| Mike Gallagher | |
|---|---|
 Mike at the Young America's Foundation annual event, (August 8, 2008), Washington, D.C. |
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| Born | April 7, 1960
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Chaminade-Julienne High School, Dayton, Ohio; attended University of Dayton and Wright State University |
| Occupation | Radio personality Television host Political commentator Author |
| Employer | Salem Radio
Networks Fox News Channel |
| Known for | Commentary on current events and social issues party = |
| Religious beliefs | Methodist |
| Spouse(s) | Denise Newlen-Gallagher (deceased June 29th, 2008) |
| Children | Bryan, Trevor, Micah and Matthew |
Mike Gallagher (born Michael Smelstor on April 7, 1960) is an American radio host and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Mike Gallagher Show, a nationally-syndicated radio program that airs throughout the United States on Salem Radio Network. According to Talkers magazine, Gallagher is the eighth most-listened-to radio talk show host in the United States.
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As a 17-year-old high school senior in Dayton, Ohio, Gallagher talked his way into an on-air shift at WAVI-AM. His broadcasting career has taken him from Dayton to WFBC-AM in Greenville, South Carolina (now WORD-AM) where his ratings and revenue success led to his eventual promotion to station manager. From there, he became the afternoon drive-time leader in Albany, New York on upstate powerhouse WGY-AM. After Albany was the nation's number one market, New York City, where Mike enjoyed a two year stint as morning drive host on WABC-AM, the nation's most listened-to talk radio station.
In 1998, The Mike Gallagher Show was launched nationally with twelve radio stations. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that Gallagher is the eighth most listened-to talk radio host in America with over four million weekly listeners. He's heard daily in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Detroit, Atlanta, and Philadelphia as well as in small, medium and major markets all over the country. According to the Benchmark Company, he is the 8th most-recognized talk radio personality in America. Mike has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and Forbes.
Gallagher is a Fox News Channel contributor, making frequent appearances on many Fox News Channel series (particularly Hannity and Colmes, filling in for Sean Hannity).
In the summer of 2006, he authored Surrounded by Idiots: Fighting Liberal Lunacy in America (2005, William Morrow; ISBN 0-06-073798-0), which became a 'New York Times bestseller (#27 on the extended bestseller list).
On October 6, 2006, Gallagher convinced the controversial Topeka, Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church to appear on air with an hour of air time in exchange for not picketing a funeral for victims from the Amish school shooting near Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. Initially, Gallagher offered the organization money to not picket the funeral. With this gesture being accused of being blood money, the syndicated radio host gave the church an hour to appear on air. The Amish funerals went on peacefully after the contract signed with WBC stipulated a $500,000 fine if there were picketers anywhere near the funerals.[1]
Following plans by the Westboro Baptist Church to protest funerals of victims of the Virginia Tech massacre, Gallagher offered the group three hours of airtime in exchange for an agreement not to protest these funerals. The WBC was the in-studio guests of Gallagher's program for its entirety on April 24, 2007.[2]
Gallagher was born as Michael Smelstor in Dayton, Ohio to parents Leon and Marge Smelstor. He was raised in Dayton, although for a few years he lived in Fairfield and Hamilton, Ohio, where his parents owned and operated a pair of Cassano's Pizza King franchises. As a little boy, he would don an apron and red bow tie and make pizzas with his folks. When Gallagher was 11 years old, his father died on Christmas Day, 1971 from leukemia. His mother died ten years later of bladder cancer. He attended Chaminade-Julienne High School in downtown Dayton (graduating in 1978), where he was active in the school radio and TV station, theater (he had lead roles during all four years of school), the school band and chorus. Perhaps his first official broadcasting gig took place at his high school as he was the daily morning announcer on the school PA system. During his senior year while touring the local talk radio station in Dayton, WAVI-AM, he talked the then-program director, Chris Mitchell, into giving him a chance to do a show. Mitchell was impressed with Gallagher's enthusiasm, gave him a part-time show, and Mike has been talking on the radio almost every day since.
   | Gallagher's official website - The Mike Gallagher Show |
| | 'Insane' picketers cancel Amish funeral protest - 'Insane' picketers cancel Amish funeral protest - World - theage.com.au |
| | WORD-AM - News Radio WORD - Homepage |
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