The Year ThaT Was: 2007

The Year That Was: 2007
November 14, 2008
How Now, Mancow?
Say “Mancow” in broadcasting circles and most will
instantly recognize the definitive brand of Erich “Mancow”
Muller. Syndicated nationally through Talk Radio Network
and heard in his hometown of Chicago on WLS-AM, the
Mancow of 2008 isn’t exactly the same guy who once reveled
in shocking his audience and testing the limits of the FCC. I
checked in with Mancow to talk about his
personal and professional evolution, and to get
a Chicagoan’s perspective on America’s brand
new President-elect.
Along with your daily TRN national show, you
recently added a local show at WLS. How did
that come about and how’s it feel to be back on
Erich
“Mancow”
the air in Chicago?
Muller
The guy that first brought me to Chicago,
Mike Fowler - who I consider to be the
greatest radio GM in America -- is now at WLS. We always
swore we would work together again and it has been heavenly
to be back. The ‘trail of tears’ for me over the past couple of
years has been awful. I’ve been doing a lot of TV, but a lot of
people here in Chicago still thought I was out of work. People
who’d loved the old radio show would see me out around town
and offer to buy me drinks and lunch. Then I’d go to places
outside Chicago, where the national show is airing, and people
would be high-fiving me and all that stuff. For a guy like me
who really loves that live audience interaction, being off in
Chicago for the last couple of years was really tough. So it’s
great to be back.
Issue 75
Why didn’t you just take your act to satellite radio where there
was more “freedom” to say what you want?
The idea of sitting over on satellite radio doing naughtynaughty just never appealed to me. I could’ve made $2 million
more a year if I’d quit terrestrial radio. I sure could’ve used the
money, but I don’t regret it. I figured the most I could achieve,
if I was a superstar on satellite, was an audience roughly the
population of Joliet, IL. I also felt that I’d be a fraud if I went
to satellite radio. I’ve always tried to have the show appeal to
average people and it just felt wrong to be championing the
little guy and then asking him to spend money every month just
to hear our show.
So you don’t feel constrained on commercial radio today the
way you once might have felt?
I really find it fun to say things without really saying them and
to have rules. To be completely lawless isn’t fun and there’s no
challenge to it. I think about things like the God-awful show on
satellite radio I heard where they were fantasizing about raping
Condoleeza Rice. I’ve heard a lot of other shows on satellite
where the F-word is simply a crutch. Hey, it would be thrilling to
say the F-word just once on the air -- but after that I have to think
it’s got to get boring and easy. When you listen to those shows on
satellite radio you can tell they’re taking the easy way out.
Talk about the difference in Mancow then and now.
I think what a lot of people never understood is that Mancow is
a character name. I have a theater background -- I’m an actor.
Look, the show I first did here was 17 years ago. I’ve changed.
I know people in radio who can’t and it’s at their own peril. I
was on the air on 9/11. We were ordered to leave the building
©200 8 News • Ta lk • S p o r t s Airc h ec k ™ — Al l r i g hts re s e r ve d. To s u bs c r i be v i s i t www.ntsaircheck.com
(continued on page 3)
News • Talk • Sports Weekly
November 14, 2008
Airchecklets
Vivian Schiller is named the new President/CEO at NPR
beginning January 5. Schiller most recently oversaw operations
at NYTimes.com … KIRO AM & FM and KTTH/Seattle
have named the VA Puget Sound Fisher House as the News/
Talkers’ “Charity of the Month” recipient. Fisher houses provide
a home-away-from-home for injured troops at major military
and VA centers nationwide … R.I.P. Voice of the Cleveland
Indians Herb Score who died November 11 following a lengthy
illness. He was 75 … Glenn Vaagen joins KBNW/Bend, OR
as a news reporter and APD … WSJF/St. Augustine Beach,
FL flips to progressive Talk on weekdays, 6am-6pm, but retains
its current Oldies programming at night and on weekends …
WSSP/Milwaukee partners for the second consecutive year with
Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin for a Christmas holiday toy
donation drive, December 1-5 … Former USA Radio Network
News Director and longtime Dallas-Ft. Worth newsman Bob
Morrison joins Citadel News/Talker WBAP/Dallas for fill-in
anchor duties …
Network/Syndication Aircheck
Tom Kraeutler, co-host of the weekend syndicated home
improvement show The Money Pit and Home Improvement
Editor for AOL, adds Home Improvement Editor duties for the
personal money matters-focused web site WalletPop.com …
WGN America will televise next year’s Sean Hannity Freedom
Concert Series. Get more details and ticket info for the shows
at www.hannity.com … ESPN Radio adds former Indiana and
Texas Tech basketball coach Bobby Knight for a weekly guest
slot on both Mike & Mike In The Morning and Tirico & Van Pelt
beginning next month … Independently syndicated Free Talk
Live adds WTNY/Watertown, NY and KRBT/Eveleth, MN
… Regionally syndicated, KARN/Little Rock-based Sports/
Talk show Sports Animals, hosted by Shawn Arnell, Wally
Hall and Mike Irwin, adds KUOA-KTHS/Springdale, AR for
afternoons. Current PM-driver Grant Merrill moves to wakeups, joining Gary Campbell and Mark Lericos.
Page 2
Emerging Talk Media
CelleCast adds the long running Something You Should
Know feature hosted by Mike Carruthers to the roster of
programming offered by the mobile audio content provider …
Kevin McCarthy joins mobile marketing firm HipCricket
as GSM. McCarthy’s resume includes sales and management
positions with ABC Radio, Clear Channel and Entercom …
The consolidation of channels at Sirius and XM took place this
week giving subscribers of both services access to the same
channels. Click on “New Channels” at www.sirius.com for the
satcasters’ new lineups … Automaker BMW has announced
it will continue to offer Sirius XM Radio as a factory installed
option on all of its vehicles when included in a one-year bundled
subscription as part of the purchase price of the car.
Gig Alerts
WTMJ/Milwaukee is seeking an experienced News/Talk PD.
E-mail cover letter and resume to Journal EVP Steve Wexler
at [email protected] … Monticello Media
has several openings in sales, interactive and programming at
its six-station Charlottesville, VA cluster that includes News/
Talk WCHV and Sports WKAV. Email your resume to jobs@
cvillestations.com … Got a gig open? Need a new challenge?
Email details and your contact info to [email protected] and
we’ll post it here FREE!
Jewel And Me
That’s the
caption ABC
News Radio
Entertainment
Correspondent
Hunter
Kelly will
undoubtedly
scrawl on the
back of this
office-wall
souvenir photo taken with singer-songwriter Jewel at a recent
Nashville charity event.
©2008 News • Ta lk • S p o r t s Airc h ec k ™ — Al l r i g hts re s e r ve d. S e n d n e ws to [email protected]
News • Talk • Sports Weekly
November 14, 2008
“ I think we have a break through show for the
next generation of Talk listeners.”
(continued from page 1)
and I refused, but I was terrified. I changed that day. Also,
I’m married now and I have twin daughters, so my interests
in life have changed a lot from when I first started. I don’t
necessarily want to change the world, but I’d like to help.
You have political opinions, but your show isn’t really like a
typical political talk show.
Let’s face it, half the country voted for Barack Obama and
the other half didn’t. I am not a Republican, I didn’t vote for
McCain. And I didn’t vote for Obama. Frankly, I’m kinda
sick of all of them and I don’t think I’m alone. I haven’t
really heard a voice out there for those people and I think
our show can be that. [TRN CEO] Mark Masters calls it
‘South Park conservatism,’ and it’s that, but we also have
a show-biz element to the program and a new generation’s
sensibility about Talk radio. I think we have a break through
show for the next generation of Talk listeners. I like to think
of it as pop-culture and common sense put into a blender
turned on high.
Finally, what’s your Chicagoan’s perspective on Presidentelect Obama?
Living in Chicago we are at the epicenter of the earth’s
energy right now. I’ve been following Barack Obama and
I know he is simply the best actor the machine could find.
The dirty tricks I have seen, the control that he is under
-- America has no idea what’s coming. Chicago politics
are as dirty as it gets and now they’ve taken control of the
White House. Barack Obama is a sweet-talker, he whispers
in your ear. And as someone who speaks for a living I can
tell you that the guy is masterful. It’s something to behold.
But America has no idea what is coming for them. I’m
praying I’m wrong and that he won’t be that guy, but I’m
not optimistic. It will be interesting to see if America really
is ready for this level of liberalism.
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You Oughta Be In Pictures
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Make it happen. Email your best photos to
[email protected].
Contact NTS Aircheck
Al Peterson:
858-486-7559
[email protected]
Brooke Trissel:
512-218-8228
[email protected]
©2008 News • Ta lk • S p o r t s Airc h e c k ™ — Al l r i g hts re s e r ve d. S e n d n e ws to [email protected]
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