As a member of WBUR in Boston, where Car Talk is produced, I received this message from the manager of the station, regarding the end of the show:
We all knew this day would come but it is still not easy to announce a milestone on the highway of life. Tom and Ray Magliozzi, better known as “Click and Clack,” will end new recordings of Car Talk in October, after 35 years of continuous production at WBUR.
On behalf of everyone at WBUR which has proudly been the home of Car Talk, I want to express my gratitude to Tom and Ray and Doug Berman and his whole team. Their extraordinary work and endless hours of wit and wisdom and entertainment have delighted audiences across the country and the world. As most of you know, Car Talk began as a little experiment on WBUR and reached national distribution when Susan Stamberg heard about it and put a regular segment on Weekend Edition. The rest is history. Special credit goes to Doug Berman, without whom Car Talk would never have reached its levels of success or been sustainable for all these years.
Tom and Ray are a national treasure. They have a special place in the history of public radio. They taught us all about the broadest possibilities of providing wonderful entertainment that is funny, smart, self-deprecating and surprisingly wise. Because of their work, we have been able to broaden our perspectives on how to serve our communities of listeners like you with creativity, intelligence and warmth. How lucky we have been to have them on our air for all these years!
We’re pleased that Car Talk will continue to be produced from its archival material. Doug assures me that there is years’ worth of material that has yet to be aired.
We hope you’ll help us honor this legacy by continuing to tune in as you always have.
On behalf of everyone here at WBUR, I hope you’ll join me in expressing our gratitude for Tom and Ray.
Sincerely,
Charlie Kravetz
General Manager
It should be noted that a previous manager of WBUR, Jane Christo, got NPR to syndicate Car Talk. When Christo was later forced out of the station, it was reported that she regretted letting the Magliozzi brothers own the show.
I loved these guys! Who else could make “car talk” interesting and funny for chicks? Their laughs were infectious, and the show just flew. I even tried to call in several times, so they could make playful jabs at the awful second-hand “cahs” my husband has bought me over the years. They always break down! These guys will be very sorely missed.