Dennis, Callahan return to WEEI
WEEI never shelved its "Dennis and Callahan" taglines, which kept running even while John Dennis and Gerry Callahan were off the air. It appears there was a good reason for that.
The cantankerous cohosts were due back on their morning shift (6-10 a.m.) at the Entercom radio station today.
The new contract for Dennis and Callahan, who consistently topped Boston's morning radio ratings for men ages 25-54, is expected to keep them on the air for another five years.
The show likely will be simulcast on some Nassau Broadcasting stations throughout New England. Entercom recently made a deal to place sports content on 11 Nassau stations and also bought 50 percent of WCRB-FM, a Nassau-owned classical station that reportedly was negotiating with Dennis and Callahan during their impasse with WEEI.
Neither Dennis nor Callahan responded to interview requests.
But Jason Wolfe, the vice president of Entercom Boston, confirmed the deal.
"I'm very excited to have them back," he wrote in an e-mail. "This is the outcome that we both wanted and I'm really looking forward to the future."
Callahan has been off the air since May, when he had throat surgery. Dennis teamed up with several cohosts before WEEI management decided to keep Dennis and Callahan off the air in August with the contracts of both due to expire this month.
"We got over the hurdles, and everybody's happy," said a source close to the negotiations, who asked not to be named.
Those who have heard Callahan recently say his voice is still a little scratchy, but not nearly as rough as it was in the months leading up to his surgery.
In 2003, Dennis and Callahan were suspended for two weeks after comparing an escaped gorilla to a Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity student.
Susan Bickelhaupt can be reached at bickelhaupt@globe.com. 