Advertisement
| Adjust Your Dial: Birmingham Attorney Eric Guster is on the Air |
 |
 |
 |
View Comments
| Local News Headlines |
| Written by Grace Mitchell |
| Thursday, 04 March 2010 12:23 |
 Special To The Birmingham Times Birmingham lawyer Eric Guster is hot right now. And it’s easy to see why. Six brightly lit floodlights beaming overhead in a room the size of a home office make it hard for anyone to keep their cool. Guster wipes the sweat from his brow, takes a swig of water and sheds his Alabama State University hooded sweatshirt as he prepares to take his next call. But it’s not a client on the other end. Rather, it’s one of his many listeners who tune in weeknights at 7 p.m. to hear his one-hour radio show, “The Guster Show,’’ on Birmingham’s WAGG 610 AM. “A little heat doesn’t bother me,’’ Guster says. “I can adjust to any situation and roll with the punches.’’ And with that, Guster stands in an ASU T-shirt and jeans, adjusts his headset and gets ready for the next call. On this particular night, the phone is lit up with people waiting to talk about child support. Guster is on a roll. Rolling with the punches is what Guster does best. For years now, he’s stood up and demanded justice for clients in the courtroom. His battles were tough, but he emerged the victor in various courtroom showdowns. He still runs his practice today. It’s just that at the end of every workday, he flips the switch to become a radio host, addressing topics that are on the minds of his generation. His show focuses on current events, social issues, relationships, politics, business and more. His co-host is Ashley Watkins. No topics are off-limits, but he does want issues to be addressed with class. “We want a tasteful show where anyone, no matter if they have children in the car or not, can tune in and listen on their drive home in the evenings,’’ he says. Guster isn’t shy to hit on hot topics, and callers aren’t hesitant in telling him when he’s right or wrong. “There was this one time when someone said I was ‘out of my lane’ on an issue,” Guster says. “I accepted that. I’m free to have my opinion and people are free to have their opinions. The most important part is that it starts a conversation that makes others think. Freedom of speech is the best thing there is.’’ Guster says it’s his goal to reach as many listeners as possible and he makes it easy by incorporating fresh technology into his show. During the show, listeners can hear the show on the radio, the internet or even an iPhone. Those on the computer can also watch a live stream of the show at www.ericguster.com and interact with Guster on the site’s live chat box. The comments appear in real time just as the show is playing. Listeners can also post comments on the show’s Facebook fan page, facebook.com/gustertalkshow, and can hear the show live at www.610wagg.com. Podcasts, which are saved audio copies of past shows, can be heard on www.ericguster.com for free. Guster says such features have allowed him to reach listeners beyond Birmingham. “I have people in Atlanta, Memphis and Nashville who have actually sent in comments after hearing the show on the internet. I have an email from someone in Memphis who said they were one of the callers,’’ says Guster, 38. Before every show, Guster takes a moment to recognize several Birmingham talk radio pioneers. Some include: Michael Starr, Roy Wood Sr., Oliver “O.B.” Brewer and Shelly Stewart. He says that just like those men lived their dream in radio, he’s living his dream of being a lawyer and having a radio talk show. After the shout outs, he challenges listeners to be like him and pursue what they really want to do. “Make 2010 the year that you will live your dream,’’ he says. After finishing the show on this particular night, Guster reflects on the meaning of a phrase printed across his ASU Marching Hornets T-shirt: “The Price of Glory is High.’’ The band motto represents what he wants to accomplish in life, law and on the air. “Anything that is worth doing takes struggle. You have to pay the price to get things done,’’ he says. “In order to be a success, you have to take risks, step out on faith and work hard.’’ “I’m working hard to make this show a success,’’ he says. “Hopefully, I’ll be the next best thing that happens to talk radio.’’ The Guster Show can be heard on WAGG 610 AM, Monday - Friday from 7 to 8 p.m. CST, and also on www.610wagg.com and www.ericguster.com. The show’s call-in number is 741-9244. To suggest show topics, call Eric Guster at 240-1236. |
26.12% 