Afternoon drive time radio will never be the same beginning Wednesday when “The Two Live Stews” bring an African-American perspective to sports talk radio.
Ryan Stewart and his brother Doug created the show in their basement, and have built it into one of the most popular syndicated talk radio programs in America.
The show will air from 3-6 p.m. weekdays on 1190 AM, which is also changing its daily programming schedule to a news talk format. The station has been sports talk radio for several years.
Now titled Talk Radio 1190, the station will feature an eclectic lineup that includes Don Imus’ “Imus in the Morning” from 5-9 a.m.; Libertarian host Neal Boortz from 9 a.m. to noon, liberal host Al Franken of Air America from noon to 3 p.m.; and then “Two Live Stews.”
Ryan Stewart is a former defensive back for Georgia Tech and the NFL’s Detroit Lions. Doug Stewart played football and basketball at South Carolina State. Ryan also is host of a cable sports show called “The Press Box for Comcast,” while Doug is a mortgage lender.
“The show has a broad appeal because it’s fun and we don’t sugarcoat anything,” Doug Stewart said in a recent interview.
“It encompasses a realness that’s refreshing to those who were turned off by talk radio.”
Ryan said his background as a college and professional athlete “allows me to get right at the kind of answers we know the audience is looking for.”
“At the same time it lets the guest become more comfortable because they know they have no conventional constraints.”
Steak Shapiro, one of the station’s owners and president of Big League Broadcasting, said the show appeals to all listeners, regardless of race or political affiliation.
“Talent wins over dogma,” Shapiro said.
“These guys are talented and talent wins over what is pre-ordained. Entertainment is entertainment, and while they are not going to be for every listener, they are unique, funny and passionate. There is nothing else on the radio like them.”
As for the new format of the station, Shapiro said its goal is to be “unpredictable and never boring.”
“We wanted the biggest national personalities that were not on in St. Louis. We didn’t want to go right wing; we didn’t want to go Air America. We want to put on a diverse lineup and see what takes off.
“The Two Live Stews”, which originates out of its original Atlanta market, added 27 markets during its first month of syndication. The show has been featured in Sports Illustrated and the Stewarts have been guests of ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on “Quite Frankly.”
The show draws a huge share of black listeners in cities including Atlanta, Detroit and Washington, D.C.
“I think the African American community in St. Louis will look at The Stews and embrace them,” Shapiro said.
