Dan McNeil Out at WMVP

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Jan 17, 2009 8:37PM

There's an empty bar stool at the "afternoon saloon." ESPN Radio WMVP (1000 AM) escorted Dan McNeil, host of the afternoon "Mac, Jurko and Harry Show," out the door on Friday and breaking up the team that's been handling afternoons for nearly eight years. The station decided not to pick up the option on his contract, and while he's under contract until May he's been pulled off the air.

No one incident precipitated the decision, but his $600,000 annual salary probably looked costly in the current economic situation -- especially given his history of "run-ins, self-inflicted controversy and suspensions." Over the years, he's been suspended for such things as on-air spats with co-hosts. Personally, we like Mac's fieriness but guess that didn't play so well with the suits. Or maybe, like when Mike North got canned, it was simply about the Benjamins.

Filling in for Mac with John Jurkovic and Harry Teinowitz will be Carmen DeFalco, who's bounced all over the schedule on ESPN Radio, most recently co-hosting "The Show" in the evenings. Whether this new trio becomes a permanent fixture in the afternoons is yet to be seen. WMVP general manager Jim Pastor, said "We're looking to try some new things in the afternoon, and given the economic climate, we feel like this is the right time to do it." What we do know is that our commutes home just won't be the same without Mac riding shotgun.

AM100.com