Ron Gleason: The Score, WBBM, Sports

Ron Gleason worked in sports for many years before switching to news at WBBM Newsradio. He talks about Sports Phone, doing play-by-play, sportscasting, being the boss at WSCR The Score, Mike North and Dan Jiggetts, radio before and during the Internet, how radio can be effective and entertaining, being management vs on the air, starting his radio career in his home state of California, doing sports in Joliet at WJOL, the end of WMAQ news station in Chicago and WCBS in New York, revenue declines, talented broadcasters, going from The Score to WBBM as an anchor then boss, his workflow, advice for getting a job, how sports helps news, how the radio biz has changed, and much more! This is probably the most extensive interview that Ron has ever done and is from a livestream that we did.

"I loved it and I just I knew radio was all I ever wanted to do."

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG197.mp3

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Rafer Weigel: getting personal

I first interviewed Rafer Weigel 11 years ago when he was at WLS-TV in Chicago. When I did this livestream with him, he was at KUSI-TV in San Diego. Now he's Chief Communications Officer at VetComm, so but I want to post this anyway because Rafer talked a lot not just about his professional experience, but his personal struggles as well, which is pretty rare in the few-hundred interviews I've done so far. He also shares his opinions about the media biz and news broadcasting. Topics covered: acting, his famous sportscaster dad Tim Weigel, sports broadcasting, breaking the Jussie Smollett story and losing his job, mistakes he's made, mental health, pressure and competition, advice for working in the biz, and much more. This is one of the longest podcasts I've done; it was first posted at the INBA website. 

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG196.mp3

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If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

InternetFM after more than a decade: Steve Leventhal and Eric Leventhal

A musical discussion: Steve Leventhal, creator of InternetFM, and his son and cofounder Eric Leventhal, talk about their music and broadcasting experience, what is top-shelf radio, paying for songs, why vinyl is popular with some younger music fans, commercials, changing technology and music delivery, how they define oldies, the resurgence of psychedelic music, concerts, rock’s waning popularity, the role of the Internet for radio, the future of music radio, and more. The last time I interviewed Steve was more than 10 years ago.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG195.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

Word Balloon's John Siuntres: longest podcast!

John Siuntres (host and creator of the popular Word Balloon livestream and podcast and I often talk on the phone for at least an hour, so we decided to do a livestream conversation, and it ended up being much longer! Topics covered: how entertainment and the media have changed, the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes, creativity and syndication in TV and radio, innovation, digital access and viewpoints, media and cultural nostalgia, podcasting and the radio biz, Instagram and influencers, Gen X, nerd culture, Hollywood and media pay, streaming vs broadcasting, Chicago and national radio, live and recorded broadcasting, job opportunities, working in radio, TV shows and movies, popular music, British vs American actors, vocal fry and people's voices, beauty, and more!

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG194.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

Ravi Baichwal: from Canada to Chicago

Ravi Baichwal is an anchor at ABC 7 Chicago and talks about his hockey documentary Summit 72; his hometown Toronto and Canadian culture; his radio career at CKNW in Vancouver before he went to CTV National News, then doing CTV and being on the air at CFRB radio in Toronto (where I previously interviewed Jerry Agar and John Moore); filling in at WLS Radio; why he thinks radio is fun and important; doing TV vs radio; his accent; corruption; why fair pay is important; how he got into media; advice for getting into TV news; challenges he faced; why TV news is still important; diversity; perseverance; what makes a good anchor; elements of a story; what is integrity; why he likes working in Chicago; why he loves radio, and much more!

This is from a livestream that we did; watch the full interview here. But there is also extra content that wasn't in the livestream about his radio career (done in a separate follow-up interview specially for the Radiogirl podcast).

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG193.mp3

Note: this is the video he didn’t want me to play during the interview: a van crashed into the ABC 7 studio while he was on the air (back in 2007, just one year after he started anchoring there). 

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

Justin Roman: media master, from music to radio to TV!

Justin Roman has done a lot during the 21st century: he hosts The MVP Game (sign up there to be a guest on the show) with Kenzie K (who was his fiancée when this was recorded); it's a super-fan Cubs game show (and a couple of Bears shows during the off season) on the Marquee Sports Network. He talks about his media and performing career, which includes the Vi3 boy band and their hit Eyes Closed so Tight before he started at B96 in 2004; producing music with the Jump Smokers and DJ Flipside (who also does the music for The MVP Game) and their popular remix My Flow So Tight. Roman explains how he got on the air at B96 when he was a super-fan, doing nights and afternoons for several years with Stylz then mornings at US99 in 2016 until they had to leave (get the full story in episode 2 of The Stylz & Roman Uncensored Podcast); being the entertainment host at the Chicago Bulls games; famous people he's met and toured with; why he likes Pitbull; success and failure; appearing with Kenzie K on the Windy City Live TV show and ABC 7, why he and Stylz did their podcast for only a year, why he's positive, and more. 

This is from a livestream that we did; watch the full interview here.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG192.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

Doug Cummings: Escaping the O-Zone

Doug Cummings is a resident of Highland Park, where the shooting tragedy happened on July 4th at the Independence Day parade. He wrote the personal safety handbook, Escaping the O-Zone, to help people take steps to keep themselves safe and preventing becoming a victim. All proceeds go to the Highland Park Community Foundation. 

He talks about his reporting career, which started in Kansas at WIBW; why starting at a small station is helpful for a media career and education; working in Kansas City at KCMO; graduating from the Public Affairs Reporting Program at University of Illinois/Springfield; doing legislative reporting for WTMX in Chicago, then street reporting at WMAQ and WGN; talking to victims of fires, crime, shootings, family murders and how they wanted control back; being the director of security at a church; the Highland Park shooting, which was “absolute devastation”; security consulting; why he got back into the media and why he liked reporting; approaching victims after a tragedy; reporters' PTSD and why they should get help if they report on serious stories; why he left the media to go into security, the risks of owning a gun, and more.

Listen to the first interview I did with Doug 10 years ago here.

This is from a livestream that we did; watch the full interview here.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG191.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

Karen Schaler: from war correspondent to screenwriter and novelist

Karen Schaler was a journalist and crime reporter who is best known for the Netflix hit "A Christmas Prince." She talks about how her journalism experience led to Hollywood success; how she got into the TV biz at a station in Billings, Montana, then worked at a number of stations: in Twin Falls, Idaho, in South Dakota, at KSTP-TV in Alexandria, Minnesota, and at KSL-TV, where she was the first female crime reporter in Salt Lake City, Utah. She also worked in Texas, Arizona, and California, and was a weekend anchor at NBC in Boston, Massachusetts, in addition to briefly reporting from the White House in Washington, D.C. 

She talks about why she left TV news and why she writes about Christmas; crime in small towns; how her stories got on CNN; how she pitches stories; how she processed all the negative stories she covered; her first feature "Christmas Camp,"; working every Christmas when she was a news anchor and reporter; reporting in Afghanistan; how she became a writer for Fox News in New York; how she got her own travel show "Travel Therapy" based on her book; how she got published; her "Travel Now" show on ABC News and travel features on PIX11 in New York and Good Morning America Weekend, Live with Kelly, and Rachel Ray; writing her Audible Original "Once Upon a Christmas Carol" and how she went from writing screenplays to her audio drama, how the pandemic affected her work, and a lot more!

This is from a livestream that we did; watch the full interview here.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG190.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

Kathy Hart: Hall of Famer on the most popular morning show in Chicago

For two decades, Kathy Hart was part of the most popular morning show in Chicago, on 101.9 WTMX The Mix. She talks about how she went from being an intern to getting on the air in Rockford at WKKN and WYFE, then driving the station van at WZOK and WROK; how she was different from the "pukers" and wanted to be authentic on the air; how her radio experience changed with the Internet and texts; advice, celebrities she met, and falling asleep in Milwaukee; having a show with Brian Pecht at G105 in Raleigh, North Carolina and their fun in Jamaica; being on the air in Arizona at KZZP/KVRY then co-hosting an afternoon show at KDKB, where she also did sports reporting and interviewed Charles Barkley when he was starting out with the Phoenix Suns; how doing the Morning Zoo in Columbus, Ohio was challenging; how she ended up with a morning partner on The Mix; staying authentic, her new site Gritology.com, her faith, forgiveness, healing, love, and more. This is from a livestream that we did; watch the full interview here.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG189.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

Hannah B: having a blast in radio!

Hannah Brummer is on the air every morning with Eddie Volkman on Star 96.7. She talks about her radio career, which includes hosting afternoons on 103 WXLC, and working in promotions at US 99, 104.3 Jams, WLS, and Q101. She talks about how she got into radio, why she loves radio, what auditions are like, show prep, why she's so grateful, her podcast Monday Motivation with Hannah B, her home studio, her supportive family, what she learned from being an athlete, how to stay positive, and more. This is from a livestream that we did; watch the full interview here.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG188.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

Vicki Quade: Late Nite Catechism, Bob Collins, theater, writing, and more

Vicki Quade is best known for her popular show, Late Nite Catechism, and she talks about how she came up with the idea for that show; her journalism career, which included the News-Tribune newspaper in La Salle and the Waukegan News-Sun; her books Close Encounters of a Chicago Kind and I Remember Bob Collins; the decline of newspapers and how the Internet affected journalism and theater; why talking to people is important; why one-woman shows were more popular in the 90s; advice for pursuing your dream; her business and what is success, how nuns helped, and more. This is from a livestream that we did; watch the full interview here.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG187.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

John Drummond: LEGENDARY reporter

John "Bulldog" Drummond has had a long career and is best known for being a world-class reporter covering breaking news, corruption, and, most notably, the Chicago Outfit. He grew up in Wisconsin and worked in Des Moines, Iowa before coming to Chicago to cover the Illinois legislature for WIND Radio. He worked at WREX-TV, then joined CBS-TV in the late 1960s. His career started in the late 1950s in Iowa at KBIZ and KXEL radio, and he worked at WHO. He remembers when the television medium, aka "The Magic Lantern," was established, and he talks about a lot: why Chicago was exciting to cover, the Machine, the Chicago syndicate, organized crime, Mayor Daley and why he liked reporting during the Daley Era, getting into Sam Giancana's house, how he developed his sources, covering sports and meeting Vince Lombardi, and lots more. No other reporter has so many stories to tell. He was even in the opening scene of The Fugitive!

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). 

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG186.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

Brian Pecht: music radio fun, payola, success

Brian Pecht has been a jock and programmer at music radio stations for several years, and he hosts the very popular The Catholic Word Podcast. He talks about why he enjoys doing traffic at WBBM Newsradio; his on-air work at WLS-FM; payola in the music radio business; office politics; being on the air and Program Director (the youngest in the country) in Detroit at WCZY Z95.5 (where radio legend Dick Purtan had a successful show); how the 1996 Telecommunications Act changed the radio business and how the market shrank; how he got into radio and TV in Virginia with Bill Bowman's "The Bowman Body;" working in Richmond, Virginia then Columbus, Ohio at Sunny 95; working in North Carolina at KZL with Big Steve Kelly; how radio made hits; how he helped Billy Idol; advice for working in the media; celebrities and music superstars he's met; developing talent and advice for what makes a good aircheck; being one of the founding air talents at Q101 WKQX Alternative; getting fired yet having lots of success in music radio; where he burned a bridge; how fun radio has been, and more! He's also been on the air at other major Chicago stations including WSHE, WILV, and WTMX. This is from a livestream that we did; watch the full interview here (over two hours).

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG185.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

If you like what I'm doing, Buy Me a Coffee...thanks!

Sam Panayotovich: from Chicago sports radio to Boston TV

The last time I interviewed Sam Panayotovich, he was just getting his career started in sports radio. Now Sam is on NESN and Fox Sports TV. He talks about his journey from Chicago to Las Vegas to Boston, his sociability, sports betting, working hard and paying your dues, comparisons between Boston and Chicago, advice, locker rooms, covering pro teams, and more. This is from a livestream that we did in the summer (when the White Sox weren't doing so well and the football season hadn't started yet). Listen to the first interview that we did eight years ago here.

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG184.mp3

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

And thanks to the people who have contributed at my Buy Me a Coffee page! 

Charlie Meyerson - from radio to digital domination

Charlie Meyerson is publisher of Chicago Public Square. He talks about how he's become successful in digital media, what he thinks of the news business, his belief in independent pursuits, his podcast, and more. If you want to know more about his radio and newspaper career, listen to the interview that we did ten years ago. This is from a livestream that we did; watch the full interview here.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG183.mp3

This podcast comes from the livestream that we did, and based on Charlie's advice that independent creators should ask for support, I've created a Buy Me a Coffee page. 

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

Adam Wade: Pro Stage and Audio Storyteller, writer, performer

Adam Wade is from New Hampshire and has lived in New York for almost 25 years. He has won The Moth 20 times, and has appeared on Conan O'Brien's show, "Inside Amy Schumer," and Lena Dunham’s "Girls." He created the popular album The Human Comedy and was featured in The New Yorker. He teaches storytelling at the Magnet Theater and has popular content on Audible called You Ought to Know Adam Wade. He talks about all of those accomplishments, how making connections and being good to people are important, how he got into the NBC Page program, the nice people he’s met in New York, advice, and more. This is from a livestream that we did; watch the full interview here.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG182.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Radiogirl Twitter, Metrolingua Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

Neil Fiorito: from radio to movies!

I first interviewed Neil five years ago, and his work situation has changed since then. He is no longer at the hotel (where I interviewed him early in the morning), and now teaches broadcasting and radio, in addition to doing traffic at WBBM Newsradio. This interview includes breaking news: Neil is going to be in the movie, Never Stop Talking, which will be released at the end of the year. He also talks about his partying parents, his wonderful wife, Chicago, and more. This is from a livestream that we did; watch the full interview here.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac).

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG181.mp3

Watch the Radiogirl livestreams and videos at the Radiogirl FB page and on YouTube (also live-streaming on Twitch, Twitter, and my own Fakebook page).

Bart Shore: from Chicago to North Carolina

Bart Shore was one of the early guests on this podcast 12 years ago, and he was my first livestreaming guest last week. He is still doing traffic in Chicago in the morning with Melissa Forman and hosts weekends at WLIT. Lately, he's also been on various music stations throughout the country.

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG180.mp3

I interviewed Bart in 2010, so if you want to know more details about his career, you can listen to that interview here. 

p.s. My novel, Wicker Park Wishes, is available as an ebook at Amazon. Get the quality print version through Eckhartz Press, owned by longtime radio pro Rick Kaempfer (who I interviewed for this podcast in the early days). See the reviews and more about me at margaretlarkin.com

Pat Cassidy: retired from WBBM Newsradio after more than 50 years in the biz

Pat Cassidy spent more than 50 years on the air in news radio. Just before he retired from WBBM Newsradio, he talked about what he's learned over the years, why news is important, how he's maintained a good attitude, how he thinks news reporting and the media have changed, advice he has for broadcasters, and more. 

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG179.mp3

I interviewed Pat in 2013, so if you want to know more details about his career and even an embarrassing mistake he made on the air, you can listen to that interview here. 

p.s. My novel, Wicker Park Wishes, is available as a cheap ebook at Amazon. Get the quality print version through Eckhartz Press, owned by longtime radio pro Rick Kaempfer (who I interviewed for this podcast in the early days). See the reviews at margaretlarkin.com

Lin Brehmer: Successful Radio Fun

Lin Brehmer, who has a fantastic reputation for being a super-friendly, interesting, talented radio guy, is well-known in Chicago via his on-air work at WXRT, where he was previously Music Director. He talks about his baseball and music nerdiness; interviewing Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and The Replacements; creating the always-entertaining Lin's Bin; his professional writing and his mom; backstage adventures; meeting the Go-Go's, Aimee Mann, and Robert Randolph; why WXRT is different from other stations; his vague party details and how beer got him his WXRT job; the secret to his and WXRT's longevity; his hometown in Queens, and more! 

Click the link below to play, or download it by right-clicking (on a PC) or holding down the CTRL key and clicking on it (for Mac). http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG178.mp3

p.s. My novel, Wicker Park Wishes, is available in the very affordable digital form at Amazon. Get the print version through Eckhartz Press, owned by longtime radio pro Rick Kaempfer (who I interviewed for this podcast in the early days). See the reviews at margaretlarkin.com