Thursday, March 6, 2008- A Standing Ovation at the Utah Senate!
My tenure as the Communications Guru at the Utah Senate came to an end on Wednesday night. Of course there was one last press conference way past midnight so I was working off the clock. Sen. Allen Christianson grabbed hold of my arm and took me up to the front of the Senate Floor. What followed totally took me off guard. As you can see from the video above I had to bolt before I got even more choked up. They went into what they call the Committee of the Whole. That way I was allowed to speak to the Senate from the floor. It is a privilege reserved for visiting dignitaries like the Governor, a U.S. Senator or most recently a Nobel Prize winner.
I had an agreement with my last employer not to work on the air in Salt Lake for a period of time. Ric Cantrell, the Chief Deputy of the Senate, called and said...."Hey as long as you are just sitting around, come up and join us!" I did. And I had a blast. Thanks Ric! and thank you Senate President Valentine.
My brief stay at the Senate wiped away the awful previous months that I was subjected to. Who knew that it would be elected officials that made my brief move back home worth it? It was a perfect send off. I will have a Farewell Utah podcast coming up in the next week before I leave for my next gig in New Orleans. But a special thanks also to Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr., Speaker of the House Greg Curtis and Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble for allowing me in on the most sensitive meetings this session. Including the final hours. That took a lot of trust.
Sunday, March 2, 2008- Ricky Martin, Me and General Hospital
Talk about a flash from the past for me! This is a clip from an E! show I did with Ricky Martin. He was starring on General Hospital (while still recording CD's and touring the world). I was doing a stint as an extra as part of the gag for the E! show.
Sunday, March 2, 2008- Wait..It Gets Weirder!
I was on Arsenio. Really. Don't be a hater! lol
Sunday, March 2, 2008- On the Road to the White House
Having covered an incumbent president and his challengers, I found the following video pretty cool. Long days, bad food and the f------ stump speech for the millionth time!
Friday, February 29, 2008- CASTNER RETURNS TO KSL!
HAHAHAHAHHAHA...Well sorta. For the first time since getting canned I was allowed back on KSL...TV that is. Rich Piatt came by to take a look at what we set up through the Utah Senate. As the Utah peeps know, I have been consulting on media and new media for the Senate while sitting out a legal agreement in Salt Lake City. That agreement is over (as is the session next week) and I will be back in radio land in the coming weeks. More news to follow.
Friday, February 29, 2008-
Got some more lovin' from Holly Mullen at City Weekly today. I made the Salt Blog! CLICK HERE. Damn, I am going to miss Wed's when the new issues hit the street!
Thursday, February 28, 2008-
Holy Crap am I tired! One week to go in the Senate and boy am I ready for a rest! But I won't have much time to rest after that.
We are almost done with a new broadcasting deal. I will have more here and Stickam in the next week or so. Back on the air probably in April(?). This ain't a project. All I can say is that it is a lot bigger than the last situation....and boyyyyyyy will I have to get up early. I am NOT a morning person so this will be a treat for listeners!
Sunday, February 24, 2008- Jimmy Kimmel's Oscar Special
This will make you pee yourself!
Sunday, February 24, 2008- A perfect birthday!
My bro-in-law and I (on the right) in Park City, Utah smoking cigars.
The mountain just before it was f---ing shutdown because of a thunderstorm. What's a little voltage amongst friends?
Sunday February 10, 2008
Saturday February 9, 2008
AHHHHHHH and I thought it was just my imagination that ALL of these people I have been talking to have been telling me that "you make WAYYYYYYYY more than we could afford to pay you". I WONDER who started that rumor! I actually listen to Radio From Hell finally now that I am up that early.
FRIDAY February 8, 2008
YOU must be the voice of innocent animals in Utah! My radio voice has been silenced but I know the friends I made have not been. When we raised our voices about Henry's Law....or what I called Puppy Torture..the lawmakers had no choice but to hear us! The Governor even put it on the agenda for the Special Session. THIS is what he told me:
YES..I do now work in the Senate for this session moving technology forward, but I cannot make the changes needed. I am not elected. YOU are the people of Utah and you need to make your voice heard loud and clear. Call your friends...bulletin your MySpace friends. Make calls to the lawmakers. We have seen a dog stabbed in the face because the neighbor claimed he barked too loud. CLICK HERE Another was found shot to death in the back yard. CLICK HERE These stories are just this week alone...and to many, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT! Again...I CAN'T SPEAK OUT.....YOU CAN!
Saturday January 19, 2008 SUNDANCING WITH JEFF BELL
My buddy Jeff Bell has been covering Sundance for KCPW and his stuff is hilarious! He offers a true insider's view of what it is like to be....well....an OUTSIDER in his own state. Ahhhhhhh Hollywood! It is a daily treat! CLICK HERE
Friday January 18, 2008 WHERE HAVE I BEEN, YOU ASK?
Tuesday January 7, 2008 CHECK OUT THE $TATION!
Most of you Utah peeps know my buddy TJ from the radio show or the Oxygen Channel show "Janice Dickinson's Modeling Agency". Well, now he is a reality show creator and producer and along with this production partners have come up with a show set inside a Salt Lake City, Utah hip hop radio station. Check it out!
Tuesday January 10, 2008 LET ME TAKE YOU DOWN.....
Yesterday we announced the launch of the Utah Senate Channel on Your Tube. This is a tour of my "office".
Tuesday January 7, 2008 MY NEW GIG!
I am pumped to announce that I am the new Communications Consultant to the Utah Senate. For a brief period I have agreed to sit out working in radio in the Salt Lake market. I WILL be returning to broadcasting once the legislative session ends in March. For the announcement podcast CLICK HERE . I will also be on Stickam tonight at 8 MT to talk all about it!
Sunday January 6, 2008 Congrats To A Friend
Patrick Thronson ends his job as the SLC Mayor's spokesperson Monday. After working with the most outspoken U.S. mayor in recent history and dealing with local and national media from the SLC Tribune to Bill O'Reilly you would think he would take a day off, but no. Monday he launches his new public relations and marketing company www.thronsonassociates.com. Check it out. and congrats Patrick!
Tuesday January 2, 2008 CITY WEEKLY 2008 PREDICTIONS!
CLICK HERE to check out my predicitons for 2008 (along with City Weekly's Holly Mullen and Bill Frost, former SLC Mayor Ted Wilson and a psychic).
Tuesday January 2, 2008 TIGERS AND STARS OH MY!
CLICK HERE to check out a new video I just added. With all of the talk of the tiger attack at the zoo I was reminded that I once was stupid enough to work along side one.
Sunday December 30, 2007
There is a brand new UTAH edition of the podCASTNER. Check it out by clicking on the podCASTNER link above!
Sunday December 30, 2007
This was the best Christmas ever. This is my niece Finley. She was born the day after Christmas. She wasn't due to arrive until mid-January so I was lucky to be there for it!
Friday December 28, 2007
THIS JUST IN- Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Best of Utah Radio 2007
•Best evening personality — Michael Castner, formerly on KSL's Nightside Project
• Biggest losses — .....Michael Castner from KSL
Monday December 17, 2007
A friend told me about this one and it is PRICELESS!
Sunday December 16, 2007
Nothing spoke to me more about what the holidays mean than this essay that I saw today on CBS News Sunday Morning. It comes from a former speech writer for Richard Nixon and someone that I rarely take advice from. I mean come on....he is the actor that called out "Buhler?....Buhler?" CLICK HERE for the wise words of Ben Stein.
Thursday December 6, 2007
One of the top THREE most popular Stickam Casts! That's right! You made it happen. Over 35,000 viewers this week. Stop on by most nights and say hi! Keep an eye on the promote graphic on the left for the time! and THANK YOU!
Saturday December 1, 2007
It is snowing today in Utah! People ask me if I plan to stay here. Look at this beauty! Like ya gotta ask? :) Click the Stickam logo to play. Oh and the first one is Xmas at Casa De Castner
UPDATE: Thurs November 29, 2007
Kevin Pereira the host of G4's Attack of the Show is back with the latest in gaming news..Iphone bitching/loving and cool tech crap. Kevin turned me on to Stickam and you can chat with him live during Attack of the Show every day! Just click on the AOTS box on the right to go the the show site OR
CLICK HERE to go to Kevin's new website!
WED November 28, 2007
I will be back live on STICKAM tonight at 8 MT (7 PT/10 ET). Drop on by and say hello. We have a great time catching up and answering questions and just ranting about stuff.
CLICK HERE
Friday November 23, 2007
podCASTNER is available through iTunes now! We just got notification that we have been added to the iTunes podcast store and of course the podCASTNER is FREE! Don't forget to leave a NICE review when you are in iTunes! lol
I am most grateful for your support on this Thanksgiving!
UPDATE: Monday November 19, 2007
podCASTNER is Here! Thank you for all of your responses! Plans are to podCASTNER every weekday..and yes I will even have one up on Thanksgiving. I would do a "best of" but it is a LITTLE pre-mature!
60 MINUTES TALKS ABOUT THE NIGHTSIDE TARGET AUDIENCE-MILLENIALS
Morley Safer reports on the new generation of "millennials." They are in their late teens to early twenties and could be ill prepared for a demanding workplace. Who do they blame? MR. ROGERS! CLICK HERE.
UPDATE: Thurs. November 15, 2007.
You regular listeners know that Stickam is one of my favorite ways to interact with you. Well our webcast last night had so many views that we once again made it to the FEATURED SPOT on the Stickam front page as the Stickam site with the most viewers around the world at that time! Very Cool. So, I will be live again tonight at 9 ET/6 PT. Who knows, you might even hear some familiar voices! Stop by and say hi. You don't need a webcam to do it. Don't know Stickam? Check it out! CLICK HERE
When you are in a business like this people often ask why do you do this? Well....the answer is best expressed by the inimitable Keith Richards.
This is a live camera from Stickam. It is the fastest growing live webcam community. It's a freaking blast-AND IT'S FREE!
What followed totally took me off guard. As you can see from the video above I had to bolt before I got even more choked up. They went into what they call the Committee of the Whole. That way I was allowed to speak to the Senate from the floor. It is a privilege reserved for visiting dignitaries like the Governor, a U.S. Senator or most recently a Nobel Prize winner.
I am pumped to announce that I am the new Communications Consultant to the Utah Senate. For a brief period I have agreed to sit out working in radio in the Salt Lake market. I WILL be returning to broadcasting once the legislative session ends in March. For the announcement podcast 
Nothing spoke to me more about what the holidays mean than this essay that I saw today on CBS News Sunday Morning. It comes from a former speech writer for Richard Nixon and someone that I rarely take advice from. I mean come on....he is the actor that called out "Buhler?....Buhler?" 
60 MINUTES TALKS ABOUT THE NIGHTSIDE TARGET AUDIENCE-MILLENIALS