Forward Nation Radio featuring Business and Liberal Arts Program Professor David Leventhal showed off its re-designed broadcast in a new studio in Room 300, Razran Hall on Oct. 25.
Equipped with cameras, lighting, audio equipment, a green screen, and production and media teams, Forward Nation Radio 2.0’s restructured program invites humorous political chatting that motivates public awareness.
Initially launched on March 1 of this year, the live taping opened with an introduction to the show’s changes–video imaging enhancements, audience interaction, and an interview-friendly setting.
Its wisecracking host, David Leventhal, teaches business courses that emphasize critical thinking, law and ethics, and his Superman-like character takes a moral education approach to analyzing the country’s political situation.
“Our show is based on fact and reason, so we’re a progressive talk show,” Leventhal told his audience. “I have had family members ask, ‘What are you hoping to gain from this show?’ I am hoping to be able to hold my head up with what is happening politically in this country. I want to be able to say I did what I could.”
As a professor, Leventhal urges his students to stay up to date on the direction that modern politics is taking, a message he also communicates to his FNR audience.
“I ask my students to get involved, to get informed.”
Leventhal says his professional objective is to evolve to a higher level of sharp political comicality, similar to that of the wildly outspoken Stephen Colbert.
“If, at some point, we get enough notice and attention that Stephen Colbert will have me on his show, that would be awesome. If I get on Colbert, that would be a dream come true,” he said.
FNR 2.0 calls out what is absurd about national politics and the events that are taking place in the world, with a shout-out to viewers to take notice of national policy and of is likely to help and hurt people.
The show’s creator and producer Damian Hardeen, a senior BALA honors student, says the new format of FNR will maintain the news structure of the radio show.
“This show is more like the entertainment of The Daily Show or Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” Hardeen said. “ We want to keep the news-ish component to Forward Nation Radio because we want to be the source where people can have easily digestible news.”
“We bill ourselves as delightfully raw, as you can tell with David, because he is very passionate. Delightfully raw, informative, and accurate is very important to us and that is the reason to watch.”
When asked what he sees in FNR’s future, Hardeen said, “The future of Forward Nation Radio really depends on viewers. We are not beholden to any particular party and we are a progressive-leaning show. At some point we are going to look for sponsorship so that we can keep doing what we are doing for as long as we can.”
“We feel it’s really important that people have the facts, especially recently where facts have been twisted and contorted to such obscene and unseen levels that we have never witnessed before.”
Members of the public are invited to attend the live taping every Wednesday, with entry by 4:45 p.m. for the 5:00 p.m. taping. As an audience member one has the opportunity to interact and pose questions.
Episodes of the show are available on the show’s website, www.forwardnationradio.com, as well as on YouTube and Podbean.
