ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOX) - "The gold is in the mistakes," says Dave Glover, host of the Dave Glover Show on KMOX. "Where the show has really been successful is when things go off the rail and something unexpected happens." Glover is the latest media personality to take listeners behind the scenes on the KMOX-produced podcast "What the Media?!!?" Click below to hear Glover's conversation with Megan Lynch and Julie Smith.
Glover entered broadcasting more than two decades ago, transitioning from a career in law. In afternoon drive, he's learned to constantly look for talk topics in every day life. "It's all about fish hooks. Picture these big treble fish hooks. All I do every day is try to throw as many of those out there and hope that something catches. And when it catches, that's when you get something really interesting."
How does he know if something does "catch"? That's why he says he prefers having an ensemble "cast" in the studio. "I have done the Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity thing when I filled in for Glenn Beck about 50 times. And I didn't like it and they didn't like me. I'm not a soloist. I play off of people. So it's easier for me because I'm in a room full of people who I think are smart and funny and if I can make them laugh and I can engage them, that's a really good barometer." While it's key to be entertaining, the show host says he also knows there's an expectation that he adds to the station's bottom line." That's one thing I've learned... you can be the funniest most interesting person but if you can't sell spots it doesn't matter."
Glover doesn't engage on social media platforms and says he doesn't see posts unless colleagues think he needs to. He adds that social media is made up of "one-star review people." "If you live and die by that you're going to quit."
The Dave Glover Show recently moved across the Audacy St. Louis building, going from conservative 97.1 FM Talk KFTK to KMOX. "My personal opinion is... ...politics on the right and on the left has become primarily about people being afraid to give their true opinion. If I really tell you what I think about January 6th, I'm going to be persona non grata. If I really tell you what I think about the Green New Deal I'm never going to be in with the Democrats, and I've seen it happen, I've watched it happen, with congressman, with my colleagues, and I try my best not to fall into that. One way is just not to give as many opinions, but when I do I always give my unvarnished opinion. You can't hide, when you talk four hours a day five days a week you can't hide your personality, secrets, values, so you just have to put it out there."
Glover tells "What the Media?!!?" he's lost interest in political radio and political television. "I hope the bomb throwing gets boring. It's become boring to me."
What is the future of talk, according to Glover? "I think the younger generations demand transparent authenticity. That's going to be harder for broadcasters to deliver than anything ever. It is almost literally like taking the stage and taking your clothes off, because you have to be that vulnerable on the air."
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