Mancow: Handling the content of AM with the style, pacing and humor of FM

Erich “Mancow” Muller

Since leaving Emmis’ Q101 in Chicago July 2006, Erich “Mancow” Muller has entered a bit of a renaissance with his national morning show, “Mancow’s Morning Madhouse.” Because the “common sense” political side that Erich has cultivated, he’s now able to play well on AM stations as well as FMs. The audience is eating it up, too.
He’s also been on Fox News more than ever lately—including his “Planet Mancow” special—the first of which featured his friend William Shatner. Is more in store?

As you’ll see, Mancow’s aiming for the top—the most listened to radio host in the nation. He’s building the $1.5 million dollar “Content King Studios” from which to do it from, along with a ton of production work. His new Chicago affiliate is also imminent—he’s got two offers right now on the table and is into his sixth overall.

Tell us about your brand of Talk radio.

It is the fastest-paced radio show that has ever happened, period. While other people do one topic and beat it to death, we do a hundred topics. It is a variety show of sorts in that it has music, entertainment, politics, lifestyle—but always with core values. There are some politics in there, some common sense and some truths revealed on a daily basis. Telling the truth moves mountains, and I plan on moving a mountain or two.

Anything to say about Q101 in hindsight? Tell us more about your new common sense political side.

Well I would say they restricted me to a humorless morning show. What I went through is a situation where some $25,000 a year guy who had never been in the big leagues was put in charge of managing a great deal of people. They encouraged me to do sex, drugs and Rock & Roll. Then anytime there was a complaint they “had no knowledge of it.” I was between a rock and a hard place. (Editor’s note: Since the interview, Q-101’s ratings have tanked and PD Mike Stern has been fired.)

Then they went through a period where they ordered me: “You can have no opinion on anything” and then I would get yelled at. It would be like, “You just played the U2 song Vertigo—but what about the people that don’t like that song? You offended them.” So forget Iraq, abortion, or any of the big issues, I couldn’t have any opinion on anything and it’s an impossible environment to try to be creative and try to interact with people. Then I got in trouble for never having an opinion. It was insane and what we found is they basically didn’t want my
brand of Libertarian politics.

I believe what’s going on right now, and I think it’s going to be played out in the courts, is if they wanted to win and make money they would have kept my show on. What’s going on, and you see it every quarter, they do something really lame brained and crazy. They are crashing the company. I don’t think it’s a secret
to anybody. I feel sorry for the people like me that believed in the company. I feel sorry for the people that bought stock in the company. They are crashing the company to buy it back cheap. They want to take it private and shareholders be damned, in my opinion. It was just as I started to do a show that I wanted, the ratings soared. What it proves, contrary to what the media keeps giving us, is people really are hungry for some common sense and expect it. They are sick of being pandered to. Radio stations wonder why nobody’s listening. Because they’re giving the same B.S. and phoniness. People are really hungry for something that is not just the same old stupidity—a group of people sitting around laughing at nothing, which is what morning radio has become. If these guys don’t wake up—and I’m talking about the radio industry—we’re going to lose this thing.

Tell us about your latest streak on FOX News Channel. Are we going to see more of these Planet Mancow Specials?

We’re going to be doing a lot more is my feeling. It was originally a demo for a pilot—neither of which were supposed to be on TV. Bill Shine [Fox News SVP/Programming], a brilliant guy, saw it and went, “I like it. I’m going to run it.” It did gangbusters and they ran it four times. I think everyone was surprised. I was just on O’Reilly and it did gangbusters. I expect that I’ll do more with him. Sean Hannity is a dear friend and of course I’m on the Fox & Friends Show every single day.

What I would like to try to do with the show is there is a huge amount of people between New York and LA that nobody talks for. They don’t feel like they have a voice and I really want to try to get that common sense mid-America, middle of the road viewpoint and sometimes outrage across. I think there is an audience for it and it’s really what I want to be part of.

I think we’re going to do a whole lot more and I’m very excited about the future, but my goal right now is not to become a TV star but to have the number one morning show in America.

What advice do you have for President Bush and Congress?

Well they bashed Reagan and now everyone looks back at Ronald Reagan as one of the best presidents ever. He’s looked back upon very fondly. Where Bush made a mistake was he forgot his core. He forgot his core values. You can’t respect a guy like that.

People think he’s a Republican; he’s not a Republican. I’m a Goldwater guy; I’m a Reagan guy. You know gay marriage, none of the government’s business. Abortion, none of the government’s business. Spanking, none of the government’s business. This government has made it their business to be in every aspect of our life. I don’t want a babysitter. I want a government to protect me and stay out of my life as much as possible.

Under Bush we have more government with a TSA and everything else than ever before. “1984”—it took a few years but it’s here. So he’s a Rockefeller Republican and I don’t think of this guy as a Republican so my advice would be get back to basics. I’ll tell you, I’m not going to vote for her, but Hillary is going to be a gift from God for Talk Radio.

--by Carl Marcucci

RBR/TVBR note:  For the latest on what Mancow is up to view his new site www.mancow.com

Editor’s note: This is archived from 3/07