Todd Starnes recalls his experience growing up in the South during the Carter administration. He vividly remembers how his father changed his political affiliation to the Republican Party due to President Carter’s policies that negatively impacted America. Starnes became politically aware during his junior high school years, which coincided with Ronald Reagan’s presidency, a pivotal moment for the country.
Starnes went on to study communications at Lee University and would later come back to the school to give lectures, talking to the next generation of journalism students. Starnes became nationally recognized as his career evolved for his thought-provoking commentaries and work covering President Obama’s administration. Starnes became widely respected for his no-holds-barred analysis of the day’s hottest stories.
Constant change is a common occurrence in the media industry, which Starnes, who was negotiating a contract extension with Fox News towards the end of 2019, can attest to. Every three years, the network assesses its talent deals, and Starnes had expressed dissatisfaction with their offer during negotiations. A controversy involving Starnes, a Hispanic journalism group, and the use of a term to describe illegal immigration also arose around the same time. These events combined to mark the beginning of a new journey for Starnes.
In his interview with Barrett News Media, Starnes talked about his experience leading up to leaving Fox News, his current perspective on the network, his unexpected transition from national political commentator to radio station owner in Memphis, and the reception of his station in both the local community and the industry.
Ryan Hedrick: What motivated you to acquire KWAM “The Mighty 990” and its translator 107.9 through your company, Starnes Media Group?
Todd Starnes: Severe weather. I was back home in Memphis and still at Fox News. I got caught in a severe thunderstorm and was driving through a popular thoroughfare. So, I turn on the radio to try and get an update on what was happening with the weather. The local talk radio station was in syndicated programming, and as I scanned the dial, nobody was doing any coverage.
I thought to myself at the time that somebody needs to buy a radio station and provide local coverage, so when things like bad weather happen, this community has a resource to get that type of information. That was really the seed of that idea.
A few months later, I received a call from a radio broker who informed me that a radio station was for sale in Memphis and asked me if I would be interested. When I purchased KWAM, it had been a pay-for-play radio station, a hodgepodge of different programming. That’s really what led to it.
RH: What can you tell us about the staff at KWAM?
TS: We have a total of 12-13 full-time and part-time people working here. A radio station owner in another market told me that if we really wanted to make an impact, we had to steal something from another radio station in town. It just so happened that we were able to snag the garden show (Mid-South Gardening), which had been around for about 25 years; it was hugely popular.
We just caught them at the right time. We told them we would treat them like rock stars. They brought their audience with them, and that really helped us out in the early days. We launched a morning show (Wake up Memphis) and now have a local afternoon drive show. We also do live, local news.
RH: In terms of KWAM’s success, how crucial is the local news component?
TS: It’s huge. In fact, our slogan is, ‘Where Memphis goes for Breaking News.’ That was an important thing for us. We are finalists for our breaking news coverage of the night a gunman went on a rampage. We broadcasted coverage live on Facebook. We are a finalist for the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters awards for our coverage of that night. Our staff members came rushing back to the station, others called in, and we opened the phone lines.
We really want to be that place where if people know something crazy is going on, we want them to tune into KWAM to get all the news and information. The station won its first regional Murrow award this year, the first time in the radio station’s history. It’s exciting to see journalism and the great work of our team being recognized by our colleagues in the industry.
RH: Since buying KWAM, what difficulties and accomplishments have you had?
TS: One of the things that I learned is that when you buy a radio station, you should not only check under the hood, but you should probably kick the tires. I didn’t realize that every single piece of wiring, every single piece of equipment, had to be replaced. We also have the tower site, which is right alongside the Mississippi River, which is why we have a “K” alongside our name because our towers are in Arkansas, and our studios are in East Memphis. The biggest challenge is getting everything functional. I’m a radio geek, so when that Emergency Alert System (EAS) goes off, it’s kind of cool.
The other part is we’re going up against the big corporate guys. This goes back to knowing your lane. The advantage is that all our decisions are made right here in Memphis. You don’t have to go up the food chain. If you have a problem with KWAM, you can either come to the station and talk to me, or you can pick up the phone and talk to me. That’s a big plus for us.
RH: As a media industry influencer, what changes have you observed over the years, and what challenges and opportunities do you think media professionals can take advantage of?
TS: For people on all sides, we must be great on all the platforms. We have worked very hard to do that at KWAM. We study other radio stations, big and small. If they’re doing something creative, we want to figure out how we can implement that here. You have to be inquisitive, and you have to want to learn. We try to instill that in our team here.
Early on, I received a handwritten letter from a guy with a company near the airport. He had written this letter to our competitor. He was complaining because there were a lot of technical issues, like double audio. In the letter to whoever was in charge at the time, he said he reached out to the impacted businesses to advise them that their advertisements were not being heard.
He sent that same letter to me, and I picked up the phone and called the guy. When he answered, he was stunned. I told him I wanted him to call me directly if he heard anything like that on this station. That was a year and a half ago, and I haven’t heard from him, and he’s listening to KWAM. We work hard to give people a great radio experience.
RH: What predictions do you have for the future of conservative media, and what part will KWAM play in that evolution?
TS: We have a unique situation here in Memphis. We are a majority, minority city. I think metro-wide, Memphis is 60/40 Black to white. We have a lot of issues that many cities would never have to deal with. I think that we have one of the most racially diverse audiences on radio. We get a lot of calls from folks that are Black and white. Our issue is how we become that station for all of Memphis.
One of the things that we started covering is high school football. We do a Friday night football show, and we cover one school. We also have a halftime and a postgame show that incorporates other teams. We have local newspaper reporters call in to give reports, and people that work at TV stations contribute. That’s been a great thing for us, breaking down those barriers. Yes, we’re conservative, but everyone is welcome here.
RH: The First Amendment and free speech topic is frequently debated. What do you believe as a talk show host is your responsibility in protecting free speech?
TS: This is one of the greatest dangers in our society. We are growing a generation of young Americans who believe there should be restrictions placed on free speech. I think that they’re learning this in public schools. This concerns me because I am a free speech purist and a constitutionalist. I am going to defend the Constitution as best I can.
At KWAM, we have different citizens perform the Pledge of Allegiance. At noon, we play the National Anthem. Those things are important to us because I would not have a radio station without those freedoms.
People need to understand that we need to hear from both sides. My philosophy is that as long as you’re entertaining on the radio, I really don’t care about your political affiliations. I want you to be entertaining and authentic. I had a guy send me his resume; he was looking for a job. In his cover letter, he said he could be a conservative or a liberal or whatever I wanted him to be. I said, ‘How about authentic? How about your authentic self?’
RH: Can you share any personal experiences that have shaped your perspective as a conservative commentator?
TS: I’m a person of faith, a Christian who grew up in a Christian household. My dad voted for Jimmy Carter and in the South, that was a big deal back in the 1970s when Jimmy Carter was elected. The Southerners really wore that as a badge of pride until he started governing. Then my dad became a Republican, and I remember him voting for Ronald Reagan. I was in junior high school when Reagan was elected, and I really started to pay attention. The policies and philosophies of Reagan really shaped who I became.
The older you get, the more you start to see the big picture. I defend free speech. If you’re a leftist and you’re being shut down, I will step up and defend you because it’s important. It’s like banning books. What’s happening in Florida is not book banning; this is about appropriate material for a child. They banned books like To Kill a Mockingbird and Dr. Seuss early on. If you don’t stand up for those books being banned, they might one day ban my book.
RH: Why did you leave Fox News?
TS: Every three years, you get a contract renewal, and they made an offer, and I was not happy with that offer. We went back and forth, and at the end of the day, they just said we’re done here. At the same time, there was a controversy about illegal immigration and a phrase a lot of use; we called it “an invasion”. It really angered one of these Hispanic journalism groups, and that was it. I think my contract had already expired.
At the same time, the KWAM thing was coming along, and I knew Fox News was going to be unhappy with me owning a radio station, and it was amazing how it all worked out. I walked out the door; COVID was breaking out, we finalized the deal to buy KWAM, and I was back home in Memphis. I am so grateful for the opportunities that Fox News gave me because, without them, I wouldn’t own a radio station and wouldn’t know many of the things I know now.
RH: What is your opinion of Fox News at the moment?
TS: It’s a tragedy. You must be your authentic self. I know they’re trying out hosts for Tucker Carlson’s old timeslot, and people are trying to be the next Tucker, but that’s the wrong approach. You have to be the next you. You have to be able to connect with those viewers. Fox News viewers are smart, they get dismissed a lot in the trades, but they know when you’re pulling a fast one of them. If they find someone that can be authentic, they’re going to succeed there. It really is sad what’s going on at Fox News.
RH: How has social media influenced public conversations? Specifically, what do you think about the issues conservative voices have faced online?
TS: I go back to something that Rush Limbaugh said. This is not a verbatim quote, but he said, ‘Don’t base your business on something you can’t control.’ I took that to heart, and I agreed. I love the fact that you can go on Twitter and the other platforms; ultimately, I don’t pay their light bill. We have over 200,000 followers, and we’re lucky to get over 20-30 likes; that makes no sense. I don’t know what’s going on on Twitter. I think if you have such a large audience on a platform like that, unleash everyone. I think that’s better for the business model.
RH: How can media companies make money and keep journalism alive in an era of digital subscriptions and paywalls?
TS: I love making payroll every week. Finding out how to monetize digital content is an ongoing process. For us, it’s trying to package deals that include a digital component as well as terrestrial radio. Finding those things that are unique is key for us.
We have a local jeweler in Memphis called Wiemar’s Jewelry, and the guy said there’s only one thing I will sponsor on your radio station: the Pledge of Allegiance. We just had a pest control company who is a massive Lars Larson fan, and not only did Lars give him a shoutout on the show, but the guy is now a sponsor of The Lars Larson Show. Buying those great partnerships is huge for us. We love Lars, and we also have some great Salem Radio hosts.
