The Phil Hendrie Show
Encyclopedia
The Phil Hendrie Show is a comedy talk radio
program. The show is syndicated throughout North America on Talk Radio Network
. It is known for outrageous guests, the majority of whom are fictional and voiced live by the host, Phil Hendrie
. Though Hendrie often explains that he is doing the voices, listeners unfamiliar with the show's format are duped into believing that the guests on the show are real and are invited to call in to engage in conversation with the "guests".
until April 2007. The CKTB airing featured an unofficial "best-of", airing for 3 hours every Saturday night. The program was meticulously programmed by Producer Stephen Dohnberg, who culled Hendrie bits from his own archives, archives that often featured rare and classic Hendrie segments. Each week featured a theme that was consistent with calender events, anniversaries of historical events, and current events, among others.
Hendrie began doing voices on his program at KVEN
in Ventura, California
during the Gulf War
when he created "Raj Fahneen," an Egypt
ian who demanded that George H. W. Bush
wash Saddam Hussein
's feet with his hair. After leaving KVEN in 1992, Hendrie did a short stint as an evening host at WSB-AM in Atlanta before moving to WCCO-AM
in Minneapolis. Phil left WCCO-AM on March 12, 1994 and moved to WIOD
in Miami. Hendrie hosted the afternoon drive-time slot, and further developed his characters' personalities, adding their lasting traits. He garnered a large fan base there, and released three "Best Of" CDs, all of which benefited the Miami charity organization Center One. In 1996, Hendrie moved to KFI
in Los Angeles
to further develop his show and reach a larger audience. In 1996, Hendrie became syndicated and eventually reached around 100 affiliates.
In February 2005, Hendrie's show moved to XTRA Sports 570 (KLAC), deemed a better fit for his show's mostly male audience, though it wasn't Hendrie's idea. John Ziegler
, a local Los Angeles conservative talk show host, moved into his slot on KFI.
In early 2006, Hendrie announced that he was retiring from radio. He said that he felt he had reached the limits of what he could do in “terrestrial talk radio” and expressing a desire to shift his career focus toward acting.
, starting almost exactly a year from the day of his retirement (June 25) in a later time slot (10 PM-1 AM PT).
This incarnation of the show was originally more political and issues oriented than its previous versions. Within a few weeks of the show's re-launch, Hendrie's mock guests returned to the show, but initially they no longer interacted with the callers.
Within a month of the show's relaunch, Hendrie's show had already achieved forty affiliates, although in one notable instance Brian Maloney reported that in Boston, Hendrie affiliate WTKK
saw its listenership drop 91% in the overnights after Hendrie started airing in the slot.
Callers have been included only sparingly in the show, starting with a segment featuring Bob Greene and an unsuspecting female caller on May 2, 2008.
Throughout the show, Phil often promotes My Friend's Place, a resource center for homeless youth based in Hollywood, California, and donates all the proceeds from the sales of his "Best Of" CDs to the center. This charity was selected after another refused because of the purported offensiveness of his show.
, as he has become a staunch supporter of President Bush's war on terrorism. A longtime Democrat
and staunchly liberal
on a number of issues, Hendrie has strongly voiced opposition to the Democratic Party
in recent years, accusing it of having lost touch with its core constituents and failing to adequately engage with a philosophy to win the war on terror
. Beginning in June 2003, however, The Phil Hendrie Show decreased the number of "serious" segments in Hendrie's own voice and returned to the commentary-through-satire which originally made him famous. The 2007 revival of the program resembles primarily these "serious" segments.
, feigning indignation, and finally hanging up on his guest.
To accomplish this illusion, Hendrie switched back and forth between a studio microphone and a conventional telephone
while speaking, creating the impression that his "guest" was a random caller . The illusion was reinforced by recorded background noises that simulated various locations, such as a bowling alley, the kitchen of a restaurant, or, on at least one occasion, a washroom
. Hendrie was quite clear about the illusion, often ending the show with a remark like The guests were performed by me, Phil Hendrie, and the people that called in, they thought they were real guys. He often commented on his show that the actual point of the show was the callers' reaction to his "guests", not the guests themselves, and that he was merely illustrating his perception about the ignorance of talk radio listeners.
While Hendrie's was not the first nor the only show that featured fictional characters, it became a staple of his programming style. His guests were initially portrayed as real people, though in later years Hendrie ended his shows crediting himself for the guest's performance. In earlier shows (particularly during his stint at WIOD in Miami) Hendrie would field real complaint calls to the station in a one-on-one format with the callers, pretending to be station manager Bob Green, the station's rabbi
, or in one case, "Director of Accounts" at Century Village, a local retirement community. Hendrie's only regular in-studio characters were Bud Dickman, a brain-damaged intern with a cartoonish Kermit the Frog
-like voice, and Robert Leonard, an African-American security guard.
A complete listing of Hendrie's fictional guests can be found at the show's website.
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...
program. The show is syndicated throughout North America on Talk Radio Network
Talk Radio Network
Talk Radio Network is an American radio network providing talk radio programming, with an emphasis on conservative talk on weekdays and variety/general interest talk radio on weekends. Some of the most recognizable personalities in American radio, such as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, are...
. It is known for outrageous guests, the majority of whom are fictional and voiced live by the host, Phil Hendrie
Phil Hendrie
Philip Stephen Hendrie is an American radio personality. He is best known as the host of The Phil Hendrie Show, a comedy talk radio program that is syndicated throughout North America on Talk Radio Network...
. Though Hendrie often explains that he is doing the voices, listeners unfamiliar with the show's format are duped into believing that the guests on the show are real and are invited to call in to engage in conversation with the "guests".
1990-2006
The show ran for nearly 16 years, from August 1990 to June 23, 2006. Reruns continued on KLAC in Los Angeles through November 2006 and CKTBCKTB (AM)
CKTB is a radio station in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Broadcasting at 610 AM, the station airs a news/talk format. CKTB is housed in the former mansion of William Hamilton Merritt, the main promoter of the first Welland Canal....
until April 2007. The CKTB airing featured an unofficial "best-of", airing for 3 hours every Saturday night. The program was meticulously programmed by Producer Stephen Dohnberg, who culled Hendrie bits from his own archives, archives that often featured rare and classic Hendrie segments. Each week featured a theme that was consistent with calender events, anniversaries of historical events, and current events, among others.
Hendrie began doing voices on his program at KVEN
KVEN
KVEN is a sports radio station licensed to Ventura, California. It is owned by Cumulus Media.Its broadcasting power is a constant 1 kW to be heard in nearby Santa Barbara. On a clear day, KVEN's signal can be heard as far south as Los Angeles, and well north of Santa Barbara all the way to Salinas...
in Ventura, California
Ventura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
during the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
when he created "Raj Fahneen," an Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian who demanded that George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
wash Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's feet with his hair. After leaving KVEN in 1992, Hendrie did a short stint as an evening host at WSB-AM in Atlanta before moving to WCCO-AM
WCCO-AM
WCCO is a radio station located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The station broadcasts on a clear-channel frequency and is owned by CBS Radio. The station's studios are located in downtown Minneapolis, while its transmitter is located in Coon Rapids, Minnesota.With 50,000 watts of power, WCCO's...
in Minneapolis. Phil left WCCO-AM on March 12, 1994 and moved to WIOD
WIOD
WIOD is a news/talk formatted radio station in Miami, Florida. For over 80 years, it has been a major information station in South Florida...
in Miami. Hendrie hosted the afternoon drive-time slot, and further developed his characters' personalities, adding their lasting traits. He garnered a large fan base there, and released three "Best Of" CDs, all of which benefited the Miami charity organization Center One. In 1996, Hendrie moved to KFI
KFI
KFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to further develop his show and reach a larger audience. In 1996, Hendrie became syndicated and eventually reached around 100 affiliates.
In February 2005, Hendrie's show moved to XTRA Sports 570 (KLAC), deemed a better fit for his show's mostly male audience, though it wasn't Hendrie's idea. John Ziegler
John Ziegler (talk show host)
John Ziegler is a conservative radio talk show host turned documentary film writer/director.Ziegler's most prominent work in radio has been as the evening host of a radio talk show called The John Ziegler Show on KFI AM 640 in Los Angeles, California from January 12, 2004 until November 13, 2007...
, a local Los Angeles conservative talk show host, moved into his slot on KFI.
In early 2006, Hendrie announced that he was retiring from radio. He said that he felt he had reached the limits of what he could do in “terrestrial talk radio” and expressing a desire to shift his career focus toward acting.
2007-2009
In June 2007, Hendrie announced he was returning to the airwaves, via the Talk Radio NetworkTalk Radio Network
Talk Radio Network is an American radio network providing talk radio programming, with an emphasis on conservative talk on weekdays and variety/general interest talk radio on weekends. Some of the most recognizable personalities in American radio, such as Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, are...
, starting almost exactly a year from the day of his retirement (June 25) in a later time slot (10 PM-1 AM PT).
This incarnation of the show was originally more political and issues oriented than its previous versions. Within a few weeks of the show's re-launch, Hendrie's mock guests returned to the show, but initially they no longer interacted with the callers.
Within a month of the show's relaunch, Hendrie's show had already achieved forty affiliates, although in one notable instance Brian Maloney reported that in Boston, Hendrie affiliate WTKK
WTKK
WTKK is a New England commercial talk radio station, first broadcast out of Boston on 96.9 FM beginning in 1999. It can be heard in eastern Massachusetts, the northernmost area of Rhode Island, southern New Hampshire, and southern Maine...
saw its listenership drop 91% in the overnights after Hendrie started airing in the slot.
Callers have been included only sparingly in the show, starting with a segment featuring Bob Greene and an unsuspecting female caller on May 2, 2008.
October 2009-present
October 2009, Phil posts from his Twitter: "The Original Phil Hendrie Show has returned....."Show format
The show's format was a combination of commentary and character sketches. The commentary usually addressed news headlines, political and social perspectives, and Phil's personal life, while the character sketches consisted of personalities performed by Phil. Typically, three consecutive hour-long blocks were devoted to commentary and variety, with the next three hour-long blocks consisting of character sketches. These character sketches were usually closed with several minutes of commentary and variety.Throughout the show, Phil often promotes My Friend's Place, a resource center for homeless youth based in Hollywood, California, and donates all the proceeds from the sales of his "Best Of" CDs to the center. This charity was selected after another refused because of the purported offensiveness of his show.
Commentary
Throughout the show, Hendrie provided personal opinions and commentary on his life, career, and various news stories. The number of these segments devoted to political commentary increased following the September 11, 2001 attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, as he has become a staunch supporter of President Bush's war on terrorism. A longtime Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and staunchly liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
on a number of issues, Hendrie has strongly voiced opposition to the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in recent years, accusing it of having lost touch with its core constituents and failing to adequately engage with a philosophy to win the war on terror
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
. Beginning in June 2003, however, The Phil Hendrie Show decreased the number of "serious" segments in Hendrie's own voice and returned to the commentary-through-satire which originally made him famous. The 2007 revival of the program resembles primarily these "serious" segments.
Character sketches
Hendrie was known for his reportoire of fictional personalities , each with a controversial or irritating trait. Occasionally they were performed by Hendrie to add perspective and humor to his commentaries. However, many of the hour-long segments were devoted almost entirely to character sketches. In this format, Hendrie would host a debate, performing one of his characters with a controversial issue, such as a self-appointed citizens police member who enters homes randomly in order to teach home invasion awareness. After the introduction, Hendrie allowed unsuspecting listeners to call in and engage with the character. A new and outrageous element was usually introduced at that point, and by the final segment, an even larger item of controversy entered the conversation, with Hendrie playing the role of good cop/bad copGood cop/Bad cop
Good cop/bad cop, known in British military circles as Mutt and Jeff and also called joint questioning and friend and foe, is a psychological tactic used for interrogation....
, feigning indignation, and finally hanging up on his guest.
To accomplish this illusion, Hendrie switched back and forth between a studio microphone and a conventional telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
while speaking, creating the impression that his "guest" was a random caller . The illusion was reinforced by recorded background noises that simulated various locations, such as a bowling alley, the kitchen of a restaurant, or, on at least one occasion, a washroom
Washroom
A public toilet is a room or small building containing one or more toilets and possibly also urinals which is available for use by the general public, or in a broader meaning of "public", by customers of other...
. Hendrie was quite clear about the illusion, often ending the show with a remark like The guests were performed by me, Phil Hendrie, and the people that called in, they thought they were real guys. He often commented on his show that the actual point of the show was the callers' reaction to his "guests", not the guests themselves, and that he was merely illustrating his perception about the ignorance of talk radio listeners.
While Hendrie's was not the first nor the only show that featured fictional characters, it became a staple of his programming style. His guests were initially portrayed as real people, though in later years Hendrie ended his shows crediting himself for the guest's performance. In earlier shows (particularly during his stint at WIOD in Miami) Hendrie would field real complaint calls to the station in a one-on-one format with the callers, pretending to be station manager Bob Green, the station's rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, or in one case, "Director of Accounts" at Century Village, a local retirement community. Hendrie's only regular in-studio characters were Bud Dickman, a brain-damaged intern with a cartoonish Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
-like voice, and Robert Leonard, an African-American security guard.
A complete listing of Hendrie's fictional guests can be found at the show's website.
External links
- The Phil Hendrie Show - Official site with subscription service.
- The Phil Hendrie Show twitter - Official Hendrie Show twitter site
- Hendriepedia - Phil Hendrie Wiki
- Phil Hendrie Show Fans
- Phil Hendrie Host Page at Talk Radio Network