Michael Reagan
Encyclopedia
Michael Edward Reagan is a former American radio host
and Republican
strategist
. His nationally syndicated radio show
, The Michael Reagan Talk Show, aired on stations throughout the United States on the Premiere Radio Networks
before being dropped, after which it moved to Radio America. After Radio America dropped the show it was picked up by American Family Radio
for about one year. The show is no longer on the air. Reagan is said to be considering a challenge to Sen. Dianne Feinstein
in 2012.
to Irene Flaugher (born 1916- died December 26, 1985), an unwed woman from Kentucky
who became pregnant through an affair with an army corporal named John Bourgholtzer (died 1993). He was adopted by Ronald Reagan
and Jane Wyman
shortly after his birth.
Michael grew up with the Reagan family in Beverly Hills, California
, and later nearby Pacific Palisades. One childhood story he has told that introduced him to politics was how at the age of eight, he asked his father for a raise in his allowance. At the time, around 1953, his allowance was $1.00 a week. Ronald Reagan said that since he was paying 90 percent of his earnings to the federal government as income tax, he was not able to increase Michael's allowance. Mr. Reagan further said that when the President would give him a tax cut, then he could give his son an increase in his allowance. This, according to Michael, was how he was introduced to the subject of tax cuts and how that affected people.
In 1964 he graduated from the Judson School, a boarding school outside of Scottsdale, Arizona. At his high school graduation, Ronald Reagan introduced himself to his son by saying, "My name is Ronald Reagan. What's yours?". He replied, "I'm your son, Mike." "Oh," says Ronald Reagan. "I didn't recognize you." He briefly attended Arizona State University
.
According to Nancy Reagan in her memoirs published in 1989, Reagan disclosed to his parents in 1987 a very painful incident in his boyhood which he had kept secret for many years. "At the age of eight, he had been sexually molested by a camp counselor, who had also taken nude pictures of him... Poor Mike had spent his whole life racked with guilt and in constant fear that these pictures would someday surface in a way that might embarrass him and, especially, his adoptive father." Speaking at the opening of the Michael Reagan Center in Spring, Texas, October 7, 2005, Michael said, "At 8 years old, I thought I was going to hell." Michael said the experience drastically changed him: "I cussed God and his Son. I wanted to do anything I could to earn my way into hell." Michael said he was horrified that the pictures would be made public and ruin the lives of his family.
, who was then the Atlanta Falcons
football line coach. The couple married later that year, but were divorce
d a year later in 1971.
He married Colleen Sterns, an interior decorator, in 1975. Together, they have two children, son Cameron and daughter Ashley. Reagan and his wife live in the Sherman Oaks
area of Los Angeles.
and Juvenile Diabetes Foundations and the Statue of Liberty
Restoration Fund through his race team. His efforts were recognized when he became a recipient of the Victor Award for outstanding sports and humanitarian achievement.
His first entertainment broadcast job was as a game show host, in charge of the original syndicated
version of Lingo, which was taped in Canada but broadcast in the United States. The show lasted only for the 1987–1988 season, and Michael left the show before its demise in the wake of financial problems with the show's producers.
In the mid-1970s Reagan began his radio career with "On Energy". His big break in talk radio
started in the Southern California
local market as a guest host for Michael Jackson's talk radio show slot on KABC
in Los Angeles
. After this beginning, he landed a talk show spot on KSDO radio in San Diego, California
. Reagan's rating success in the San Diego market gave him the opportunity to take his talk show nationwide in 1992 with the Premiere Radio Networks
, later being dropped from the network. Reagan also does public speaking to groups. He also delivers conservative commentary from time to time on cable television news programs such as the Fox News Channel
as well as on the Internet
for websites such as NewsMax. He also wrote a book titled Twice Adopted in 2004.
In 1988, he authored with Joe Hyams
an autobiographical book Michael Reagan: On The Outside Looking In.
After his show was dropped from the Premiere Radio Networks, it was picked up by the Radio America Network. In January 2009, Reagan's show was removed from the Radio America lineup and replaced by Roger Hedgecock
. Reagan said that he wished Hedgecock well and that he will continue syndication through American Family Radio
. As of May 2010, AFR has dropped Reagan's show, and his site no longer makes any mention of a radio show. The Michael Reagan Talk Show has not been picked up by any other network at this time.
in 2006, Reagan said, "Any member of Congress who was aware of the sexual email
s and protected the congressman should also resign effective immediately."
In June 2008, Christian conservative activist Mark Dice
launched a campaign urging people to send letters and DVDs to troops stationed in Iraq
which support the theory that the 9/11 attacks were an "inside job
". "Operation Inform the Soldiers," as Dice has called it, prompted Reagan to comment that Dice should be killed for treason
. Reagan said on June 10, 2008: "How about you take Mark Dice out and put him in the middle of a firing range. Tie him to a post, don't blindfold him, let it rip and have some fun with Mark Dice." Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
, a liberal/progressive media criticism organization, asked Radio America at the time to explain whether it permits "its hosts to call for murder on the air".
, AOL
and Gmail
which invest money into liberal causes.
On the February 10, 2011 episode of EWTN's The World Over with Raymond Arroyo, Reagan discussed his reversion back to the Catholic faith.
until he dropped out of the race on February 7, 2008. Eight days later Reagan announced his support for Senator John McCain
of Arizona
, comparing the nomination battle between Romney and McCain to the 1976 battle between Ronald Reagan
and Gerald Ford
. Based on Reagan's actions after losing to Ford in 1976, Michael Reagan said that his father would have supported McCain.
Reagan later expressed his support for McCain's running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
, comparing her favorably to his father.
After the McCain-Palin ticket was defeated by Democrats Barack Obama
and Joseph Biden, Reagan opined that the loss was the fault of "the big-government, big-spending Republicans", and that the Republican Party's path to success would be to appeal to "values voters".
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
strategist
Strategist
A design strategist has the ability to combine the innovative, perceptive and holistic insights of a designer with the pragmatic and systemic skills of a planner to guide strategic direction in context of business needs, brand intent, design quality and customer values...
. His nationally syndicated radio show
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, The Michael Reagan Talk Show, aired on stations throughout the United States on the Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
before being dropped, after which it moved to Radio America. After Radio America dropped the show it was picked up by American Family Radio
American Family Radio
American Family Radio is a network of more than 180 radio stations broadcasting Christian-oriented programming to over 40 states.-Overview:AFR was launched by Rev...
for about one year. The show is no longer on the air. Reagan is said to be considering a challenge to Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
in 2012.
Early life
He was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to Irene Flaugher (born 1916- died December 26, 1985), an unwed woman from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
who became pregnant through an affair with an army corporal named John Bourgholtzer (died 1993). He was adopted by Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
shortly after his birth.
Michael grew up with the Reagan family in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, and later nearby Pacific Palisades. One childhood story he has told that introduced him to politics was how at the age of eight, he asked his father for a raise in his allowance. At the time, around 1953, his allowance was $1.00 a week. Ronald Reagan said that since he was paying 90 percent of his earnings to the federal government as income tax, he was not able to increase Michael's allowance. Mr. Reagan further said that when the President would give him a tax cut, then he could give his son an increase in his allowance. This, according to Michael, was how he was introduced to the subject of tax cuts and how that affected people.
In 1964 he graduated from the Judson School, a boarding school outside of Scottsdale, Arizona. At his high school graduation, Ronald Reagan introduced himself to his son by saying, "My name is Ronald Reagan. What's yours?". He replied, "I'm your son, Mike." "Oh," says Ronald Reagan. "I didn't recognize you." He briefly attended Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
.
According to Nancy Reagan in her memoirs published in 1989, Reagan disclosed to his parents in 1987 a very painful incident in his boyhood which he had kept secret for many years. "At the age of eight, he had been sexually molested by a camp counselor, who had also taken nude pictures of him... Poor Mike had spent his whole life racked with guilt and in constant fear that these pictures would someday surface in a way that might embarrass him and, especially, his adoptive father." Speaking at the opening of the Michael Reagan Center in Spring, Texas, October 7, 2005, Michael said, "At 8 years old, I thought I was going to hell." Michael said the experience drastically changed him: "I cussed God and his Son. I wanted to do anything I could to earn my way into hell." Michael said he was horrified that the pictures would be made public and ruin the lives of his family.
Marriages and family
Sometime prior to September 1970, Reagan was working as a salesman for the clothing company Hart, Schaffner & Marx. He then became a director of special events catering at Michaelson Food Service Company in Los Angeles. It was while in this last job that he announced his engagement to Pamela Gail Putnam (born 1952), an aspiring dental assistant. Pamela was the daughter of Duane PutnamDuane Putnam
Charles Duane Putnam is a former American football offensive guard who spent ten seasons in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and the Cleveland Browns....
, who was then the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
football line coach. The couple married later that year, but were divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d a year later in 1971.
He married Colleen Sterns, an interior decorator, in 1975. Together, they have two children, son Cameron and daughter Ashley. Reagan and his wife live in the Sherman Oaks
Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California
Sherman Oaks is an affluent district in the San Fernando Valley area of the city of Los Angeles, California. In contrast to much of the Valley, the area is relatively urbanized, with commercial skyscrapers along Ventura Boulevard as well as scattered throughout...
area of Los Angeles.
Media career
As a young man, Reagan raced boats and later also sold them at a Sea Ray boat dealership in Van Nuys, California. He set world records in power boat racing, and raised more than $1.5 million for charities like the United States Olympic Team, Cystic FibrosisCystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease affecting most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine...
and Juvenile Diabetes Foundations and the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
Restoration Fund through his race team. His efforts were recognized when he became a recipient of the Victor Award for outstanding sports and humanitarian achievement.
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
version of Lingo, which was taped in Canada but broadcast in the United States. The show lasted only for the 1987–1988 season, and Michael left the show before its demise in the wake of financial problems with the show's producers.
In the mid-1970s Reagan began his radio career with "On Energy". His big break in talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
started in the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
local market as a guest host for Michael Jackson's talk radio show slot on KABC
KABC (AM)
KABC is a Los Angeles radio station, and a West Coast flagship station for the Cumulus Media company. A pioneer of the talk radio format, the station went "all-talk" in 1960 and was one of the first stations to do so...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. After this beginning, he landed a talk show spot on KSDO radio in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Reagan's rating success in the San Diego market gave him the opportunity to take his talk show nationwide in 1992 with the Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
, later being dropped from the network. Reagan also does public speaking to groups. He also delivers conservative commentary from time to time on cable television news programs such as the Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
as well as on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
for websites such as NewsMax. He also wrote a book titled Twice Adopted in 2004.
In 1988, he authored with Joe Hyams
Joe Hyams
Joe Hyams was an American Hollywood columnist and author of bestselling biographies of Hollywood stars.- Career :...
an autobiographical book Michael Reagan: On The Outside Looking In.
After his show was dropped from the Premiere Radio Networks, it was picked up by the Radio America Network. In January 2009, Reagan's show was removed from the Radio America lineup and replaced by Roger Hedgecock
Roger Hedgecock
Roger Allan Hedgecock is a conservative talk radio host and former mayor of San Diego, California. His show is syndicated by Radio America. Hedgecock still resides in San Diego...
. Reagan said that he wished Hedgecock well and that he will continue syndication through American Family Radio
American Family Radio
American Family Radio is a network of more than 180 radio stations broadcasting Christian-oriented programming to over 40 states.-Overview:AFR was launched by Rev...
. As of May 2010, AFR has dropped Reagan's show, and his site no longer makes any mention of a radio show. The Michael Reagan Talk Show has not been picked up by any other network at this time.
Controversial remarks
Reagan had interjected his broadcasts with provocative and, at times, controversial statements. Reacting to the Mark Foley scandalMark Foley scandal
The Mark Foley scandal, which broke in late September 2006, centers on soliciting e-mails and sexually suggestive instant messages sent by Mark Foley, a Republican Congressman from Florida, to teenaged boys who had formerly served as congressional pages...
in 2006, Reagan said, "Any member of Congress who was aware of the sexual email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
s and protected the congressman should also resign effective immediately."
In June 2008, Christian conservative activist Mark Dice
Mark Dice
Mark Dice is an author, pop culture critic, and political activist based in San Diego, California.Dice and his supporters have been reported to "flood the airwaves of call-in radio and television shows," a practice called phone mobbing, to promote these ideas. His first book, a 450-page manifesto...
launched a campaign urging people to send letters and DVDs to troops stationed in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
which support the theory that the 9/11 attacks were an "inside job
9/11 Truth Movement
9/11 Truth movement is a collective name for loosely affiliated organizations and individuals who question the accepted account of the September 11, 2001, attacks....
". "Operation Inform the Soldiers," as Dice has called it, prompted Reagan to comment that Dice should be killed for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. Reagan said on June 10, 2008: "How about you take Mark Dice out and put him in the middle of a firing range. Tie him to a post, don't blindfold him, let it rip and have some fun with Mark Dice." Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting is a progressive media criticism organization based in New York City, founded in 1986.FAIR describes itself on its website as "the national media watch group" and defines its mission as working to "invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity...
, a liberal/progressive media criticism organization, asked Radio America at the time to explain whether it permits "its hosts to call for murder on the air".
Post-media career
In 2010 Reagan began selling email addresses with the suffix @Reagan.com for an annual price of $39.95 per year. Reagan claims that the service is meant to combat competitors such as Apple, HotmailHotmail
Windows Live Hotmail, formerly known as MSN Hotmail and commonly referred to simply as Hotmail, is a free web-based email service operated by Microsoft as part of its Windows Live group. It was founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith and launched in July 1996 as "HoTMaiL". It was one of the first...
, AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
and Gmail
Gmail
Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service provided by Google. Users may access Gmail as secure webmail, as well via POP3 or IMAP protocols. Gmail was launched as an invitation-only beta release on April 1, 2004 and it became available to the general public on February 7, 2007, though...
which invest money into liberal causes.
On the February 10, 2011 episode of EWTN's The World Over with Raymond Arroyo, Reagan discussed his reversion back to the Catholic faith.
2008 Presidential election
Reagan supported Mitt RomneyMitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
until he dropped out of the race on February 7, 2008. Eight days later Reagan announced his support for Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, comparing the nomination battle between Romney and McCain to the 1976 battle between Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
. Based on Reagan's actions after losing to Ford in 1976, Michael Reagan said that his father would have supported McCain.
Reagan later expressed his support for McCain's running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
, comparing her favorably to his father.
After the McCain-Palin ticket was defeated by Democrats Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and Joseph Biden, Reagan opined that the loss was the fault of "the big-government, big-spending Republicans", and that the Republican Party's path to success would be to appeal to "values voters".
External links
- Michael Reagan's website
- Tough Love, Reminisces of his childhood and his adoptive motherJane WymanJane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
- The Reagan Legacy Foundation, a non-profit, charitable organization founded by Michael Reagan, adopted son of former President Ronald Reagan.
- Michael Reagan Center for Advocacy & Research, a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to research and advocacy in the area of public policies that benefit the safety, stability and well-being of children and families.