Mike McConnell to go national -

[Heath]

Radio host going nationwide
BY JOHN KIESEWETTER | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

'The nation's station" lives up to its slogan again when WLW-AM's Mike McConnell begins national syndication Monday of his 9 a.m.-noon talk show.

The laid-back 20-year talk veteran debuts on "a handful of stations," he says. The Philadephia native and University of Dayton graduate played rock music at Hamilton's old WSKS-FM (96.5) before joining WLW-AM in 1984 as the commercial production director.

McConnell, 51, of Blue Ash, has built a national reputation in the past three years hosting "The Weekend" Saturday afternoons on 120 sister Clear Channel stations. WLW-AM talk shows also have aired on XM Satellite Radio Channel 173 since March.

Slight change: It shouldn't be dramatically different to WLW listeners. My show hasn't been more than 25 percent local (topics) for some time. I don't think my listeners will mind.

Breaking news: If something big happens here, we can run something different on the network. We will have several hours of interviews in the bank. You can interview someone and not take calls, so it doesn't sound that much different (from a live show). If there is a major story - like a riot again - then someone will have to work for me locally on WLW.

Starting small: We're launching with a handful of stations because not everybody is going to drop a show one day and pick up somebody new the next. A month or two from now, the number of stations could be significantly higher.

Politics: I'm a little right of center, and a little bit Libertarian - whatever makes sense - which usually leans to the right most of the time.

Raised on radio: I'm one of those kids who went to sleep with the radio on, flipping around the dial to see what distant stations I could get (from suburban Philadelphia) - WLW, WOWO in Fort Wayne, WABC in New York, WLS in Chicago.

Catch the wave: I resisted doing a network show at first, because it cuts down on the things you can talk about, local topics. But it became obvious as the wave of the future - and you either catch on, or you drown. I finally agreed to do "The Weekend" with an eye to do a weekday network show at some point.

Just do it: I compare this to getting a master's (degree), going back to school late in life. You just got to buckle down and do it. I don't plan to take any time off until the end of the year.

Big ambition: My goal is to win. I think it will take about two years to be No. 1 among the morning syndicated talk shows. The competition includes Glenn Beck (a Clear Channel talker dropped by WKRC-AM in January), Laura Ingraham and Dr. Laura Schlessinger. It's not like I'm going against Rush Limbaugh, which would be stiffer competition.

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com

Not that it matters a whole lot -but Cincinnati's getting more national.

[Matt700wlw]

Originally Posted by Heath

Not that it matters a whole lot -but Cincinnati's getting more national.

And it's not because of the violence downtown

[macro]

I have loved listening to McConnell for a long time. I don't always agree with him, but he's one smart dude, and I always pay attention to what he has to say. He's the best thing WLW has going, except for Matt, of course.

[KittyDuran]

Originally Posted by macro

I have loved listening to McConnell for a long time. I don't always agree with him, but he's one smart dude, and I always pay attention to what he has to say. He's the best thing WLW has going, except for Matt, of course.

Have to disagree (maybe because he (Mike) comes across as an egotisical jerk) - IIRC, many years ago he bashed a female co-worker for taking maternity leave and did he ever get it from the female listeners.

Soooo... IMHO that means that only best thing about WLW is Matt!

[beb30]

Originally Posted by KittyDuran

Have to disagree (maybe because he (Mike) comes across as an egotisical jerk) - IIRC, many years ago he bashed a female co-worker for taking maternity leave and did he ever get it from the female listeners.

There has to be more to the story than him bashing a female co-worker for taking maternity leave. I'd find it hard to believe he would bash a woman for doing something like that for no reason......She was probably abusing the policy or something of the like.

[KittyDuran]

Originally Posted by beb30

There has to be more to the story than him bashing a female co-worker for taking maternity leave. I'd find it hard to believe he would bash a woman for doing something like that for no reason......She was probably abusing the policy or something of the like.

IIRC she was only taking about a month - but his attitude was pop out the kid and come back to work the next week...:thumbdown. But you're right there might be something else to it - it was many years ago.

[beb30]

lol yeah he can be pretty sarcastic and nasty to be people, as well as make you look like an idiot...

[macro]

Originally Posted by beb30

lol yeah he can be pretty sarcastic and nasty to be people, as well as make you look like an idiot...

And I think you can only appreciate that after you've been subjected to the hosts that we have on WHAS-84 in Louisville. Two of the past three in the 9-noon slot have been waaay to nice to callers who were absolutely clueless. Sometimes you just have to move them out and move along, and McConnell does that. That's not to say that's he might not be mean sometimes or offend people sometimes, but I'd rather listen to a host like that than the ones who are mushy nice to every single caller.

[beb30]

Originally Posted by macro

And I think you can only appreciate that after you've been subjected to the hosts that we have on WHAS-84 in Louisville. Two of the past three in the 9-noon slot have been waaay to nice to callers who were absolutely clueless. Sometimes you just have to move them out and move along, and McConnell does that. That's not to say that's he might not be mean sometimes or offend people sometimes, but I'd rather listen to a host like that than the ones who are mushy nice to every single caller.

Totally agree.....

[Bob Borkowski]

Mike McConnell is the best talk show host in the local area. I wish him well.

[Unassisted]

It always throws me when I hear his syndicated weekend show on WOAI here. I guess that show must have done well enough in ratings and interest to justify the weekday syndicated gig.

I find McConnell much more listenable than Glenn Beck, who currently occupies that weekday slot on WOAI.

[beb30]

Originally Posted by Bob Borkowski

Mike McConnell is the best talk show host in the local area. I wish him well.

While I do like listening to McConnell to me I believe Willie is better as a talk show host only b/c he is alot more entertaining......I mean you can't beat the stoooooooooge report

[KittyDuran]

Most of the time the last half hour of Willie's show is all I can stomach...:

[beb30]

Originally Posted by KittyDuran

Most of the time the last half hour of Willie's show is all I can stomach...:

Not sure how he is absolutely hilarious