Graham crackers

The Herald’s Jay Fitzgerald keeps the heat on new WTKK Radio (96.9 FM) talk-show host Michael Graham this morning, reporting that he lost an on-air job in 1999 for some sick Columbine humor.

The Globe’s Clea Simon interviews Graham, who says his first priority will be to bring back Boston’s Veterans Day parade. “I don’t care if I have to go out myself and hire bums and hookers and give them flags,” Graham tells Simon. Michael, my man: We don’t care, either.

During the past couple of days I’ve spent several minutes that felt like hours listening to Graham. My snap judgment — subject to change, of course — is that he may be among the most unlistenable hosts it’s ever been my displeasure to hear. I didn’t like Jay Severin, whom Graham replaced; yet Graham comes up considerably short of Severin. To wit:

• Severin is reasonably intelligent. He’s not as smart as he thinks he is — no one is as smart is Severin thinks he is — but he’s no dummy, either. I don’t know whether Graham is a dolt or not, but he definitely plays one on the radio.
• Severin’s got great pipes. He’s easy to listen to, especially if you pay no attention to what he’s actually saying. Graham’s normal on-air speaking voice is a high-pitched, loud, on-rushing yelp.
• As much of a right-winger as Severin can often be, he does hold a few counter-intuitive views. Among other things, he opposes the war in Iraq, and supports an immediate pullout given that no weapons of mass destruction were found there. Graham is so pro-war that it’s unconscionable he hasn’t signed up for a stint in the Marines.

Is it too soon to tell? Sure. But screamers don’t have a good record of success in the Boston market. Howie Carr must be thrilled.