Howie Carr

Infobox Radio Presenter
name = Howie Carr


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birthname = Howard Lawrence Carr
birthdate = birth date and age|1952|01|17
birthplace = Portland, Maine
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country = United States
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web = [http://www.howiecarr.com HowieCarr.com] |

Howard Lawrence "Howie" Carr (born January 17, 1952) is an American journalist, author, and conservative radio talk-show host.

Career

Radio

Howie Carr has presented a weekday radio talk-show on Boston's WRKO since 1994. The show, titled "The Howie Carr Show", can be heard throughout northern and central New England and northeastern New York, but is available to a worldwide audience via live streaming on [http://wrko.com/pages/681308.php 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.

On July 9 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 saidto have signed him for a five-year deal, though Entercom denies this has happened. [ [http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1010440 Carr files suit against WRKO for trying to stop new deal with rival - BostonHerald.com ] ] Carr would move to morning drive-time radio, airing from 5:30 to 9 a.m. But legal decisions preventedCarr from making the jump and on November 15, 2007, Entercom announced that Carr would returnto their airwaves on Friday November 16, in his current 3 to 7 pm time slot. [ [http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/news/messenger/index.php/2007/11/15/its-official-howie-carr-back-to-wrko/ BostonHerald.com - Blogs: Messenger Blog» Blog Archive » It’s official: Howie Carr back to WRKO ] ] Carr's current contract expires in 2012.

Journalism

Carr is a front-page columnist for the "Boston Herald", 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. 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 current "Herald" guest columnist Mike Barnicle, calling him a "hack" and saying he (Carr) wanted to be the "Herald"'s "nonfiction columnist" [ [http://www.bostonphoenix.com/archive/features/98/08/20/MIKE_BARNICLE_STEALS.html Barnicle's comments re Howie Carr] ] (Barnicle resigned from the Boston Globe over allegations of plagiarism and fabrication of stories.) [ [http://www.boston.com/news/daily/19/barnicle.htm Boston.com / Latest News / Region ] ]

A "Boston Globe" column by Steve Bailey stated that Carr gave out Barnicle's home phone number, an allegation Carr denies. Barniclecalled 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?" [ [http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2004/05/07/badboys/ Barnicle's comments on Howie Carr] ]

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. [cite web |url=http://news.bostonherald.com/columnists/view.bg?articleid=194039| author=Howie Carr | title=Imus’ demise no surprise| publisher=Boston Herald | date=2007-04-12]

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". [ [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/02/01/judge_denies_herald_quotes/ Judge Murphy libel case] ]

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. [http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2005/12/27/news/opinion/opinion01.txt Judge Murphy's libel case]

Personal life

Carr was born at the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary (now Holt Hall) at Bramhall and Congress Streets in Portland, Maine, to Frances Stokes Sutton and Howard Carr, Sr. Carr was raised by an aunt in Portland.

He graduated from Deerfield Academy and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with his second wife, Kathy, and their three daughters, Carolyn, Charlotte, and Christina ("Tina"). He also has two other daughters from his first marriage. Up until early 2006, Carr referred to his wife as "Submit". Prior to a signing for his new book, "The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century" (ISBN 0-446-57651-4), at Wellesley Free Library on March 4, 2006, Carr explained that he came across the name on a headstone in the cemetery across from his house when he lived in Acton, Massachusetts, and thought that it would be a great name for a woman because it wasn't likely to become popular again anytime soon. In the early stages of their marriage, Mrs. Carr didn't want her first name to be public knowledge, hence her husband's moniker for her. For Christmas 2005, as a gift to his wife, Carr said he would stop referring to her as "Submit".

James "Whitey" Bulger

Carr is an expert on James Bulger and wrote the "New York Times" best-seller, "The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century".

"License Plate lottery"

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 Department of Motor Vehicles holds drawings for Massachusetts residents to "win" the plates. [ [http://www.mass.gov/rmv/rmvnews/2004/lotterywinners04.htm Massachusetts DMV lottery] ] Carr was the "winner" of the plate #9823 in 2004. [ [http://www.mass.gov/rmv/rmvnews/2004/lotterywinners04.htm Carr won license plate #9823 in 2004] ]

Nicknames

Given "to" Carr

*"Baby-faced Assassin" - given to him in his younger years.
*"Brittle Bastard" - attributed to his self-disclosed osteoporosis.
*"Cap'n" - self-named after the time Carr once went out and interviewed "bums" to lampoon a Boston-area community's distribution of vouchers for the homeless. Carr would offer either money for alcohol or sizable food stamps to the homeless. The homeless men invariably chose the drink. To get the cash, Howie requested that they called him "Cap'n" before awarding the gift. It is used affectionately by the listeners and Carr.
*"Fat Bastard" - used by listeners, often in jest, in reference to his waist size.
*"Paper Boy" - given to him in honor of his job as a journalist.
* "A Civil Howie" - in jest for his role in the film "A Civil Action".
* "The Last American Dishwasher" - self-named, in reference to South Americans taking the jobs that, allegedly, no American wants to do.
* "The Clam Man" - in reference to his love of the seafood.

Given "by" Carr

* [http://www.myfoxboston.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=30950&version=14&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=5.3.1 Doug "Virgin Boy" Goudie] , Carr's former producer, now with WFXT, received his nickname due to the fact he lived at home with his mother and did not have a driver's license, which led Carr to surmise that he was a virgin.
*Boston Mayor Thomas M. "Mumbles" Menino received his nickname from his friends in Hyde Park for his poor diction before getting into City Hall. Carr has appropriated it on the show and often plays clips of the mayor, poking fun at him. The name is taken from the "Dick Tracy" cartoon character.
*Senator John "Liveshot" Kerry received his nickname, coined by Carr, for his propensity for seeking out a news camera.
*Senator Edward M. "Fat Boy" Kennedy received his nickname on the show due to his weight. [http://fatboy.cc/]
*Nicky "Pockets" Mavroules, D-Massachusetts, an ultra-liberal nuclear-freeze proponent who later went to prison.
*Marty "T as in Taliban" Meehan (or "Midas" Meehan), the liberal, anti-war, ex-Massachusetts congressman. He has since become Chancellor of UMass-Lowell, starting in June 2007.
*William "The Corrupt Midget" Bulger, the ex-president of the Massachusetts State Senate, University of Massachusetts, and brother of notorious mobster James "Whitey" Bulger. The moniker was actually hung on Bulger by Judge E. George Daher after Bulger attempted to defund the state's Housing Court. Referring to Governor Michael "Pee-wee" Dukakis, who was then running for president, Daher demanded, "How's he going to stand up to the Russians when he can't stand up to the corrupt midget?"
*"Good Time" Charlie Flaherty, the disgraced ex-speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
*Tom "Tommy Taxes" Finneran (also "Felon" Finneran), another indicted ex-speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and now Howie's colleague at WRKO.
*Tom "Unfortunately" Reilly, the Massachusetts Attorney General and 2006 Democratic gubernatorial candidate who usually begins his press conferences with the word "unfortunately", after losing another case. The use of the word "unfortunately" in a Reilly campaign advertisement (voiced by an actor) has been played as a sound cut.
*Charles "Chuckles" Reardon, ex-sheriff of Essex County. [http://www.s-t.com/daily/09-96/09-18-96/a03sr023.htm]
*Cheryl Jacques "Rhymes with 'Fakes'", ex-state senator in Massachusetts.
*Matthew J. "Fat Matt" Amorello, the fat ex-Massachusetts Turnpike chairman.
*"Honest John" McGonigle, ex-sheriff of Middlesex County.
*Lt. Governor Kerry "Muffy" Healey (also "Little Bo Prep"), regarding accusations of elitist attitudes. On September 20, 2006, Carr told Healey that he would consider "benching" the "Muffy" nickname "for the duration of the campaign". Earlier in the show, Carr's board operator referred to Healey as "Muffy the Moonbat Slayer".
*Kevin "Money Fitz" Fitzgerald, ex-state representative. Allegedly convinced a dying homeless woman to leave him money in her will.
*Congressman Patrick "Patches" Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, son of Edward Kennedy. From the Clarence Carter song. A sarcastic jab at the Kennedy, whom Carr considers least likely to improve the family's reputation. [http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/p/patchesclarencecarter.shtml]
* State Representative Paul "Racehorse" Kujawski, D-Webster. Carr used the nickname in a "Boston Herald" column after Kujawski's August 2004 arrest for drunken driving and open and gross lewdness. According to police, he urinated on the side of U.S. Route 20 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in front of a state trooper. [http://www.madrunkdrivingdefense.com/kujawksiduipressrelease.htm]
* Massachusetts Governor "Coupe Deval" Patrick, for an expensive Cadillac he leased to replace a Crown Victoria. [http://coupedeval.com/index.htm]
* John "Zip" Connolly, a former Boston FBI associate of James Bulger's. Currently serving a ten-year sentence for perjury and under indictment in Oklahoma for complicity in the death of Roger Wheeler.
*Matthew "Happy" Burke, Howie's current board operator and engineer.
* Jane "The Bride of Chuckie" Swift

Awards and recognition

*Placed 50th on trade journal "Talkers Magazine"'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. [cite web
url=http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/03/02/area_talk_hosts_among_bizs_best/
first = Clea | last = Simon
date=2007-03-02
title=Area talk hosts among biz's
publisher=Boston Globe
accessdate=2007-03-26]
*2008 National Radio Hall of Fame inductee. [cite web
url=http://www.museum.tv/rhofsection.php?page=347
title=National Radio Hall of Fame Announces 2008 Inductees
publisher=The Museum of Broadcast Communications
accessdate=2008-04-18]
*Received a Legislative Sentiment from the Maine Legislature in 2006, sponsored by State Representative Chris Greeley. This was presented to him during an appearance in Bangor, Maine.

Bibliography

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).

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

References

External links

* [http://www.howiecarr.com Howie Carr's official website]
* [http://whiteyworld.com "The Brothers Bulger" official site]
* [http://fatboy.cc/ Carr's Ted Kennedy website]
* [http://liveshot.cc/ Carr's John Kerry website]
* [http://mumblesmenino.us/ Carr's Tom Menino website]
* [http://coupedeval.com/ Carr's Deval Patrick website]
* [http://whiteyworld.com/ Whitey World]
* [http://news.bostonherald.com/columnists/?keyword=Howie+Carr&searchSite=byline Boston Herald: Howie Carr Columns]