Don’t hang up in a huff on the Michael Medved Show

Conflict drives entertainment, and the Michael Medved Show frequently features guests who disagree with the host. Yesterday, Dec. 9, Medved began the middle hour of his program by speaking via telephone to Shawn Heatherington, who helped start “Day Without A Gay.” Heatherington was stunned to realize in the course of the interview that Medved is a conservative who opposes gay marriage. He hung up on Medved after the first commercial break (at about 17 minutes after the hour, or 10 minutes into the interview). He hung up on the opportunity for more free national exposure—exposure to millions of listeners, many of whom are independent voters who disagree with Medved on a wide range of issues.

This is a strategic mistake. Heatherington could sit for a softball interview and reach a handful of people who may already agree with him; or he could speak to a national news celebrity (new book #1 on NYT) and reach millions. He hung up on the second option. Very disappointing, and it doesn’t make Heatherington or his cause look good.