Howie Carr
Encyclopedia
Howard Louis "Howie" Carr, Jr. (born January 17, 1952) is an American journalist
, author, and conservative radio talk-show
host based in Boston with a listening audience rooted in New England.
on Boston
's WRKO
since 1994. The show, titled The Howie Carr Show, can be heard throughout northern and central New England
but is available to a worldwide audience via live streaming on Carr's official website.
The day after President Clinton
's testimony in the Supreme Court Case Clinton v. Jones
, C-SPAN
broadcast Carr's radio program in its entirety without commercial interruption.
On July 8, 2007, it was reported that Carr had reached an agreement to move his show to Boston's WTKK
, starting on October 1, 2007. Greater Media, owner of WTKK, was said
to have signed him for a five-year deal, though Entercom denies this had happened. Carr would move to morning drive-time radio, airing from 5:30 to 9 a.m. But legal decisions prevented
Carr from making the jump and on November 15, 2007, Entercom announced that Carr would return
to their airwaves on Friday November 16, in his current 3 to 7 pm time slot. Carr's current contract expires in 2012.
WRKO suspended Carr for a week beginning April 16, 2010 for repeated on-air criticism of station management.http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/04/17/wrko_suspends_carr_for_barbs_against_station/
, but in early 2006, Carr also became a book author with the publication of his New York Times
-rated best-selling book, The Brothers Bulger, about Billy Bulger and James "Whitey" Bulger. Carr's second book, titled Hitman, was released in April 2011. About Johnny Martorano
, the book also was rated a best-seller by the New York Times
.
As well as being heard on WRKO
(AM 680), he is syndicated throughout New England and streamed on-line through his Web site. He has interviewed numerous politicians, authors, and celebrities. He has also worked as a reporter and commentator for Boston
television stations WGBH
and WLVI.
From 1980 to 1981, Carr was the Boston City Hall bureau chief of the Boston Herald American
, and he later worked as the paper's State House bureau chief. As a political reporter for WNEV (now WHDH) in 1982, his coverage of then-mayor Kevin White was so relentless that after the mayor announced he wasn't running again, he told the Boston Globe that one of the things he enjoyed most about his impending retirement was not having Carr chase him around the city.
In 1985, Carr won the National Magazine Award
, the magazine industry's equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize
, for Essays and Criticism. In television, he has been nominated for an Emmy Award
. Carr played a radio show host in the 1998 John Travolta
film, A Civil Action.
For years Carr has had a feud with former Boston Globe and Herald guest columnist Mike Barnicle
, calling him a "hack" and saying he (Carr) wanted to be the Heralds "nonfiction columnist" (Barnicle resigned from the Boston Globe over allegations of plagiarism and fabrication of stories.)
A Boston Globe column by Steve Bailey stated that Carr gave out Barnicle's home phone number, an allegation Carr denies. Barnicle
called Carr "a pathetic figure", and asked "Can you imagine being as consumed with envy and jealousy toward me for as long as it has consumed him?"
In 1998, Don Imus
said that Mrs. Carr was having an affair with boxer Riddick Bowe
. Mrs. Carr retained professor Alan Dershowitz
as her lawyer. The parties reached an undisclosed settlement. In a 2007 column, Carr alleged that Imus' statements were incited by Barnicle. According to Carr, Barnicle told Imus that Carr had said Imus "would die before his kid got out of high school". Carr denies having said this.
In 2002, the Boston Herald and Carr were the subjects of a lawsuit by Superior Court Judge Ernest Murphy. The newspaper reported that Murphy had said of a fourteen-year-old rape victim: "She can't go through life as a victim. She's 14. She got raped. Tell her to get over it." He was also alleged to have said of a 79-year-old robbery victim: "I don't care if she's 109." Carr, in a front-page column on February 20, 2002, criticized Murphy as handing down lenient sentences in bail decisions in rape cases and included references to his daughters, wondering what Murphy would do if it was one of his offspring that had been the victim. Murphy denied all of the allegations and claimed the newspaper libeled him, ruining his physical and emotional health and damaging his career and reputation as a good man. Ultimately, Murphy won the suit, proving the libel, and was awarded a $2.09 million payment. During the trial, when asked what his reaction was to the Carr column, Murphy had said he "wanted to kill him".
Following the lawsuit, the Boston Herald reported Murphy's letter and a demand for $3.26 million (the court award, plus pre- and post-judgment interest) in its headlines because it was written on official court stationery. The libel case was based on his actions as a judge and therefore the Bar Association, when contacted by the media, stated that since it was his actions as a public official that were at the heart of the libel, it was appropriate for him to use the stationery.Judge Murphy's libel case
(now Holt Hall) in Portland, Maine
, to Frances Stokes Sutton and Howard Louis Carr, Sr. Carr was raised by an aunt in Portland. Howard Louis Carr, Sr. died on October 1, 2008 at the age of 103.http://www.legacy.com/News-Record/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=118605036
Howie Carr graduated from Deerfield Academy
.
Carr has been married twice. His first marriage produced two daughters. After his divorce, he met and married his second wife, Kathy. He lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts
, with his wife and their three daughters: Carolyn, Charlotte, and Christina (Tina).
In March 2007, Carr had a melanoma
removed from his forehead.
In June 2009, Carr filled in for Dennis Miller
on The Dennis Miller Show.
On July 10, 2009, Carr underwent hip replacement
surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital
. Although Carr was supposed to be off the air for several weeks, he was able to "call in" and begin the show as if he were in the studio, although he was actually still in bed at Mass General.
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In Massachusetts, a low-digit license plate was often seen as a status symbol. Politicians and those connected to them were the only people, seemingly, able to obtain these plates with four, three or sometimes even only two digits. The plates are often handed down from generation to generation, making it nearly impossible for someone that has no connections to get one. Carr, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles attends drawings for Massachusetts residents to "win" the plates. Carr was the "winner" of the plate #9823 in 2004.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, author, and conservative radio talk-show
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host based in Boston with a listening audience rooted in New England.
Radio
Howie Carr has presented a weekday radio talk-showTalk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
on Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's WRKO
WRKO
WRKO is a radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts, currently owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Burlington, Massachusetts, next to the Burlington Mall.-1920-1940:...
since 1994. The show, titled The Howie Carr Show, can be heard throughout northern and central New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
but is available to a worldwide audience via live streaming on Carr's official website.
The day after President Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's testimony in the Supreme Court Case Clinton v. Jones
Clinton v. Jones
Clinton v. Jones, , was a landmark United States Supreme Court case establishing that a sitting President of the United States has no immunity from civil law litigation against him, for acts done before taking office and unrelated to the office....
, C-SPAN
C-SPAN
C-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
broadcast Carr's radio program in its entirety without commercial interruption.
On July 8, 2007, it was reported that Carr had reached an agreement to move his show to Boston's WTKK
WTKK
WTKK is a New England commercial talk radio station, first broadcast out of Boston on 96.9 FM beginning in 1999. It can be heard in eastern Massachusetts, the northernmost area of Rhode Island, southern New Hampshire, and southern Maine...
, starting on October 1, 2007. Greater Media, owner of WTKK, was said
to have signed him for a five-year deal, though Entercom denies this had happened. Carr would move to morning drive-time radio, airing from 5:30 to 9 a.m. But legal decisions prevented
Carr from making the jump and on November 15, 2007, Entercom announced that Carr would return
to their airwaves on Friday November 16, in his current 3 to 7 pm time slot. Carr's current contract expires in 2012.
WRKO suspended Carr for a week beginning April 16, 2010 for repeated on-air criticism of station management.http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/04/17/wrko_suspends_carr_for_barbs_against_station/
Journalism
Carr is a columnist for the Boston HeraldBoston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
, but in early 2006, Carr also became a book author with the publication of his New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
-rated best-selling book, The Brothers Bulger, about Billy Bulger and James "Whitey" Bulger. Carr's second book, titled Hitman, was released in April 2011. About Johnny Martorano
Johnny Martorano
John James Vincent Martorano also known as "Vincent Joseph Rancourt," "Richard Aucoin", "Nick," "The Cook" and "The Executioner" and "The Basin Street Butcher" , is a former hitman for the Winter Hill Gang in Boston, Massachusetts who has admitted to 20 gang-related killings.-Early life:Johnny...
, the book also was rated a best-seller by the New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
As well as being heard on WRKO
WRKO
WRKO is a radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts, currently owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Burlington, Massachusetts, next to the Burlington Mall.-1920-1940:...
(AM 680), he is syndicated throughout New England and streamed on-line through his Web site. He has interviewed numerous politicians, authors, and celebrities. He has also worked as a reporter and commentator for Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
television stations WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
and WLVI.
From 1980 to 1981, Carr was the Boston City Hall bureau chief of the Boston Herald American
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
, and he later worked as the paper's State House bureau chief. As a political reporter for WNEV (now WHDH) in 1982, his coverage of then-mayor Kevin White was so relentless that after the mayor announced he wasn't running again, he told the Boston Globe that one of the things he enjoyed most about his impending retirement was not having Carr chase him around the city.
In 1985, Carr won the National Magazine Award
National Magazine Award
The National Magazine Awards are a series of US awards that honor excellence in the magazine industry. They are administered by the American Society of Magazine Editors and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City...
, the magazine industry's equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
, for Essays and Criticism. In television, he has been nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
. Carr played a radio show host in the 1998 John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
film, A Civil Action.
For years Carr has had a feud with former Boston Globe and Herald guest columnist Mike Barnicle
Mike Barnicle
Michael "Mike" Barnicle is an award-winning American print and broadcast journalist as well as a social and political commentator. He is a frequent contributor and occasional guest host on MSNBC's Morning Joe and Hardball with Chris Matthews and is frequently seen on NBC's Today Show with...
, calling him a "hack" and saying he (Carr) wanted to be the Heralds "nonfiction columnist" (Barnicle resigned from the Boston Globe over allegations of plagiarism and fabrication of stories.)
A Boston Globe column by Steve Bailey stated that Carr gave out Barnicle's home phone number, an allegation Carr denies. Barnicle
called Carr "a pathetic figure", and asked "Can you imagine being as consumed with envy and jealousy toward me for as long as it has consumed him?"
In 1998, Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
said that Mrs. Carr was having an affair with boxer Riddick Bowe
Riddick Bowe
Riddick Lamont Bowe is a retired American boxer. He is a two-time heavyweight champion and a former undisputed heavyweight champion...
. Mrs. Carr retained professor Alan Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz
Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He has spent most of his career at Harvard Law School where in 1967, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor of law in its history...
as her lawyer. The parties reached an undisclosed settlement. In a 2007 column, Carr alleged that Imus' statements were incited by Barnicle. According to Carr, Barnicle told Imus that Carr had said Imus "would die before his kid got out of high school". Carr denies having said this.
In 2002, the Boston Herald and Carr were the subjects of a lawsuit by Superior Court Judge Ernest Murphy. The newspaper reported that Murphy had said of a fourteen-year-old rape victim: "She can't go through life as a victim. She's 14. She got raped. Tell her to get over it." He was also alleged to have said of a 79-year-old robbery victim: "I don't care if she's 109." Carr, in a front-page column on February 20, 2002, criticized Murphy as handing down lenient sentences in bail decisions in rape cases and included references to his daughters, wondering what Murphy would do if it was one of his offspring that had been the victim. Murphy denied all of the allegations and claimed the newspaper libeled him, ruining his physical and emotional health and damaging his career and reputation as a good man. Ultimately, Murphy won the suit, proving the libel, and was awarded a $2.09 million payment. During the trial, when asked what his reaction was to the Carr column, Murphy had said he "wanted to kill him".
Following the lawsuit, the Boston Herald reported Murphy's letter and a demand for $3.26 million (the court award, plus pre- and post-judgment interest) in its headlines because it was written on official court stationery. The libel case was based on his actions as a judge and therefore the Bar Association, when contacted by the media, stated that since it was his actions as a public official that were at the heart of the libel, it was appropriate for him to use the stationery.Judge Murphy's libel case
Personal life
Carr was born at the Maine Eye and Ear InfirmaryMaine Eye and Ear Infirmary
Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary is a historic facility at 794-800 Congress Street in Portland, Maine. Also known as Holt Hall, the structure was redeveloped into a residential building in 1997, after standing dormant for nearly 10 years....
(now Holt Hall) in Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, to Frances Stokes Sutton and Howard Louis Carr, Sr. Carr was raised by an aunt in Portland. Howard Louis Carr, Sr. died on October 1, 2008 at the age of 103.http://www.legacy.com/News-Record/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=118605036
Howie Carr graduated from Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy is an independent, coeducational boarding school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States. It is a four-year college-preparatory school with approximately 600 students and about 100 faculty, all of whom live on or near campus....
.
Carr has been married twice. His first marriage produced two daughters. After his divorce, he met and married his second wife, Kathy. He lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
, with his wife and their three daughters: Carolyn, Charlotte, and Christina (Tina).
In March 2007, Carr had a melanoma
Melanoma
Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
removed from his forehead.
In June 2009, Carr filled in for Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
on The Dennis Miller Show.
On July 10, 2009, Carr underwent hip replacement
Hip replacement
Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi replacement. Such joint replacement orthopaedic surgery generally is conducted to relieve arthritis pain or fix severe...
surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
. Although Carr was supposed to be off the air for several weeks, he was able to "call in" and begin the show as if he were in the studio, although he was actually still in bed at Mass General.
"License Plate lottery"
Awards and recognition
- Placed 50th on trade journal Talkers MagazineTalkers magazineTalkers Magazine is a trade industry publication related to talk radio in the United States. Its slogan is "The Bible of Talk Radio and the New Talk Media"...
s list of the 2007 "Heavy Hundred". The list ranks whom the magazine considers the most popular, influential, or entertaining talk-show hosts from around the country. Carr currently ranks 56th as of 2009. - 2008 National Radio Hall of Fame inductee.
- Received a Legislative Sentiment from the Maine LegislatureMaine LegislatureThe Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate...
in 2006, sponsored by State Representative Chris GreeleyChris GreeleyChristian D. "Chris" Greeley is a former representative in the Maine state legislature. He is a Republican. He represented District 22 in the House of Representatives for four consecutive two-year terms, from 2002 to 2010, at which point he was prohibited from running again by term limits.He is a...
. This was presented to him during an appearance in Bangor, MaineBangor, MaineBangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
.
Non-fiction
- The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century, New York: Warner Books, 2006 (ISBN 0-446-57651-4).
- Hitman: The Untold Story of Johnny Martorano: Whitey Bulger's Enforcer and the Most Feared Gangster in the Underworld, New York: Forge Books, 2011 (ISBN 0-765-32639-6).
Filmography
- A Civil Action (1998): The film is based on the real-life case of Anderson v. Cryovac that took place in Woburn, Massachusetts in the 1980s. Howie played a radio talk show host.