Some history of the Olsen on Law Radio Show

Attorney Tom Olsen: Chrissy, I had a young lawyer call me out of the blue yesterday and asked me, he was thinking about getting on radio and asked me how I got started and I told him I've been doing it for a long time. In 1986, if you do the math, that's 38 years, right?

Attorney Chris Merrill: Yes.

Tom: America's longest running legal radio show.

Chris: Congratulations.

Tom: I know the story, but it's worth repeating every once in a while. That is 1986 I was a young lawyer. I became a lawyer in 1981, so I'd been a lawyer for five years. Back then it was all about listening to the radio when you're driving around in your car. No podcast, no CDs. I suppose there were some eight track tapes back then, but it was a lot about listening to the radio.

As a young person back then, I was listening strictly to rock and roll radio. My mom lived in Orlando and she was listening to Talk Radio and she heard a Talk Radio show and she called me up. He says, "Tom, you should offer to be their lawyer expert on that Talk Radio show." I went on and went back, went back, went back and was short time after that they offered me my own radio show and that's how it got started.

Chris: Again, thank you for sharing the story. I think it's really wonderful that your mom was instrumental. The inspiration for you having your own radio show and having the longest radio show now in the country. Think about it. Really you were ahead of your time. There was no attorneys doing radio back in the day and so very special. Of course, fast forward, there are many more attorneys doing radio. However, it's interesting because it's really evolved and that's why I'm curious about this young lawyer asking you.

Because even though I know you may say, "Oh, not as many people listen to the radio." I'm sure radio listeners out there certainly can say now though, there's more opportunities. In addition to your car, which was the primary back then, now people can listen to the radio live or podcast on their smartphones, on their tablets, on their computers. In a way you have opened up a different Avenue and more people, if you will, are listening because again, podcasts. They start listening to live radio as well.

Tom: I want to say that you and I both know that on a regular basis we have people that tell us how much they enjoy listening to our radio show and how much it means to them and they go out of their way to make sure that they listen to our radio show and for that we're very grateful. We have a lot of loyal listeners out there.

Chris: We have a lot of loyal listeners and we really appreciate it. As a matter of fact, yesterday I was finishing up with a client and two clients walked in our lobby and I overheard them speaking to Julie saying, because they were here for Edgewater title or closing. I heard the one man say to the other, "Oh my gosh, I've been listening to attorney Tom Olsen for 25 years."

Tom: Yes.

Chris: Again, and we hear it all the time. Again, thank you listeners for being loyal and wanting to tune in. Certainly here over central Florida, you have given the community the service of providing them with free legal advice on the radio every Saturday again for all these years. Thank you for your service to the community.

Tom: I love doing radio. If I didn't love doing radio, it wouldn't work. What makes it super nice is that you're joining me now on the radio.

Chris: Thank you.

Tom: I do want to say a part of the story and that for the first few years of radio, so talk about mid '80s, late '80s, I would always have a guest on the air with me and that meant that I had to search out a guest, I need to meet with the guests, I need to prep the guests, et cetera, et cetera. There's a bit of work to it. I had a producer that said, "Tom, I don't want you to have any more guests. I want you to do nothing but answer legal questions for people."

I heard him and the next week I had a guest on, my producer happened to be there and goes, "Tom, why is that person here? Why is that guest here? I told you you're going in that studio all by yourself." I finally got it. The first time I went into the studio by myself, it was very nerve wracking, but I'd called my friends and family and given them a list of legal questions for them to ask me, call me on the air just to make sure I wasn't all by myself and hey, there you go. That's the way it started. After that, there was never an issue as far as getting phone calls and legal questions.

Chris: I love it. Thank you for sharing.

Tom: Hey folks, my name is Tom Olsen. The name of the show is Olsen on Law. You're listening to news radio, WFLA. We're going to take a break. We'll be back in just a few minutes.

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