Talk Radio Countdown

Show Description

Counting down what America is talking about, with a look at the week’s Top 10 talk radio topics.

Veteran broadcaster and dairy farmer, Doug Stephan, hosts a roundup of the biggest stories, and people, in the news of the week. Each week, Doug is joined by Jai Kershner & Michael Harrison, Editor/Publisher of TALKERS.

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About the Hosts

Doug Stephan, American Family Farmer radio show host

Doug Stephan

Doug Stephan began his career in radio as a deejay in the 1960s in Tiffin, Ohio and has worked as a talk radio show host in Los Angeles, Boston and other major markets in America. Doug anchors several radio shows including “The Talk Radio Countdown Show,” “American Family Farmer,” and "Good Day Health.”

According to TALKERS magazine, Doug Stephan is ranked #30 in the Heavy Hundred list of the top talk show hosts in America. This is a list compiled from thousands of talk show hosts drawn upon a combination of hard and soft factors which include courage, effort, impact, longevity, potential, ratings, recognition, revenue, service, talent and uniqueness. Throughout his career, he has interviewed countless celebrities, politicians and personalities.

Among his extensive interests is agriculture - including operating Eastleigh Farm, a farm open to visitors where tours entertain families and cater to children. He lives in and broadcasts from Framingham, Massachusetts.

Jai Kershner

A second generation broadcaster, Jai Kershner has been part of the broadcast industry since 2001 - interning for "The Brian and Joe Radio Show" on Cleveland's Mix 106.5 - and having spent the last 10 years On-Air. Prior to joining the Good Day radio program (FKA the DJV Show), Jai joined 5 Star Media’s The Beaver 100.3 FM morning show "Fletch & Jai in the Morning" as co-host in October 2017, quickly adding a Midday show on Q108 to her on-air duties. Jai’s first On-Air gig was co-host for syndicated teen and young adult get-help radio programs "Dawson McAllister Live" and "Dawson McAllister Late Nights." On-air at the time as Jessica McVay, Jai would offer her encouragement and kindness to those hurting, as well as invite others to share their stories of strength to offer hope and show there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Before Jai jumped on-air, she spent most of her time behind the scenes as a digital marketing consultant, helping clients build their online strategies to connect with their fans & online following in an organic and lasting way. Jai has been recognized for her work by the Alliance of Women in Media’s Annual Gracie Awards - in 2016 for National Radio Co-Host (DMLive & DMLateNights) and for her self-created/produced National Public Service Announcement (The McVay Minute) ... again in 2017 for the McVay Minute ... in 2019 for Local Morning Show Co-Host ... in 2022 for Co-Host Talk Radio ... and in 2023 for Outstanding News Anchor. Born and raised in Cleveland, OH, Jai recently found her way back to the Buckeye State after spending the last decade in Nashville, TN with her husband, son and dogter.

Michael Harrison, Editor/Publisher of TALKERS

Michael Harrison

Michael Harrison has served as the editor and publisher of TALKERS, the leading trade publication in the American talk media industry for the past 30 years. In that capacity, he has become widely recognized as one of America’s leading authorities on radio, communications, and public opinion as it is expressed in the media as well as being director of the annual TALKERS Convention held in New York City for the past 23 years. Harrison graduated from Hofstra University in 1971. He is a charter inductee in the Hofstra Radio Hall of Fame and sits on the university’s Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Dean’s Advisory Board. Still dynamic after a 52-year career as a broadcaster, he is a pioneer and innovator in both talk and rock radio as well as being a driving force in the industry’s trade publication field. He was the founding architect and first program director of the progressive rock format that launched the legendary WLIR, Long Island to national fame in 1970, while still a student. He went on to become the ground breaking morning host at historic album rocker WNEW-FM, New York shortly after graduation and served as a professor teaching Music & Contemporary Culture at New York University. Harrison has also been an air personality or on-air program director at such stations as KMET, Los Angeles; KPRI, San Diego; WZLX, Boston; WCBS-FM and WPIX, New York; WTIC, Hartford and others. He owned and operated one of the early talkers of the modern era — WSPR, Springfield, MA. He currently finds time in his busy schedule to guest-host talk shows at WRKO, Boston and WTIC, Hartford, which he describes as “a labor of love.” He has written about, defined, predicted or engaged in hands-on programming of major movements in radio’s evolution from coining new format terms to the development of music and talk-topic chart methodology. Among his inventions is the term “AOR” (Album Oriented Rock) which he coined in the early 1970s, while programming KPRI, to describe the more commercially-accessible brand of “progressive rock” radio that remained a dominant format for more than 40 years. Today, it is called “classic rock.” He has hosted and produced national radio programs syndicated by ABC Radio Networks, Westwood One, CBS Radio, MJI Broadcasting, RKO Radio and more. These include the legendary “Album Greats: The History of Album Rock,” “The Great American Radio Show,” “Mike Harrison’s Rock Connections” and “Backstage at the Grammys” among others. Harrison served as the first managing editor of Radio & Records during its formative years and radio columnist/record chart consultant for Billboard in the early 1980s. He was one of the first media analysts to predict the rise of podcasting before the term was widely known, not to mention serving as Program Director of the first radio station to have its own website. In addition to hosting “The Michael Harrison Wrap”, he also currently hosts PodcastOne’s “The Michael Harrison Interview” an award-winning weekly podcast geared to “media freaks, pop culture aficionados, political junkies and the philosophically curious” and, ever on the leading edge, operates an experimental “hyper-local” online talk station — Pioneer Valley Radio — in Western Massachusetts.