Callahan, a Chelmsford native, graduated from UMass Amherst in 1985 with a degree in Communications after having transferred from the University of Maine.
The Dennis & Callahan Show was a staple for sports fan in Boston, producing strong ratings consistently throughout its tenure.
We were just supposed to do real boring sports talk and listeners don’t like that.” [8] At its peak, the Kirk & Callahan show was consistently the number one rated sports talk show in Boston, beating competitor Toucher & Rich in the head-to-head for males 25 -54.
[12] The show advertised the mantra: "Politics, Sports and Revenge," and gave Callahan his first opportunity to speak to listeners in a truly open and uncensored format.
Airing live every Monday-Friday morning, the show covers the stories of the day, specifically focused on tackling the political issues Callahan was not allowed to speak about on radio.
Guests Tom Shattuck, Alex Reimer, and Aidan "Turtleboy" Kearney have appeared on the program and occasionally offer a diverse selection of opinions for debate.
According to newspaper articles, the exchange allegedly was:[16] METCO is a state program that buses inner-city Boston students to nearby suburban schools.
Dennis and Callahan were accused of comparing the gorilla to poor, mostly African-American children METCO busses often cater to.
Dunkin' Donuts responded by ceasing all advertising that involved the voices of John Dennis or Gerry Callahan.
According to Jason Wolfe, the vice president of programming for Entercom Boston, Callahan underwent a "minor surgical procedure," and worked with a voice therapist.
During Callahan's absence, the co-host responsibilities were covered by several local sports media personalities including Bob Neumeier, Dale Arnold, Steve DeOssie, and Larry Johnson.
"I mean, I spent a month on the air sounding like Phil Leotardo from The Sopranos, and then I went out sick for half the spring [ratings] book.