massachusetts, is ultimately expected to ask Finneran to resign.

Finneran is in discussions with the radio station WRKO to host a talk show, a job he was hoping to take while keeping his biotech post, said a person close to the former speaker.

AMAZING: Finneran hopes to “phone in” the radio job while keeping the biotech position! Apparently he has no concept of prep time or what it might take to pull off an entertaining daily show. This is already shaping up to be a major disaster.

Con Job: Crooked Politician May Be Dumped On Talk Radio

Let’s get this straight: a tired, sleazy former Massachusetts Democrat legislative leader with a notorious “insider” reputation who just pled guilty to federal perjury charges (today!) is now ready to be forced upon an unwilling conservative talk radio audience. What gives?

That’s the sad outcome likely awaiting fans of Boston’s WRKO- AM, some of whom have been holding out hope that the station’s recent self- destructive kick could somehow be stopped before it is too late.

If former House of Representatives Speaker Tom Finneran is in fact hired to take over morning drive at the station, despite having no experience holding down a daily talk show, expect WRKO’s remaining listeners to take a hike. (See important disclosure note in the comments section)

How is talk radio compatible with a career hack who has spent his life protecting and promoting the very cronies the station has successfully taken on for decades? It’s like oil and water.

If WRKO’s interest in him seems bizarre, join the club. Beyond one stubborn manager’s insistence that the inexperienced and unproven former politician take a key morning drive slot, there is virtually no public call, much less a potential audience, for a Tom Finneran talk show.

Making the situation even more hard to comprehend is the fact that Finneran reportedly wants a substantial pay package, one which would likely top the $540,000 he currently receives as head of the Bay State’s Biotechnology Council.

That is at least five times what the current morning drive host, Scott Allen Miller, is thought to make and not even in the ballpark of rational industry norms for such a position.

How is an unproven non- talker in a position to ask for this kind of money? Beyond Air America, who would be crazy enough to give it to him?

Meanwhile, the biotech council is currently weighing whether to even keep Finneran in their employ, but a new Boston Globe story indicates that he may very well hang on after all.

The very public negotiations have been a source of embarrassment for WRKO, a once- proud megatalker that has been torn to shreds in the past several months by Julie Kahn, a station executive who lacks any real talk radio programming experience whatsoever.

But the weirder Kahn’s moves appear, the more she seems to dig in her heels, despite her lack of expertise. It’s a triumph of ego over ability.

In fact, WRKO’s rapid implosion has been so unusual and shocking to watch that it will be the subject of an upcoming Radio Equalizer follow- up report. While the station’s mess has been the talk of the industry for several months, the station’s parent company has yet to intervene. But that could change at any time.

In the meantime, when will radio managers learn they simply can’t force bad programming down the throats of their soon- to- be- former listeners? When they are finally forced into the unemployment lines?

Above all, simply because they have nowhere else to go, why should sleazy criminals from the world of politics be dumped onto the talk radio business? What have we done to deserve this destructive force?

UPDATE: Stubborn as a mule, Kahn still continues to press for Finneran, despite his lack of experience or known abilities in this arena. More on the plea deal here.

UPDATE: Finneran is now officially a convicted felon and there are conflicting newspaper reports on the fate of his biotech job:

Disgraced former House Speaker Tom Finneran pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice today avoiding jail but thrusting his job, pension and future career as an attorney all into jeopardy.

Finneran admitted his guilt – and apologized for it today – in federal court. The guilty plea means:

- He must serve 10 months of unsupervised probation.

- He loses his right to vote and carry a gun.

- He agreed to not run for political office for five years.

- He must pay a $25,000 fine, which his lawyer said he would pay today.

The deal will also require a referral to the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers, which will disbar him, or at least suspend the longtime lawyer’s right to practice law, a source close to Finneran said.

The felony conviction also means Finneran will lose his $2,575-a-month state pension, which he earned through 26 years of public service. Under state law, a government employee’s pension can be cut off if he is convicted of a felony connected to his job. Finneran’s admission of guilt stems from misleading testimony he gave in a civil trial over the drawing up of legislative districts in 2001 while he was House speaker.

His $500,000-a-year lobbying job with the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council also appears in jeopardy. MBC officials declined comment last night, but sources said the board was caught by surprise and is not pleased with the outcome of the case. Finneran had long maintained his innocence and vowed to fight the charges when he stepped down as House speaker and took the MBC president’s job in 2004.

Finneran, who is expected to land a plum talk-show host gig, could continue lobbying since there are no state laws barring convicted felons from being registered lobbyists, officials said.

Finneran, holding back tears, told the federal judge today he is sorry for what he did.

‚ÄúI embarrassed myself. I shamed myself. I apologize to you … I apologize to my constituents and I apologize to the people of Massachusetts,‚Äù he said.

Boston Globe says the biotech council will wait until at least Monday to decide whether to fire him.

Meanwhile, WRKO’s Howie Carr and his callers are busy blasting Finneran on the air during Friday’s show.