Mike McGuff: What will be the topics on your new show?
Michael Garfield: My M-F show will be issue-driven like most daily talk shows - but oh so different. We begin at 9am which is when most people arrive at their offices so business, economy and financial news will certainly be covered. "Local" will always lead so the current Stanford Financial Group news would be an example of Topic A. We'll also keep an eye on the stock market throughout the show (depending if the market itself is in positive numbers by our start date, March 2!).
MM: What about technology?
MG: I am not abandoning technology topics though the discussions will be on larger stories like the recent Facebook flap and how the digital TV conversion is effecting and confusing so many people. I provide analysis to media outlets across the country on tech-related subjects so this venue gives me a chance to really open up and discuss with listeners.
MM: What kind of guests do you plan to bring on?
MG: I really enjoying having guests call-in or come in studio - that's less callers I need to take. ;) But seriously, because of our media outlet we have a unique opportunity to have experts, officials, witnesses and others talk to us with their views and insight. That is something that can rarely be done by any one person via phone call or face-to-face. These people know we have large audiences and we reach out to them to get them on-air and online to start our own local discussions.
We have a team of people that will be scouring headlines and contacting guests across the country to chat with us each morning. I personally have the cell numbers, emails and direct office lines to many Houston city officials and business leaders. If we need them on the show I will quickly work the phones to get them on.
I am also a fanboy of pop culture; you can tell that from my show opening theme to my bump music. Sports, entertainment, lifestyle and music will find its way into the daily show mix. T-Mac's story is hot right now so I'd be al over that but talk about it from an angle of how his $23 million salary next year could have a ripple effect on ticket prices and local economic factors.
MM: If you got a magic wish to book anyone in the world you wanted as a guest, who would it be?
MG: My magic wish book of guests would one day hopefully lead me to interview some of my idols who steered me to this business. Dick Clark is an icon in the media industry. I grew listening and imitating Casey Kasem, hoping to one day countdown songs on the radio. But just because I personally want to talk to certain people does not mean it would be interesting to my listeners. President Obama would be a "get" as he literally has the burden of our economy and foreseeable future on his shoulders. How is he dealing with that pressure as a man himself? And W isn't doing much these days. Maybe I'll hop up to my hometown of Dallas and do a remote with him one day.
MM: Will you still have a Saturday show? If so, is it changing?
MG: As of now I will still be doing my live 3 hour show on Saturday. That was my request to station management as we discussed the new daily show. We still have many partners and sponsors who want to reach a niche audience plus this show is a staple of The 9-5-0, not unlike my friend Randy Lemmon's GardenLine program on KTRH. The weekend gig allows me to open up and cock around a bit more.
I am proud of the brand and following I began almost ten years ago with The High-Tech Texan®. Technology is my sweet spot and I think I do it differently than anyone else, mostly using my personality and ease of discussion. Not many people want to hear terms like megabytes and Hertz, they want simple answers. I began this "schtick" on Channel 2 back in 2000 and migrated to radio and print using a bit of humor while trying to give smart advice. It is a classic entrepreneur story that more and more people seem to want to hear more nowadays as they are trying to create opportunities for themselves.
Speaking of the increasing jobless rate, we understand more people are out of work and will be tuning in from home or driving to/from interviews. I am creating a special program/project for listeners looking for jobs that I will cover daily on my show. It involves job searches and opportunities that may not be found elsewhere as we will work with some local employment firms for insight, tips and openings. And, of course, I have some fun ideas to hold gatherings, live breakfast remote shows and more.
One very unique thing I will continue to do on the weekday show is utilize my live videoconferencing technology. For over 3 years on my Saturday show I have brought a webcam in studio but use a service for listeners around the world to listen online and use their own webcams to log in. It has been interesting to SEE my listeners and chat with them during breaks. More of my call-in guests are using this so we can see and hear them, too. This technology will continue to grow as more people listen online at their computers and more people don't want to travel.
You can read my interview with Michael Garfield on his past and marketing tips here. CONTACT: Leave me a Houston or Texas media news tip | COMMENT: Click to leave your thoughts on this post here
