Bill Bennett Takes to the Radio Waves

NewsMax.com ^ | Monday, Apr. 05, 2004 | Jon E. Dougherty

[FreeManWhoCan]

William Bennett, conservative icon and co-founder of public policy organization Empower America, takes to the radio airwaves as one of Americas newest syndicated hosts. Beginning Monday, April 5, Bennett – along with veteran radio host Tom Tradup – will host "Bill Bennett's Morning in America," via the Salem Radio Network, 6 a.m. – 9 a.m. EDT.

The morning drive program will feature live guests and a "new look" at today's issues.

Although the field of radio hosts is crowded – even as liberals like Al Franken join their ranks – Bennett will have a natural, nationwide audience who like his no nonsense conservative talk.

Bennett told NewsMax he is not catching a fad.

In fact, he revealed he had been in discussions with Salem Radio for five years before settling on a schedule and format.

"Now just seems like the right time," he said, adding the "center of the show will be cultural-political."

"As you've noticed, a lot of people have discovered cultural issues now," Bennett said, alluding to recent headline-grabbing cultural stories like the issue of gay marriage.

Bennett, 60, a veteran of the culture wars in the U.S., believes his program will not only inspire debate but provide answers to some of the day's most pressing domestic societal problems.

He says he loves radio and says it is the perfect format for discussing counter-cultural problems and traditional-value solutions.

"It's a great medium," he says. "It's one way to talk to today's youth," who spend many hours listening to radio.

So far, he says his program has "cleared about 13 of the 20 major markets, and we're adding about a half-dozen every day."

Salem is one of the nation’s largest radio station owners with some 92 stations and a major talk station in almost every top 20 market across the country.

At Salem, Bennett will join their impressive list of syndicated hosts including Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, Janet Parshall, Dennis Prager, Hugh Hewitt, Cal Thomas, and David Lawrence.

A Different Show

Two things will make his show different from the diet of conservative radio currently on the air, he told NewsMax.

"One, I'm different. My background is not in communications. My background is philosophy; I'm a professor and have a PhD in philosophy," he said. "We may actually have professors on this show, but they'll be smart professors and interesting ones – ones you can understand and even agree with."

Also, he said, "I want to go further into the issues. I want to explore not just the fact that the country's blue and red, but why it's blue and red. What explains that divide? And I'm sure most of it is cultural. Less tactics and strategy, but what's underlying the issues, with a lot of different voices."

Bennett says there isn't a host he wants to emulate, per se, but added Tradup will "help me navigate" the intricacies of radio, "so all I have to do is think about what we're talking about."

The show itself "will be sort of a cross between Socratic dialogue and 'The O'Reilly Factor,' two great role models there," said Bennett.

Reformist Radio?

Before launching Empower America, Bennett spent some years in government, in two separate Republican administrations, at several posts. While there, he attempted to implement his small government, reformist-minded principles.

In the Reagan administration, Bennett served as secretary of education and chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In the first Bush administration, he served as “Drug Czar” -- director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

After leaving government in 1990, Bennett continued a high-profile battle against government bureaucracy and monopolies.

Bennett has also written or edited 14 books, such as his most recent work, "Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism." Other bestsellers include "The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals," and "Book of Virtues."

Bennett remains an in-demand speaker, and currently, he serves as Washington Fellow for the Claremont Institute of Claremont, Calif.

His most recent project is Americans for Victory Over Terrorism (AVOT). AVOT's goals are aimed at addressing present terrorist threats and the ideologies that animate them.

He also co-chairs, with former Democratic Senator Sam Nunn, the National Commission on Civic Renewal and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, with former New York Governor Mario Cuomo.

Bennett’s Take on 2004: 'Razor Thin'

Regarding a potential match-up in November between President Bush and presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, Bennett says the race right now is "razor thin."

"I think it's close. I could come down to a state – Florida again, or Ohio, for example," he said. "But that depends on what happens" between now and November, and it depends on the "focus" of the debate.

"If the focus is on the war [on terror], the president wins," Bennett said. "If it's on health care and other things, I don't know."

Bennett says he saw Bush last week. "He sees himself as a war president."

"He talked for 40 out of 45 minutes about the war. But if you look at the voters, and what they have identified as their main issues, they're not in sync," said Bennett, who added Bush "knows this."

'Never Boring'

For its part, Salem Radio says it is looking forward to bring Bennett to America’s burgeoning radio audiences.

"Introducing an exciting new national morning show substantively strengthens our news/talk format," says Edward G. Atsinger III, chief executive officer of Salem. "NewsTalk is already one of the most popular radio formats all across America and, until now, there hasn't been a dynamic, compelling talk show available nationally in the key morning drive daypart. That all changes today."

Besides being a co-host, Tradup will also act as Bennett's executive producer.

He's got plenty of experience; he is the former president/general manager at WLS in Chicago, and has created winning talk programming in New York, Dallas, Kansas City, and other major markets.

"We could not be more pleased to have Bill Bennett join the SRN team. He's an entertaining and energetic communicator with a tenacious faith in America," said SRN’s President, Greg Anderson.

"Bill has a lot to say and says it in a way that's never boring. He and Tom . . . will add a new dimension of flinty conversation, humor, and intellectual firepower to morning radio. "All indications point to Bill Bennett’s 'Morning in America' being one of the most successful rollouts ever."

The show has already landed stations in the major markets of Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, and Minneapolis.

[FreeManWhoCan]

I like this Bill beter than the other one that comes to mind. He's a major + when he shows up on Fox.

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[KJacob]

Something tells me he will have more than 6 stations. I wonder where we can get a listing?

[I still care]

Today for the first time, I picked up Tony Snow - he was excellent. Looking forward to hearing Bill Bennett.

There are so many good hosts out their now, it is almost an embarrassment of riches.

I could almost feel sorry for the liberals, it must be a little like the poor kids in the street watching the rich kids play in their yard. They don't have a single person worth listening to.

It must be killing them; Franken vs. Rush, Garofalo vs. Boortz, Randi Rhoades vs. Tony Snow.

I guess it points out the bankruptcy of liberal ideas when they can't get one person of interest to listen to on such a ballyhooed station.

[1Old Pro]

Morning radio needs someone like Bill Bennett, IMUS just doesn't cut it.

[RonDog]

Something tells me he will have more than 6 stations.

I wonder where we can get a listing?

From the OTHER thread about this:

William J. Bennett to Host New National Morning Talk Show Beginning April 5th
Yahoo Finance ^ | 02/26/04 | Yahoo Finance
Posted on 04/02/2004 5:39:02 PM PST by coffeebreak

CAMARILLO, Calif., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Salem Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: SALM - News), the leading radio broadcaster focused on religious and family themes programming, said that Salem Radio Network (SRN), a division of Salem Communications, this morning announced that former Secretary of Education William J. Bennett will host a new, national morning talk radio show on the network beginning Monday, April 5th. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040225/SALEMLOGO ) "We'll deliver a fast-paced, eye opening national morning show with news, headline-making guests from the worlds of politics, media, sports and entertainment, and we'll open up a dialogue with listeners from coast to coast every morning," Bennett said.

Bennett, co-director of the Washington, D.C.-based Empower America, revealed his plans at a SRN news conference at the National Press Club in Washington today.

The new radio program entitled Bill Bennett's "Morning in America" will be broadcast live from Washington every weekday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. (Eastern) via the Dallas-based Salem Radio Network (SRN), which already features such nationally known talk hosts as Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved and Hugh Hewitt among others.

-- snip --

To: coffeebreak

Here are all of Salem's radio stations

Cincinnati ... sweet!

5 posted on 04/02/2004 5:44:53 PM PST by The G Man (John Kerry? America just can't afford a 9/10 President in a 9/11 world. Vote Bush-Cheney '04.)

CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread

[The G Man]

Here are all of Salem's radio stations

[Choose Ye This Day]

I caught some of the last hour of Bennett's show today. Pretty good--he had Rumsfeld on, then Rush Limbaugh called in.

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

will host "Bill Bennett's Morning in America,"

Great title. I listened this morning and in the course of a few minutes he had on Rumsfield, Rush Limbaugh, and George Will. It should be quite interesting to listen to in the vacuous, intellectual wasteland that long has been morning radio. Good luck Bill!