Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier made headlines for his handling of an interview with former President Donald Trump Monday, drawing praise for his real-time fact-checking of unsubstantiated claims surrounding the 2020 election.
During an interview on The Brian Kilmeade Show Monday, Baier was asked how he remains impartial on Trump after the pair have previously played golf together.
“Listen if you get an invite from — at the time — the President of the United States, I think it’s something you got to think about in an off-the-record way that to pick somebody’s brain,” Baier admitted. “It’s been a while since I’ve played golf with him, but yeah, listen, I think my approach is always — no matter the subject — tough but fair.”
Baier received bi-partisan praise for his work during the first portion of an hourlong interview with Trump. He shared that Fox News viewers are ultimately the beneficiary of his approach.
“To where you get to the end of the interview and maybe you’re a little bit irked by a couple of questions, but your overall sense was that you got a fair shake, whether it Democrat, Republican, whatever,” the Special Report host said.
“I think that if I can get to that point, then that’s a good thing. Not only for me and the person I’m interviewing but also for the viewer to get out some answers that maybe aren’t talking points.”
Upon its release, Creed III quickly became one of the highest-rated sports movies of 2023. Centered around Adonis Creed’s childhood friend and former boxing phenom Damian’s release from prison and attempt to restart his career, the two square off in a battle with sizable future implications. Michael B. Jordan portrays Creed and also serves as a producer on the film, and throughout the production process, emphasized authenticity. As a result, Jordan enlisted the help of media personalities in the world of boxing to provide the movie with the sound and parlance of one of America’s most popular sports.
One of the featured commentators in the film was Chris Mannix, who currently works as a senior writer at Sports Illustrated and as a commentator at DAZN. Mannix worked alongside his real-life broadcast partner, Todd Grisham, and ultimately received about 30 seconds of camera time, significantly more than he expected. Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb asked Mannix about his experience being on set and shooting the film on their Tuesday morning program – the second filmography distinction of his career.
“It was pretty cool to get the opportunity,” Mannix said on 98.5 The Sports Hub. “They gave us a script, and he basically allowed [us] to rewrite it to make it seem authentic [and] say things we would actually say during a fight. I thought that was a pretty cool move by Michael as well.”
Toucher proceeded to question Mannix as to whether or not he had received a royalty check from the Screen Actors Guild in the mail for his role in the film. Before Creed III, Mannix starred in Real Steel, a futuristic film centered around the sport of robot boxing.
“Every so often, I would get a minuscule check from that – like a dollar or something like that based on [it],” Mannix said. “Maybe down the line, I’ll see a couple of bucks.”
Since Creed III is available to watch and stream on multiple OTT platforms, Mannix finds himself receiving three to four messages per week containing a screenshot from his cameo in the movie. Yet he does not remember all of the people reaching out to him, and it is unknowingly opening the door to rekindle lost relationships.
“You get a text message from a number you haven’t seen in years, and it’s like, ‘Alright,’” Mannix described. “I always have a stock answer of, ‘Thanks man, talk soon.’”
“Those females are like, ‘All of a sudden Mannix is a little more attractive,’” Toucher replied.
What comes next for Shannon Sharpe? It sounds like we are about to find out.
The former Undisputed host took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to tell his followers that he is enjoying life away from the grind of morning television. He added another nugget though. He isn’t getting too comfortable with his new schedule.
l'm enjoying my early morning workouts, late breakfast, and break from wearing a suit every morning… But just for a little while. I'll be back on ???? in the morning's soon. ???? pic.twitter.com/yLackSJLsB
What could a return to “TV in the mornings” mean? We obviously have to wait for details.
First Take does fit that description though. Stephen A. Smith has said that he would welcome Shannon Sharpe to join the rotation of opponents he has on the show each week.
Sharpe also fits the profile of the talent hires and re-signings ESPN has made in the midst of layoffs across the Walt Disney Company. He is a high-profile talent that brings a fanbase along with him.
Pat McAfee also fits that profile. He said publicly after news of Sharpe’s FS1 exit broke that he hopes the Pro Football Hall of Famer follows him to ESPN.
While there has been plenty of chatter about ESPN and First Take, there is no guarantee that is where Sharpe will re-emerge on television. It may not even be a sports network that gets his services next. All we can do right now is guess and wait.
This isn’t the first hint Shannon Sharpe has dropped about his future. Earlier this month he tweeted that the audience should “stay tuned for the seeds I’m planting.”
Fox News chief political correspondent Bret Baier hosted an hourlong interview with former President Donald Trump Monday.
During the exchange, Trump was asked about the 2020 election, the 2024 election, and his recent indictment on 37 charges related to his mishandling of classified documents.
The interview was contentious at times, with Trump mocking the decline of Fox News in the ratings to Baier, while Baier fact-checked Trump’s claims about the 2020 election being “stolen” from him.
The exchange invoked a strong reaction on social media. Some argued that Trump had incriminated himself in the interview, while others focused on the job Baier did in real time, comparing him to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
Just watched the @BretBaier / Trump interview. Many interesting moments (Trump strongest when hailing his WH achievements), but this stood out: Bret asked how Trump would try to win over suburban female voters who chose Biden last time. Trump immediately insisted he won in 2020…
Did you watch @realDonaldTrump's interview with @BretBaier? What did you make of it? I may be wrong. I have been wrong many times. Besides, I am not qualified to advise anyone on planet Earth since I am often unable to advise myself. But, if I were Trump, I would not waste time… pic.twitter.com/iVBwXLSnMA
Watch: Fox’s @brithume reviews @BretBaier’s interview with Trump: “A fine interview. You let him have his say but you challenged him as well you should have.” pic.twitter.com/w0DiHP7KGX
.@BretBaier did a masterful job interviewing Trump. Surprised Team Trump agreed to it. He’s no Sean Hannity, he cut his teeth in the WH press briefing room & knows how to hold politicians’ feet to the fire. A massive comms fail.
How excited are Trump's lawyers that he's answering questions about his 37 felony counts like he's on the stand and Bret Baier is the prosecutor? https://t.co/sJF3YMu2Ql
Bret Baier conducted an extraordinary interview with Donald Trump who discussed the criminal allegations in detail. Statements of this kind are generally admissible at trial…
That people are loudly praising this Brett Baier interview with Trump shows just how low the bar is for Trump interviews. Trump here lies about Biden hiding classified documents in Chinatown & Delaware, & misrepresents the Bill Clinton case, with no pushback at all from Baier. ????????♂️ https://t.co/QmnpvnjdYd
The news that a company providing submarine missions to the wreck of the Titanic has lost contact with their submersible has dominated the news cycle. CBS News reporter David Pogue went on a mission with the group last summer and detailed his experience on social media.
Pogue shared that during his report on the trek, concerns were broached about the construction of the vessel created by company OceanGate.
While signing the waiver for his trip, Pogue noted that the contract called the submarine “an experimental explorable submersible that has not been approved by any regulatory body”. He later aired comments from the group’s leader admitting that some of the parts for the vessel were purchased at Camping World, and is controlled by a video game controller.
Pogue noted that during his expedition last year, a vessel was lost for nearly two and a half hours on the ocean floor before finally surfacing.
However, Pogue shared that there is hope for the five people inside the vessel. Those inside the submarine are provided with 96 hours of oxygen, and even if the electronics fail, there are still ways for the submarine to surface.
There are hydraulic, electric, and mechanical ways to rise. For example, they can drop sand bags. They can dump heavy lead construction pipes. They can jettison the legs. They can use the propellers. They can inflate an air bladder.
Chicks on The Right co-founder Miriam Weaver, aka Mock, spoke out about Tucker Carlson’s move to Twitter and his future as an online media brand. Weaver and Amy Jo Clark, aka Daisy, started their collaboration in 2009 from their home base in Indianapolis.
“Tucker’s show has been a phenomenal success; he’s getting way more eyeballs on his Twitter show than any of the cable news network shows could hope to get,” said Mock.
In recent weeks, Carlson introduced his new show on Twitter, covering various topics, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, UFOs, the assassination of JFK, and 9/11. The first of his four videos has already amassed 118 million views as of late Monday night, signaling a strong start for the former Fox News host’s new venture.
“The fact that they’re sending him these sternly worded letters telling him, ‘Hey, you’re still under contract, so you’re not really allowed to have a show,’ it’s going to be interesting how that plays out,” she said.
According to Mock, Carlson is simply an individual sharing their opinion on Twitter like any other user. The situation presents an intriguing dynamic.
“He’s calling it Tucker on Twitter. It’s not Tucker Carlson Tonight. It’s a 15-minute opinion segment, so I’m not sure how they’re going to stop him from doing that,” Mock stated. “I think it’s brilliant on his part. I love that when he released the first show, he made it a point to thank Elon Musk for creating a free speech platform.”
In his inaugural video, Carlson reiterated A desire to stay on Twitter if Elon Musk ensured the platform would remain a haven for free speech.
“If time he releases a 15-minute spot, it makes huge news,” she added. “People share the clips; it goes off Twitter and onto websites. “It gets shared widely on other social media platforms. So, he’s still a huge player in the conservative world, and I think he’ll continue to be the closer we get to the election.”
As residents of Phoenix, Ariz. enjoyed a summer filled with swimming, sports and sunscreen, Siera Santos was grounded. She had dropped out of high school and received her general education diploma while in a treatment center in Utah, and upon her return, was essentially confined to her home. One of the sole digressions from the mundane nature of everyday life was watching the Arizona Diamondbacks play baseball, and she subsequently became invested in the team and an avid reader of the sports section of the newspaper.
When summer turned to autumn, her heightened love of sports led her to ask her father for Phoenix Suns season tickets. Steve Nash, Shawn Marion and Amar’e Stoudemire positioned the Suns to compete for an NBA championship, and Santos felt compelled to become a fan. While her father declined to purchase the tickets because they were too expensive, he acquiesced before the start of the next season.
“We went to a bunch of playoff games, but it was in the first half of that season that I said, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to go to games for the rest of my life,’” Santos said. “I enrolled in community college [and] had a 4.0 GPA; that got me into the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. I graduated as the most outstanding undergraduate student and with honors, and the rest is history.”
When she was out of school, Santos looked for ways to penetrate the industry, serving as a multimedia journalist during high school football season and a production assistant at FOX Sports Arizona among other roles. Yet she had difficulty finding a full-time job in sports media, sending her reel all across the United States and did not receive any calls back.
Santos moved to Colorado Springs. where she worked as a news multimedia journalist for KOAA-TV – writing, shooting and editing news stories for air and the web. While she had landed a coveted full-time role, she was crestfallen. It caused her to question whether reaching her end goal would be realistic, and if what she was doing was worth continuing.
“I wanted to quit so bad because I did not want to do news,” Santos said. “I [had] a hard time compartmentalizing all the horrible things that I would report on during the day and then not taking that home at night. My dad was just like, ‘Hang in there; hang in there.’”
Just over a year into the job, Santos departed to become a sports reporter, producer and photographer at KWTV in Oklahoma City. Although her dad gave her the option to return home to Phoenix to find a job there, she stayed persistent and gained invaluable experience in covering different sporting events. Her work ethic and passion for sports a chance to try out for a job in Los Angeles. Following an audition process where she was convinced she did not get the job, Santos received a big break and quickly worked to learn how to cover sports in the area for KCAL.
Three years earlier, MLB Network had debuted its new afternoon talk show titled Intentional Talk, and it quickly became a staple of the network’s daily lineup. Co-hosts Chris Rose and Kevin Millar had an undisputable chemistry. The show also featured entertaining segments incorporating the personalities of players and temperament of fans, some of which were tilted “Kevin’s Highlights,” “Got Heeem” and “How Pro Is That?”
While Millar hosted the show from his home studio in Austin, Texas, Rose did the same in Los Angeles, but the dynamic duo worked through the challenge to become must-watch television. Then in a stunning turn of events amid the onset of a devastating global pandemic, Rose received a call from MLB Network president Rob McGlarry informing him that his contract would not be renewed. It was an unforeseen conclusion to a 10-year run, and the start of a new era for a show centered around the synergy of its hosts.
“He taught me everything in television,” Millar said, who played 12 years in the major leagues. “He had done a lot of stuff from The Best Damn Sports Show Period and national college football championships to obviously being on the Super Bowl and World Series, but he was an ultimate pro and taught me a lot – so I learned a lot. Chris – when that happened, it was devastating.”
Millar had played 12 seasons in the major leagues and helped the Boston Red Sox break an 86-year championship drought in 2004. Throughout his career, he had the reputation of being affable and convivial while maintaining a championship mindset. From the time he started working in sports media, Millar maintained those characteristics and brought them to audiences both locally in Boston on NESN and nationally with FOX Sports and MLB Network.
Upon the exit of Rose, Millar was paired with MLB Network host Stephen Nelson for the second iteration of Intentional Talk. Nelson had previously co-hosted the show on a fill-in basis and had chemistry with Millar, but the consensus was that it did not feel the same without Rose.
“It was definitely a learning experience,” Millar said. “Stephen Nelson was able to transition, and it was just kind of a little odd because we were coming off COVID and the inconsistencies of what was going on with the world.”
As Millar hosted the program with Stephen Nelson, one of the show’s recurring guests was former starting pitcher Ryan Dempster. Millar had been teammates with Dempster for parts of five seasons with the Florida Marlins. In fact, he remembers how devastating it felt when Dempster was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, especially since they meshed and became close friends.
When Dempster retired from the sport after the 2013 season, he joined MLB Network as a studio analyst and primarily contributed to MLB Tonight. Once Marquee Sports Network launched in February 2020, Dempster signed on to serve as a game analyst and studio host. At the same time, he also started hosting a talk show, Off the Mound, which is modeled after late-night programming and features interviews with baseball players and personnel. Naturally so, Dempster and Millar remained in touch with one another and were finally given the chance to collaborate when Nelson was hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a play-by-play announcer.
“We’re family – I’ve watched his kids grow up. He’s watched my kids grow up,” Dempster said of Millar. “To be able to talk about the game we love so much – it’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Courtesy: Ryan Dempster: Barry Taylor Photography; Kevin Millar: Getty Images
Dempster, who remains with Marquee Sports Network, made sense to tab as the new co-host of Intentional Talk; however, there was somewhat of a quandary in that the show had never solely contained two former players as the tandem. Adding an experienced television host to the fold though would create a hosting trio, something that would surely require experimentation before officially taking the air.
Meanwhile, Siera Santos was hired by NBC Sports Chicago. She held multiple roles for the network, but it was her studio work with Luke Stuckmeyer on In The Loop that made her more comfortable and self-referential in front of the camera.
From NBC Sports Chicago, she went to FOX 32 across town. From there it was back to Phoenix. Sure, it was home, but continuing to bounce around local marketplaces brought back some of that despondence and left her reevaluating her path altogether.
“I wasn’t really sure that this is what I wanted to keep doing,” Santos said. “I was like, ‘I’m not even sure if I’m ever going to get to a national network.’ And that’s when my agents more so pushed me and were saying, ‘You’re going to get to a national network. You’re talented enough to get there.’”
Prior to the first pitch of the 2022 Major League Baseball season, Santos flew across the country to Secaucus, N.J. to take an audition with MLB Network. Following a second audition, she was offered a job as a studio host and reporter. Accepting the role was a no-brainer.
From the beginning, she was eager to make a good impression on those at the network and its viewers. Throughout the year, she could frequently be seen hosting Quick Pitch, MLB Tonight and a variety of additional programming while also interviewing players and reporting on MLB Network Showcase games. Amid the 162-game season and ensuing postseason matchups, Santos found a bonafide home – but she did not interact with Kevin Millar, perhaps its most spirited tenet, until the World Series.
“We were all taking one of those black [Suburbans] back to the hotel,” Santos described following a World Series game. “I get in the car with him, and I forget what he was going off about but I’m like, ‘Yo, this guy’s crazy.’ A 12-minute car ride was one of the wildest conversations that you would ever hear in your life, [and] I realized that was a very small sample size.”
When the network was revamping its programming lineup during the offseason, executives tabbed Santos to join Millar and Dempster as a co-host of Intentional Talk. When Santos was told of the idea, she immediately asked if Millar was okay with it, skeptical whether or not it was a legitimate possibility. Once she was officially on board, the network scheduled rehearsal episodes for the show, something that had never been done in the program’s history. All three members of the show described it as a shrewd decision and a critical aspect in becoming familiar with each other’s proclivities, strengths and shortcomings.
“We probably did four or five shows on the rehearsal side of it and really got a chance to see each other’s mechanics and laughs and when to stop talking,” Millar said. “You’re doing this from three locations and it’s pretty amazing how everybody behind the scenes makes this go because they do such a great job.”
Before the official premiere of the third rendition of the show, a group chat was created with Millar, Dempster, Santos and their two producers. To this day, the text messages range from the sublime to the ridiculous while also serving as a fundamental component to keep one another informed and brainstorm ideas. For Santos, it also represented a place where she felt part of the family.
“They really accepted me, which I have to give credit to them, and they brought me into the fold,” Santos said. “They aren’t filtered in what they say just because I’m in there or anything like that.”
Through their conversations, Millar and Dempster discovered that Santos was a fan of the Florida Panthers amid the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final. During commercial breaks, Millar implores his co-hosts not to look at their phones but rather use the time to converse to get to know each other. After all, Millar has had to establish chemistry with co-hosts in the past, but was now looking to refine he and Dempster’s relationship to give Santos room to interject and display why she was selected to join the show.
“Kevin’s done an amazing job of really harvesting that within our group, and I think that’s really important because we’re working together every day,” Dempster said. “My hat’s off to him for really making that effort to bring her in and accept her and know she’s doing a great job – and challenge her. She’s young in this game, and she has a chance to do some really special things.”
Millar, Dempster and Santos have all participated in shows based on a script and utilized a teleprompter to make sure they stay on script. Most of Intentional Talk, aside from sponsored material, is an unscripted program and relies on background knowledge and effective conversation skills. The show does not solely focus on baseball, sometimes garrulous towards other parts of sports and pop culture.
“There could be something that is brought up about Mike Trout, and then all of a sudden we’re talking about windsurfing,” Santos said. “That’s the nice thing is that it’s built to allow those tangents to kind of unfurl organically.”
“We have a tremendous edit crew behind the scenes that [is] able to clean stuff up, but that’s really the only battle when you’ve got an earpiece in that if it’s not caught up,” Millar said. “I think that’s when you learn, and you learn that nothing’s perfect, and I think that’s the great part about the show. Even the mistakes – they’re viewed and you can laugh at it.”
The principle is the backbone behind the “Best Interview in Baseball,” an eight to 12-minute conversation with a major league player about more than just their own on-field performance. Questions are more focused on personality and provide a bit of levity. Millar and Dempster know its importance, and Santos can understand it from her time as a beat reporter.
Courtesy: MLB Network
“Fans want to hear something different than talk about their delivery or their mechanics or how many home runs they have,” Millar explained. “We know that – I want to know who’s cheap [or] who’s the worst dressed. I want to know, ‘Would you rather be a massage therapist, toll booth attendant or a manicurist?’ You’ve got to put them on the spot; you’ve got to challenge these players and it brings out a lot of personality.”
Although one of the greatest compliments Santos ever received was in being called “the poor man’s Molly Qerim,” referring to the host of First Take on ESPN, she does not see most shows as comparable to Intentional Talk. In today’s generation of instant gratification, comparing the show to a podcast is most applicable, especially since it is entrenched in the camaraderie of the hosts.
“Millar has a fantastic way of when we’re doing our little intro and saying ‘Hi’ and getting them all mixed up and everything; of making a guy feel really relaxed right before he goes on,” Santos said. “That’s just because he is so personable. No one at the Network has a bad thing to say about Kevin Millar because he’s got a genuinely good heart – and he’s funny as hell.”
In order to continue growing the game, Millar feels the show needs to broadcast on the road at select collegiate stadiums. College baseball is growing in popularity across the United States, and Millar feels that other sports work to showcase the next generation of players much better than baseball does. Last year, Intentional Talk broadcast from the University of Texas and welcomed former all-star shortstop and current Longhorns assistant coach Troy Tulowitzki as a guest. As time progresses, Millar continuously looks to grow the show while also staying cognizant about what the audience wants and centering coverage around the player.
In fact, Major League Baseball has made strides to better promulgate its superstars and young players. MLB Network programming such as Intentional Talk facilitates this goal through driving the conversation beyond the perplexing sabermetrics and trivial financial details.
“We don’t care if you’re hitting .130 or .430 – there’s no insecurities here,” Millar said. “You have fun – bring up any foundation; whatever you’ve got to do – your kids; your dog; your wife; say hello to your uncle. That’s what it’s about.”
There is a production meeting held in the morning before the show airs at 5 p.m. EST/2 p.m. PST, and everyone has free reign to talk about compelling topics or divulge pejoratives about the show rundown. Being former players themselves, Millar and Dempster have an idea of the vernacular in clubhouses and often identify what will resonate or move the metaphorical needle.
Santos never played sports professionally, but she brings the perspective of a seasoned journalist and producer with a knack for adequately presenting topics and guiding discussion. Her bilingual abilities are a much appreciated bonus. A host that speaks Spanish fluently gives Latin-born players the comfort to authentically express themselves.
All parties involved believe the show is on the right path, and legitimately enjoy the work they are doing. Santos described hosting the show with Millar and Dempster as her “dream job,” and aims to constantly improve while staying true to herself. Additionally, Millar and Dempster seem to have picked up right where they left off as teammates, but the reality of the situation is that they never were not working together.
“Sometimes I have this protective cover of the positive-everything. I am a positive thinker, and it’s not talking about the negative; it’s just the real side of things and he brings that out in me,” Dempster said of Millar. “I just enjoy that and I think that’s because he’s my teammate in life.”
“There’s no place I’d rather be, and the network is wonderful,” Millar added. “I’m not just saying that; I am telling you they have created just a network that, for the baseball fan, you have it all.”
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 TheLars Larson Show. Buying those great partnerships is huge for us. We love Lars, and we also have some great Salem Radio hosts.
As the 2023 season reaches its midway point in Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees find themselves in third place in the AL East, 10 1/2 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. This on the heels of being swept over the weekend by the last place Boston Red Sox.
One caller told Kay that Cashman should be the one to go considering he assembled the roster, which has eaten up nearly $300 million this year alone in salaries of either injury-prone or underperforming players.
Kay pointed to his over two decades on the air with co-host Don La Greca, saying he hasn’t called for anyone’s job and he won’t start today.
“You’ve been with me doing this now coming on 22 years,” Kay said. “Not in 22 years – and much to your dismay – have I ever, ever, on any team in New York, ever asked for anybody to be fired. I’m sorry I just don’t do it.”
“We’ve had problems with that for a long time, where I think firing comes with the job, and I think it’s our job to call people out,” La Greca responded. “I have no problem with wanting somebody fired. It’s just a fundamental difference of how we decide to go about our business. And I’m not suggesting that you’re refusing to do it because you work for the Yankees or that you like Brian. You have an opinion that he should not be fired, and people disagree with that.”
Kay refuted that saying he hasn’t stated on the air that he supported either decision. He said he would leave that to other radio hosts to do that sort of bidding.
“I never said he should not be fired, and I never said that he should be fired,” he said. “I don’t address that aspect of sports talk radio.”
“This is not a hot take show like that,” Kay added. “I don’t call for people’s jobs.”
With so much progress achieved for women over the past century, it is astounding that many players in our current culture are actively working to weaken those hard-fought hallmarks of liberty. Two of the most well-respected women in today’s American landscape sat down a few days ago to discuss the protection of women’s rights amid a secular culture seemingly intent on stripping away such rights in any way possible. Newsmax host Greta Van Susteren welcomed Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) onto her program to talk about the efforts to erode such women’s rights, and what can be done about it.
“You and I have talked before about this. It was the last year before Title IX. And Title IX that came in that gave girls and young women sports opportunities was one of the biggest liberating things for girls and young women,” Van Susteren began, on Friday evening’s The Record with Greta Van Susteren.
“I remember when I was in high school we had nothing to do. Absolutely nothing. After school, we’d all pile in the car and the boys would go off and have sports, which had leadership. And then over the years, I’ve seen people, young girls, women get scholarships. Health, I mean we never got exercise. We never ran. We didn’t do any of that stuff and Title IX was such a liberating moment for girls and young women. And now, at least women my age, many of them were shocked that this is being chipped away with having men compete.”
“I’ve gotta think that you feel like you are in Bizarro World,” Noem answered. “Because it’s the same people – feminists and people that would declare themselves working and hard for women to have opportunity – are the same ones destroying it today. That’s what I think is so strange, is back then so many people fought for women to just have equal opportunity.”
“Yeah, we weren’t asking for a lot more. Nothing more,” Van Susteren added.
“Just equal opportunity. And we got it, and now we’re losing it because other people recognize that, what a powerful tool that was. What a powerful tool that was to help young women succeed,” the Republican Governor said.
“But what a huge difference on so many levels. Whether it was health, for exercise. Leadership, scholarship opportunities. Everything,” Van Susteren pointed out. “It was such a liberating force for women.”
Noem was in Washington, D.C. last week to testify at a Natural Resources Committee hearing in the House. She was offering her thoughts about the dangers of the current Democratic presidential administration’s efforts to buy and control large swathes of land across western American states.
In her opinion, the goal underlying the government’s efforts is to crack down on Americans’ freedom to use the federal land – by farmers, ranchers, hikers, nature lovers, and others – in the name of “global warming” and conservation.
Regarding the efforts to degrade our country’s hard-fought hallmarks of equality for women, specifically by insisting that men be allowed to compete in women’s sports, Noem shares the concern that future female generations may not have the same opportunities as today’s Americans.
“I can’t imagine what would have happened if Title IX hadn’t been there,” Governor Noem added, saying she competed in basketball, volleyball and track and field as a shot put thrower. “I mean, what my life would have been like. I competed in every sport in high school.”
Noem joked that she and a teammate agreed when running track that they would stick closely together so as not to leave each other behind.
“In your state, generally, what are the women and how, sort of if there’s a way to poll or take the pulse, what do women think of Title IX and what’s happening in this country about it?” Van Susteren asked.
“I think overwhelmingly in South Dakota, because we’ve done so much work really educating people on why Title IX needs to be protected, there all in. They’re all in. They don’t understand. Our state is very populist; operates a lot on common sense. And because we communicate and talk about the why behind a policy, they all want their girls sports to be protected,” Noem said.
Witnessing the infiltration of liberal policies, even in the most liberty-loving areas of the country, Van Susteren asked if the Governor feels any opposition from the Left against her efforts to preserve these crucial women’s rights.
“You do, absolutely,” Noem answered. “Yes, you find resistance. And people try to turn it into something that’s about hate or division. And it’s not that at all. So that’s why we have to work harder to make sure they don’t twist it into something ugly.”
In the year 2023 – where it often feels like up is down and down is up – it is easy, and common, to feel as though we are living in Bizarro World.
