Status of David Newman, WJR talk show host '70s thru '01?...

**Al Publican** · March-17-10, 02:09 AM

Having left Detroit in '03 for SoCal, I lost track of 0ne my favorite radio talk show hosts, David Newman. * I remember Newman having a stroke in '01 and then attempting a comeback but he was the same on air.

I was a winner in Newman's last monthly history in Oct 01. The prize was dinner for two at the Gem Theater and a play.

Anyone know if Newman is still with us?

* David Brugnoy of WBZ in Boston may have been my favorite. I picked Brugnoy one night in mid '90s. WBZ comes in on 1030 AM in SE Mich after dunset.

**Malcove Magnesia** · March-17-10, 04:22 AM

There's a Wikipedia stub article for him at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_N...8radio_host%29

which somebody should take the time to find some documented info on and fill out a bit more of. It's missing his birthdate and the year of his stroke. No obituaries Google-able, thankfully.

**luckycar** · March-17-10, 06:17 AM

I was a fan of Dave.I also played his movie trivia game.I started to listen to him in the 1970s on WXYZ.I do wish him to recover from his stroke,and all its complications.
He was a voice of reason that made one think.Now we have [[had)Air America,Rush,Shawn......at least Dennis Miller is on from 10:00 to 1:00.I like his rants.God bless David.

**gnome** · March-17-10, 06:37 AM

Dave did a ton of show prep and took the listener along for an education. Better prepared, and more current, than a few poli sci professors. [[apologies to ProfessorScot)

**Vic_doucette** · March-17-10, 07:01 AM

Best talk show host I've ever heard. Smart but not condescending. Could handle politics, sports, the arts and more in the same hour. The movie trivia quizzes were wickedly tough -- and good.
I don't ever remember him cutting off a caller or shouting anybody down. And you could call him and express an opposing opinion; as long as you weren't abusive and remained coherent, you'd have your say.
I wish he were well enough to come back.

**Lowell** · March-17-10, 08:56 AM

I agree with the sentiments above. While I didn't agree with some of his right-of-center POV's, I still greatly respected his calm intelligence, preparation and broad scope of interests. Diane Rehm of NPR, who is left-of-center, is of the same ilk. With both their shows were/are always about the issues and the guests and never about them and their egos. They didn't let their guests get away with misinformed opinions and didn't let the lunatics in the audience run their shows.

I always felt that Newman was elbowed out by the rise of the button-pushing shrieking sermonizers [from the right and left] who turned talk radio into a name-calling clown show where opinions count more than facts and where promoting the brand of the host is the goal. That formula was found to increase audience share and, IMO, Newman refused descend to into that moral morass and paid the price.

I would love to hear his voice of reason again.

**Thruster315** · March-17-10, 05:46 PM

Lowell, I couldn't agree more about the state of talk radio today.

The people that they have on the air now just want to hear themselves and people who are willing to support their viewpoints. God forbid anyone who calls in and has an opposing viewpoint. No matter how articulately they try to even support their arguments, any opposing point of view is immediately shot down, called an idiot, dimwit, dangerous, a threat to the Constitution, crackhead, imbecile, dope or total kook. That's not a dialogue!

It's no longer informative or even remotely educational- something that David Newman brought to the radio. I hate listening to talk radio just because it's turned into hate mongering and it seems as though all they want to do is incite something. Back 50-60 years ago, that sort of hateful speech would've probably have been deemed treasonous.

As a society we don't always have to agree with one another, but we should be able to genuinely discuss things, maybe come to a consensus and be civil.

**MaxDetroit** · March-17-10, 06:39 PM

I completely agree with all the comments on David Newman. I listened to him all the time back in the early 80's when he was on WXYZ [[I think?). The man was an absolute genius. The late Kevin Joyce was on the same station as resident conservative back then. I couldn't stand him but he would be considered a leftist wimp by today's "talk radio" standards. I don't remember the chronology on this but at some point David surfaced on WJR and [[predictably) started tilting a bit rightward, but, again, nothing like today. He must be around 70 by now. What a terrible waste of talent not having him around.

**MrNittany** · March-18-10, 06:39 PM

David was great, I agree with all the sentiments here.

One thing not mentioned yet but worth remembering are the April Fools spoof interviews he used to do. Two I distinctly remember are [[1) some government worker who thought Federal workers were grossly underpaid, and was organizing a LiveAid-type concert to benefit them, and [[2) some real estate developer who had gotten city approval to build a 900 foot tall casino and hotel on Belle Isle.

These interviews and taking calls from increasingly irate listeners would go on for 1-2 hours, before David and his buddy [[who was the "interviewee") revealed the joke. Great radio, great stuff.

David's stroke was in November 2001. He had already been "marginalized" to the evening show then [[with that baffoon Beckman in the mid-day slot). WJR tried local replacement hosts at first, but within only a few months, the long-term solution emerged: a replay of Sean Hannity's show.

What an awful "tribute" that was --- and yet another sign that WJR had completely lost their way.

God bless David, whereever you are today.

**texorama** · March-18-10, 07:31 PM

Tangential, but there was quite a bit of controversy when WUOM switched from classical music to NPR talk. Yet, by the early 2000s, they determined that the move had roughly tripled their audience. I asked someone there whether they knew where their new listeners came from, and the answer, without hesitation, was "WJR."

**Novine** · March-18-10, 09:17 PM

Here's an article from 2005 that mentioned Newman doing some guest spots with Warren Pierce.

http://www.michiguide.com/archives20...years-num.html

I enjoyed listening to Newman although he did seem to tilt right in the last few years that he was on the air. I think he had a real disgust for Clinton's behavior in office and that seemed to push him to the right as if he didn't want anyone to think he was one of "them".

**luckycar** · March-19-10, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by Novine

Here's an article from 2005 that mentioned Newman doing some guest spots with Warren Pierce.

http://www.michiguide.com/archives20...years-num.html

I enjoyed listening to Newman although he did seem to tilt right in the last few years that he was on the air. I think he had a real disgust for Clinton's behavior in office and that seemed to push him to the right as if he didn't want anyone to think he was one of "them".

That's why I also tilted right.David must have had a powerful influence on me.It was more about kicking the terrorism can down the road,than anything Lewinsky did.Or Bill did to Monica.

**Vitalis** · April-01-10, 09:56 PM

Newman - one on one with a guest or a caller - now that was civilized. The shreaking panels featured on all of the gap fests on radio or television drive me to distraction. Funny, but I think of him often when focusing on the news, so thanks for this post. One pet peeve about the man was his palpable, smarmy pleasure in his movie trivia game - I thought it odd and uncomfortable to listen to most of the time. And those callers lined up to play, with their movie encyclopedias opened on their laps or tables, too much. Everybody knows some movie trivia. I could stump you, and you could stump me; maybe because it was always "Movie Friday" - the end of his radio week - that Newman went for the easy pleasure of the movies.

As I recall he was working on a screenplay at the end of his WJR run, I wonder what became of it? I hope that he has recovered more quickly and more agilely than even one of his presumed movie heros, Kirk Douglas.

**Al Publican** · April-14-10, 05:27 PM

I realize that Diane Rehm of NPR suffers for a malady that results in her slow grinding manner of speech. Even so, I think it is time that she stepped down from being on the air so that someone easier to listen to could replace her. From what I gather of her and her husbands's backgrounds, they are not hurting income wise. I suggest that it is time for Diane Rehm to retire and join the ranks of celebrity book authors.

ferntruth · April-14-10, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by Al Publican

I realize that Diane Rehm of NPR suffers for a malady that results in her slow grinding manner of speech. Even so, I think it is time that she stepped down from being on the air so that someone easier to listen to could replace her. From what I gather of her and her husbands's backgrounds, they are not hurting income wise. I suggest that it is time for Diane Rehm to retire and join the ranks of celebrity book authors.

Nonsense.
I don't find her grinding at all, and based on the fact that she is still on the air, neither do others.
The amount of money she and her husband may or may not have is besides the point.

I suggest that it is time for you to find other radio programs to enjoy, and leave Diane Rehm where she is! =)