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Michael Castner is a popular morning radio talk show host in New Orleans, LA on Clear Channel Communication’s FM talker, WRNO. He was also hosted an afternoon show on their sister station in Baton Rouge, WJBO. Castner was hired by Clear Channel in 2008 after working for Bonneville on its highly innovative evening talk show Nightside Project. The program focused on news, information and talk aimed at a younger demographic. Nightside achieved significant success and was number one among listeners 25-49. The show originated from Salt Lake City on KSL AM & FM, but was also carried by KTAR in Phoenix and Talk Radio 3WT in Washington, DC.
Castner’s career has spanned various fields from news to politics to entertainment. He has regularly appeared as both a radio and television host. Castner started his broadcast career at the age of 16 in local radio in Austin Texas. At the age of 19, he landed his first news job as the anchor/reporter for KMVT in Twin Falls, Idaho. His local news career then took him to LaCrosse/Eau Claire, WI. and back to Austin, Texas at NBC affiliate KXAN (then KTVV-TV). It was in Austin that Castner received awards from the Associated Press for Best Investigative Reporting and Feature Reporting. At 21, Castner was hired by Tribune Broadcasting to cover Washington as a television news correspondent. Castner covered the White House, State Department, and breaking news such as the Grenada Invasion. While at Tribune, Castner was the recipient of a National Press Foundation Fellowship Grant.
From Washington Castner was hired by Joe Kennedy II to head up his press office in his first bid for Congress. After the campaign, Castner went to Utah as Communications Director for the Utah State Senate.
Next, Castner worked in London and New York for Entertainment Tonight as a reporter and producer. He later joined the syndicated show Everyday with Joan Lunden and then became an on-air host for E! Entertainment Television, covering the Cannes Film Festival, the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and his own talk show The Inside Word. His broadcasts were ratings record breakers for the network.
Clear Channel’s Los Angeles talk radio powerhouse, KFI-AM noticed Castner’s work, and from 2004 - 2006 he anchored KFI’s news.
Castner not only talks about the issues, but he gets involved. In 2008, while in Utah, Castner pushed for what he called “The Puppy Torture” bill, making animal abuse a felony statewide. More recently, on WRNO-FM Castner hosted a series of shows on cyber-bullying. This led Castner to ask for a law addressing the issue in Louisiana schools. After Castner testified before House and Senate committees the bill passed unanimously. It was signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal.
