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Open Mike: From Corporate Radio to New Media: The Story of The Mike O'Meara Show
Like many other people in the modern recession era, Mike O'Meara found himself out of a job, wondering what he would do with the rest of his life. After a very successful career on the radio, he was facing a new reality. The type of radio he loved was dead or dying. Spontaneous, fun, and original radio had been replaced by sports talk and right-wing ranting. Radio had also fallen into the hands of corporations, resulting in bland programming that reeked of “sameness.” He knew one having a microphone in front of him and speaking his mind to his listeners on a daily basis was as important to him as breathing. Although it seemed as though Mike and his radio partners had no place to go, at the urging of his friend Oscar Santana (another radio talker kicked to the curb), Mike reluctantly decided to try something podcasting. This is a tale of reinvention. It’s the story of a few radio guys who had no other choice but to rebuild their careers on their own, like so many other Americans in these challenging economic times. Perhaps you have been fired from a long and successful career, or someone you know has been unapologetically booted out of a job with no thought to the financial and personal crises that would follow. If so, this book will remind you that there is always a way forward, always a new opportunity, and always hope that your next chapter in life can be better than all the chapters before.
181 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2014
4 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
W. Michael Kelley
31 books11 followersThe author has written a bunch of books about math (like The Complete Idiot's Guide to Precalculus, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Calculus (Second Edition), and The Humongous Book of Calculus Problems).
His website, www.calculus-help.com, hosts over a thousand unique visitors a day, even though it features an unflattering animated graphic of him dancing at his wedding.
(from the back of one of his books)
His website, www.calculus-help.com, hosts over a thousand unique visitors a day, even though it features an unflattering animated graphic of him dancing at his wedding.
(from the back of one of his books)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 12, 2020
Great read!
Fun to “pull back the curtain” on my favorite radio guys! I really enjoyed the personal stories that helped me relate even more to these folks I already feel are part of my family.
Fun to “pull back the curtain” on my favorite radio guys! I really enjoyed the personal stories that helped me relate even more to these folks I already feel are part of my family.
January 10, 2019
Get the audio version!
September 24, 2021
It's fair if you're a listener of the show, but if you aren't, the book won't have anything in it that'll make any sense to you.
October 16, 2014
When I was stationed in Alaska in the late 90s, there was a radio station that broadcast The Don & Mike Show from D.C. every day. When I got transfered to England, I completely lost track of the show and everyone on it until my triumphant return when I found out that they'd wrapped the show up for good while I was away. Bummer.
Then the Mike portion of the duo decided to start his own show with a couple of the folks from the previous incarnation. This went swimmingly until CBS decided to can them, despite their popularity, in exchange for switching the station over to something more Sports Talk-y. And God knows that if there's one thing lacking on the radio airwaves these days, it's people talking about sports.
So, Mike and his cohorts lick their wounds and push their anger waaaaay down in a very healthy and mature way until one day the idea of doing a podcast gets thrown around and BOOM, second-chance success story. This is the account of their success, failure, then success again in what was the new medium of podcasting as told by each member of the show. The format of the book is ideal in that it allows each person to describe the process from their point of view as it happened.
***DISCLAIMER THAT SHOULD ALREADY BE PAINFULLY OBVIOUS***
In order to fully enjoy this book, it's necessary that you either have listened to The Don & Mike Show or are currently listening to The Mike O'Meara Show. If you pick this up without the above criteria, get to page 4, and think, 'Why did he give this four stars? This is awful and pointless and I'm going to set his house on fire for rating it so high!', I will hunt you down and punch you maybe until bleeding happens. You've been warned.
Then the Mike portion of the duo decided to start his own show with a couple of the folks from the previous incarnation. This went swimmingly until CBS decided to can them, despite their popularity, in exchange for switching the station over to something more Sports Talk-y. And God knows that if there's one thing lacking on the radio airwaves these days, it's people talking about sports.
So, Mike and his cohorts lick their wounds and push their anger waaaaay down in a very healthy and mature way until one day the idea of doing a podcast gets thrown around and BOOM, second-chance success story. This is the account of their success, failure, then success again in what was the new medium of podcasting as told by each member of the show. The format of the book is ideal in that it allows each person to describe the process from their point of view as it happened.
***DISCLAIMER THAT SHOULD ALREADY BE PAINFULLY OBVIOUS***
In order to fully enjoy this book, it's necessary that you either have listened to The Don & Mike Show or are currently listening to The Mike O'Meara Show. If you pick this up without the above criteria, get to page 4, and think, 'Why did he give this four stars? This is awful and pointless and I'm going to set his house on fire for rating it so high!', I will hunt you down and punch you maybe until bleeding happens. You've been warned.
July 8, 2014
This is a solid book idea that was let down by a few poor choices.
First, Mike makes it clear early on that he's going to take the high road and avoid badmouthing any of his former radio and podcast partners in the book. It's a noble impulse, but the result is that the book reads like a propaganda piece for The Mike O'Meara Show instead of an honest behind the scenes look at the show. It also means that fans of the show don't really get anything new out of the book - most of the stories have already been told on the air, and they don't translate to text well.
Second, the author has a bad habit of lapsing into essay formatting in his introductions to each chapter, ending them with a sentence summarizing what the chapter is about to tell you. For readers coming into the book cold, this habit screws up any chance they have of getting engaged in the narrative.
Finally, the book never gets into any depth on Mike and the gang's last days at NBC, or setting up the podcast in its early days. There's room in print to explore subjects with a level of detail that would put people to sleep over the air, but it gets passed up. Maybe it would have been boring as hell in print too, but then again, maybe not.
This could have been a great Live From New York style look at the Mike O'Meara Show, but it never quite makes it. Hopefully one of the follow-up books will be a hit.
First, Mike makes it clear early on that he's going to take the high road and avoid badmouthing any of his former radio and podcast partners in the book. It's a noble impulse, but the result is that the book reads like a propaganda piece for The Mike O'Meara Show instead of an honest behind the scenes look at the show. It also means that fans of the show don't really get anything new out of the book - most of the stories have already been told on the air, and they don't translate to text well.
Second, the author has a bad habit of lapsing into essay formatting in his introductions to each chapter, ending them with a sentence summarizing what the chapter is about to tell you. For readers coming into the book cold, this habit screws up any chance they have of getting engaged in the narrative.
Finally, the book never gets into any depth on Mike and the gang's last days at NBC, or setting up the podcast in its early days. There's room in print to explore subjects with a level of detail that would put people to sleep over the air, but it gets passed up. Maybe it would have been boring as hell in print too, but then again, maybe not.
This could have been a great Live From New York style look at the Mike O'Meara Show, but it never quite makes it. Hopefully one of the follow-up books will be a hit.
July 3, 2014
Found this book while searching through Amazon.com for something to read. I had zero idea who Mike O'Meara was and had never heard of his show. The idea that this gentleman had left corporate radio and started a podcast is what interested me.
I liked the way this book was written in more of an interview style with each principle participant adding to the stories. I've read other books, a Chris Farley book and one about Saturday Night Live to name just two, in the last few years use this same style. The first time I came across it I thought it would be too much like trying to read a play but it really make it enjoyable to read.
The book was a really quick read and I believe most people could polish it off in a day or so. There are some truly laugh out loud moments. The humor that comes across in the book along with a genuine friendship between the main core of the show. About half way through the book I was so curious about the show I downloaded The Mike O'Meara Show app to my phone and listened to a few show. Very enjoyable if you like conversations about anything and everything.
I liked the way this book was written in more of an interview style with each principle participant adding to the stories. I've read other books, a Chris Farley book and one about Saturday Night Live to name just two, in the last few years use this same style. The first time I came across it I thought it would be too much like trying to read a play but it really make it enjoyable to read.
The book was a really quick read and I believe most people could polish it off in a day or so. There are some truly laugh out loud moments. The humor that comes across in the book along with a genuine friendship between the main core of the show. About half way through the book I was so curious about the show I downloaded The Mike O'Meara Show app to my phone and listened to a few show. Very enjoyable if you like conversations about anything and everything.
July 15, 2014
Got turned on to "The Don & Mike Show" back when I was in high school (immediately following the WAVA days). Stayed with them until the end then stayed on for TMOS. Added "Big O and Dukes" when they were on JFK until they got dumped (still listen to the podcast). Have always loved the TMOS podcast though I don't get to listen nearly as often as I would like. This book was a nice peek behind the curtain. It's written in a style where you can easily hear the guys talking when you read it. I would have liked a little more on the D&M Days... Don and Buzz were really only mentioned briefly in the "afterward". But I realize that was not the purpose of this book. Still a great read for any TMOS fan.
June 28, 2014
Great Read
As a fan of TMOS, I looked forward to reading this book and getting a closer look at the stories behind the microphones. I was not disappointed, and thoroughly liked the format of the book. It was like listening to a conversation between all of the people who were interviewed.
Merged review:
Great Read
As a fan of TMOS, I looked forward to reading this book and getting a closer look at the stories behind the microphones. I was not disappointed, and thoroughly liked the format of the book. It was like listening to a conversation between all of the people who were interviewed.
As a fan of TMOS, I looked forward to reading this book and getting a closer look at the stories behind the microphones. I was not disappointed, and thoroughly liked the format of the book. It was like listening to a conversation between all of the people who were interviewed.
Merged review:
Great Read
As a fan of TMOS, I looked forward to reading this book and getting a closer look at the stories behind the microphones. I was not disappointed, and thoroughly liked the format of the book. It was like listening to a conversation between all of the people who were interviewed.
June 10, 2014
TMOS fans rejoice! IT'S HERE!
This is the fascinating and well told story of The Mike O'Meara Show Podcast, a daily hour+ of fun and laughs and life observed by a trio of fascinating personalities who share their lives with us in a style so intimate and honest that they feel like family, only funnier. If you love the show now you'll love the book. If you don't know the show, download it on Stitcher or iTunes and give it a listen, THEN buy the book. Best book about the Mike O'Meara Podcast EVER!!!!
This is the fascinating and well told story of The Mike O'Meara Show Podcast, a daily hour+ of fun and laughs and life observed by a trio of fascinating personalities who share their lives with us in a style so intimate and honest that they feel like family, only funnier. If you love the show now you'll love the book. If you don't know the show, download it on Stitcher or iTunes and give it a listen, THEN buy the book. Best book about the Mike O'Meara Podcast EVER!!!!
August 3, 2014
As I face being downsized myself its a great comfort to think there's something on the other side and doing what you love can pay off.
I have enjoyed Mike and his entourage for decades and they are constant companions as I travel through my own adventures in life.
This is a great introduction for people who don't know him from the Don & Mike days and also encouraging for those of us who have many of the same human struggles.
I have enjoyed Mike and his entourage for decades and they are constant companions as I travel through my own adventures in life.
This is a great introduction for people who don't know him from the Don & Mike days and also encouraging for those of us who have many of the same human struggles.
June 22, 2014
A heartfelt, fun peek behind the curtain at how the Mike O'Meara Show podcast rose from the ashes of the 2008 recession, when the principals were laid off from their corporate radio jobs. Told in the voices of the principals, with great contributions from family and friends, this is a breezy, fun and intimate behind the scenes look at the makings of the best podcast on the internet. Mandatory reading for fans, and a great introduction to the show for the uninitiated.
August 12, 2015
As a passionate fan of "The Mike O'Meara Show" podcast -- as well as its previous radio incarnation and "The Don and Mike Show," I was very excited about this audiobook. It is a must-have for true fans, not only to continue to lend support to our favorite wearers of clown shoes, but to hear a truly wonderful production of a great story. I listened to it this week while the show was on a week hiatus for August vacation. I only wish it was longer.
June 9, 2014
Excellent read!!!
Excellent read!!!
This book inspires and is extremely entertaining. Bring it on your commute or to the beach. Read it and you'll know why TMOS listeners "get it".
Excellent read!!!
This book inspires and is extremely entertaining. Bring it on your commute or to the beach. Read it and you'll know why TMOS listeners "get it".
September 7, 2014
The Mike O'Meara Show is my favorite podcast. I've been listening to Mike since I was in college and he - and his cast - continues to deliver the funny and poignant every day. I cannot stress this enough - visit www.mikeomearashow.com and listen to a couple episodes. I dare you to dislike it!
June 28, 2014
Fantastic book. A great insider's look at what it takes to run a cast of pod. Great for fans and noobs. ESSADEE
June 18, 2014
Good stuff, excellent English
A fast, funny read with lots of good info on one of my favorite podcasts. And Oscar used "intimate" properly. Wins all around!!
A fast, funny read with lots of good info on one of my favorite podcasts. And Oscar used "intimate" properly. Wins all around!!
April 17, 2019
Excellent stories from each of the guys
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews