Helen Martin’s Blog

And while I am on the topic of talk radio…

I went to school with Malcolm - 5th grade and 12th. When I heard he was one of the finalists for the am 1500 radio audition series looking for “The Next Big Thing” I had to Google him and see if it was the same guy. Yep, it was. I missed all the auditions and danged if they didn’t pick someone else. But in the course of a few emails back and forth between us I found out I’d have another chance to hear how he sounds on the radio. On Friday night he filled in for Dave Thompson and he did a great job!

He has good pipes. His voice isn’t like butter (I’m glad) but has just enough character and depth to make it interesting and easy to listen to. He’s clever, quick, funny, and just plain likable. And he sounded surprisingly relaxed and not at all like he was trying too hard.

Just like in any artform, effortlessness and seamlessness are the goals and though he’s not there yet he’s well on his way. If he had to hunt for a word or his next thought, it was only once or twice and only for a second each time. That happens to the best of them and he’ll get better at rolling with it.

It’s hard to just jump in and listen to, or call, a new host, but he had plenty of callers with whom he had friendly, entertaining exchanges. Gladly his topics were interesting but not too hot. He didn’t avoid controversy, but his approach wasn’t incendiary (for the average 1500 listener, that is.)

He calls himself the Barstool Philosopher. I see why he’d want to present an image that would clue in the listener about what to expect and put something out there to stick in their minds, but I’d like to see what kind of a nickname would have emerged over time. It kinda puts me in the mind of Moe’s; dark and smoky, and that wasn’t at all like Malcolm’s show. (Of course it wasn’t - it was broadcast from St. Paul, where [smoking is banned.][1]

Like [Soucheray][2], he seems to be able to talk about everyday stuff, draw others into it, and end up with an entertaining show. He talked about the WEATHER and not only held my attention but made me laugh out loud. (”It’s so cold your clothes could break.”)

He did such a good job. I think whatever it is that makes a really good radio guy, he has it. It is only a matter of time and experience.

I hope he’s on again soon. Eventually he’d be a great fit to fill in for [Joe][3].

[1]: http://www.kpmartin.com/?p=16
[2]: http://www.helenmartin.com/?p=58
[3]: http://www.am1500.com/