Michael Berry (radio host)

Early life

Originally from Orange in Orange County in far southeastern Texas, Berry graduated magna cum laude from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Texas School of Law and a Master of Laws and Letters degree from the University of Nottingham in England. His wife is Nandita Venkateswaran Berry, or "Nandy", the 109th Secretary of State of Texas, who is originally from Hyderabad, India. He and his wife are Southern Baptists.

Political career

Berry was a three-term Houston at-large city council member and also served as Mayor Pro Tem. He was named "Councilman of the Year" by the Houston Police Officers Union. After helping Houston film director and choreographer Shawn Welling with a legal dispute involving the city council, Berry became producer on the next Welling Films production, which won acclaim from notable Houston newspapers the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Press. Berry told the station, ""I think that this story is so compelling that if it can generate an initial buzz, then it will take on a life of its own... The beauty of the story is it's a story of redemption."

Radio career

In 2005, Berry began hosting weekend program Michael Berry's Real Estate Review on Houston radio station NewsRadio 740 KTRH. The following year, Berry began hosting a weekday 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. talk show on sister station Talk Radio 950 KPRC that replaced the syndicated Glenn Beck Program.

On April 27, 2007, Berry became operations director for the three Clear Channel Communications AM radio stations in Houston: KTRH, KPRC, and KBME "790 the Sports Animal". Berry remained in that position until 2011. In June 2007, Berry began hosting a 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. show on KTRH in addition to his morning KPRC show. KTRH moved Berry's show to 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in July 2007 to make room for The Sean Hannity Show and The Chris Baker Show. KPRC dropped Berry's show on July 30, 2007 as part of its revamped "Radio Mojo" format that put Walton and Johnson and Mancow's Morning Madhouse in weekday mornings. Berry returned to his old timeslot after KTRH canceled Baker's show in November 2007. In 2010, KPRC "The 9-5-0 Radio Mojo" brought back Berry in the 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. slot, and KTRH cut Berry's 5 p.m. show back one hour in order to present all three hours of The Mark Levin Show afterwards.

Clear Channel station in Portland, Oregon, NewsRadio 1190 KEX, began simulcasting Berry's KPRC show live in the 12 to 3 p.m. (PT) slot in April 2011.

In January 2012, KPRC replaced Berry's afternoon show with a show by KTRH morning host Matt Patrick. KTRH put Berry on the 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. slot previously occupied by the last hour of Houston's Morning News and The Glenn Beck Program; KPRC took in Glenn Beck. This marked the end of KEX broadcasting Berry live, as KEX's noon broadcast of Michael Berry became a delayed version of Berry's KTRH morning show. KEX dropped Berry in June 2013 in favor of Glenn Beck. KEX currently airs the program five days a week. Berry's afternoon show expanded to other markets on Clear Channel stations; it is simulcast live in Waco, Texas on KWTX NewsRadio 1230, formerly on Nashville, Tennessee on NewsRadio 1510 WLAC, Baton Rouge, Louisiana on NewsRadio 1150 WJBO, Birmingham, Alabama on NewsRadio 105.5 WERC, Atlanta, Georgia on Talk Radio 640 WGST, and Albany, New York on NewsRadio 810 and 103.1 WGY, in Dallas, Texas on KFXR (AM), in New Orleans, Louisiana on WRNO-FM and delayed in Beaumont, Texas on News/Talk 560 KLVI and San Antonio, Texas on NewsRadio 1200 WOAI.

Berry won the readers' choice award of best talk radio host from the Houston Press in 2010.

Berry has been a guest host of the nationally syndicated Mark Levin Show.

Berry is the host of the radio show Texas Time, which airs on weekends. The intent of the program is to showcase new featured music releases and festivals in Texas.

Controversy

Referring to the Muslim community center proposed for construction near the Ground Zero site of the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York City, Berry stated on his May 26, 2010, KPRC program that if the center were to be completed, "I hope that someone blows it up". The following day, he expressed partial regret, issuing a statement which said in part, “I apologize to you, my listeners, for insulting your intelligence and saying something so stupid. I do not apologize, however, for my opinion that that mosque should not be built."

While discussing a publicized video of police brutality on his internet radio show, Berry compared the black teenagers in the video to "jungle animals."

Berry questioned President Obama's eligibility for the presidency by suggesting that the birth certificate candidate Obama provided to the public in 2008 was flawed. To address such questions, Obama asked the state of Hawaii to release its copy of the official birth certificate on April 27, 2011. When the second birth certificate was released, Berry defended his speculation by asking on his Facebook page:

"WHY would President Obama spend so much time and political capital hiding "this" document, if it is authentic and proves he was born in Hawaii? For anyone who criticizes you for asking, just ask them to explain this very simple question."

Hit-and-Run Incident

On February 16, 2012, the Houston Chronicle reported that Berry had been accused of leaving the scene of an accident that is said to have occurred at approximately 11 p.m. on January 31, 2012 in the parking lot of a local gay bar. On February 21, 2012, Berry responded to the allegations on his morning radio show. While Berry, who is married with children, admitted through his attorney Dick DeGuerin that he was at the bar that evening, he denies the allegations.

It was reported on February 24, 2012, that the accuser had settled the matter in exchange for a payment of $2,000.00 from Berry for damages to his car. The settlement included a stipulation that Berry was not admitting guilt. After prosecutors were unable to contact the alleged victim, the investigation into Berry's alleged crime was terminated. The Assistant DA, Connie Spence, declined to pursue charges in the case.