Michael Smerconish Biography
Michael Smerconish, a radio host and television presenter now serves as the host for the CNN weekly Saturday TV show aptly named “Smerconish.” Additionally, he presides over The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM, showcasing his roles as an author and public speaker.
- Age
Michael Smerconish was born on March 15, 1962, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States. Currently, he is 61 years old.
- Education
Michael Smerconish earned his B.A. from Lehigh University and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Read also: Jake Tapper Bio, Age, Height, Wife, CNN, Books, and Net Worth
- Wife
Michael Smerconish is married to Lavinia Nardini. Together, they are blessed with four children and currently, they reside in suburban Philadelphia.
Michael Smerconish Career
Michael Smerconish is the host of the appropriately named weekly Saturday TV program on CNN, titled “Smerconish.” Additionally, he presides over “The Michael Smerconish Program” on SiriusXM. There he served as a daily talk-radio host exclusively on the POTUS Channel 124 since 2013. Broadcasting live from 9 am to Noon, the program also replays from 9 pm to Midnight.
Previously, Smerconish enjoyed national syndication in over 100 markets on terrestrial radio, following a successful stint as a morning drive host for CBS in Philadelphia. His eponymous CNN program made its debut in 2014, airing on Saturday mornings at 9:00 am EST. Beyond his CNN show, Smerconish is a regular guest on other CNN programming.
Apart from his broadcasting roles, Smerconish is an accomplished author with seven books to his name. Two of these books have earned the distinction of being New York Times bestsellers. Notably, his novel “TALK!” has been optioned for television by Warner Brothers.
Michael Smerconish Podcast
His most recent book, “Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right: American Life in Columns,” is a compilation of 100 newspaper columns. Each column is accompanied by a contemporary afterword, drawn from the 1,047 commentaries Michael Smerconish published in the Philadelphia Daily News and Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer in the first 15 years following 9/11.
This book inspired a speaking tour titled “American Life in Columns,” during which the author shared stories from the book with live audiences in two dozen small theaters across America. Scheduled to coincide with his 30th anniversary in talk radio, Smerconish was about to embark on a new tour called “Things I Wish I Knew Before He Started Talking” when the pandemic hit in March 2020.
Despite the challenges, a taped version of that presentation aired worldwide as a one-hour CNN special on July 11, 2020. The full show is set to be released on December 8, 2020, by Virgil Films on VOM and DVD. Smerconish is an attorney who once served in the Administration of President George Herbert Walker Bush when he was just 29 years old.
Michael Smerconish Books
Smerconish penned his debut book, “Flying Blind: How Political Correctness Continues to Compromise Airline Safety Post 9/11” (2004), based on his investigative work. Demonstrating his commitment to the cause, he generously donated all the proceeds to the Garden of Reflection, a 9/11 tribute garden located in his hometown of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Following the success of his first publication, Smerconish achieved New York Times best-seller status with his second book, “Muzzled: From T-Ball to Terrorism – True Stories That Should Be Fiction” (2007). This work aimed to draw connections between the constraints in combating the war on terror and the influence of domestic political correctness.
In his third book, “Murdered by Mumia: A Life Sentence of Loss, Pain, and Injustice” (2007), co-authored with Maureen Faulkner, Smerconish delved into the tragic narrative of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. The book explored the high-profile death penalty case involving Mumia Abu-Jamal, who, despite being convicted and sentenced to death, garnered international support from death penalty opponents. Smerconish not only narrated Faulkner’s story in print but also directed the $200,000 payment for writing the book to a charitable fund established in the slain officer’s honor.
Smerconish’s fourth book, “Morning Drive: Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Talking” (2009), provided a detailed account of his evolving political stances against the backdrop of his talk radio career. The chapters in “Morning Drive” were evenly divided between issue-oriented essays and behind-the-scenes tales from the media world.
Michael Smerconish Salary
Smerconish receives an annual salary ranging from $42,544 – to $150,769. However, details about the exact salary he earns are currently unavailable.
Michael Smerconish’s Net worth
Michael Smerconish, an American radio host and television presenter has an estimated net worth of $2 million.