Ehrlich lightens up on 'Junkies' appearances
THE WASHINGTON TIMES - Sunday, April 4
Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. wants Marylanders to know he's happy that Terrell Owens is not coming to Baltimore. At least, he wanted 18- to 34-year-old Marylanders listening to the radio during morning rush hour to know his feelings about the NFL wide receiver. Mr. Owens wound up with the Philadelphia Eagles after a deal failed to trade him from the San Francisco 49ers to the Baltimore Ravens.
Sports, pop culture and politics all are topics during the governor's monthly appearances on the "Junkies in the Morning" radio show on WHFS-FM (99.1).
His discussions on the entertainment talk show, which competes against the syndicated Howard Stern show, are a departure from stiff political analyses you might expect from a governor.
"He's a Ravens-type profile? What's that?" Mr. Ehrlich said on a show late last month, criticizing the deal and Mr. Owens' notorious attitude in casual banter with the show's four hosts — J.P. Flaim, Eric Bickel, Jason Bishop and John Auville.
Mr. Ehrlich's press schedule has always been radio-heavy. He appears on WBAL every other Thursday and is a frequent guest on WTOP Radio, WMAL-AM and WCBM-AM.
Radio, particularly the informal style of "Junkies in the Morning," also suits politicians with Mr. Ehrlich's charisma and approachable style.
"He definitely has a preference when it comes to broadcast media," said his spokeswoman, Shareese DeLeaver.
Although he has scheduled availability every Tuesday so traditional news media easily can reach him, his appearance on the "Junkies" show lets the governor appeal to the varied interests of his constituency and reach out to a more elusive group — young voters.
" 'HFS is seen as a hip station," Mr. Auville said. For the governor to reach out to the station's young audience, Mr. Auville said, "adds to his image somehow."
Mr. Ehrlich makes an extra effort to talk with the "Junkies" because he's been a fan of the show since he was a congressman, when he listened to it on his commute from Timonium, Miss DeLeaver said.
"There's not many outlets he'd get up that early in the morning for," she said.
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