The power of the microphone

I’m a radio talk show host.

Never in a million years did I think I’d be a radio host, let alone make that statement with a smile and a bit of elation. But it’s true.

My life’s journey steered me in a very different path than I anticipated a few years ago. I went in what seemed like light speed from legislative aide to law school to elected official to an undesired absence that changed my way of thinking.

Wrong choices and bad luck put me on a road a lot less traveled. Optimism and humility, added to kindness from others, have afforded me opportunities for some redemption.

One new venue for me is a radio show. Fortunately, or not, if I ever miss the heated world of law and politics, I don’t have to look far for the same climate. It’s abundantly clear that broadcasting is cut from the same cloth, and possibly more powerful.

I started with a FOX News radio affiliate in Anchorage in the fall of 2011 with a weekly show, which grew to a daily one-hour show Monday through Friday. I’ve had the fortune as of January to expand the broadcast to a two-hour daily format at rush hour. The meat and potatoes of my show, and typically all talk shows, is a (hopefully) salient topic and the exchange among host, guests and callers.

This balance can get tricky. What if no one calls? What if the guest is boring and listeners turn the dial to another station? What if I err in reporting information or news? And the best problem: What if the subject is so riveting we run out of time?

The most notable similarity I’ve found with on-air talk shows is that sensationalism is the name of the game. For some reason, the stop-to-watch-the-accident mentality is integral in radio, and certain subjects spur more attention.

People have an urge to hear others’ pain or suffering. Schadenfreude even plays into the equation sometimes.

Many of my radio colleagues locally and at the national level fixate on high profile news and events. A school shooting or gun violence begets gun control and access debates; health insurance reform spawns debate on why men get Viagra covered when women are denied birth control reimbursement; a move by policymakers to adjust state oil and gas taxation rates or revise a municipality’s collective bargaining code sparks a flurry of vitriol and passion.

As a host, my approach is different. I cover headline news, but I’m also trying to mold a new paradigm because I recognize radio can be used for a larger purpose.

Centering on relevant news meshed with personal-interest stories and highlighting community champions makes for some inspiration. Maybe it’s just me, but to profile a new renewable energy business, or an advocacy for better treatment of animals, or perhaps a recycling endeavor or nonprofit formed to prevent domestic violence generates hope.

A favorite topic is also farming, with periodic agriculture reports from farmers in North Dakota and Minnesota.

That doesn’t mean I won’t host Joe the Plumber, or Ted Nugent, or troubled actress Lindsey Lohan’s father on the topic of stardom and drug/alcohol abuse. It can’t all be educational and community-minded, or I’d be NPR.

My latest endeavor on the show is producing a daily Muslimerican segment by Dr. Faheem Younus, who contributes to Huffington Post. I invited Dr. Younus to come on the show in early 2012 and later decided to help him distribute his message on religious tolerance.

I wanted to explore why I, like many Americans, harbored disdain of the Muslim faith. Each day, in a recorded segment, Dr. Younous responds to perceptions of the faith’s discrimination, intolerance and heinous acts of terrorism by clarifying doctrine.

One goal of my show is to embrace more Valley subjects. I’m proud to say I held a mini-debate between then-Sen. Linda Menard and challenger Mike Dunleavy on my show in 2012. Other guests have included everyone from Valley school board members and legislators to business owners and nonprofit executive directors.

The Valley is more relevant than those in Anchorage may realize, and I try to bridge any gaps through regular coverage.

National and international news also take center stage, and a law enforcement niche seems to generate interest. A former Secret Service agent and Bill Gates Foundation security adviser, as well as a former CIA analyst who now manages an Internet international news website, are popular guests. Mixed with local guests, a periodic call-in by Billy Hayes (“Midnight Express” movie — escaped from a Turkish prison in the 1970s) or a former pro-football player or congressional members doesn’t slow the momentum either.

The bottom line is that everyone’s time is precious. Having an audience is significant, and I don’t take the privilege lightly.

My hope is that the discussions will inspire. I encourage colleagues in the radio talk show industry to do the same on their shows because, at the end of the day, the power of the microphone is too valuable to squander.

Tom Anderson lives in Meadow Lakes and owns Optima Public Relations. His radio show can be heard on FOX News Talk’s 95.5 FM and KOAN 1020 AM.