Professor
hosts lively talk show
By Tina Page
On-line Forty-Niner
The
show “Straight Talk” has been a source of
information and entertainment that has created
a dialogue within the Long Beach community
since 1992.
Created by Cal State Long Beach professor
of finance, real estate and law, Art Levine,
the cable television show has continued
to provide debates and interviews relevant
to the community and to the times.
Levine, a professor at CSULB for 25 years,
originally began organizing debates for
the Law Society because he said that he
saw a need for pre-law information for students.
CSULB televised a Law Society debate between
political candidates, which sparked the
interest of Charter Communications who were
looking for a host for one of its weekly
public affairs shows.
“You never know where something is going
to end up,” Levine said. “I always believe
if you act with integrity and do something
you feel passionately about, good things
will happen.”
The talk show is funded by sponsors that
Levine said he believes operate with integrity.
“All the sponsors are businesses that I
have used [or know] personally,” Levine
said.
In an attempt to draw sponsors, Levine started
a newsletter. By the end of the run he was
printing 20,000 copies and has 3,000 people
on his mailing list.
“I think the amount of support that was
shown with the newsletters proves that ‘Straight
Talk’ is making a significant contribution
to the community,” Levine said.
“Straight Talk” touches upon controversial
topics that are relevant to the times. The
most recent subject dealt with the government’s
war on drugs, which featured Superior Court
Judge James P. Gray.
Gray is a staunch critic of the United States
drug laws. He argues that “Drug prohibition
has failed from every standpoint imaginable:
unnecessary prison growth, increased taxes,
increased crime and corruption here and
abroad, loss of civil liberties, decreased
health, diversion of resources that are
needed to address other problems in society.”
Gray’s opinions reflect the open nature
of the show to include topics that people
may have a hard time finding information
about on their own.
Levine chooses which issues and guests to
feature on his show.
“The key to success is to incorporate an
in-depth interview with an interesting guest
and a current subject of interest,” Levine
said.
Other guests have included Los Angeles County
Supervisor Don Knabe, Sunny Bono when he
was running for U.S. Senate, Gloria Alright,
Barbara Boxer, Corey Gammel, the Long Beach
artist who began the quilt making process
for the Sept. 11 victims, and CSULB President
Robert Maxson.
Despite a short termination of the show
for a couple months because of a budget
cut, the show prevailed. After the newsletter
drew in more sponsors, the show was able
to go back on the air with the new name
“Straight Talk.” The show had previously
been called “We the People.”
“Straight Talk” reaches an audience of more
than 100,000 homes, which is about 250,000
people based on average industry projections.
It is broadcast on Charter Cable in Long
Beach on Channel 3, Lakewood on Channel
43, Los Alamitos on Channel 3 and in Malibu
on Channel 16. The show will air at 6:30
tonight on Channel 3.
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