Meet Bruddah Mike

Big news! (Well, for me, at least.) I'm launching a new radio show beginning next week on 88.5 KCSN-FM, the public radio station run by California State University-Northridge.

"Hawaiian Eye" will air every Thursday night/early Friday morning from Midnight to 2 a.m.

That's right, I'm going Hawaiian on ya. I've been looking for years to get back on the air, and decided that pitching a niche format -- and one that can't be found anywhere else on Los Angeles radio -- would be my best shot at landing a radio gig.

After a year of on-and-off talks with KCSN management, it's finally coming true. If you've visited Hawaii (where I grew up during my high school/teenage years), you've probably noticed that contemporary Hawaiian music has turned into a major industry. In Honolulu, three of the top five radio stations (according to Arbitron) boast a Hawaiian/island music format. The Hawaiian music industry has its own stars and even its own version of the Grammys -- pretty unique.

I can't tell you how much I've missed being on the radio. In high school, I guest DJed on a number of stations in Hawaii. And in college, I ran WNUR, the nation's largest-student run station (covering the Chicago market). As "Dr. Mike," I did a freeform show for five years with Tony ("Ton-Def").

But now, alas, I've retired the "Dr. Mike" moniker. In the spirit of the Hawaiian show, I'm calling myself "Bruddah Mike." It should be a lot of fun. "Hawaiian Eye" starts next week -- check it out!