April 12 , 2005
New Politics Put Springer’s Backing Voice in Front
Talk radio diva Megan Hils brings out the new politically savvy a-politico
By Kimberly Shroyer
Queen City Forum Magazine staff writer
It’s no secret a lot of non-political junkies voted in the last election. What brought me out to vote last November was actually my son’s passion for John Kerry. To give some context, the last time I voted, I was a young Republican voting for Ronald Reagan.
In 2004, as I listened to all the reasons my 13-year-old would have voted for Sen. Kerry if he were old enough, I put on my political hat and registered to vote. It was the passion of the politics, the intimacy. It is the same reason a young actress named Megan Hils, who also happens to be a staple on the Jerry Springer Show, is so important. In the political machine of talk radio, operated by comedians and wonks, her warmth is unique. It also may be the future of the now nationally syndicated radio talk show.
Megan Hils
photos: M. Meldon Jr. / QCF Magazine
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And her charm isn’t manufactured. As the female sidekick to Springer and Jene Galvin, she joins two men who have been friends and political allies since the 70s on this cutting edge liberal call-in radio show based in Cincinnati . She doesn’t pretend to be naturally schooled in politics. Galvin quips, “She’s in the room because she says to young listeners and female listeners, ‘Hey, I’m in this.’ They have someone in there that is like [them].”
Megan says her charm has nothing to do with it; she changes the dynamic of who is listening and how it’s received. “I think I bring a youth perspective. I’m a little more center of the road than [Jerry and Jene]; they’re extreme for anybody. I don’t agree with Jerry and Jene on everything, but I think it’s good to bounce ideas off of each other.”
This year’s election brought out many people who normally do not vote. Hils connects to that feeling as she intangibly grows with her listeners. “I have formed much stronger opinions about everything. For example, Social Security didn’t really ever enter my daily thought. And now it’s something I’m constantly thinking about; just every day things that I didn’t realize how political they are.” |
Hils now feels a part of the scene. The hip, sexy starlet has gained an appreciation for the events around her and says the most interesting parts of the show for her are the political issues “because it wasn’t something I was familiar with before I got into this. It’s interesting learning about different issues, especially Iraq and Iran . Foreign issues that I had no idea or no background on at all. So that has been the most interesting. It’s also been the most frustrating because I didn’t know anything and now it’s, like, just scramble and just read and read and read!”
Her interaction with her studio partner, Galvin [Springer is doing his part of the show from Chicago ], shows her sense of humor, which radiates with facial expression and no words as she leafs through pages of notes and information, laughing at Springer’s jokes and comments.
Jene Galvin (left) and Hils compare notes on a break |
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She has taken a step back and looked at the significance of the show. “…It’s different, especially for this area. Even if you are the staunchest of Republicans, you have to question things before you truly believe in something. A lot of people like to argue politics. We also talk about lifestyle issues like teenagers going on spring break, but putting a political spin on it.”
She didn’t start out in the political field; Hils is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University ’s theater department. Local theater roles have included Lady Capulet in Romeo & Juliet, Eowyn in the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, and also “X” in Nathan Singer’s Images of a Beating Heart. She is currently working on a production of MacBeth for Ovation Theatre Company, which plays this month. |
Reflecting on her theater background in relation to her role in the political forum, Hils says, “I was raised a staunch Republican, and working in theatre was my first introduction to a liberal point of view from an ideology. It has made me fearless. I don’t care what people think of me, or if they agree with me or not. I don’t have a problem expressing myself.”
Now is the time for liberal-based radio talk shows to balance the conservatives who have ruled the airwaves for a generation. The popular vote in the last election indicates the voice of the nation is split nearly down the middle. In a pivotal time for still fledgling liberal talk radio, Megan Hils’ passion, humor and approachability match her cultural and social awareness. She will be the engaging factor paving the way for women and non-politicos to do as she has done, taking their place in a new political environment.
Megan remarks, “We have 17-year-olds calling in as well as college students!” Springer and Galvin may bring them, but the relatable Megan Hils keeps them tuned in.
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