Senate Candidate Coakley May Appear
Live Monday Night on Open Mike Show
Haverhill Assessor Stephen Gullo Appears Jan. 25

Senate candidate Martha Coakley is tentatively scheduled to appear on the Open Mike Show Monday night, a press aide for the Massachusetts attorney general said Saturday. Election eve on the Open Mike Show is always a popular night for candidates and listeners.

Arrangements were discussed during Coakley’s Saturday campaign stop in Haverhill.

Haverhill Assessor Stephen C. Gullo is scheduled to appear the following week, Monday, Jan. 25. Gullo will address the tax abatement process and related issues during the Open Mike Show with Jack Bevelaqua.

The suggestion that Gullo appear came from a WHAV listener. Thank you very much!

Wilbur Mahoney and Bernie Hoar in the broadcast booth. 

Live HHS Hockey Debuts on WHAV
Future of Programming Dependent on Sponsors

Live broadcasts of Haverhill High School hockey kicked off Dec. 30 with a game between Haverhill Hillies and Lexington Minuteman from Veterans Memorial Skating Rink.

Bernie Hoar and Wilbur Mahoney expertly handled on-air duties and even managed to fit in an interview with Haverhill High School Athletic Director Garin Veris. The team assembled again Jan. 6 when the Hillies played Lowell. Both games were also rebroadcast for those who may have missed the live events.

“Only local radio can provide local high school sports, but only WHAV does,” said Tim Coco, WHAV president and general manager. However, he warned, “The games cannot continue unsponsored. It is a very expensive undertaking with advanced digital transmission equipment at events and full staff and technical support back at the Ward Hill studios.” Prospective sponsors may review the Rate Card here.

Coco extended his thanks to Hoar, Mahoney and Thomas McGovern. McGovern, a member of Haverhill Hockey Boosters and the Haverhill Hockey Club, worked tirelessly behind-the-scenes to ensure the start of successful broadcasting.

Hoar is a youth hockey coach, former president of Haverhill Youth Hockey and a board member of Haverhill Pentucket Youth Hockey. Mahoney is also a youth hockey coach and board member of Haverhill Pentucket Youth Hockey.

Assuming sponsorship, the next scheduled live broadcast is 6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 30, with a game against Tewksbury.

Selectman’s Appearance Does Little to Quell Town Assault on Free Speech
Groveland Returns WHAV Equipment Via Paid Carrier

Groveland Board of Selectmen Chairman William H. Darke, right, appeared Monday, Dec. 28, on the Open Mike Show with Jack Bevelaqua. The two sparred over the banning of the show on Groveland public access television.

Darke said there was never a formal order to remove WHAV from the town cable system and implied paid cable television worker Tracy Gilford took the matter into his own hands because Bevelaqua was “trashing the town of Groveland.” Bevelaqua had previously criticized Groveland’s permitting of septic systems too close to Johnson’s Pond, a public drinking water supply.

“Dark’s appearance on the program demonstrates WHAV’s commitment to airing all sides of a story. I hoped this would put the matter to rest and saner minds would prevail,” said Tim Coco, WHAV president and general manager. However, WHAV’s equipment was returned by Groveland to the studio by United Parcel Service (UPS) last week. Coco said the controversy has quadrupled the station’s listening audience as evidenced by Internet radio and television statistics.

“WHAV does not take free speech threats lightly. Staff have orders to respond aggressively and uncompromisingly to any such threats. To paraphrase former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, WHAV reserves the right to respond at a time, place and manner of its own choosing.”

WHAV listener and Groveland resident Dorna Caskie this week demonstrated her support for the Open Mike Show in a letter while acknowledging the show can be controversial some times.

“As a 26-year resident of Groveland, I have always admired and valued Jack Bevelaqua’s insights about our town. They are often not kind, but they are always intelligent, purposed, and occasionally very funny. There is no difference between the narrative or questions that Jack asks us and what you would expect from any other social/political commentator — he pushes us out of our comfort zone and asks us to THINK about what is going on. Heaven knows, we need a lot more of that these days.

“Groveland is a community of fantastic people and wonderful resources, but we constantly trip over ourselves and come up short in so many ways. Of course the mighty Cable TV Advisory Committee can broadcast whatever it wants, but if they make a program change in response to “unflattering” content, OF COURSE it is censorship. As an alternative to supporting shutting off the criticism, the Selectmen might consider making some good news of their own.”
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