DOUBLE TALK

Editor’s Note: University of Houston Magazine wanted to include an interview with the host and executive producer of the popular daily talk show “Houston Matters with Craig Cohen” on UH’s Houston Public Media station, News 88.7 FM. After considering a number of choices to conduct this challenging interview, it became clear who the best person for the job was...

Craig: Hi, Craig.
Craig: Hi, Craig.

Craig: Can we first acknowledge that this is weird?
Craig: I’ll stipulate to that.

Craig: Are you prepared to answer anything I ask you?
Craig: Well, let’s see how it goes. (Pauses) It’s not that I don’t trust you, I’m just wary of you media types.

Craig: Really – why?
Craig: Well, I hear about “fake news” all the time. And, so far, this feels a lot like a fake interview.

Craig: What makes you say that?
Craig: For starters, this entire conversation is taking place in my head, and I’m just typing it all down.

Craig: Like I said, weird. 
Craig: Indeed. What do you want to know?

Craig: I guess we should start with what brought you here.
Craig: My car. And I’d have been here sooner, but, well, Houston traffic…

Craig: I meant: What brought you to Houston?
Craig: Ahh. Gotcha. Well, I came here in 2013 to establish a public affairs unit at Houston Public Media, and launch what would become Houston Matters. Before that, I had been news and public affairs director for Illinois Public Media. 

Craig: How much did you know about Houston when you arrived? 
Craig: Honestly? Nothing. I had never even visited when this opportunity came along. I grew up in St. Louis, and while there were some undeniable similarities between the two cities, I was coming to town with fresh eyes and no assumptions. It turned out to be an advantage as we got the show rolling – I could ask a lot of simple questions, and be forgiven for being a “newbie.” While I’ve learned a lot about Houston in the ensuing years, I find the show still works best when I just ask simple, direct questions. Plus, I work with a great team of producers who make me sound smarter and better prepared than I probably am!

Craig: What was your impression of Houston as you settled in here?
Craig: In 2013, Houston was in the midst of an economic boom. I arrived right in the middle of a series of years in which Harris County added more residents than any other county in the country. And while that growth has slowed a bit the last few years (thanks in part to some oil price dips and Harvey, among other developments), Houston remains a growing metropolitan area in a seemingly constant state of reinvention.

Craig: What stands out to you?
Craig: Our diversity is often a real strength. And I mean every possible definition of that word – diversity of people, culture, food, activities, neighborhoods, experiences. Whatever it is you want to do in this world, Houston has a way for you to do it (and often many ways). That’s not true in every city.

Craig: What could Houston do better?
Craig: Recognize that diversity is not the same thing as inclusion. The demographics say we’re diverse. But some of our self-segregated neighborhoods reinforce that we’re not always inclusive. We’re all invited to the dance; not everyone’s asked to dance. It’s a distinction we try to explore on the program.

Craig: What is Houston missing?
Craig: Good toasted ravioli. And an NHL team. 

Craig: You’re a rabid hockey fan – how hard has it been living in a community without an NHL franchise?
Craig: It’s been a lot less difficult since my St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup! I was so appreciative of the high fives and congratulatory notes I received from Houstonians after the Blues won the Cup. It reinforces to me that there are a lot of other hockey fans here among us. Perhaps the NHL will take notice someday, too.

Craig: Is that likely?
Craig: Hard to say. Some Houstonians think we’re too far South or too hot and humid, but the NHL’s placed teams in California, Arizona and Florida. And they once said the same thing about St. Louis (it was the “Deep South of hockey” when I was young – now there are eight teams south of St. Louis). Others point to the WHA and IHL incarnations of the Aeros coming and going as a sign Houston can’t support hockey, but neither compares to the NHL. The next expansion team will be in Seattle. That’ll give the league 32 teams. That’s a lot. While Houston has an NHL-standard arena at the ready (Toyota Center) and a willing potential owner (Tilman Fertitta), the more likely scenario might be a relocation of an existing franchi-- 

Craig: -- Uh, Craig?
Craig: Yeah?

Craig: I think we’ve gotten a bit off track. We were talking about Houston – and Houston Matters.
Craig: Oh, right. OK, OK. If you really think that’s more interesting. 

Craig: Oh, I think you know I’d rather just talk more about hockey, but let’s steer this sucker back on course. What role do you see Houston Matters playing in today’s media landscape?
Craig: If we’re doing our jobs right, Houston Matters should be the region’s daily guide to the people, places, issues, and ideas that define Greater Houston. The litmus test is, if you had someone coming to town to visit, you’d refer them to Houston Matters to get a flavor of what this area is all about. We try to live up to that each day, with a variety of stories and interviews that cover everything from transportation to politics to food to sports to the arts and beyond.

Craig: Well, I think, by and large, you’re doing that each day.
Craig: Thank you. I mean me. 

Craig: So, how many guests have you interviewed since the show started?
Craig: Well, I’d have to go back through our calendar and count them. Hang on … there’s one … there’s another … we had two guests in that conversa ---

Craig: Think you could just ballpark it for us?
Craig: If I had to guess, probably somewhere around 7,500 at this point.

Craig: And who was your favorite?
Craig: Hmm.  There’s an approximately 7,500-way tie for first.

Craig: OK, then what makes a really good guest? 
Craig: Here’s some of what we look for: The ideal guests are well-educated and passionate about the topics at hand and communicate their ideas effectively. We look for friendly, engaging people who respect the listener’s intelligence but don’t condescend to callers or other guests. We seek authentic voices – not people so practiced that they come off as disingenuous or disconnected. We want effective storytellers who contribute to a diverse pool of guests whose voices represent Houston. 

Craig: Sounds like you’re asking for a lot.
Craig: Well, we also try to help our guests along. We want them to successfully communicate their ideas to the listener. Producers on the Houston Matters team talk with them in advance of the show, and I try to chat with them right before we go on air. 

Craig: And really bad guests?
Craig: If someone struggles to communicate clearly, or isn’t the right person to talk with about a particular topic, or is in some way far off from what I just described, it’s not their failure, it’s ours. There are no bad guests, just bad prep, or bad execution on my part – which is to say on your part, Craig. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen very often. And we try to learn from it. [Pause] Sooo … how would you say that I’ve done as a guest?

Craig: Well, let’s put it this way. You’re my second-favorite guest, all-time, but …
Craig: … but there’s an approximately 7,500-way tie for first? 

Craig: You got it. (Pause) This is still weird, isn’t it?
Craig: Yep.

Hear interviews with OTHER people on “Houston Matters with Craig Cohen”  weekdays at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Houston Public Media News 88.7 FM. You can also subscribe to the program’s daily podcast on your favorite app, or at HoustonPublicMedia.org/podcasts.