Special Interview
Q1: Steve, you're the host /creator of "LAST CALL CAFE" on Ustream.TV, what made you want to venture into this type of broadcast media?
SB: I felt that my dream of being on the radio was just that a "fait du acompli", after being on a year at WXUT FM Toledo, and seeing the dark side of the business as formats and corporate greed took over, I felt that my dream was just dead.
Q2: Dead, is what way?
SB: In a creative way, you see more talented individuals being given the axe because of the corporate bean counters wanting to tow the corporate line of less personality and more music.
Dick Purtan even said , and I paraphrase that personality based radio is DOA.
Q3: So the dream died with the corporate slash and trash ?
SB: in a way yes, but when I turned 42 I decided to try a new thing, I was curious about a website called blogtalkradio.com, so I tried it , and granted was unprepared so an hour of me babbling just wasnt good.
Q4: so what happened?
SB: I decided to go to livenewscameras.com and there I saw an interactive show in Houston, and went to the website. myfoxhoustonlive.com it was like i found heaven
Q5:So you chatted on there and then what ?
SB: one of the chatters named "BLINKY" told me about USTREAM.TV and that her relative hosted a show on it, so i was curious and hooked into USTREAM...the rest as they say ..was pure karma, and I joined up
Q5: Describe "LAST CALL CAFE"
SB: Well first off, it wasnt called "Last Call Cafe" , the original title was U CHAT TV, based loosely on a late night show called TEXT ME tv, which had its plug pulled in November , so when I began to formulate on paper what I wanted to do on my show, I used a bit of what TMTV was...
Q6: The results apparently didnt pan out like you thought they would?
SB: In the first 6 weeks of the broadcast I was getting 3-5 viewers ..and it was so much a train wreck working without a net , and I began to feel that something was just terribly wrong and I just felt like quitting.
Q7: You hit a bit of a creative depression?
SB: you could say that, yes! So I decided that a retooling and rethinking was in order.
Q8: And how did you go about that ?
SB: I decided to listen to radio stations , but not here in the states, I went to Stations in Australia, London, England and noticed something, they all worked on a format but a free form format that made the listener the star.. I then asked some jocks how they kept their audiences on the edge of their seat and what they told me , just changed my perspective.
Q9:And what was it ??
SB: To not be the same old dull formula type of a show, spice it up, loosen up , open up ...My friend Captain Jackson and his good lady the Queen of Hearts were the ones who just opened my eyeballs as well
Q10: how so ?
SB: It was during a taping of a episode of "creep theatre" that she said "you could do better, ive seen what you can do , you have it in you ...let it all flow out" ,and the capt agreed...
Q11: thsi was way in late 04-'04 yes?
SB: yep, I know i skip around a lot ...but you get the note. a lot of people with good advice
Q12: and so with past and present advice given ..you decided that your show needed change in a drastic way?
SB: Yep, I decided first to expand to two nights, then I decided to change the name of the show , make it not out of someone elses stuff, but make it my own ..so I created a format which I show
on every show, then I decided I needed some co stars, so now ive giot Houston,Texas, adelaide, Austraila, Norfolk,VA, Canada. and its coming along fantastic ..in the early days i had 4-5 viewers , now i have 20-40 of them .
Q13: Steve, one person you have'nt mentioned is your friend in toledo and one half of PRIBAX Comedy Radio from the 'xut fm days Doug Pribe
SB: We've been good friends for now 26 years, I didnt tell him about this venture, because I didnt think he would enjoy being a part of it, after all I created the show with some specific rules
that make the show unique and fun to do now.
Q14: Such as??
SB: No Politics, my show has no political agenda, while we do have a chatroom, we do not dwelve into politics unless it is of a newsworthy event that we can have a fair and balanced discussion on . We are very heavy into entertainment and sports, much so than others, and the people love it .
Q15: So in your eyes, with that restriction and the fact that you are more a entertainment and sports driven show, you thought he would not want to do it.
SB: Youve heard the WXUT FM show we did ...what do you think
Q16: I see your point, but that was just an homage to Steve Dahl was it not
SB: In a way yes, but in some cases NO, what we should've done was to bring in a friend of dougs named Max Belin..that would've made the show more powerful..but it was a learning expierence... see steve's show was equal parts of Steve and Garry.. the WXUT show we did, didnt have that feeling. it wasnt an equal show. he could play what he wanted , but me, I wasnt allowed to play what I wanted to..
SB: let me just add one thing, if I had to do it all over again,. I wouldve taken a more stronger role and told him that this was an equal partneship, no one person controls or is top dog..
Q17: He has said to you that your show is like Glenn Beck, why?
SB: ahhh yes, well let me clear that up once and for all, my show which I call "L2C" for short is NOT anything like Gleen Beck, Glenn's is a political show, ours is entertainment and sports filled, there is no politics, we have no agenda whatsoever. we allow fair and balanced chat, no shouting or anger towards fellow chatters or to myself.
Q18 you do mention FOX alot in your show ..why ?
SB: I do so out of respect,because it was at KRIV TV which is a FOX O&O where I discovered the chat and where ive made some good and solid friends of the anhcors and chatters that the L2C is greatful to FOX 26 NEWS and we make sure to acknowledge them !
Q19: Is there some tension between you and Doug because of your show?
SB: not really, While he is my friend..and I welcome him to be a part of my show, Doug has to understand that some parts of what we did at XUT we cant do on my show, Im not Glenn Beck, i am me, the L2C is not howard stern, its not Glenn Beck, its sure as hell aint Keith olbermann.
What my show is ..is original and unique.
There is no tension between us, just hope he understands that the L2C is going great, no problems, and is running smoothly in the format that its in, i may tweak it a bit more, but unlike my previous attempt, the L2C will never lose its focus!
The only bit of tension is that politically we are of different ideals, and different philosophies of life. and vision, but even that shouldnt be in the way of true friendship
Q20: Is Pribax Dead?
SB: Nope, it never really got off the ground, so how can one be dead when it never got a chance to live
Last Question, Where do you see the L2C going
SB: I see it growning more, being more of a show for everyones taste, not straying from its focus which is entertainment with a soul and a octopuss!
Bonus : Yes now that you mention it ...
SB: Yes we have added a weathercast more accurate than any on TV or radio as well as the first ever sportssquid! and it works out on all corners .
Thank you Steve very much for your time ...
SB: And again, the door is open Doug if you ever want to join my show, but you have to follow format
Q1: Steve, you're the host /creator of "LAST CALL CAFE" on Ustream.TV, what made you want to venture into this type of broadcast media?
SB: I felt that my dream of being on the radio was just that a "fait du acompli", after being on a year at WXUT FM Toledo, and seeing the dark side of the business as formats and corporate greed took over, I felt that my dream was just dead.
Q2: Dead, is what way?
SB: In a creative way, you see more talented individuals being given the axe because of the corporate bean counters wanting to tow the corporate line of less personality and more music.
Dick Purtan even said , and I paraphrase that personality based radio is DOA.
Q3: So the dream died with the corporate slash and trash ?
SB: in a way yes, but when I turned 42 I decided to try a new thing, I was curious about a website called blogtalkradio.com, so I tried it , and granted was unprepared so an hour of me babbling just wasnt good.
Q4: so what happened?
SB: I decided to go to livenewscameras.com and there I saw an interactive show in Houston, and went to the website. myfoxhoustonlive.com it was like i found heaven
Q5:So you chatted on there and then what ?
SB: one of the chatters named "BLINKY" told me about USTREAM.TV and that her relative hosted a show on it, so i was curious and hooked into USTREAM...the rest as they say ..was pure karma, and I joined up
Q5: Describe "LAST CALL CAFE"
SB: Well first off, it wasnt called "Last Call Cafe" , the original title was U CHAT TV, based loosely on a late night show called TEXT ME tv, which had its plug pulled in November , so when I began to formulate on paper what I wanted to do on my show, I used a bit of what TMTV was...
Q6: The results apparently didnt pan out like you thought they would?
SB: In the first 6 weeks of the broadcast I was getting 3-5 viewers ..and it was so much a train wreck working without a net , and I began to feel that something was just terribly wrong and I just felt like quitting.
Q7: You hit a bit of a creative depression?
SB: you could say that, yes! So I decided that a retooling and rethinking was in order.
Q8: And how did you go about that ?
SB: I decided to listen to radio stations , but not here in the states, I went to Stations in Australia, London, England and noticed something, they all worked on a format but a free form format that made the listener the star.. I then asked some jocks how they kept their audiences on the edge of their seat and what they told me , just changed my perspective.
Q9:And what was it ??
SB: To not be the same old dull formula type of a show, spice it up, loosen up , open up ...My friend Captain Jackson and his good lady the Queen of Hearts were the ones who just opened my eyeballs as well
Q10: how so ?
SB: It was during a taping of a episode of "creep theatre" that she said "you could do better, ive seen what you can do , you have it in you ...let it all flow out" ,and the capt agreed...
Q11: thsi was way in late 04-'04 yes?
SB: yep, I know i skip around a lot ...but you get the note. a lot of people with good advice
Q12: and so with past and present advice given ..you decided that your show needed change in a drastic way?
SB: Yep, I decided first to expand to two nights, then I decided to change the name of the show , make it not out of someone elses stuff, but make it my own ..so I created a format which I show
on every show, then I decided I needed some co stars, so now ive giot Houston,Texas, adelaide, Austraila, Norfolk,VA, Canada. and its coming along fantastic ..in the early days i had 4-5 viewers , now i have 20-40 of them .
Q13: Steve, one person you have'nt mentioned is your friend in toledo and one half of PRIBAX Comedy Radio from the 'xut fm days Doug Pribe
SB: We've been good friends for now 26 years, I didnt tell him about this venture, because I didnt think he would enjoy being a part of it, after all I created the show with some specific rules
that make the show unique and fun to do now.
Q14: Such as??
SB: No Politics, my show has no political agenda, while we do have a chatroom, we do not dwelve into politics unless it is of a newsworthy event that we can have a fair and balanced discussion on . We are very heavy into entertainment and sports, much so than others, and the people love it .
Q15: So in your eyes, with that restriction and the fact that you are more a entertainment and sports driven show, you thought he would not want to do it.
SB: Youve heard the WXUT FM show we did ...what do you think
Q16: I see your point, but that was just an homage to Steve Dahl was it not
SB: In a way yes, but in some cases NO, what we should've done was to bring in a friend of dougs named Max Belin..that would've made the show more powerful..but it was a learning expierence... see steve's show was equal parts of Steve and Garry.. the WXUT show we did, didnt have that feeling. it wasnt an equal show. he could play what he wanted , but me, I wasnt allowed to play what I wanted to..
SB: let me just add one thing, if I had to do it all over again,. I wouldve taken a more stronger role and told him that this was an equal partneship, no one person controls or is top dog..
Q17: He has said to you that your show is like Glenn Beck, why?
SB: ahhh yes, well let me clear that up once and for all, my show which I call "L2C" for short is NOT anything like Gleen Beck, Glenn's is a political show, ours is entertainment and sports filled, there is no politics, we have no agenda whatsoever. we allow fair and balanced chat, no shouting or anger towards fellow chatters or to myself.
Q18 you do mention FOX alot in your show ..why ?
SB: I do so out of respect,because it was at KRIV TV which is a FOX O&O where I discovered the chat and where ive made some good and solid friends of the anhcors and chatters that the L2C is greatful to FOX 26 NEWS and we make sure to acknowledge them !
Q19: Is there some tension between you and Doug because of your show?
SB: not really, While he is my friend..and I welcome him to be a part of my show, Doug has to understand that some parts of what we did at XUT we cant do on my show, Im not Glenn Beck, i am me, the L2C is not howard stern, its not Glenn Beck, its sure as hell aint Keith olbermann.
What my show is ..is original and unique.
There is no tension between us, just hope he understands that the L2C is going great, no problems, and is running smoothly in the format that its in, i may tweak it a bit more, but unlike my previous attempt, the L2C will never lose its focus!
The only bit of tension is that politically we are of different ideals, and different philosophies of life. and vision, but even that shouldnt be in the way of true friendship
Q20: Is Pribax Dead?
SB: Nope, it never really got off the ground, so how can one be dead when it never got a chance to live
Last Question, Where do you see the L2C going
SB: I see it growning more, being more of a show for everyones taste, not straying from its focus which is entertainment with a soul and a octopuss!
Bonus : Yes now that you mention it ...
SB: Yes we have added a weathercast more accurate than any on TV or radio as well as the first ever sportssquid! and it works out on all corners .
Thank you Steve very much for your time ...
SB: And again, the door is open Doug if you ever want to join my show, but you have to follow format
posted by steve @ 2:53 PM
