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Vince Coglianese Doesn’t Take His Audience for Granted

Coglianese is the host of “The Vince Coglianese Show” on WMAL in Washington, D.C. He’s also the editorial director of The Daily Caller.

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Vince Coglianese is fond of his audience in the D.C. area. “It’s an amazing demographic that runs the gamut. I have a ton of people with a tremendous amount of influence who listen to me,” he said. 

Coglianese doesn’t take that audience for granted. He says some power-brokers might call in under a pseudonym when they are incited to react to a discussion. 

“I get a lot of reactions in email as well. I’m often stopped on the street and given accolades about my show. “Sometimes, I wonder if they’re just pulling my leg or if they really do listen.”

Coglianese is the host of “The Vince Coglianese Show” on WMAL in Washington, D.C. He’s also the editorial director of The Daily Caller.

He has a very sobering presence both on the air and in front of the camera. “I hope I do,” Coglianese said. “I believe what I’m saying. I’m open to changing my mind if you can convince me.”

A Marine brat, Coglianese said his father was stationed in Beaufort, South Carolina, when he was born. The first of many destinations. “I think moving around a lot made me more nimble. I was able to adapt to new situations more easily,” he said. 

“We were never able to plant deep roots anywhere; I was always navigating a new environment. It’s hard to develop connections when you’re always on the go.” Still, Coglianese has managed to secure a number of people he considers good friends. 

“The nice thing about being there was everyone was a Marine Brat, used to short-term relationships.”

He met his wife Alison at DeSales University, where he graduated with a degree in Political Science. “DeSales is a small college, and you pretty much knew most of your class.”

A longtime talk radio fan, Vince’s first foray into the medium came as a high school senior. That’s when he joined a weekly panel show on “The Talk Station,” WTKF and WJNC, in Morehead City, N.C. 

He also served as the sports anchor for a television program airing on Camp Lejeune, NC’s LCTV-10.

“That was in high school,” Coglianese said. “My dad was stationed at Camp Lejeune. The base had a television station, as simple as it was. It consisted of a news desk where a number of Marines in uniform delivered news about the base. Stories too.

“It wasn’t sophisticated, but they at least had a camera. I was fascinated by the medium and thought, ‘sure; I’ll try it. I guess they were impressed with my enthusiasm and willingness to get in front of a camera.”

Coglianese did sports one to three times a week, sometimes peppering his broadcast with a joke. He never told his classmates he was doing the sports gig. Other students who’d seen his broadcasts asked him about it. “Then I’d tell them I’d been doing it for a while. I just didn’t tell anyone about it and seem conceited. I just recorded my segments and went to school.”

News talk was something that struck Coglianese as something he would be interested in doing. I wasn’t sure what route that would be or if I could make a wage off it. 

After graduating from DeSales University with a degree in political science, he worked at WTKF and WJNC.

“I did a program once a week which focused on high school topics. I sold some advertising for them.”

He met Alison because they both lived in the dorms at DeSales University. He minored in theology because he was interested in the area.

“I enjoyed my professors,” Coglianese said. “What was neat being at such a small institution were the clubs you wanted to be part of. I got involved in a business club, and we traveled the world. My girlfriend (wife) and I joined the campus newspaper. We redesigned it, rejuvenated the paper. Our mission was to give people a reason to pick up the free paper. We started including Sudoku in hopes someone liked to do it.”

After college, he and his current wife were still dating. Alison went home to Pennsylvania, and Coglianese went to North Carolina, both working their respective jobs. 

Coglianese joined “The Talk Station” full-time as a host and station manager for the company’s Jacksonville, N.C. presence. While in North Carolina, he also served as the web editor for CarolinaCoastOnline.com.

“Alison and I saw each other about once a month,” Coglianese said. 

“During that time frame, we decided we’d work our way through our careers. Whoever ended up with something more secure, something worth moving for, the other would join them.” Alison was working for the Morning Call in Allentown. Coglianese was working for the radio station.” 

“I did a limited amount of reporting and was just feeling my way through. I wasn’t making any real money. I enjoyed the job but was living at home with my parents.”

Then came the internship opportunity at The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation is an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C., primarily geared towards public policy.

“I didn’t want to move down to an internship,” Coglianese explained. “I was two years into my career. The optics of the move didn’t seem right. But, I figured I should ignore that instinct.”

Coglianese became a communications intern, among several others. “I was older, hungrier, and working my ass off. I was stretching the limit as to how many hours a week an intern could work.”

He said the whole staff at The Heritage Foundation knew he was looking for a real job as he wouldn’t shut up about it.

Fortunately for Coglianese, The Daily Caller was in need of an overnight editor. In 2010, Vince joined The Daily Caller as an editor, where he’s reported on and edited thousands of national news stories.

The Daily Caller is a news and opinion website based in Washington, D.C. It was founded by now Fox News host Tucker Carlson and political pundit Neil Patel.

“I was interested in everything at The Daily Caller,” Coglianese said. “I would review stories, write great headlines, and sell content. I was always fine-tuning what I felt the site should be like. I was obsessed with content.”

He did well in his new position. So well, Tucker Carlson decided to move Cognalese to daytime. 

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much of an influence Tucker has had on me. Some see a caricature of him. Hardened demagogue. However, if you ask anyone who knows him, you’d hear how kind he is.” 

At the same time, Coglianese was hosting a morning show at WMAL all through the Trump presidency, from 2017 until 2021. 

“There were times where I didn’t know what Trump was going to do next,” Coglianese said. “I think the conversations around Trump were hyperbolic. Televisions made a great deal of money off Trump. CNN is trying to figure out what the future will be after making everything about Trump.” 

Preparing for his morning show, Coglianese said he engaged in a lot of catch-ups. “I’d watch abbreviated sports events and awards shows, so I could comment on the topics with some knowledge. We looked for the drama overnight. Used Tivo to blast through the commercials. When I was driving to work, I’d scan the radio stations, the satellite stations, and the internet. I was always cramming.”

When Tucker Carlson moved on to his prime-time show on Fox, he asked Coglianese to be the editor-in-chief of The Daily Caller.

“To do this, he had to diminish his role at The Daily Caller. “I made up a title for myself. I named myself editorial editor. I work hand-in-hand with Geoffery Ingersoll. Try to keep the staff focused on issues.”

His morning show ran from 5-9, meaning he got up at 3:00 a.m. Had held a pre-show meeting at 4:00 a.m. and was on the air at 5:00 a.m. He said leaving morning radio was life-changing. Coglianese said there is no comparison as to which shift he prefers. 

“The afternoon is way better. Now I don’t have to go to bed at the same time as my eight-year-old daughter. It’s an improvement. Now I can see her off to school in the morning. That’s invaluable to me.”

 Coglianese said he lives with three women now; his wife, daughter, and mother-in-law. “You forget how brutish men can be. When we host a birthday party, invariably, one of the guests will be a boy. Before you know it, everything in the house becomes a projectile.”

Coglianese said he’d hosted two birthday parties for his daughter at an indoor trampoline establishment. “All the floors are covered with trampolines,” he said.

“The last two times, an hour into the jump session, the boys got bored. Then they’re talking, and a minute later, they’re tackling the girls. Wrestling. The girls were down to fight,” he joked.

The biological difference between the two shifts is huge. “Now I get a full night of sleep. I don’t have to nap in the middle of the day. I think more clearly.” The afternoon shift allows him time to breathe. The segments are longer, and he puts in a lot of research.

For his current show, prepping is still the name of the game. “Each morning, I prepare a morning roundup of content I find compelling and interesting. Then I disseminate that roundup to the staff, to premium subscribers, daily caller patriots.” 

He simply doesn’t want to be blindsided by a topic of discussion or event. “It happens every so often, but I’m proud of the work I put in. I don’t want to merely ape popular talking points,” Coglianese said. “I think the more interesting route is to explore the facts, then make a judgment. I know there’s an audience for that. We’ve been doing that.”

He said WMAL is enjoying the best rating since the 80s, led by a devoted listening audience during the morning show. “I’ve been having the same good fortune in the afternoon,” Coglianese said. “I like to make people laugh, think. I don’t sugarcoat anything. You can do that while still maintaining your moral obligations.”

‘I didn’t expect to have this level of success. I’m humbled by it. Not many people are given the privilege to do something like this.”

There is one thing that throws him back.” I get thanks for ‘all I do,’ and I find that hard to understand,” Coglianese explained. “That’s a comment normally reserved for service members. I thank them for allowing me to keep my job.”

Mr. Coglianese, thanks for all you do.

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News is the Only Thing Missing From Election Coverage

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected?

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The first thought I had when I heard NBC had hired Ronna McDaniel as a commentator for $300,000 a year was to wonder how many actual journalists they could have hired for that money. Then, I recalled that NBC had laid off dozens of news staffers just a few months ago. Then, I remembered that I had just recently written a column decrying news organizations throwing pretty much anybody on the air as a “pundit” and this….

This was worse. It’s one thing to grab some rando who happened to be a minor functionary for the Executive Branch. It’s another to hire someone whose job was to promote election denialism and pretend that her opinion is something valuable for viewers. And, yes, it’s just as ridiculous when news organizations hire former presidential press secretaries (that’s you, Jen Psaki and Sean Spicer), their very jobs were to spin everything in their bosses’ favor and now you’re going to pay them big salaries for, um, what? Because they “have a name” or you’re afraid someone else will snap them up? Why them?

The McDaniel deal lasted five days, one completely unilluminating interview, and one unexpected Chuck Todd spine-growing outburst, so it’ll all blow over soon enough. The problem is, though, the part about having fired several news staffers, and what it means in an election year on both the national and local levels. If you have the money to hire an alleged pundit – any alleged pundit – you have the money to hire reporters, and I don’t mean anchors or opinion show hosts.

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected? Who’s probing Project 2025 and why isn’t it front-page, first-segment news? Who’s pressing the Biden administration on Gaza? Is anyone reporting on the candidates’ record on climate change?

Beyond prescription drug prices, is anyone digging into the broken healthcare system and demanding answers from the candidates about what they’ll do to fix it (and not letting Trump get away with “I’ll have a better plan, a beautiful plan” without a single specific detail, like they did in 2016)? Why didn’t anyone focus on, for example, the GOP candidate for governor of North Carolina and his incendiary past comments well before the primary?

Pundits are not going to do the legwork on the issues; they’ll just talk about swing states while John King and Steve Kornacki point at their touchscreen maps. We need reporting on the things that matter (and can affect that horse race, even if most people have made up their minds). It shouldn’t just be Pro Publica and scattered independent journalists doing the dirty work.

Honestly, I don’t want to hear the complaints about the quality of the candidates or how this is a rerun or any of that. (We’ll leave that to The New York Times.) We are a horribly underinformed electorate and we got the horse race we deserve. It might just be idealists like me who think that, just maybe, the news media can play a role in educating the public and bursting the bubbles and echo chambers. This country has survived and prospered for a few centuries with the press shining a light on injustice and corruption.

Now, when we need that most, they’re more concerned with what they think will bring them ratings and money (although someone will have to explain to me who thought having Ronna McDaniel as a paid commentator would draw a single viewer to NBC).

Here’s a thought: Don’t lay off reporters, especially in an election year.  Assign them to dig deep on issues that matter to the voters.

Let the pundits talk about that.

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8 Ways to Take Your Commercials From Drab to Fab

Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials.

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Another reason to read this column, I often add an Easter egg. We are in the advertising business. Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials. Frequently, clients write these ads. You can excuse it if the spots suck. But when the commercials are written by Account Executives or the production department at the station, it is kind of unforgivable.

I am going to share the most meaningless phrases in commercials.

Locally Owned and Operated

Customers do not care. If customers cared about a business being locally owned and operated, Walmart would not exist. People want service, selection, and value. They do not want to get soaked. When you purchase something, are you willing to pay 20% for a local company? If you say yes, you are wrong. People want a deal.

The Phone Number

Doing 70 down the 405, John slammed on the brakes to write down the phone number for an amazing HVAC Company. That is not how it works people. HVAC companies rarely have or should have regular customers.

Normally, your AC is out. You call the HVAC Company that you are familiar with. Radio advertising allows people to have “TOMA”: Top of Mind Awareness. There are stats that show when a company is advertising on your radio station, their website shows an increase in traffic. When you needed a service for your home, you hit Google and choose the company that you’ve heard of. It’s that simple. I actually heard a commercial asking listeners to add a businesses phone number to their contact list. That is a moronic use of advertising real estate.

Street Addresses

“Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is located at 106 East Governors Drive in Peoria.” 

The people listening cannot process that detail. You could say “Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is on Governors Drive just off 10th in Peoria.” That is almost digestible. That creates a picture of where it is.

Trust me, people interested in prime rib will Google you and load the address in their navigation system. Spend that precious spot time selling the experience of the restaurant.

Always Using the Company Owner/Founder in Commercials

Sometimes, it is amazing when business owners are their spokesperson. They have passion and are natural salespeople. Some business owners are terrible at speaking about their product.

When you have a business owner who is a natural promoter, they can drag listeners into their business. I once worked with a family who owned a couple of hardware stores. They spoke about the benefits of visiting their stores. It was heartfelt and real. They promised that their employees can help solve any problem in your home. If you went to that store and had a simple or complex problem, the employees helped you out.

I once worked with a man who owned a really nice flooring company.  For whatever reason, he thought that he was funny. He had spots written by him, his wife, or a kid. The ads were dreadful. They were not funny at all. Account Executives need to talk these clients out of doing commercials like this. Nothing says wacky hijinks like flooring.

Overuse of Numbers

“We have grapes at 99 cents a pound, Chuck steak at $1.99, two-for-one zucchini.”

Trust me, no one driving in city traffic can keep track of that. “The 2025 Chevy Chevette is back with 45-mpg efficiency and amazing 18-inch tires. Prices start at $19,999…  The New Chevy Silverado starts at $32,999.”

It gets really confusing fast.

WWW.

Yes, I hear commercials saying check us on the internet at “W-W-W dot business name here dot com.”

WWW is assumed and not needed anymore unless you are running a Commadore-64 with the latest floppy disc technology.

Yellow Pages Ad

“Check out our new ad in the Yellow Pages!”

OMG, no one reads those damn things anymore. Most people born after 1960 just toss those suckers in the trash. There was a time when the Yellow Pages were the largest revenue generator in advertising. Yes, a book of ads. Like Facebook, without your buddy’s political, vacation, or food posts. It was just ads. Zero content.

I had stuffed salmon tonight that I engineered myself. I would make Sydney Sweeney quite the trophy husband. Set us up. Hey, I am single. It was not that long ago that you would hear a radio ad that promoted a coupon in the Sunday paper.

Well, that copy should be deader than a doornail.

Amateur Theater

A husband and wife discussing their lawn and how she heard about Telly’s Lawn Service from her friend Stacy. 

Those commercials are obviously contrived and not interesting at all. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Open every commercial must have an attention-grabbing opener. “Totally Jammed…  The floor covered with the guest towels. Fearing the horrific consequences of another flush…  I did the right thing. I called ABC Plumbing. Quick service, a great price, and peace of mind.”

The next time that the plunger is failing to get the desired results, the listener of that commercial will identify with the very realist scenario.

We are in the advertising business. Use radio as it was meant.

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The Lost Art of Using Sound as a Springboard

Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

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Jon Stewart was the first guy to do it — take a politician’s words from the news of the day or week. Search his or her entire past and find a sound byte saying the exact opposite.

It became an art form – and a great way to keep people accountable.

Most radio operations don’t have the resources necessary to consistently do something like that, but truth be told, that kind of journalism isn’t really the point of this week’s column.

It’s an example of the simple power of sound. We need to use it more within our shows. Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable, and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

Speaking from experience, not doing it is lazy.

Doing it takes minimal effort and helps conversations tremendously – especially when it’s in real-time. I know. I’ve been there – missing opportunity after opportunity because I didn’t think of it, ask for help or just do it myself.

Put simply, good sound is a better springboard to a question than just a question.

Just the other day, I realized how well it works and how little I’ve been doing it.

Here’s what happened.

We have one particularly heated congressional race in our state. The Republican candidate is running for a second time after narrowly losing in 2022 in an election where Connecticut’s gubernatorial candidate from the same party got smoked, and the Republican presidential candidate lost the state as well.

This time around, there’s a struggling Democratic President with real doubts about the economy and the country’s standing in the world.

Put simply, the Democratic congressional incumbent has a massive task ahead to get re-elected.

On my show, I try to be consistently independent and be a place for both parties to appear with the expectation that the conversations will be fair and honest.

The Republican candidate came on the show earlier this month, and we went through a number of issues. Connecticut is a relatively strong Democratic stronghold, where the party controls the legislature, the Governor’s Mansion, and the entire congressional delegation.

Having said that, the largest voting block is unaffiliated, so appealing to independents is crucial for either side to win. I asked the Republican candidate twice about whether he will support Donald Trump, and both times, he equivocated. I asked the follow-up, we were on the record, so I moved on.

The following week, his opponent, the Democratic incumbent, was scheduled to appear on the show. Before her arrival, I realized the Trump Q&A should probably be replayed for her. Duh.

My producer found it, clipped it, and had it at the ready. I felt that I should have realized it sooner and not put some added strain on my partner’s morning routine. He was fine, but it definitely added unnecessary work within the show.

Lesson learned.

The sound byte worked well. I played it. She responded. We moved the story forward, and it was compelling – as you might imagine, the topic of Trump vs. Biden is pretty compelling these days.

By no means did it create a “wow” moment. That would be a little much. But it did make the show better, using the opponent’s own voice as opposed to my paraphrasing something. That lends credibility, not only to the topic but also to the show. He gave this important answer on our show, and she gave her response … on our show.

My final thought on this is that we (I) need to look for more places to utilize sound as a springboard to conversations, as opposed to simply raising the topic and discussing it. Maybe you’re already good at it and do it all the time, but this past week, I realized I need to push myself to do it more.

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