Michael DelGiorno
Encyclopedia
Michael Howard DelGiorno (born August 30, 1964) is a talk radio
host on WWTN
in Nashville, Tennessee
. He is the son of noted New Orleans, Louisiana
radio personality Bob DelGiorno. DelGiorno is married to Andrea, and father of Anna, Alex, and Nick DelGiorno.
DelGiornio is a local talk radio
host currently with 99.7 WWTN-FM in Nashville, Tennessee and who was previously on KFAQ
-AM in Tulsa, Oklahoma
from 2002-2007. In 2002 he helped to establish KFAQ as a talk radio station, switching from its previous format as a country music
station known as KVOO. His co-host Gwen Freeman
succeeded him after his departure in April, 2007, but shortly afterward (February 2008) also left KFAQ, initially joining him as co-host of his Nashville program.
Prior to the launch of KFAQ, DelGiorno was the operations manager
of Clear Channel
Radio Tulsa and host of the morning show on KTBZ "The BUZZ" AM 1430
. Previous to that DelGiorno was program director
and afternoon host on NewsTalk 740 KRMG. In his decade at KRMG, DelGiorno was twice voted "Oklahoma Radio Personality of Year" by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. DelGiornio's show featured in-depth investigations of local and state politicians, notably Tulsa Mayor
Kathy Taylor
and Oklahoma Governor
Brad Henry
.
DelGiorno is a neoconservative
, a born-again Christian and Republican
who is also a friend to several prominent Tulsa Democrats
.
In 2004, DelGiorno published a memoir
entitled Standing Up for What's Right (ISBN 0-975578405) in which he described circumstances involved in his move from KRMG to KFAQ, other moves which he had made earlier in his radio career, his political and religious philosophies and the influences shaping them, and personal details about his life such as his being born with a clubfoot and the career crisis which led him to personal bankruptcy
.
DelGiorno and co-host Freeman were credited for helping to overturn a Tulsa City Council election for voter irregularities. The loser in that election was Roscoe Turner, a prominent Democrat. After a legal challenge, the election was invalidated and Turner was the winner of the new election.
DelGiorno also saw controversy while in Tulsa. An outspoken critic of gambling and Indian casinos, DelGiorno was banned from two separate Indian casinos based upon allegations of inappopriate conduct. DelGiorno admitted on the air that he had been gambling, but never admitted to the allegations of misconduct DelGiorno was also sued for defamation by Tulsa City Councilor Bill Christiansen over remarks DelGiorno made on the air about Christiansen's business practices. The suit was settled prior to trial. Terms of the settlement were confidential, but DelGiorno's former radio station was required to run a retraction and apologize for DelGiorno's remarks, which the station admitted were not true.
Later, Tulsa City Councilors Chris Medlock and Jim Mautino were the subjects of a recall effort mounted from outside the City of Tulsa. KFAQ took up the challenge, and are credited with helping these City Councilors to survive the recall effort.
DelGiornio left KFAQ for WWTN
, the higher-rated of the two talk stations in the Nashville, Tennessee
market, in April 2007.
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...
host on WWTN
WWTN
WWTN is a 100 kW, Class C0 FM radio station serving the Nashville, Tennessee media market. Its dial position is 99.7 MHz. Home to many local and national talk radio shows, the station is marketed as SuperTalk 99.7 WTN...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. He is the son of noted New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
radio personality Bob DelGiorno. DelGiorno is married to Andrea, and father of Anna, Alex, and Nick DelGiorno.
DelGiornio is a local 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...
host currently with 99.7 WWTN-FM in Nashville, Tennessee and who was previously on KFAQ
KFAQ
KFAQ is a news/talk radio station in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area. The station is owned by Journal Broadcast Group and airs a mix of local and national talk shows. The station is an ABC News Radio affiliate...
-AM in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
from 2002-2007. In 2002 he helped to establish KFAQ as a talk radio station, switching from its previous format as a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
station known as KVOO. His co-host Gwen Freeman
Gwen Freeman
Gwen Freeman is an American morning talk radio show co-host. She had been a co-host on 1170 KFAQ in Tulsa, Oklahoma since the inception of The Michael DelGiorno Show in 2002. From 2002 to April, 2007, she was DelGiorno's co-host . When he left for WWTN in Nashville, Tennessee, Freeman took over as...
succeeded him after his departure in April, 2007, but shortly afterward (February 2008) also left KFAQ, initially joining him as co-host of his Nashville program.
Prior to the launch of KFAQ, DelGiorno was the operations manager
Operations management
Operations management is an area of management concerned with overseeing, designing, and redesigning business operations in the production of goods and/or services. It involves the responsibility of ensuring that business operations are efficient in terms of using as little resources as needed, and...
of Clear Channel
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
Radio Tulsa and host of the morning show on KTBZ "The BUZZ" AM 1430
KTBZ (AM)
KTBZ is a radio station licensed to serve Tulsa, Oklahoma. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and licensed to Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, Inc...
. Previous to that DelGiorno was program director
Program director
In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...
and afternoon host on NewsTalk 740 KRMG. In his decade at KRMG, DelGiorno was twice voted "Oklahoma Radio Personality of Year" by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. DelGiornio's show featured in-depth investigations of local and state politicians, notably Tulsa Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Kathy Taylor
Kathy Taylor
Kathryn L. Taylor was elected the 38th Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 4, 2006, in the city's largest voter turnout for a mayoral election. She defeated Republican incumbent Mayor Bill Lafortune to become Tulsa's second female mayor, after Susan Savage first filled the post in 1992...
and Oklahoma Governor
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Brad Henry
Brad Henry
Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...
.
DelGiorno is a neoconservative
Neoconservatism
Neoconservatism in the United States is a branch of American conservatism. Since 2001, neoconservatism has been associated with democracy promotion, that is with assisting movements for democracy, in some cases by economic sanctions or military action....
, a born-again Christian 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...
who is also a friend to several prominent Tulsa Democrats
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 2004, DelGiorno published a memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
entitled Standing Up for What's Right (ISBN 0-975578405) in which he described circumstances involved in his move from KRMG to KFAQ, other moves which he had made earlier in his radio career, his political and religious philosophies and the influences shaping them, and personal details about his life such as his being born with a clubfoot and the career crisis which led him to personal bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
.
DelGiorno and co-host Freeman were credited for helping to overturn a Tulsa City Council election for voter irregularities. The loser in that election was Roscoe Turner, a prominent Democrat. After a legal challenge, the election was invalidated and Turner was the winner of the new election.
DelGiorno also saw controversy while in Tulsa. An outspoken critic of gambling and Indian casinos, DelGiorno was banned from two separate Indian casinos based upon allegations of inappopriate conduct. DelGiorno admitted on the air that he had been gambling, but never admitted to the allegations of misconduct DelGiorno was also sued for defamation by Tulsa City Councilor Bill Christiansen over remarks DelGiorno made on the air about Christiansen's business practices. The suit was settled prior to trial. Terms of the settlement were confidential, but DelGiorno's former radio station was required to run a retraction and apologize for DelGiorno's remarks, which the station admitted were not true.
Later, Tulsa City Councilors Chris Medlock and Jim Mautino were the subjects of a recall effort mounted from outside the City of Tulsa. KFAQ took up the challenge, and are credited with helping these City Councilors to survive the recall effort.
DelGiornio left KFAQ for WWTN
WWTN
WWTN is a 100 kW, Class C0 FM radio station serving the Nashville, Tennessee media market. Its dial position is 99.7 MHz. Home to many local and national talk radio shows, the station is marketed as SuperTalk 99.7 WTN...
, the higher-rated of the two talk stations in the Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
market, in April 2007.