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Me vs. Mario
A bad breaker-upper
Chartock banishes Cuomo from WAMC's Web sites

by G. M. Heller
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, April 17, 2002
As splits go, this one was pretty messy.  First, we hear WAMC-FM chairman-for-life and power-broker wannabe Alan S. Chartock launching a thinly-disguised April Fool's Day broadside over WNYT-TV, Channel 13, Albany, NY, scolding candidate Andrew M. Cuomo for supposedly spoiling opponent H. Carl McCall's chances in the tight primary race to be democratic nominee for New York's governorship. 

>In happier times: WAMC-FM's chairman-for-life Alan S. Chartock and New York's ex-governor Mario M. Cuomo. 

Next thing we know, Andy's bigdaddy, ex-governor Mario M. Cuomo, bows out from his 18-year run being interviewed weekly (and weakly!) by Mr. Chartock on WAMC-FM's syndicated radio program modestly entitled Me and Mario.

We just wish we had been a fly on the wall (or a bug in their phones).  The intervening calls and e-mails between the two must have been real doozies.

Yet, most telling of all about the nature of these two public men is how each handled that final parting. 

Wistful poetry from Cuomo

In a set of e-mails apparently released to the press by Mr. Chartock, Mr. Cuomo is quoted as using a bit of wistful poetry.  He says: "For everything there is a season ... and the season for 'Me and Mario'  has ended."   Seemingly being the diplomatic gentleman, Mr. Cuomo closes with the words "Thank you."

Lofty sentiments from Chartock

For Mr. Chartock, there is this final sentiment: "I know how committed you are to your son's election as governor, and I can only relate to that as a father of an already mature son ... I certainly hope there will be opportunities for you to come and revisit your loving family that holds you in such high regard here at WAMC.''

Banishment from WAMC-FM

Lofty sentiments indeed from Mr. Chartock, but his subsequent actions at WAMC-FM, his so-called Northeast Public Radio Network, speak volumes more about the little professor's  karmic outlook. 

Immediately following the published announcement of the break-up in Saturday's Albany Times-Union and The Berkshire Eagle, Mr. Chartock ordered that every reference, every mention and every link to Mr. Cuomo's name, to the program Me and Mario, and to the archived Me and Mario shows, be removed from WAMC-FM's Web site (http://www.wamc.org) and from its sister site, ThePublicRadioStation.com (http://www.thepublicradiostation.com)

The link to Me and Mario used to be found at http://www.wamc.org/meandmario.html, but now the only message greeting visitors to that Web page is the dreaded computer jargon "404-Not Found". 

Mr. Chartock apparently views banishment as proof of his and his loving WAMC family's high regard for his former friend, radio co-host, and political benefactor. 

©2002 WAMC Northeast Pirate Network®/™


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