Gerry Callahan has been a fixture on Boston air waves since 1997. For over 20 years now, fans and critics alike have heard his opinion all over New England. Callahan and his morning show often set the dialogue for the city of Boston. Today, he announced Friday was his final show on 93.7 WEEI.
“Well, that was fun,” Callahan tweeted. “After 20 years in morning drive, I did my last show at WEEI this morning. Thanks to all who listened. Unfortunately, this ain’t a movie. Sometimes the bad guys win. Much more to come.”
Callahan’s current co-host Mike “Mut” Mutnansky will go back to hosting nights for the station. Mut joined Callahan in the morning last September when Kirk Minihane left the station.
WEEI announced through a press release that longtime 107.3 WAAF host Greg Hill and current co-host Danielle Murr will handle the morning drive slot for 93.7 starting July 29th.
This is a massive shakeup for WEEI, as Callahan was the longest tenured host at the station. Not to mention Callahan is the third full time co-host to leave WEEI since 2018, joining Michael Holley and Kirk Minihane.
Gerry Callahan is one of the best, most successful sports media personalities in Boston’s history. Before he became known as the bombastic radio host, Callahan cut his teeth for the Lowell Sun for six years. He then joined the Boston Herald in 1989 and wrote for Sports Illustrated from 1994 to 1997.
Callahan joined John Dennis to form the very successful radio show “Dennis and Callahan” in 1997. The show got great ratings, and was often number one in morning drive. They famously described their program’s montra as “We talk about what sports fans talk about.” They were just as likely to argue about Pedro’s recent start as they were to mock a Boston Globe article. Dennis and Callahan were also not shy about discussing their political views. Both hosts often had conservative thoughts they wanted to share.
Their show was wildly successful but not without controversy. Between suspensions, a long running feud with the Boston Globe, and many contentious segments, it is fair to say they had their detractors.
However when the program got stale and ratings dipped in the early 2010’s, a fresh voice joined the show in 2013. Kirk Minihane and Gerry Callahan would develop tremendous on air chemistry. Once John Dennis retired in 2016, the “Kirk and Callahan” show began.
From the Fall of 2016 through the Summer of 2018, “Kirk and Callahan” entertained listeners with their humour, passion, and sense for compelling radio. The show made their bones ripping shoddy journalism or making fun of a co-host’s lack of knowledge. Listener engagement and loyalty was off the charts, as “Kirk and Callahan” was occasionally the number one rated radio show in Boston.
Unfortunately, Minihane would temporarily take a break from the show during the Summer of 2018 due to suicidal thoughts. Minihane would then leave permanently after a brief comeback. Callahan with Mut formed “Mut and Callahan” that Fall. While the show was still good, it was clearly not the same without Minihane. WEEI’s ratings dropped across the board.
So while Callahan is leaving WEEI, it does not appear he wants to retire from giving his opinion. Since he ended his tweet with, “More to come,” it will be interesting to see what the next stage of Gerry Callahan’s career holds.