STEVE COCHRAN SHOW, THE {O. J. SIMPSON} (RADIO)
Summary
Regularly a drive-time talk show, the Chicago-based Steve Cochran Show abandons its format for this special version, which offers a two-hour telephone interview with former football star and former homicide suspect O.J. Simpson, perhaps the first interview since the controversial figure's trial. The program begins as Cochran jokes with Simpson. "I met you once about ten years ago at a sports function. Anything happened with you since then?" he asks Simpson, who laughs. Cochran queries Simpson about his life after the scandal of his former wife's murder, and Simpson explains that although the murder trial is over his legal troubles have continued. Simpson also insists that the public has been very supportive of him. He says that the hardest part of his life right now is missing Nicole Brown Simpson. Cochran brings up Simpson's friendships with people like Rosey Grier and Al Cowlings and asks whether Simpson keeps in touch with any of the lawyers from his case. The former football player mentions that he has seen Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden and then begins discussing a separate case on which Darden is working, based around negating the value of DNA evidence. Cochran notes the irony of this case, explaining that the prosecution's case against Simpson was also based on DNA evidence. Cochran repeats some quotations from Simpson and asks him to discuss them. Most relate to Simpson's claim that he would "make it his life's work to find the real killer." Cochran asks Simpson what he has accomplished along those lines, and Simpson replies that he has been too broke to pursue any real investigative work. He explains that he believes that Nicole Brown Simpson's friend Faye Resnick had something to do with the murder of his ex-wife and her companion. Cochran asks Simpson about some of his non-football-playing friends, like Robert Kardashian. He wonders aloud whether Kardashian thinks Simpson guilty of the murders. The second half of the program is devoted almost exclusively to phone calls from the public. Callers ask questions about everything from Simpson's relationship with his cousin, Hall of Fame baseball player Ernie Banks, to his football picks for the coming season. When a caller suggests that the police might have planted evidence, Simpson compares himself to police-brutality victim Rodney King and says that he was framed. Cochran interrupts the flow of calls to tell the listening audience that his station is not screening calls, and to express his surprise that virtually no one is calling to say anything negative about Simpson. Other phone calls deal with what Simpson was thinking when he led police on a freeway chase, with his history of abuse of Nicole Brown Simpson, and with the possibility of his resuming his acting career. Includes commercials.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by Ralph Guild, 2000.
Details
- NETWORK: WMVP-AM
- DATE: August 21, 1997 5:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:03:40
- COLOR/B&W: N/A
- CATALOG ID: R:16238
- GENRE: Radio - Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: Football players; Scandals; Trials (murder)
- SERIES RUN: WMVP-AM (Chicago, IL) - Radio series, 1996-1998
- COMMERCIALS:
- Radio - Commercials - Bertucci's Pizza
- Radio - Commercials - Dodge Trucks
- Radio - Commercials - Honda automobiles
- Radio - Commercials - JC Penny stores
- Radio - Commercials - USS.NET internet service provider
- Radio - Commercials - Wrigley's Spearmint Gum
CREDITS
- Steve Cochran … Host
- Simpson, O. J. (Orenthal James Simpson) … Guest
- Ernie Banks
- Marcia Clark
- Al Cowlings
- Christopher Darden
- Rosey Grier
- Robert Kardashian
- Rodney King
- Faye Resnick
- Nicole Brown Simpson