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Stuart Altschuler dispenses
holistic advice to Valley listeners
By Liz Massey (Echo Magazine): AM radio, that electronic
expanse of static-laden music and
controversy-laden talk, is not typically
thought of as a gay-friendly place. The
talk-radio airwaves are filled with the
voices of anti-gay America: Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Rush Limbaugh, Oliver North,
and the like. Gay guests on AM talk shows
are often greeted with callers labeling them
perverts, misfits, reprobates and worse.
Stuart Altschuler insists it
doesn't have to be like that. He says the
whole point of Tell The Truth, Faster!®, the
one-hour radio show he hosts on Wednesday
nights on 1100AM KFNX, is for people to
learn how to disagree peaceably.
"We can learn to honor our
differences," he said.
Not the usual line of a
talk-show host? Well, Altschuler's show
isn't necessarily typical talk-show fare.
The California-licensed marriage and family
therapist is openly gay, and hopes to use
his show to provide a vision of society
where gay and lesbian personal and
relationship concerns can be discussed
alongside those of heterosexuals, with
persons in each category learning from each
other.
Altschuler, who lives in Los
Angeles, said he became involved in
producing a show for the Phoenix market
because he was approached by representatives
of North American Broadcasting Company,
KFNX's parent company. He said he's built
much of his listenership through his Web
site, www.tellthetruthfaster.com, and by
savvy use of e-mail lists to entice
potential listeners to tune in. The show is
simulcast on
www.nabci.com, and Altschuler said that
much of his fan base was from Internet
sources, although he said he noticed
recently more Arizonans were calling in.
Scott Bracken, executive
producer for Altschuler's show, said
Stuart's electronic marketing strategies had
provided increased traffic to KFNX's Web
site. He praised Altschuler's ability to
remain interesting and keep listeners
foremost in his mind.
"He's a good host in that
he's an expert in his field, but he also
takes the time to follow-up on questions and
really make a connection with listeners,"
Bracken said.
Tell The Truth, Faster!® is
not the only gay-friendly radio talk show in
the Valley, or even the only gay-related
show on KFNX. Local gay therapist Joe Amico
anchors a show on recovery issues on
Saturdays, and KFNX's The Naked Truth, a
show on the politics of dating, occasionally
touches on GLBT topics. However, Altschuler
insists that his emphasis on spirituality
sets him apart from many other radio
counselors.
"A lot of therapists don't
want to talk about spirituality," he said.
"To me if you leave that out, you're leaving
out the balance that people are seeking.
You'll find a lot of AM talk shows that deal
with the spiritual, and a lot of counselors
who do behavior change work; I combine
both."
Tell The Truth, Faster!® has
now done almost 30 shows. Many of
Altschuler's topics, such as depression,
self-esteem, and intimacy, are staples of
the talk-show circuit, but others are less
likely to be a rehash of often-heard
information. Recently, Altschuler hosted a
show exploring the differences in coming-out
experiences between the early 1970s and the
present; another show examined the impact
that work in the adult entertainment
industry has on participants
psychologically, emotionally and
spiritually. A second show on the topic is
scheduled for March 6.
Altschuler, who also has
provided counseling services in southern
California bathhouses for the last three
years, said he decided to do the show on the
adult industry because of his friendships
with a number of persons working in porno
films or as sex workers.
"Some of the people who work
in porn are genuinely spiritual and
concerned with the welfare of others in the
industry," he said.
He also indicated that he
felt such a show provides a look at what the
industry demands of potential employees,
thus educating young men and women
interested in doing erotic work for a
living.
"The show helped people
understand the dynamics of the industry,"
Altschuler said. "It helps people to have
their head together to avoid the drugs and
the self absorption."
Shows are usually are a
combination of Altschuler's commentary on
the topic of the day, an interview with a
guest speaker, and callers. Some shows have
featured Altschuler working exclusively with
one or two callers; others, with a series of
listeners; and still others featured him
holding forth on a topic for the entire 46
minutes of on-air time his show requires.
"If I need to fill 46
minutes, I can do it," he said.
Altschuler said he enjoyed
the fact that he was getting calls from both
gay and straight Phoenix residents during
his shows. He said that on his second show,
broadcast in August of last year, he had a
straight man call in with recovery-related
issues, followed almost immediately by a
second man, also with recovery issues,
calling in to talk about him and his
boyfriend.
"What I wanted to happen,
happened," he said. "It became just a show
about mental health and a safe place,
whether you're gay or straight."
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