Thousands of radio listeners tune in each week to a conservative talk show recorded in the apartment of a Hillsdale student whose guests have included Herman Cain in a segment called “The View From Hillsdale.”
Junior Richard Caster in 2009 was serving as the head of the Ozark Tea Party in Arkansas when he was approached by Scott Gray, the owner of Arkansas 97.1 Mountain Talk Radio and asked to create a program that would broadcast conservative and tea party views to a wide radio audience in Arkansas and a national audience online.
Caster achieved that goal, broadcasting a weekly show to 50,000 listeners that achieved so much popularity that he even broadcasted form the Iowa Presidential Debate, Washington D.C., and the Republican National Covention in Tampa, Florida.
Caster believes in educating people on founding principles and conservative beliefs.
“We’re in trouble now,” Caster said. “Many people do not know why we believe what we believe.”
He transferred from Arkansas State University to Hillsdale College in 2013 and inspired by the college’s mission and teachings, he changed the name of his radio show, “The Blessings of Liberty” to “The View From Hillsdale” and began featuring classmates and professors.
His show has featured discussions with prominent guests including political commentators Dick Morris and Michelle Malkin, and columnist Herman Cain. In 2013, Caster began recording interviews for the show in Hillsdale.
Professor Gary Wolfram was the first campus guest, discussing his book, “A Capitalist Manifesto.” Other guests include Ian Swanson ’14, various professors, and most recently, sophomore Paul Mittermeier.
“I was on between five and ten times,” Swanson said. “Usually when [Caster] was writing a paper or studying for an exam because he knew I could fill the time.”
Swanson said they debated, talked about books they read, and current events. He said more students who are moderate in tone should get into talk radio and treat their audiences like adults.
Mittermeier, a proud libertarian and avid Tea Partier, was featured on the show to discuss the Common CoreState Standards Initiative, a subject he is well versed in from his own state of Ohio.
“I love the show,” Mittermeier said. “I”m glad it is a product of the Tea Party. It is a testament to the education of the movement and it is an example of how it is far from being dead. The diversity of the audience that listens shows how inclusive the Tea Party is.”
Caster records the show in his Hillsdale apartment and sends the audio to the radio station in Calico Rock, Arkansas. Since broadcasting from Hillsdale, the viewership has expanded significantly.
“The majority of the listeners are obviously from Arkansas, but we also have significant viewership from Canada, and even France,” he said.
Caster is not stopping there. He said he hopes to expand the show to an even larger audience in Arkansas and hopes to one day even feature President Larry Arnn on the show.
“The goal is to get him on the show before I graduate,” Caster said.