Dan talks with Jon Keller, who has been explaining Massachusetts politics to Boston broadcast audiences for nearly half a century. Jon returned to WBZ-TV just in time to cover a contentious governor's election. He brought his trademark quick thinking and level-headed approach to the recent debate between Maura Healey and Mike Minogue. Jon was a colleague of Dan's at The Boston Phoenix, where he wrote a political colum. His Keller @ Large show remains one of the longest-running political franchises in local television.
Boston Magazine twice named him "Best TV Political Analyst" and he's won a boatload of New England Emmys. In the Jurassic era, Jon wrote an opinion column for me at The Boston Globe, and today writes a column for the MASSterlist political newsletter.
Jon has also been caught in the Paramount media swirl, as well. WBZ-TV laid him off in October 2025 as part of Paramount's cuts. But WBZ brought him back as a special contributor in March of this year.
Dan has a Quick Take about turmoil at The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington. Editor Rob Curley, who's leading an effort to take the paper nonprofit, was placed on administrative leave recently for unspecified inappropriate behavior. Now a deeply reported article by two nonprofit news outlets have published a devastating story about what went wrong.
(Ellen couldn't make it on air for this episode, but she's editing behind the scenes and will be back soon.)
