Lobo Conservatives president Stephen Dinkel has hit AM airwaves with co-host Eric McInteer to discuss current events from a conservative perspective.
Dinkel was producing a show last semester on BlogTalkRadio.com when he was approached by a consulting agency that wanted to put the show on the radio.
"We've had a lot of help from Mountain Top Consulting. They reached out to the Lobo Conservatives and brought forth this idea," Dinkel said. "Without them and our executive producer, we wouldn't have the show."
The show airs Saturdays from 1 to 2 p.m. on 1050 KTBL AM.
Part of the reason for continuing and expanding the show is to make Lobo Conservatives a more visible and accessible group, Dinkel said.
"The Lobo Conservatives want to be the go-to people for conservative anything," he said. "So this is how we set it up."
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Dinkel and McInteer said their show avoids mere partisan bickering.
"We stick to our beliefs," McInteer said. "I love the Republican Party. I'm a registered Republican. But they have not been governing as conservatives on the issues, such as fiscal issues, obviously.... So, we're going to promote what we believe in and not just party-line issues."
McInteer said one of his goals for the show is to reach college students who are not certain of their political views and want to explore a few perspectives.
"A lot of students come here as a freshman and they don't have any strongly held beliefs, they don't know where they're going in life," he said. "I want to introduce them to conservative ideas, because they don't get a conservative perspective."
Dinkel said he will invite guests on the show to voice their ideas and perspectives, but so far there are no scheduled guests. Promoting the show is his top priority, he said.
"To reach students, we associate with organizations - such as Young America's Foundation and Committee for Constructive Tomorrow - that help teach college students how to get involved with politics," Dinkel said. "We definitely reap the benefits of those groups."
Dinkel said he would like to bring a diverse group of studio guests onto the show, including UNM professors and students.
"I know some of the organizations we work with are going to help us bring on conservative speakers either on campus or on the radio," he said. "Also, even local political figures. We even opened it up to candidates to come on, too. But not for a 'promote this candidate'; more of a 'What the heck are you going to do for me?'"
McInteer said he plans to reach UNM students and spark their interest in politics and conservative views.
"Once our show is firmly established, we want to plaster the whole campus with fliers, and I have been talking with our producer about doing NMSU and Eastern New Mexico," he said. "This radio station hits New Mexico, so I really want to hit the entire student population."
McInteer said being on a radio show is a great way to reach people, and having listeners call in adds to the experience.
"I really just enjoy sitting down with Stephen and talking about issues, and it's just a lot of fun, something I do on a regular basis in my own life," he said. "I love talking about foreign policy. I'm a complete poli-sci nerd."
Dinkel said he encourages people to call in and join the conversation as long as they show respect to listeners and the hosts. Now that the show is on AM, calls are screened to ensure that request is met.
"We have people go through our call screeners, so sometimes they don't get through." he said. "We've had a few callers, and since it is a new show, people have to get a sense of it, and it's bigger, so people are hesitant to call sometimes."
The show airs
Saturdays at 1 p.m.
1050 KTBL AM
