The Mike Gallagher Show
350 Fifth Ave.
Suite 1818
New York, NY 10118
800/387-2366
http://www.mikeonline.com
The Mike Gallagher Show is a syndicated talk show aimed at drawing listeners into conversation about the news of the day, generally on social issues or family matters, with an
occasional sidestep into political topics. The weekday three-hour show, live from 9 a.m. to noon, hit the airwaves at the end of 1998 and airs from more than 150 stations across
the country, including New York City and LA. Executive producer Ron Mitchell says Talkers magazine estimates the show has an audience of 2.75 million listeners. Unlike
many sports- or politics-oriented talk shows, whose primary audiences are young to middle-aged white males, the Mike Gallagher Show pulls a much broader demographic. "This is the
new breed of talk radio, not the angry white males," says the host. "We're fixated on delivering something different than that."
Contents/Contact
Mitchell says each day's subjects are driven by daily news or something that Gallagher and his family or friends encounter. The show is positioned as entertainment, not as a
rallying point for any given cause. Guests are occsionally invited onto the show, although the news cycle makes it difficult. "98% of the time we find [our guests] out of the
papers, people we see in the news," Mitchell says. "We track them down, using the Internet and the old-fashioned way - directory assistance."
Recent subjects have ranged from who will survive "Survivor" to whether competitive sports for kids should be eliminated to a debate over whether wives should be pampered on
their wedding anniversaries. Gallagher estimates the content is "70-30 or 60-40 nonpolitical to political."
Mitchell screens his emails daily for discussion topics. The lead time is usually 24 hours or less. "It's best [to send email] because I see and review each one," Mitchell
says. [email protected].
Pitch Tips
"We get a lot of faxes [about] diet doctors, travel guides - that's not something we're going to do. We need something...unusual, that people haven't heard before, something
bizarre, something controversial." For instance, Gallagher took on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals by arranging to have a cow slaughtered on the air. This was in
response PETA's campaign urging students to drink beer instead of milk, "because milking is bad for the cow."
If there is a news item that companies can apply to their business, Mitchell urges them to get in touch. When Gallagher recently discussed the Verizon telcom strike - arguing
that labor unions should go the way of the dinosaur - Mitchell says the show would have been strengthened by having a company spokesperson. "But dealing with PR people at
someplace like [that] usually takes days," he says. So read the newspaper to look for hooks, be a little off-the-wall, and be prepared to respond very quickly if they're
interested.
Comments
This is not a show for those who avoid controversy. "The idea of talk radio isn't to be background music but to make you think ... and sometimes angry," Gallagher says.
Rumors are flying that Dame-Gallagher Networks, LLC, the company that owns the show, is going to be sold, presumably because it's been very successful in a very short period of
time. "It's a critical time for us because we want to make the right decisions, soon," Gallagher says. "We're overwhelmed by how well this has gone so far - we've exceeded all our
projections about revenues and ratings. We're on the right track. We want to keep getting better at what we do."