Earlier in the week, KHOU-11 ran a hit piece by Doug Miller on Councilmember Michael Berry’s new radio gig.
Yesterday, the Chronicle‘s Kristen Mack ran a more balanced story on the city’s newest radio talker. Here’s an excerpt:
Berry says he wants his show to be a “controversial discussion of issues ranging from politics to pop culture. I want people to discuss openly what they typically think, but can’t say.”
“Very rarely do you get the opportunity to have frank and open discussion with someone you don’t know. We self-select our friends, typically based on the fact that they agree with us,” he said. “I want listeners to be exposed to ideas they might not ever be exposed to, so there is a true exchange of ideas.”
Ken Charles, program director for KPRC, says what makes Berry good at City Hall also makes him a good host.
“He’s engaging, approachable, and has an opinion,” Charles said. “He knows how to make a point, defend it, be open to other sides and do it in an entertaining way.”
We know that Berry reads and solicits input occasionally from local bloggers. Once he settles in a bit, maybe he can be convinced to mate a blog with his radio show, like some other successful talkers.
