Commentary: The Tom Sumner Program leaves a history of civil conversation in an uncivil time

Posted on Aug 23, 2022

By Paul Rozycki

After a decade and a half of giving Flint space listeners hours of civil and wide-ranging conversations in politics, music, science, writing, and the humanities,  Tom Sumner has determined to finish his radio program.  It has run on WFOV 92.1 FM in Flint. 

In his latest publish, Sumner stated “I’m suspending manufacturing of The Tom Sumner Program indefinitely efficient Friday September 2, 2022. There are a number of causes, but when I had been to select three, they might be dwindling viewers, rising issue elevating cash,  and for 15 years I’ve been attempting to set an instance of how info needs to be explored, revered and shared in a civilized method – and but – public dialog all through the nation is changing into meaner and fewer knowledgeable.”

Democrats, Republicans, and “off the crushed path”

Over the past 15 years, Sumner has interviewed a rating of presidential candidates, most Michigan candidates for governor, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Home, many native candidates for the state Senate and Home, and nearly each Flint mayoral candidate.  He has additionally interviewed practically each candidate for the Flint Metropolis Council or County Fee. He has held boards for a lot of candidates, together with one “off the crushed path to the White Home,” the place minor events, who hardly ever have a discussion board, had the prospect to air their views. 

Knowledgeable insights

This system has launched listeners to a wide range of consultants in lots of areas. Richard Walker, previously of the Longway Planetarium, provided his insights on astronomy and geology, UM-Flint economist Chris Douglas gave common updates on the standing of the financial system, and authorized skilled Brendan Beery defined the most recent Supreme Court docket selections and their implications for the common citizen.

Musical artists

Sumner  has hosted musical artists who performed all the pieces from Bach to Grand Funk. Sumner fondly remembers the conversations he’s had with Flint Symphony Orchestra Conductor Enrique Diemecke on the advantageous factors of Mahler or Bach. However he additionally recounts  the occasions he’s hosted Flint’s Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad and Eddie Cash on the present.  Even after recalling the well-known names in music that he interviewed, he takes biggest pleasure within the “native musical expertise within the Flint space” who usually carried out on the present. 

Writers and authors

He has hosted interviews with authors of thriller novels, cookbooks, journey guides, historical past books, political books, pictures books, and artwork books.  Greatest-selling authors David Baldacci, Mary Higgins Clark, and Debbie Macomber, have all been common visitors on the present. He remembers one story when President Obama met Baldacci at a guide signing, when Obama smiled and stated “You’re a star,” to the author. One in every of his interviews concerned writers who got the prospect to finish the writing of the Mark Twain kids’s guide. 

Entertainers, actors, and witches

He stated one in every of his most memorable interviews was with Carl Reiner who spoke of his days working with Sid Caesar and the way his curiosity in appearing was sparked by the WPA arts applications developed by FDR within the Thirties.  A final-minute connection gave him an opportunity to interview actor Tony Shalhoub, of Monk fame, when he was within the space. 

He has additionally interviewed the sons or daughters of quite a few celebrities together with Vincent Worth, Rod Sterling, and Charles Schultz.

On Friday the thirteenth or Halloween he would usually have a Wiccan priestess take calls and do Tarot card readings on the air. 

“He’s been in every single place, man!”

He has even taken the present to Hell, (MI) each Halloween, and has executed the present on a prepare to Lansing. He’s executed the present on the street from St. Ignace, Cadillac, Mt. Nice, and the Birch Run Speedway as a part of the Again to the Bricks Promo Tour. 

He has executed reveals from the White Horse Tavern, Kettering College, Baker School, Mott Group School, Good Beans Café, WFNT 1470, a studio within the Flint College Bus depot, the Burton Metropolis Corridor, a basement on Flint’s east facet, the Lansing Lugnuts ballpark, a brand new grocery store on the north finish of Flint, The Bavarian Inn, and Slo’ Bones Bar, in Frankenmuth, Calvelli’s in Lapeer, Bluebell Seaside, the Flint Flat Lot throughout Again to the Bricks, Flint’s New McCree Theater, and within the final two years his dwelling studio within the Davison space. 

And whereas Sumner offers nice credit score the vital function performed by those that helped as co-hosts and know-how consultants over time, he did an awesome deal on his personal, broadcasting 5 reveals per week, for 3 hours a day, 52 weeks a yr, with a lot preparation for every present, delivering the standard one would anticipate from a significant broadcast outlet. 

Civil discourse and an knowledgeable democracy

However the significance of the Tom Sumner Program isn’t the variety of locations he’s been, or the variety of folks he’s interviewed over time, as giant as these numbers is perhaps. It’s the nature of these interviews that issues. In his political interviews he has had Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, Libertarians, and Inexperienced Celebration candidates on this system and has handled all of them with respect and dignity.

In contrast to many interviews the place candidates are allotted two minutes to current their concepts, the Sumner Program usually gave candidates 45 minutes to an hour to talk to the voters and reply to Tom’s questions. The questions he requested had been a severe try to study extra concerning the candidates and their views. He didn’t fall again on “softball” questions, or attempt to embarrass a candidate with “gotcha” questions.

In a time when a lot political discourse is a 30 second industrial, a tweet, or a snarky one-line Fb publish, Sumner’s interviews had been an instance of what knowledgeable democracy is all about. He stated his aim was to “get to know the folks behind the information, and get folks to hear extra.” Almost each interview ended with info on how you can study extra concerning the candidate on their web site or different supply. 

Extra importantly, his interviews and discussions had been an instance of what a civil dialogue is all about. He usually contrasted his program to what he referred to as “rant radio” the place the loudest and noisiest voices bought probably the most consideration.

Sadly in the previous couple of a long time it has been the “rant radio” of Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones, and their imitators who’ve outlined a lot of our politics. There are a lot of causes for the divisions we see in our politics at present, however a lot of the tone has been set by these sort of applications. Social media made it even simpler for anybody to hitch the rant.

With Sumner’s civil dialogue, even amongst those that come from completely different events and maintain opposing opinions, one may discover widespread floor. His program was a pointy distinction to a lot of the divisive rhetoric that we see in a lot of the media at present. 

Armchair Politics

My very own involvement with the Sumner Program came visiting a decade in the past together with his weekly “Armchair Politics” phase, the place each Wednesday morning, Henry Hatter and I, together with a rotating third chair, would focus on the politics of the week. Although Henry and I got here from differing viewpoints and social gathering loyalties, the dialogue was at all times informative and civil. One of many biggest rewards I’ve from the Sumner Program is the friendship with Henry and the prospect to fulfill the numerous visitor chairs who’ve been a part of Armchair Politics.  

One of many common third chairs on Armchair Politics is East Village Journal Consulting Editor Jan Value-Nelson. Her views on the Sumner Program and Armchair Politics converse for all who’ve been a part of this system for the final decade or extra. 

She stated “He was the most effective propagators of fine citizenship I do know. On this time of fakery, mediocre pondering and large bullshit, Sumner at all times maintained his grace, immense curiosity, and humor. He tolerated emotional outbursts however at all times introduced issues again to respectful consideration. He’s world-weary however nonetheless loves the outdated values of truthful play and — sure, democracy.  I realized a lot from him and his visitors. It was a lot enjoyable — and an honor — to be on the present with him, Paul Rozycki and Henry Hatter. I really like his voice, actually and figuratively, and I can’t deliver myself to confer with this prior to now tense: I’m unhappy it’s ending.”

A part of Flint’s historical past

Not solely has the present been a discussion board for civil dialogue in these divisive occasions, but it surely’s additionally been a precious historic document of a lot of the politics of Flint and the encompassing space. With the altering nature of the native print media a lot of that historical past may very well be misplaced. Fortunately, Tom has recorded his program and it has been accessible at www.tomsumnerprogram.com and as a part of that historical past he’s making preparations to donate the recordings of this system to the College of Michigan-Flint Genesee County Historical past Archives within the close to future.

A thanks to all

In the long run Sumner provided a gracious thanks  to all who’ve been a part of this system. 

He stated, “Any disappointment and/or burn-out I is perhaps feeling can’t diminish the pleasure I’ve within the caliber of visitors the present has attracted. Political candidates, best-selling authors, dwell music and a wide range of studios and places have earned the present a status I by no means may have imagined after I started 15 years in the past. The record of individuals for whom I’m extremely grateful contains visitors, listeners, and contributors of cash and different sources. To all of YOU, I say THANK YOU!”

EVM political columnist Paul Rozycki may be reached at paul.rozycki@mcc.edu.

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