Personalities Inside Radio
The Mike Kinosian Interview
I Am My Father's Son

 

Other than writing 2004 instead of 2003 on his checks, Michael Reagan's routine today won't be dramatically different from what it's been every other weekday for the last 12 months.
As usual, the schedule calls for him to drive to Premiere Radio Networks' studios in Sherman Oaks (in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley), where he'll do a three-hour talk show.

Virtually the same 150 stations that have carried the show for the past year will do so again this evening. But when Reagan cracks the microphone at 6pm ET/3pm PT, it will mark the first time that Radio America is the show's distributor. "I knew I wasn't going to be around much after this year -- I could see the writing on the wall," notes Reagan, who left Premiere when his contract expired last Wednesday (12-31-2003)
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Announcing His Availability

Having been granted the approval to talk to other syndication companies during the last year of his contract, Reagan remarks, "I let people know that there was a very good chance that I was going to be available."

Among the people the potential free agent contacted was Radio America Founder/President Jim Roberts. Like Reagan, Roberts is a member of the National Moment Of Remembrance Committee and, as Reagan points out, "[We serve by] presidential appointment. Jim and I talked [on several occasions] a long time ago."

As his contract was about to elapse, Reagan was leaning toward continuing the show via self-syndication. An eleventh-hour call from Roberts, however, promptly changed those plans. "I was literally moments away from doing the show myself," Reagan notes. "He told me that he really wanted to put something together. I thought it would be a good fit. The company appreciates me and is going to promote and advertise the show. That hasn't happened in a long time, so it's almost like a re-introduction. Feedback from our stations has been absolutely terrific and I'm excited."

Same Time - Same Station

Through January 19th, the longtime Premiere Radio talent will originate his Radio America show from his former employer's facilities. "Premiere has leased back to me the satellite, channel and transponder I've been on," Reagan explains. "I left with about 90% of my stations. There really won't be any changes at all for the affiliates I've been on for all these years."

Key Endorsement

The person Reagan cites as being most instrumental in such a seamless transition is Premiere Radio President/COO Kraig Kitchin. "He really didn't want to lose me," Reagan claims. "The edict came down from high atop the mountain, but they allowed him to do this on my behalf. That doesn't happen very much in this business."

It was Kitchin, in fact, who became actively involved in finding Reagan a new radio home. "He picked up the phone and called [several other leading] syndication companies," Reagan notes. "He told them that he'd make it real easy to [acquire] the show and wouldn't get in their way. Some people may forget that my show was the first long form show [Premiere] ever had. Kraig was like my salesman up front."
Meanwhile, Reagan was negotiating with other entities, including Radio America and several local stations. The onetime KABC/Los Angeles and KSDO-AM/San Diego talent, however, was skeptical about returning to the local scene. "I was one of the guys who was replaced by Rush Limbaugh locally," recalls Reagan. "I didn't want to give up a national audience and go back to a local situation only to be replaced again. I've been in this for a long time and understand the dynamics of doing a national show."

Ever since its original airdate more than 11 years ago (9-7-1992), Reagan's program has consistently been broadcast from 6 - 9pm (ET)/3 - 6pm (PT).

That scenario remains intact under Radio America's umbrella; there'll also be a full re-feed from 6-9pm (PT). "I actually have a six-hour window of radio there," Reagan points out. "It works out great, because when something really big happens, I know that I can do another live hour or two."

Racing To The Microphone

National radio talk show host is quite a stretch for the onetime world champion powerboat racer. Reagan's racing endeavors have helped raise more than $1.5 million for charities like Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes Foundation and the Statue of Liberty Restoration Fund.
A recipient of the "Victor Award" for outstanding sports and humanitarian achievement, Reagan was the single largest fundraiser for the United States Olympic team in 1984.

During a social visit to KABC-AM, Reagan was introduced to then GM George Green. "We were really just killing time and George asked me if I'd ever thought about doing Talk radio," recounts Reagan, who'd guest hosted Meredith McRae's magazine/interview show that the actress did on then KHJ-TV/Los Angeles (now KCAL-TV). "I jokingly said that I thought about it all the time, but nobody had ever asked."
As luck would have it, veteran KABC talk show host Michael Jackson was taking the following Monday off and Green proposed that Reagan substitute for him. Naturally, he jumped at the opportunity and discovered his in-studio guest that day would be CBS "On The Road" correspondent/"Sunday Morning" host Charles Kuralt. "Since I knew I was going to interview him, I read his book over the weekend," Reagan reports. "When we were done, he turned to George and said it was the best interview he'd ever had."

According to Reagan, Kuralt went on to implore Green that if KABC had an opening, they should hire Reagan. "I became one of Michael Jackson's regular guest hosts and got a Sunday show at KABC."
Favorable reviews of Reagan's KABC work soon spread down the Golden State (5) and San Diego (405) freeways, prompting a call from KSDO-AM in 1988. "I was able to guest host for [former San Diego Mayor-turned-talk host] Roger Hedgecock for three weeks. The next thing I knew, I had a job there in January."

Back To The Bible

In love with the medium from the first day he went on the air, Reagan states, "The early years were probably the best ones of my life, because I had to learn how to be a talk show host. Everyone in the world said I was going to fail." The KSDO-AM orientation process was both interesting and intense. As soon as Reagan concluded his daily show, PD Jack Merker (who was murdered two years ago in Palm Springs, CA - the victim of an attempted robbery) would escort him to a production studio. "He'd have me read The Bible into a microphone for an hour each day," Reagan remarks. "The Bible doesn't have any commas or exclamation marks, so it's up to you to put in inflection. Jack wanted me to learn how to read. I did this over and over and really got to know The Bible. People like that came [into my life], believed in me and helped me along."

Veteran Westwood One overnighter Jim Bohannon is another person who made an impact on Reagan's career. "I used to listen to Jim quite a bit," Reagan notes. "We haven't talked in a while, but he and I became good friends. The two of us get together at all the conventions and laugh when people ask us how they can make it in the business. Do they really think we're going to tell them everything?"

Political Scene

News of the day will again drive Reagan's talk fests and it's safe to assume fellow conservatives like the sitting president will continue receiving his support. "In many ways, [George W. Bush's father] was too political," Reagan opines. "But the elder George Bush and Barbara were wonderful to my wife, children and me in the days when he was Vice President and when he became President. If I had to vote for father of the year, I'd be voting for George Bush every day; he's just that great of a guy."

Apparently unconcerned about the younger Bush's Democratic opposition this November, Reagan states, "Historically, we don't change presidents in the middle of a war and this is a war on terrorism. The issue that Democrats normally use is the economy, but the economy is coming back. All the things they'd use against the president are all turning to be positives [for Bush]."

Regarding Democratic frontrunner Howard Dean, Reagan remarks, "He'll pull the [troops] out [of Iraq] and turn everything over to the United Nations. He also wants to stop the tax cut, but the tax cut is what helped grow the economy. You don't do that when the economy is on fire. So if you listen to his [speeches], he basically says that he'll ruin the economy and lose the war. I don't think that will get him elected."

Former First Lady and current New York Senator Hillary Clinton has repeatedly emphasized that she won't enter this year's presidential race. "She's looking ahead to 2008," Reagan asserts. "If she [becomes a candidate], it's because her polling and focus groups believe that George Bush is beatable. The reason she's not in the race is because she knows [Bush] isn't beatable. She certainly isn't going to come in [as a Vice Presidential candidate] with Wesley Clark or anyone else. She was already Vice President for eight years. She doesn't want anyone in this group to win."

Primary Process

His unique past history should help Reagan in his 2004 campaign coverage. "There's only one talk show host in America who has walked literally all the precincts these people are going to walk and who has knocked on the doors," he declares. "I know the process, what you have to go through and the importance of this primary and that primary. People love hearing these stories and I'm the only one who can tell them. In many ways, I look at the way [President Bush] is doing things and how my dad did things. [Bush] learned from someone during the eight years of my dad's presidency - it looks like he was learning a lot from my father."

Reality Check

As Michael Reagan finds out practically on a weekly basis, having a father who resided at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (1980-1988) can have its strengths and weaknesses.

Here's some perspective.

Ed McLaughlin founded EFM Radio in 1987 and launched/produced "The Rush Limbaugh Show" the following year. "My dad's office called Ed," Reagan recalls "and said the President would like to hear two things: Rush Limbaugh daytime and Mike Reagan nighttime. What can you do to help?"

The aspiring broadcaster sent tapes to McLaughlin's people. "John Axton called me [shortly after I sent him airchecks] and said the best thing for me to do would be to get out of the business. He said I was never going to make it."

But Reagan didn't allow himself to become discouraged and doggedly pursued a radio career. "John and I have laughed about this over the years," he says. "Nobody expected me to work as hard as I did."
The early days of Reagan's syndicated career boasted an anything but gaudy total of five affiliates. Moreover, four of the five carried his show on a tape-delayed basis. The one "live" affiliate also aired Monday Night Football, so as Reagan painfully recounts, "I drove 262 miles a day [from San Diego to Sherman Oaks] and on Mondays, I wasn't talking to anybody. I had to do a show with three hours of content and no phone calls and I needed to make it sound exciting. Everyone thought it was easy because I was Ronald Reagan's kid."

Who Are You?

Unafraid to make as much contact as possible with potential affiliates, Reagan would regularly call stations like WHO/Des Moines. After his first call, "They said to call back in a year. When I called back a year later, they told me to call back when I had 100 stations."

Sure enough, as soon as the affiliate count reached 100, the persistent Reagan dialed Des Moines. "They put me on and have become great friends of mine," he maintains. "I pull great numbers and they love me, but everyone made me earn my way."

Not lost in the irony, of course, is that - in the spring of 1933 - it was the very same WHO that named a very young Ronald Reagan as its Chief Sports Announcer.

Mother Knows Best

People usually forget -- or aren't aware of -- several key points about Michael Reagan.
You're correct if you said he's the adopted son of Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman (not Nancy Reagan). The couple adopted Michael when he was three.

Obviously not the happy husband and wife that was portrayed in the press, however, the two divorced just several years later in 1948. One day while making that wicked 262-mile commute, a despondent Reagan called Wyman and said he didn't know what to do with his life. "Shut up and keep driving" was the advice offered by the venerable big screen and "Falcon Crest" star. "That's just what I did and look what happened - we're [starting our 12th year] of the radio show. Thank goodness for my mom."

Reagan's latest book, "Twice Adopted," is scheduled for an August/September release and addresses the most significant unknown or forgotten part of his life. In addition to focusing on his Christian testimony about being adopted by Christ and the Reagans, the book deals with child abuse and child pornography. "Those are two things I've experienced," states Reagan, who serves on the board of the John Douglas French Alzheimer's Association. "[I wrote about] how I see the world today and how I worry about our children. We're setting them up to go through the very same thing that I [experienced] as a child. I got through the system and really think God wants me to share how I did it with other people."

In that regard, Reagan did a presentation several months ago at the Los Angeles District Attorney's Sex Crimes unit. "I gave them input about what an abused child goes through and what they feel," he explains. "Through these things, I'm finding my own identity and can take a stand on things I know and situations I lived through. If I can help people through those tragedies, I've made my own mark."

The Rest Of The Story

Just as a chance encounter with George Green changed Reagan's professional career, a similar one with ABC Radio's Paul Harvey helped him personally. "I was honored when one of his staff members said that Paul wanted to say hello to me. He pulled me aside and said he knew what it was like being in my position. Paul told me about his son who had to live in his shadow and how tough it was to have him get his own identity. He said that, if I ever needed him for anything, all I had to do was call. He understood what I faced being the son of a famous person and I've always remembered that conversation."

An ongoing demon that Reagan constantly battled was the uncertainty of his father's love. That point, however, was put to rest when the elder Reagan wrote in the forward of his son's "On The Outside Looking In" autobiography, "Michael, whatever happens, know that I love you."

During Reagan's administration, Michael Reagan comments, "We didn't talk that much, but he had me in different places. He invited me to the hotel room the night he decided to pick George Bush as [his running mate in 1980]. I was there when it was all put together and what was happening with Gerald Ford three floors below us. He called and asked my permission to fire his staff on the morning of the New Hampshire primary. He read me the press release and got me to approve it before releasing it."

In April 1988, I hitched a ride on Air Force One and was flying back with him for Easter. I saw him counting on his fingers and asked what he was doing. He told me that, in nine more months, he could go back to church on a regular basis. When he was out of the presidency, he said he'd be able to feel that freedom again. He told me that the day he was shot, he looked out the rearview mirror [of the ambulance] and saw people laying in pools of their own blood as a result of bullets that were meant for him. He didn't want to put other people in harm's way by going to church."

The younger Reagan convinced his father to attend services that Easter Sunday.

Residual Fallout

CBS-TV recently encountered tremendous resistance over its "Reagan" mini-series, which ultimately aired on sister cable outlet Showtime. Critics charged that it painted a very unflattering picture of the former President, who suffers from Alzheimer's Diseases. "I think my dad would say that James Brolin was a lousy actor," Michael Reagan says. "Having come from that industry, my dad would probably feel embarrassed for the actors. He might say that, since they did such a terrible job, they don't deserve any residuals."

Role Models

His last name may have opened doors early on - five to be more specific - but as Michael Reagan asks rhetorically, "How many stations are there in America? The doors certainly didn't open very wide, but that's the business. Many [other talk hosts] have come and gone. I enjoy what I'm doing and think that's what [my listeners can detect]. What also comes across is that I am my father's son; I learned from watching him. I'm also my mother's son -- both of them are in me in so many ways."

WHO: Michael Reagan
WHAT: "The Michael Reagan Show"
WHERE: Radio America
WHEN: Monday - Friday, 6 - 9pm (ET)
HOW MANY AFFILIATES: Approximately 150