Broadcast Live

Rating: 4.8 stars (out of 5)

A farm boy grows up to be a broadcaster in this memoir that contemplates American life in the latter half of the 20th century.

Broadcast Live chronicles journalist Steve Vogel’s journey from wide-eyed farm boy to celebrated broadcaster. From his early days practicing radio broadcasts with a “no-wattage” transmitter to his later years navigating the complexities of corporate communications, Vogel transforms this collection of personal anecdotes into universal reflections on life, love, and the ever-evolving American experience.

Where most autobiographies adhere to a linear, chronological format, Broadcast Live consists of brief, engaging chapters organized into thematic sections. The end result is a highly entertaining read. With the skill and warmth of a lifelong storyteller, Vogel effortlessly pairs slice-of-life minutiae with a number of significant historical moments. For instance, his account of covering the Hendricks murder trial (which later became the basis for his bestselling book Reasonable Doubt) is refreshingly candid: “The interview lasts three hours. He is intelligent, soft-spoken, articulate, and not humorless. None of this, of course, means he is incapable of murder.”

While industry insights and media observations abound, Vogel isn’t afraid to shine a light on family dynamics and personal growth. His compassionate take on his mother’s upbringing in an orphanage and her inability to physically express love or affection provides some of the book’s most engaging moments. Even his final thoughts on mortality, legacy, and the Baby Boomer generation’s impact on the future demonstrate a sort of earned authenticity that only comes with experience. Most of the names and events will likely resonate more with readers who were there to experience them, but there’s something to be said for the cyclical nature of history (of which Vogel is all too aware).

Given his journalistic background, Vogel’s impeccable writing and attention to detail feel like a given. The heavy dose of wit and self-deprecating humor, however, are pleasant surprises. As are the quotes from the likes of Shakespeare, Banksy, and even the artist formerly known as Kanye West at the end of each chapter. A nostalgic tone is there from cover to cover, but Vogel rarely indulges sentimentality. If anything, his journalistic instincts ensure that each story is appropriately concise, with every word earning its keep. Where the birth of a child could easily warrant a chapter, Vogel needs little more than a page to convey the impossible-to-put-into-words emotional avalanche that every new parent experiences.

IR Verdict: Steve Vogel’s Broadcast Live succeeds as both a personal memoir and cultural snapshot, offering readers an always-thoughtful, often-amusing journey through the latter half of the 20th century while illuminating larger truths about American life, media, and the human experience.

2025 Non-fiction Quarterfinalist

Plot/Idea
A true “dip into nostalgic waters,” this striking collection by baby boomer Vogel regales readers with entertaining stories of growing up in mid-20th century America, punctuated by wily door-to-door salesmen, awkward 6th grade romance attempts at the roller-skating rink, and rat hunting on his family’s Illinois farm. Those memories give way to more serious fare when Vogel contemplates his young adult path to journalism amid the unrest of the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War, as well as his later years of marriage, parenthood, and a booming career in broadcasting.

Prose
Vogel writes with a practiced hand, delivering smooth, concise prose that trims a lifetime of memories into dynamic vignettes.

Originality
Broadcast Live balances the lighthearted with the profound, springing from prosaic childhood experiences to perceptive adult reflections that touch on social justice, cultural constructs, and a deep contemplation of what the future holds.

Character/Execution
Vogel invites readers into an intimate gathering of retrospections, carefree remembrances, and revelations that prompt a delicate soul-searching. Comparing his generation to the ones before and after, he emerges with intuitive thoughts on both his triumphs and regrets, as in his reflections on how his parents’ upbringing impacted their expression of love or his innocent hope that humanity’s future could be brighter than its past.

Score
Plot/Idea: 10
Originality: 9
Prose: 10
Character/Execution: 10
Overall: 9.75

Broadcast Live: 71 True Stories, Including Some I’d Just as Soon Forget comes from a veteran broadcast industry participant who here records his experiences, memories, and stories of his life inside and outside of radio broadcasting. His effort creates a vivid memoir that moves from Steve Vogel’s first Washington news conference in the 1960s to life experiences as diverse as a donkey called Xavier. He explores the early beginnings of what was to be a broadcast career when, at age 10, his father invested in a radio transmitter that led Vogel to turn his bedroom into a broadcast studio.

Readers receive more than an adult’s foray through the political worlds of broadcasting and radio show production. This sojourn through life captures the nuances of Vogel’s influences as well as his career, providing a multifaceted backdrop for better understanding the engagements, impact, and meaning of his broadcast work.

Vogel outlines colorful characters, major broadcasting achievements, minor snafus, and shifting social conditions surrounding broadcast choices. One example is the conflict between rock ‘n roll and a Christian minister who claimed the music to be the work of the devil. What better attraction than to invite Paul Kantner and Rev. Wesley Ates to an on-air debate? Their discourse includes lively details that will delight readers who were not there, but can now vicariously live those times and issues.

Later encounters include those with Larry King, Vogel’s return to the newspaper world, and interactions with personalities whose motivations and impacts spring to life via vivid, entertaining descriptions.

Students of broadcast history and American culture will find Broadcast Live especially delightful for its foray into bygone times and the “mystic moments” of music, culture, radio and entertainment, and news creation and reporting.

The wide-ranging scope of this memoir will bring it to the attention of general-interest audiences outside the broadcasting and media communities, promising a read that is thought-provoking, sometimes hilarious, and ultimately a heartfelt exploration of a journalist’s world via his chronicle of moving through life.

Libraries will want to acquire and recommend Broadcast Live not just to media studies or American history readers, but for general-interest memoir audiences who will especially appreciate its vivid re-creation of bygone eras, personalities, and perspectives.

D. Donovan
Senior Reviewer
Midwest Book Review