Michael William LeBron (born August 26, 1958), popularly known as Lionel, is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host based in New York City. Talk radio is a Radio format containing discussion about topical issues The City of New York Since May 14, 2007, he has hosted a daily three-hour radio talk show from 9 am to noon weekdays on Air America Radio ^{[1] [2]}. Air America Radio (commonly abbreviated to AAR)

Prior to the Air America show, he hosted a nationally-syndicated show on the WOR Radio Network six days a week (9 pm-midnight ET weekdays, and 5-8 pm ET Saturdays), from the studios of WOR 710 AM in New York. The WOR Radio Network is a slate of nationally syndicated radio programming produced and distributed by flagship radio station WOR in New York City. WOR is a class A (nighttime Clear channel) AM radio station located in New York New York, U The first two hours of the weekday show were carried live on WOR from 9 pm to 11 pm ET. The weekday show originally started at 10 pm ET. WOR moved it to a 9 pm start in November 2006, still carrying only the first two hours on WOR's radio signal (due to conflict with another WOR Show, Health Talk with Dr. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Ronald Hoffman). Dr Ronald Hoffman is an American Physician, author and broadcaster in the United States who hosts Health Talk, a syndicated radio The final show for WOR aired May 3, 2007.

Contents 1 Career 2 Philosophy 3 In-jokes and other miscellany 4 External links 5 References

Career

Lionel graduated from the Stetson University College of Law, and as an attorney worked as both prosecutor and defender. Stetson University College of Law, founded in 1900 is Florida 's first law school He began his radio career as a host at WFLA 970 AM in his hometown of Tampa, Florida from 1988 to 1994. WFLA (970 AM is an AM radio station in Tampa Florida with a news/talk format primarily airing syndicated programming Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar)

For years, Lionel had been a frequent caller to local shows, eventually becoming a "chronic", which is industry vernacular for frequent callers. His notoriety was such that he began using aliases and different personas to get on the air. His most enduring moniker is in honor of Francis Lionel "Lion" Delbuchi, the character played by Al Pacino in the movie Scarecrow. A moniker (or " monicker " is a Slang expression for a Nickname, Pseudonym, or Cognomen. Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning Scarecrow is a 1973 Road movie starring Gene Hackman and Al Pacino. His calls were so entertaining that WPLP, WFLA's rival station across Tampa Bay, offered him a talk show; Lionel declined, both because WPLP paid very little and because he was afraid it would affect his law career. WPLP AM was the first 24-hour news/talk Radio station in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area In the fall of 1988, however, WFLA management called and gave him an unbeatable offer to move behind the microphone, first as a weekend host and soon thereafter as part of the weekday lineup. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) When he did, he quickly became a ratings success, using a lively mix of humor and current events.

He was hired away by WABC 770 AM, a news-talk station in New York City when a former ABC network president heard Lionel's show during vacations in Florida and lured him to the Big Apple. WABC (770 kHz known as "NewsTalkRadio 77" is a radio station in New York City. The City of New York The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. He set ratings records for WABC as its morning-drive host during the mid-1990s.

In the late 1990s, toward the end of his tenure at WABC, Lionel also hosted the CourtTV law show, Snap Judgment. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 truTV is an American Cable Television network owned by Time Warner through its subsidiary Turner Broadcasting. In 2000, Lionel began his national radio show, The Lionel Show. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It was originally syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, but was dropped in 2001. Premiere Radio Networks is an American Radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. His show was syndicated by independent Rex Broadcasting until 2003, when it was picked up by the WOR Radio Network in New York City. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

In 2000 and 2001, in addition to his radio work, Lionel was a morning host on an Internet-based talk radio site, eyada. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks com. The site suspended operations due to disinterest in 2001.

In 2007, Talkers Magazine included Lionel on their list of "The 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America" at number 23, and tied for 13th place on their "Top Talk Radio Audiences]" list. Talkers Magazine is a trade industry publication related to Talk radio in the United States. ^[3]

He has released a comedy album titled You Don't Look Like You Sound and fronted a bluegrass band called Lock 'n' Load.

Philosophy

Originally espousing a largely libertarian political philosophy, Lionel has arguably adopted a more progressive stance, and his show has become increasingly heard on stations of a left-leaning nature. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Progressivism is a term that refers to a broad school of international social and political philosophies. However, he personally eschews such labels and repeatedly criticizes those who hold opinions simply out of allegiance to a word like "conservative" or "liberal". Many of his stances, such as opposition to gun control, are not shared by most liberals. He opposes the death penalty on the grounds that the justice system is far too unreliable to be entrusted with that power, and favors decriminalization of drug use and of prostitution.

He frequently targets his fellow talk show hosts, attacking conservatives for reading talking points as part of a "playbook mentality" and some fellow liberal hosts for boring audiences with excessive political dialog. Among his most frequent targets:

• Michael Savage: Routinely pronounced "Sauvage" by Lionel, the show that preceded his at WOR meant Lionel was frequently exposed to Savage's program. Michael Alan Weiner (born March 31 1942 in New York City) better known by his WOR is a class A (nighttime Clear channel) AM radio station located in New York New York, U His current favorite is pointing out that Savage told his listeners that the sun was the smallest star in our solar system. The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. A star is a massive luminous ball of plasma. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the Energy on Earth The Solar System consists of the Sun and those celestial objects bound to it by Gravity.

• Glenn Beck: Usually described as "the stupidest conservative on television" and "late to the party," Lionel usually dissects Beck's views and questions the logic of them. Glenn Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American radio and Television host, conservative Political commentator

• Bill O'Reilly: Lionel typically questions O'Reilly's arguments and emphasis on political issues of the day and considers him part of the "playbook mentality. William James O'Reilly Jr (born September 10 1949 is an American television / radio host, Author, Syndicated columnist, and "

• Joe Scarborough: Lionel has had a love-hate relationship with Scarborough for years, formerly attacking him for his harder conservative views but now deriding him for the incorporation of entertainment news in his program in the last few years. Charles Joseph "Joe" Scarborough (born April 9 1963) is an American cable news host and former Politician.

• Keith Olbermann: Lionel suggests that although Olbermann does tell it like it is, never mincing words, his efforts to be the next Edward R. Murrow are not successful. Keith Olbermann (born January 27 1959 is an American Sportscaster, news anchor, and Political commentator. Edward R Murrow (born Egbert Roscoe Murrow; April 25 1908 &ndash April 27 1965) was an American journalist

Lionel also describes himself as a "bright", meaning someone who holds a naturalistic rather than a supernatural world view.

During a discussion on his show about illegal immigration to the United States, Lionel stated his ancestry was Afro-Puerto Rican, Sicilian, Scots-Irish, German and French. Illegal immigration to the United States refers to the act of foreign nationals voluntarily resettling in the United States in violation of U First Africans in Puerto Rico When Ponce de León and the Spaniards arrived in the island of " Borinken " (Puerto Rico they were greeted by the Cacique Agüeybaná Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion (

In-jokes and other miscellany

• Theme song: Lionel adopted "Nina Morena" by the Gipsy Kings as his theme song, and he plays it at the top of every hour after commercial breaks. Gipsy Kings are a music group from Arles and Montpellier, France. The song's opening line, which sounds like "Lionel!" repeatedly, caused him to "fall out of his chair" the first time he heard it. A mondegreen is the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase typically a standardized phrase such as a line in a poem or a lyric in a song due to near homophony. The closing theme song is "Soul Makossa" by Manu Dibango. " Soul Makossa " is a 1972 single by Cameroonian Makossa saxophonist Manu Dibango. Manu Dibango (born 12 December 1933 in Douala, Cameroon) is a Cameroonian Saxophonist and Vibraphone player
• Retarded Algonquin Round Table: A sarcastic reference to the original Algonquin Round Table, the "Retarded Algonquin Round Table" is a perhaps partially fictional collection of Lionel's less intelligent friends and drinking companions. The Algonquin Round Table was a celebrated group of New York City writers critics actors and wits Their idea of intelligent discourse is to repeat whatever they hear from Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and right-wing bumper stickers. Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (born January 12, 1951) is an American radio host and conservative Political commentator.

• Barstool Diplomacy: The type of diplomacy advocated by members of the Retarded Algonquin Round Table. Usually involves the use of overwhelming military force, not excepting nuclear weapons, as the first move.

• Archie Bunker: A pseudonym for one commonly referred-to member of the Retarded Algonquin Round Table. } Archibald "Archie" Bunker was a Fictional character in the long-running and top-rated American television Sitcom All in the Family

• Let's go back to the phones, back to the fun: A favorite phrase of Lionel's when returning from a commercial break and resuming the conversation with his callers.

• The monkey's dead, the show's over . . . sue ya: Lionel's end-of-show catch phrase, used since the early 1990s. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 "Sue ya" is a reference to his former profession. "The monkey's dead, the show's over" was originally spoken by a defeated political candidate in Tampa when asked for an election-night comment about his failed campaign. Lionel saw the quote in the next day's newspaper and has used it since.

• Stephen Baldwin: A frequent caller and fan of Lionel, Baldwin appeared as a guest on Lionel's show to tout his youth ministry. Stephen Andrew Baldwin (born May 12 1966) is an American Actor best known for his role in the 1995 ensemble film The Usual Suspects Baldwin is frequently derided by Lionel, suggesting listeners consider Baldwin's sanity if they replace the word "God" in his book with the name "Bob. " Despite the comic jabs, Baldwin continues to phone the show at least once a month.

• Time Cube, the discovery of Dr Gene Ray. Time Cube is a website created by Gene Ray in 1997 where he sets out his proposed theory of everything, a description of the nature of the universe Time Cube is a website created by Gene Ray in 1997 where he sets out his proposed theory of everything, a description of the nature of the universe Lionel interviewed Dr Ray about the Time Cube several times on eYada, and also interviewed him twice on Air America Radio during 2007.

The following were specific to particulars of the WOR show:

• Pete Conlin (Beverly Hills): Pete Conlin was Lionel's usual "producer" at WOR, which is to say, telephone screener. Lionel almost always referred to him as "Pete Conlin (Beverly Hills)". Lionel explains that in an early episode of The Mod Squad the rich kid of the trio was introduced as "Pete Cochran—Beverly Hills". The Mod Squad is a television series that ran on ABC from September 24, 1968 until August 23, 1973. Pete Conlin's name was similar enough to the Mod Squad character's to trigger this memory, so he became "Pete Conlin (Beverly Hills)" (much to Pete's initial bafflement). ^[4] Occasionally, Lionel references Pete's wife, calling her "Mrs. Beverly Hills. "

• If You're Lucky: Lionel often ended the second hour of the WOR show by saying "More coming up in the next hour. . . if you're lucky!" This was to remind New York listeners that they would not hear the third hour of the show.

• For the benefit of our affiliates, if you suddenly hear a Valentine's Day show, you know what that means: Lionel's ongoing troubles dealing with WOR's listener call management software often meant "the phone lines have crashed. " Lionel would abandon his WOR program with a "best of" rerun if the phone system could not be repaired within the hour. He regularly asked a producer to find the most dated show possible to run again.

External links

• Official Site
• Lionel's page and blog at the Air America website (same as the above link)
• The Lionel Show YouTube page
• Air America on XM Satellite Radio
• Aircheck from Lionel's first-ever radio show - From BobLassiterAirchecks. com
• Streaming Radio Guide with a link to the Lionel Show
• "The 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America"

References

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