(Photo Credit: Current TV)
There are few people more passionate about online news than progressive talk show host Cenk Uygur. The Istanbul-born, New Jersey-bred talking head founded “The Young Turks” show on Sirius Satellite Radio in 2002. A few years later, it moved from the airwaves to the Internet, where it now logs about 1 million views daily.
Those are big numbers for a Web television talk show, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to grow. On Monday, “The Young Turks with Cenk Uygur,” a one-hour TV version of the Web show, premieres on the Al Gore-founded cable channel, Current. Uygur, an MSNBC alum who had a much publicized breakup with the network, will air on Current before the show of another ex-MSNBC personality, Keith Olbermann.
Between tapings of the show, Uygur chatted with POLITICO about his basketball skills, what it’s like to be a Jersey boy watching “Jersey Shore,” his dream guests and his love of fettuccine Alfredo pizza.
With “The Young Turks” online and “The Young Turks with Cenk Uygur” on Current, you have three hours of programming a day. That’s a long work day. What do you do to relax?
When I want to relax, it’s nine out of 10 times TV or movies. I love going to the movies and grabbing popcorn or watching “Mad Men,” “Boardwalk Empire” and “Breaking Bad.” I also play basketball on the weekends, and my favorite thing in the world is fantasy football, but tragic news: I got eliminated last week.
Do you think you could beat President Barack Obama in a one-on-one basketball game?
That would be an excellent contest. I’m not bad, and he’s not bad, and we are both old guys that are a little bit past our prime. We should do the Young Turks squad against the White House team. Or he can even take the whole Democratic Party and keep Reggie Love.
What three words would you use to describe Al Gore?
I recently met him. We’ve had a number of conversations that have been great. He cares so much about policy. Instead of worrying about corporate politics, I talk about policy with my boss. Three words to describe him would be strong, progressive, right. He’s right all the time.
“The Young Turks” YouTube channel has pulled in half a billion total views. What will be the biggest surprise for your online audience when it tunes into the Current version of the show?
Television is getting very robotic, fake, plastic, and viewers are not getting anything of value out of the standard cable news program. We go after politicians very, very aggressively. For our online audience, it will be similar in some ways. It will be irreverent, conversational, but we will be able to involve guests from all across the country, which we were limited to online.
Dream guest?
I want to interview Alec Baldwin. I don’t know why he hasn’t done [“The Young Turks”] yet. Come on the show, let’s go. The second is the exact opposite. I’ve always wanted to interview Nelson Mandela; he’s a living legend. And then, obviously, President Obama so I can ask him what happened. What happened to the guy [who] used to be the most inspirational guy? How did he become the least inspirational guy? If he was a wrestler, his nickname would be The Establishment.
Have you ever been bleeped out on air?
As aggressive as I am, no, I have never been bleeped out on air. I often ask where the line is before we go on air.
Favorite set meal?
In our world, that’s very important. If I get hungry, I get cranky on air. I mainly eat bananas. Both MSNBC and Current have a very funny video of me eating bananas on set.
Bananas? Wow, that’s very healthy.
Oh, that’s just a snack. I eat disastrously. I eat the worst kind of stuff. At our old studio, there was a restaurant with fettuccine Alfredo pizza. It was the most delicious thing on earth.
There seems to be a trend toward hiring political offspring as television contributors (Jenna Bush Hager, Chelsea Clinton, Meghan McCain). Is there any political son or daughter you’d like to have on the show?
We have Wes Clark Jr. as a contributor, but there is a huge difference between him and other folks. I think those other stations bring them in to have a facade of having young people on air, but they fit into the same old tired format. Wes is often times deeply controversial and very aggressive. He’s a blast to have on and the audience loves him. We use him because he’s terrific.
Your 1-year-old son is named Prometheus Maximus Uygur. Any nicknames?
Pro, Promo, some people call him Promy. But the longest lasting has been Boom Boom Boom. When we saw the ultrasound, we were looking at his heartbeat going boom, boom, boom, and said, “This kid is strong.”
Any guilty TV pleasures? “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” “Hoarders,” “Real Housewives”? You were raised in New Jersey, maybe “Jersey Shore”?
You nailed it. And it’s not me, so I claim. My wife loves “Jersey Shore,” but when it’s on, I watch it more than she does. I’m like, “Can you believe Ronnie and Sammi got back together?” And she’s like, “Why are you so into it?” I grew up in Jersey. I’ve been to the Jersey Shore countless times. I’ve lived it. The Situation drives me crazy. He’s such a drama queen. … I guess Pauly D and Vinny are my favorite characters.
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