Boston magazine’s Joe Keohane confirms rumors that crime reporter Michele McPhee is leaving the Boston Herald, and reports that she’s taken a full-time job at WTKK Radio (96.9 FM).
Given that McPhee just lost her 10 a.m.-to-noon slot in the Imus shuffle, it would seem like a good bet that she’s moving to evenings. Intriguing, given that talk stations generally fill the post-drive-time evening hours with cheap syndicated programming.
Wednesday morning update: The Herald’s Jessica Heslam confirms that McPhee will be on WTKK from 7 to 10 p.m. each weekday. We’ll see how that works out. As a talk-radio talent, McPhee is still pretty raw. And she’s chosen to thumb her nose at Howie Carr’s First Rule of Talk Radio: Never, ever give up the newspaper gig, because you just don’t know what will happen.
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She’s the most unlistenable person I’ve ever heard on the radio! And Michael Graham is pretty good competition for that title: It’s actually a relief Imus back in the mornings. At least he’s occasionaly listenable.
Michelle McPhee has a voice for print. This hire is hard to fathom. She has zero radio talent.
Wow. There is hope for us all. You may disagree with Graham’s opinions, but at least he is articulate and glib. Perhaps she will grow into the job?
I strongly disagree — she is the voice of the Boston street and brings a local sense missing from the rest of the WTKK or WRKO lineup.
Dan – Wasn’t this kind of abrupt? She’s writing for the paper one day and is a “former Herald reporter” the next. Does anyone know the impetus behind her departure? I’ve heard some talk that the Herald low-balled her on a new contract but I’m curious if anyone has the inside scoop. I know she got plenty of backlash for the invasive firefighter autopsy stories and the recent flap with homosexuals, but I was surprised to hear she is already out the door. I’m also somewhat surprised that there’s been no comment from Purcell, after all she was a fairly well known columnist, if not my cup of tea.
From her first Herald story in ’04 to her last, there have been mistakes of varying degrees in almost every one. Exaggerated and “puffed up” stories….it is a wonder the Herald did not get sued. Take, if you will her last column December 3rd entitled “Laxachusetts’: Where criminals get coddled” . McPhee states: “Executive Office of Public Safety spokesman Terrill Walker told me Eisenberg walked out of MCI-Concord in March 2005 after serving his entire 10-to-20-year sentence.” Problem is, we all know Terrill Walker to be former ch 56 news at 10 reporter Terrill HARRIS, not Terrill WALKER. Mispellings, “puffed out” quotes, leading questions while putting words in people’s mouths. She is an entertainer, not a journalist. Best of luck ‘TKK
To Dan’s point about evenings one of the great stations in the country WHAS/Louisville axed their 9pm to midnight talk-host last week, replacing him with Savage. If a clear-channel power station with years of tradition went this route, you have to wonder if anyone can make it with local show? It makes you appreciate WBZ a bit more.
I have to agree with the poster above that it’s a miracle The Herald hasn’t been sued over some of McPhee’s work. I’ve long wondered if the paper’s decision to start calling her a columnist was an attempt to protect itself from another libel suit?
Group hat tip to Dan Rea!
Michelle McPhee has the most nauseating voice I have ever heard. I was a Brudnoy fan for more years than I care to count, and loved his replacement, Paul Sullivan. Personally, I wouldn’t listen to McPhee for any longer than it takes to turn the dial!
McPhee is the bomb!! She is a great writer that is connected into everything, which is why she gets so many exclusives. The Herald screwed up big time in loosing her.I am sure she is making big bucks now at 96.9! She was a little shakey at first, but now she is kicking ass!!! She is the voice of the people. People love her because she is a local girl, that is down to earth and tells it like she sees it.ROCK ON MCPHEE!!!!
Right on!! Michelle tells it like it is and the ‘MOONBATS’ don’t like it at all. So, keep on knitting and remember life is a bowl of cherries. Don’t hate because she has a ‘Best Seller’ a great job and something you will never have, the guts to tell it like is..
Read her new book? Exagerated and dramatic. I have personal knowledge of stories told in its chapters and know them to be blatantly puffed up and untrue. She definantly overused her thesaurus on this one.