By AL BRUMLEY / The Dallas Morning News
2/17/2002

The public has spoken. In droves.

Three weeks ago, I asked fans of the Russ Martin Show on KYNG-FM (105.3) for a favor.

Despite pulling in amazingly high numbers in the fall ratings – including a second-place 5.1 share overall, a first-place 14.7 share among men ages 18 to 34, and a first-place 7.0 share among listeners ages 25 to 54 – Mr. Martin often wonders on the air why anyone would take the time to listen to him and his partners, Dan Lewis, J.D. Ryan and Eddie Boyd.

So I asked listeners to answer his question, and 254 people took the time to write in. That boils down to 251 e-mails and three snail-mails.

The general consensus (and yes, I read every letter, even the ones that went over the 25-word limit, which, it turns out, was just about all of them) is that Mr. Martin's show is popular because it's like a bunch of guys sitting around talking, with none of the usual shtick so prevalent in radio.

Well, and it's funny, too, which certainly helps. But enough of me. Here's what some of his listeners had to say:

Amy Jenkins, a self-described "liberal Yankee chick," says she likes Mr. Martin because he "makes his listeners feel like family or friends, right down to the point of arguing or yelling at them, just like siblings squabble.

"I guess, underneath it all, the fact that he's a reasonably bright guy with a hell of a sense of humor (and his is very often self-deprecating, no matter how big an ego people try to tag him with) is just damned appealing."

A guy named Mark writes that "Russ is just like us. He cares about puppy dogs and police officers and is honest about everything he does (sometimes brutally honest)."

Susan Sims writes that Mr. Martin "has that uncanny ability of being funny, honest, and an ass, all at the same time."

"Russ gets to say and do the things we all want to do but can't in our everyday lives, and gets away with it," writes an anonymous respondent.

Chuck Crozier of Denton says the show has helped him get in touch with his inner child. "When I was 12, my 'gang' of buddies converted a tool shed in one of our backyards to a clubhouse. We played, slept, partied, read stolen Playboys, smoked stolen cigarettes, played with fire, etc., etc.... The Russ Martin Show reminds me of those great days."

One unnamed writer says simply, "I listen to Russ because he's someone who has the ability to sporadically make you laugh your head off and damn near wreck your car."

Speaking of cars, many writers mentioned long commutes and said Mr. Martin helps them maintain their sanity on the way home.

"My name is Dani," one commuter writes, "and I am female of 30 years. I listen because I think that Russ and his gang are hysterically funny. He makes my drive home a lot quicker and keeps me from 'road-raging' others off the highway."

A surprising number of respondents were women. Sandi J. Armstrong wrote in to say that she is not a "typical" fan of the show. "I am a 23-year-old woman, and yes, I subscribe to Martha Stewart Living. I would have to say that I listen to Russ Martin because I am open-minded, and I like a little perversion in my life. Everyone needs a laugh on the way home, so unclench your cheeks and listen to Russ."

Even one celebrity wrote in. Russell Johnson, who played the Professor on Gilligan's Island, had this to say: "Could wit, honesty, 'going where angels fear to tread' have anything to do with it? I wouldn't know because I have never heard a broadcast. I like the lad, though. A sometime guest, Russell Johnson."

Not everyone is enamored, though. One respondent wrote in to say that while Mr. Martin is a genuinely funny person, it's unfortunate that he "seems to feel the need to devote the entire show to potty humor and 14-year-old sex jokes." The writer, Steve McFarlane, says he's no prude and listens to Howard Stern religiously, but "it seems that Russ feels that he's found an audience for the lowest-common denominator material, and he's going with that full-bore. For me, that stuff is tolerable in small doses ... but not for the whole show."

Ultimately, some people can't figure out why they're hooked on the show. "You know, that is a great question," writes Brandon Caffee. "I can't tell you why I listen to him. He is a complete idiot. But every day at 5 p.m., in the car on the way home, I am there listening like everyone else (unless my wife is in the car!)."

HOME  |  RMS STORE  |  SERVICES  |  LINKS  |  PHOTOS |  VIDEO

LISTENER'S FOUNDATION  |  RMS MP3's  |  RMS NEWSLETTER
OPERATION KINDNESS  |  VIRTUAL TOUR
 RMS MEDIA  |  SPONSORS  |  CONTACT