With a storyteller's warmth and a dollop of self-deprecating humor, Steve Vogel invites readers along on his extraordinary journey from humble farm boy to accomplished journalist, broadcaster, and corporate communicator. You'll be able to tell which stories he'd "just as soon forget."
Spanning the latter half of the 20th Century into the new millennium, "Broadcast Live" is more than just a personal memoir. It's a vivid snapshot of American life, media, and the ever-changing cultural landscape. From rural roots and small-town traditions to the fast-paced worlds of broadcasting and Fortune 25 communications, Vogel's reflections are as entertaining as they are insightful and authentic. He calls some of his stories "celebrity-adjacent."
Critics are raving:
Publishers Weekly's BookLife says Vogel "writes with a practiced hand, delivering smooth, concise prose that trims a lifetime of memories into dynamic vignettes. 'Broadcast Live' balances the lighthearted with the profound, springing from prosaic childhood experiences to perceptive adult reflections that touch on social justice, cultural constructs, and a deep contemplation of what the future holds."
IndieReader calls Vogel's writing "impeccable," adding, "A nostalgic tone is there from cover to cover, but Vogel rarely indulges sentimentality. If anything, his journalistic instincts ensure that each story is appropriately concise, with every word earning its keep."
Perfect for fans of heart-warming memoirs and behind-the-scenes tales, "Broadcast Live" celebrates rural America, portrays demanding careers, and reflects on work-life challenges that come with them. These are the kinds of stories that shape us all.
About the Author :
Steve Vogel is a veteran print and broadcast journalist, columnist, and talk show host who claims his journalism career began with youthful production of a neighborhood newspaper on a farm where neighbors were few.
With a B.A. from Illinois Wesleyan University and a master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, his career has spanned print and broadcast news, radio programming, corporate communications and newspaper column writing. His work has appeared in publications ranging from "The Congressional Record" to "Corvette Magazine."
His "Reasonable Doubt" was a "New York Times" best-seller and is part of the St. Martin's Press "True Crime Classics" library. He co-authored another true crime book, "The Unforgiven."
Steve's graduate school education was interrupted by service in the U.S. Army, including a year in Germany where he was assigned to the American Forces Radio Network, broadcasting a daily show from Nuremberg.
After finishing grad school, Steve resumed his broadcast work with WJBC Radio in Bloomington, Ill., where he did a daily talk show and headed the station's award-winning news department while also doing commentaries on the Voice of America. He later headed State Farm's media relations department and served the company's chairman and CEO as a communications assistant. Still later, he returned to his print journalism roots by writing an opinion page column.
He is the recipient of numerous journalism awards, including a Champion-Tuck Award for economics reporting from Dartmouth College, from the Freedom Foundation, the National Headliners Club, the Radio-Television News Directors Association and the Associated Press. He was a semi-finalist in NASA's First Journalist in Space competition and for a decade served as a judge in the Hearst Journalism Awards program.
Steve and his wife Mary divide their time between Illinois and Arizona where he serves as president of the board of the East Valley Pops Orchestra.
