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The Mike Mendoza Q&A Interview
Exclusive to talkSPORT1089.co.uk

Mike Mendoza will be keeping you company with his Through the Night show
between Monday and Friday on talkSPORT. There will be lively mix of news,
entertainment including the odd celebrity popping in for a chat and talk with
plenty of listener and phone-in involvement on talkSPORT.

Mike began his broadcasting career in 1970 in New Zealand where he started on
the overnight show. After winning a national poll he was moved to the breakfast
show where he stayed for several years before moving to Australia, to present
breakfast shows in several different Cities, before returning to New Zealand once
again to present a breakfast show. Mike returned home to England in 1985.

In the UK, Mike has worked on a number of regional stations including Southern
Sound in Brighton, Radio Mercury, BBC Radio Sussex & Surrey, Spectrum Radio
and for over two years presenting Through the Night on LBC and London Newstalk. He then moved on to a programme called Into the Morning on London Newstalk and then back to LBC to present once again.

You began your broadcasting career in 1970 in New Zealand presenting an overnight show. What radio stations have you worked for and what was your role at each of them?
This would take me a week to answer as 34 years is a long time. I started in Auckland on a major commercial radio stationas overnight presenter, after several months, high ratings and winning a national radio poll, I was promoted to the breakfast show. I worked for several other commercial stations around New Zealand ending up as breakfast presenter on the NZBC in Rotorua, I was always lucky because I always rated well so was always being approached by other radio stations. I have also worked in Australia, Italy, USA & UK.

Before joining talkSPORT earlier this year you were a presenter on London's LBC 97.3 as their Overnight Show Presenter. How did the move from LBC to talkSPORT come about?
I had an enforced break from LBC for 5 weeks while electioneering for local council. 2 of those weeks I spent on holiday in Cyprus, upon my return I received a telephone call from a radio station in the South of the UK offering me a breakfast show. We were negotiating when the phone rang again and it was talkSPORT asking if I was interested in working for them. I was taken by surprise as I hadn't approached talkSPORT for a job and in fact thought it was a wind up by a friend of mine so i was very off hand with the guy who phoned me. I really thought it was a joke especially as i had literally just put the phone down from the other offer. 10 minutes later I received another call from talkSPORT, this time from the boss, whose name I did know and was really quite shocked. I went along to meet at talk, have lunch, negotiate and agreed to their terms. The timing couldnt have been better as my contract with LBC was about to expire.

I went back to LBC to explain what happened, they asked me if I would work out my notice as I was out of contract As you probably realise it is very unusual for a station to allow anyone who is leaving to stay on and work out any sort of notice, I think they were really surprised and shocked as I had been there so many years.

How long were a presenter at LBC and what shows did you present? Which shows were the most rewarding and enjoyable for you to present?
I was LBC, off and on, for around 11 years. I was only ever interested in presenting the overnight show. I wasn't interested in a ratings battle, I had done that for years in prime shifts, I wanted to have an easie with no pressured time for my remaining working life. I enjoyed almost all my time there and was dissapointed to only have a weekend show for the last 18 months. Prior to the Chrysalis takeover, I worked a varied pattern of days from 5 days, to 4 days to 3 days per week. there was a couple of months where I worked 7 days a week. In that time I worked under 4 different managements in 3 different buildings

You were one of just a few presenters that LBC retained during their re-launch in 2003. How did it feel to be considered as one of the better presenters at the station knowing that you could have gone as well?
It was a very nervous time for me because I thought that if I didnt get the invitation to stay on, I wouldnt be able to get a job any where else! I just had no confidence in myself, which was stupid as events turned out, i had other offers of shows without even looking.

Whilst at LBC, which presenters did you consider to be worthy of being heard on a national level and not just to those that listened in the London region?
I believe that Brian Hayes should be heard on a national level as I believe he is the ultimate professional. Clive Bull, I think, is getting bored at LBC and needs to move on. I think he can do better and has done in the past. Sandi Toksvig is a very funny lady with a bundle of confidence and would be great on national radio,

What were your first impressions of the talkSPORT setup and the people that you would be working with on your show?
Absolutely amazing, a real pleasure to be there and to work with such a great team. No one appears to be able to do enough for me, I cant believe my luck. The management are first class and seem to appreciate what I can do. LBC was the most unfriendly station I have ever worked at in over 30 years in the industry.

When do you arrive at talkSPORT and what sort of preparation do you do to make the show sound as it is?
I am not sure how to take this question! Believe it or not, we do quite a lot of preparation for the show. A couple of people work during the day organising the early morning guests, they also gather topic ideas. I arrive approx 8:30pm and go through all that the daytime guys have sorted for me. I also go through the next days newspapers and research, via the net, various items for discussion.

Now that you have been at talkSPORT for a few months, have you encountered any difficulties in presenting the show and have you been able to take the show in the direction you want?
No difficulties whatsoever, I have been very careful not to say LBC or put over LBC's telephone number. I think I have eased up a bit on the 'hard' news topics that I started with a few months ago and put a lot more humour and personality into the programme. We always ensure that the first two to three hours are hard news and this is the direction given to me by the management. The morning I did Mike Dickins show, I felt awkward at first but soon got into it and would like to do more daytime shows in the future on talkSPORT.

How does doing an overnight show affect your social and homelife?
It can be difficult for my social and homelife at times, then we remember that I have weekends off for the first time in years and my children have grown up and left home. I have an understanding wife so we manage and enjoy the time we have with each other when I do get time off.

How do you react and respond to criticism you receive from sections of the audience that listen?
I dont react. I am surprised that so many people appear not to like me! After 34 years presenting radio shows, I don't really care what is said. I know some of it is from people I have worked with before who are jealous that I am doing a job they would dearly love to do. I know that my personal ratings are much higher than the previous presenter, we are receiving far more telephone calls than before and up to 10,000 emails and text messages per week. The management are very pleased with what I am doing and that, as far as I am concerned is what matters, and not what a few people say on an internet messageboard.

talkSPORT has some of the greatest broadcasters in radio. How does it feel to be on the same radio station as the likes of James Whale, Mike Dickin and Ian Collins?
Really good, I have worked with Mike Dickin and James Whale before at LBC. Ian Collins, I had never met before, but what a nice guy, made me feel at home as soon as we met.

Are there any major differences, except the size and possible audience reach, to presenting on national radio to local radio?
Not at all, the only thing one must remember is to bring up topics that will appeal to all, those living in Scotland, Wales, Bournemouth and Hull for example don't give a damn about the underground trains and buses in London and vice versa about those people living in London don't give a damn about Scotland.

Thanks to Mike Mendoza for the chance to interview him. You hear Mike Through the Night on talkSPORT from Monday through Friday between 1:00am-5:00am.

The Mike Mendoza Q&A Interview
Through the Night
November 2004