The Empire Nation

DJ Steve Empire, Host

The Empire Nation is a KDVS public affairs show hosted by DJ Steve Empire (aka Steve Ostrowski). The show airs on Thursdays from 8:30am-9:30am and covers national (and occasionally local) news. Steve, an arch-conservative, pretends to be a liberal on the show a la the Colbert Report. Unlike the Colbert Report, however, it's neither smart nor funny. The first few episodes of the show were pre-recorded and then broadcast at a later date. They are now airing live.

You can call in to talk to him. There are the standard radio rules, such as no profanity, racism, etc. The host doesn't want his last name said on the air because he has some paranoid privacy issues. He also wants no comments (positive, neutral, or negative) about himself unless it relates specifically to the show - what exactly that means is unclear. It almost certainly simply means he is trying to keep the show separate from his other political activities, as he claims to be a liberal talking about liberal issues during this show, a stance which earned derision from most who know of him. His response to being questioned about the rule is, "Well I have the power to disconnect the call and press the dump button. I can also just decide not to answer any calls. I would like to have a lot of calls throughout the show but there needs to be some rules in place to prevent awkward incidents. Besides, I can't have someone on the air who has an ax to grind against the personal me."

In summary, he doesn't want you to talk about him and his ASUCD exploits/happenings, or whatever club/campaign/pie of the month he happens to be stick his fingers into. If you call in, please try to stick to the show's (either current or most recently aired) topic.

The number to call is (530) 754-5387. Submit emails to [email protected]. Emails may be read on the air and commented on during the show. A first name and location is required for the host to respond to them. Emails that have "substance" (whatever that means to Steve) to them will have a higher probability of being aired.

2007-06-28 13:01:27   *snork* —KarlMogel

2007-06-28 17:34:13   Awesome. I missed you today. Do you have a podcast? The link on KDVS is bad. —JabberWokky

2007-06-29 16:13:37   Not sure, I thought it would be automatic but it apparently does not work at the moment. I am going to see what I can do concerning that. —SteveOstrowski

2007-06-29 17:19:45   I concur with Karl —StevenDaubert

2007-07-01 11:35:00   Steve is trying to ridicule liberalism but he can't do much more harm than some liberals on campus have. But if Steve has people listening out of controversy, he has succeeded. —GregWebb

2007-07-01 14:01:02   I disagree with that assumption, I can be an excellent representative of progressive thinking and I will soon appoint myself the Voice of the Progressive Coalition. —SteveOstrowski

2007-07-01 22:46:53   Is it just me, or is the show title a copy of Michael "Savage"'s The Savage Nation (3rd highest rated talk radio show, pretty darn conservative). —EdWins

• The Emprie Nation merely refers to the audience that listens and interacts with Steve Empire. Also I firmly believe that one can be for "empire" and have liberal political views. And, I would consider Michael Savage to be the most conservative guy on radio. Interestingly his last name isn't Savage either. —SteveOstrowski
• "The Savage Nation" also merely refers to the audience that listens and interacts with Michael Savage. Also, I firmly believe that one does not have to be a "savage" to have any political views..... That wasn't really an answer to the question? -ES
• The title of the show has no connection or commonality with the Michael Savage show and I personally don't listen to his show, although I do have one of his books...., in any case the name has more to do with the fact that everyone who listens is a part of my nation. I had considered The Imperial Nation, but then it would sound a bit less progressive. That said, I firmly believe one can be Imperial but still be progressive. —SteveOstrowski
• Wow! You have your own nation? Where is it? May I visit it? Do I need a passport? Juggling posessives is a wonderfully sly trick Mr. O; but you can't fool a magician. As a non-sequitor, I wonder how many people support my/our/their/your/America's troops? I really wish I had some of my own. I'd certainly be in support of them. Wal*Mart, however, was out of stock. —ChristopherMcKenzie
• That is correct, I have my own nation called the Empire Nation and you may visit if I so desire it. If you are liberal/progressive we will have a pleasant conversation, otherwise it's probably a debate. Ultimately all guests serve two purposes, the first being educating the public and second being to make me look good. As for the troops we haven't really discussed that issue in much detail, but I am sure I can create something for that later. —SteveOstrowski
• I wasn't able to listen to the archives on KDVS's website. Have you any idea why that is? —ChristopherMcKenzie
• I think it's because his Nation only has an Army of One. —BrentLaabs

2007-07-02 06:41:28   C'mon folks... the likely origin sticks out like a sore thumb. Ever heard of Colbert Nation? —KarlMogel

2007-07-02 08:38:56   Colbert came to mind when I heard about this show. —GregWebb

2007-07-02 09:24:44   If this show is as informative and as insightful as Ostrowski....then be prepared to learn nothing and laugh! —JamesSchwab

- Why the put-down? Love and peace is the way to go. -GregWebb

• Nothing negative about a show that is complete entertainment. -JamesSchwab

2007-07-02 13:45:39   The link to the podcast is screwed up, but the podcast does exist.

Podcast XML file MP3 of first show —WilliamLewis

• It is a *chore* to listen to that. You need to bring the pacing up. It took you 10 minutes to do an introduction. TEN Minutes. It should have taken about 40 seconds. Then you do things like enumerate all the states that did partial birth abortion. I suggest that if you want people to give you a listen, that you don't enumerate lists and do 10 minute introductions. Speed things up, orders of magnitude - Orders Of Magnitude. —ChristopherMcKenzie
• Oh noes!
• Hah, sorry. Serious acadmeic discourse does not require someone to partake on a monotonic epic journey. It loses people's attention fast. —ChristopherMcKenzie

2007-07-05 15:14:48   Still no podcast (on the KDVS website, I mean). —JabberWokky

• The podcast deal is apparently not under KDVS control so it will eventually be on the Internet within a week or so. Some of it has to do with it being a new and unscheduled show. —SteveOstrowski

2007-07-05 16:11:13   What the hell does he do to his voice? —JamesSchwab

• No idea... at about 58 minutes in, it cuts to his normal voice. —JabberWokky

2007-07-06 19:56:07   The Never say the host's last name reminds me of some religions that don't permit the name of their god or some evil spirit to be uttered. —JasonAller

• There are some privacy issues, it opens the door to personal attacks, a person could be wrong and assume the host's is someone he isn't, and this the Church of Liberalism. —SteveOstrowski