Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Phil Hendrie to Return to Terrestrial Radio

We have a good news and bad news to report.

The good news is that the Phil Hendrie Show, the most innovative and creative talk show since the legendary Bob and Ray Show 30 years ago, will be returning to the airwaves on June 25.

The bad news is that Phil’s show will be distributed by Talk Radio Network, a right wing syndication company. Also, according the Phil Hendrie News site, the veteran host has said that the show might not have a comedy focus.

While all talk radio syndicators (with the exception of Air America Radio and possibly Westwood One) are dominated by right wing talkers, TRN is particularly committed to spreading its right wing ideology.

The company is headed up one time hypnotist and current right wing Christian theologian Roy Masters and his son Mark Masters. Similar to Laura Schlessinger (see story below), Masters was brought up in a Jewish home and converted to Christianity as an adult.

We asked Hendrie if he was going to change the format of his previous syndicated show and whether it was going to be similar to the other shows carried on TRN that feature right wing hosts.

"Well, I don't know what you think a right wing show is," Hendrie replied. "My show will not be the ones you mentioned. But, I may take the same general position as those people on certain issues. Don't let the radio brainwash you into thinking right and left are relevant anymore."

Hendrie started his show on a low power AM station in the Los Angeles suburb of Ventura County over 20 years ago. He refined his craft in Minneapolis and Miami, eventually returning with his show to LA doing on the nation's number one talk station – KFI. Hendrie also landed a syndication deal with Premiere Radio Networks that included over 100 stations.

The only way to appreciate Phil Hendrie’s comical genius is the listen to his show. (You can download podcasts on his website.) Hendrie, and his stable of fictitious characters including Ted Bell, Bud Dickman, R.C. Collins, Margaret Gray, Steve Bozell, and dozens of others, engage unwitting callers in some of the funniest bits you will ever hear on radio.

However, a year ago, Hendrie gave it all up to pursue a career as a TV writer and performer. He has voiced characters on several episodes of Futurama and had a starring role in NBC's short-lived midseason replacement sitcom, Teachers, in the spring of 2006.

When he gave up his show last year, Hendrie said that he would never return to terrestrial radio. He was done.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not dominated by right wing talkers:
You forgot Nova M and, of course, Jones Radio (which syndicate Steph and Big Ed and also Boortz and Clark Howard).
Westwood One has Leykis and Don & Mike, who are FM Hot Talk. They have Larry King's audio from CNN. But in political talk they have O'Reilly, Dennis Miller, Phil Valentine, Lars Larson and Bohannon. They also had Jay Severin for a time. A couple of their guys may edge close to the middle of the road but nobody crosses the yellow line into positions considered liberal or progressive.

Meanwhile on TRN, Dr. Michael Savage continues to rip into Bush. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
And we should all know who the real enemy is: Bush and the neo-cons; not the libertarians and true conservatives they have betrayed.

Anonymous said...

You guys are something else. Have you ever heard of "Air America"? How about NPR? Grow up!

Anonymous said...

For those of who who had doubted the genius of Phil Hendrie, he is back and its great. The first few nights were a little more "talk radio" but he's bringing the comedy now.

There is a live chat during the show at http://www.philhendrienews.com

Anonymous said...

WOW imagine that people want to listen to reality. Or as you refer to it as "right wing talkers"

Now we know Hannity and Rush are republican cheerleaders, but TRN has more moderates than anything. Tammy Bruce is a liberal and former feminist, that is until she grew up. Jerry Doyle is a realist, he doesnt belong to either party. Dick Morris worked for Bill Clinton, and hates Hillary, who can blame him? Mancow is non-politican, but he does have a brain and calls it like it is. Michael Weiner is a strong conservative who speaks the truth all of time and goes overboard with his extreamist views some of the time. Like he says it is one mans opion.

So I have mentioned 80% of there talk show hosts and not one is a republican or a right winger, so you really should study about something before you speak on it.

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greg said...

The only reason Phil Hendrie returned to radio is he couldn't make it as an actor just look at the pilots that he did and you can see why he is back on the radio.

Anonymous said...

Phil Hendrie is brilliant and DIFFERENT. He's not the same-ol'-same-ol' Funniest person on the planet. More RC, Phill!

@Greg, so Phil didn't "make it as an actor". He's proven himself in radio for almost 20 years, what have YOU done?