By Jocelyn Bogen
July 13, 2009

A couple of months ago, The United States Conference of Mayors launched “USMayorTime with Tom Cochran” a radio talk show created to give mayors a platform to discuss current events and issues impacting cities. The conference has a weekly radio show on Blogtalkradio.com, a social radio network that allows listeners to tune in via the Internet for radio talk shows. The shows are broadcasted live, but can be streamed and downloaded as podcasts to adjust to listener schedules.

The Inaugural show in mid-May featured Past President Trenton (NJ) Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, followed by the first of two shows featuring Past President Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic who discussed the recall attempt against him both before the special election, as well as after as his first national interview. As USCM headed into its 77th Annual Meeting, USMayorTime featured Providence Mayor David Cicilline who gave an update on the city’s position and the status of negotiations with the firemen’s union as mayors headed to his host-city without the Obama Administration’s participation.

For the first time, USCM broadcasted each day of the 77th Annual Meeting to provide listeners an opportunity to hear from America’s mayors as they convened and created national policy. Mayor’s who were featured on the broadcasts included: USCM Past President Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, Piscataway (NJ) Mayor Brian Wahler, Meridian (MS) Mayor John Robert Smith, North Little Rock Patrick Henry Hayes, Elizabeth (NJ) Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, Pembroke Pines (FL) Mayor Frank Ortiz, Rochester (MN) Mayor Ardell Brede, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and former Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, USCM Vice President Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, USCM Past President Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, Bowling Green (KY) Mayor Elaine Walker, Portsmouth (VA) Mayor James W. Holley III, York (PA) Mayor John Brenner, and USCM Second Vice President Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Broadcasts were simulcaste on LatinoPublic Radio (WELH 88.1 FM), with shows translated into both Spanish and Italian. The final broadcast featuring USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran’s inquiry about whether Villaraigosa was planning to run for Governor was picked up on the radio show “The Mix,” a BlogTalkRadio’s weekly digest of the most amusing, emotional, compelling and/or newsworthy moments from their unmatched mix of online-radio programming.

Last week, USMayorTime featured Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman who discussed the importance of tourism and the Arts to the economy of cities, as well as encouraging leisure and business travel to cities like Las Vegas. Goodman also gave some interesting information about his future aspirations and special memory of Michael Jackson. To listen to our most recent broadcast or any of the previous shows, go to the website www.blogtalkradio.com/usmayors. Mayors who wish to participate in future broadcasts should send an e-mail request to usmayortime@usmayors.org or call Jocelyn Bogen at 202- 861-6727.