Golf

" The Liguori Story -
One-on-one with the woman who asks all the right questions in golf."
By Ray A. March

Ann Liguori is a rarity in the communications business. In an industry dominated by conglomerates, Liguori is an entrepreneur of the airwaves, an independent businesswoman who produces her own television and radio talk shows. Under the umbrella of Ann Liguori Productions, she produces "Hey Liguori, What's the Story?" (WFAN-NY), "Conversations with Ann Liguori" (The Golf Channel), and "Sharp Sports Innerview with Ann Liguori" (Sports Channels/Fox Sports).

She's won a Telly award, been nominated for an Emmy, and sits on the board of trustees of the National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. Her new book, A Passion for Golf, showcases some of her best interviews with famous people.

Liguori's combined nationwide audience numbers in the millions. Her fans love her for being able to get celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone, Charles Barkley, Jim Brown, and Pete Rose to speak their minds. Now, Liguori speaks her mind about who she would most like to interview, her goals, and the business of producing, directing, and selling three independent shows.

When you were at CBS Sports researching for Brent Musberger, what opportunities did you see that encouraged you to break away from a regular paycheck?

I saw tons of opportunities out there that would only become a reality if I went and grasped them. Nothing has ever come easily to me. When you're a woman in sports, a woman in sports broadcasting, or a woman in business, you really have to make things happen for yourself. I've always initiated my own opportunities.

They key to being a good businessperson is having good instincts and following your heart and your passion. It's also being smart about the businesses that you get into.

I've been part of three start-up companies because my business savvy and instincts have told me that they would not only succeed, but they would thrive. So far, I've been right on two of the three, and it's still early for the third. The first one was USA Today. I started writing as a freelancer for USA Today in its early days when nobody thought a nationwide newspaper would work. Andy then WFAN, the first all-sports radio station, came along, and people were saying that format would never work. That was 10 years ago, and it's the number one billing station in the world from an advertising perspective.

You're still doing the WFAN show?

Yes, it's an overnight show on Friday nights. Isn't that crazy? I still do that show because I have a passion for it. As soon as it is no longer fun, I won't do it. There's nothing more exciting than hosting a live radio show. And I have loyal listeners and fans who call me regularly.

Your third venture is the Golf Channel.

The Golf Channel has been around for two years, and I think it will be very successful, but it's still early.

Is there someone you'd like to interview who has been difficult to reach?

Sean Connery. He's been fairly busy, to say the least, over the last couple of decades. I know he's a big golfer, and it's just a matter of pinning him down and connecting with him. He spends most of his time in Europe.

Another person we want to interview is Michael Murphy, who wrote Golf in the Kingdom. And Governor Christine Todd Whitman. She was instrumental in getting legislation passed in New Jersey to prevent the discrimination against women [in obtaining tee times] at private country clubs. She's an avid golfer, and I'd love to sit down with her. Andy Michael Douglas and, of course, Clint Eastwood.

You've had hundreds of successful interviews, guests such as Cheryl Ladd, Deion Sanders, Pat Riley, Susan Anton, Johnny Bench, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Pete Sampras. I've read that one of your few failures was Bjorn Borg.

Yes, Bjorn Borg's a nice man, but at the time we sat down to interview him, he wasn't prepared to talk too much about his personal life. Things were going on in his life that he didn't want to get into. Had we sat down with him on another occasion, just Bjorn and I in one room, it would have been a different interview. At that particular time, he was there with some executives, and we just didn't get the right environment to do the interview.

How do you contact inaccessible celebrities?

A lot of celebrity agents and publicists are calling me now. It used to be, 10 years ago, that we would be calling, writing, and faxing, trying to get some of the big names, but I've been doing this for a long time and I think my reputation is solid. Obviously, somebody like Sylvester Stallone is not going to say yes to a 30-minute interview unless he knows about me and trusts me.

And we're persistent. Normally, the people I find most intriguing are multidimensional and have overcome some form of obstacle. They have depth in their lives. I like to focus on the gold guys, the good people, because I don't think enough of those stories are heard.

Your interview with Robert Dedman, founder and chairman of the Club Corporation International, the world's largest owner and manager of private clubs and golf resorts, fits into that category.

Robert Dedman is a delight. He came from a poor background and set goals for himself at an early age. Now he is one of the most successful businessmen in the golf world. When he was reciting Keats and Longfellow and Shakespeare as the poets who had inspired him at a very early age, that just warmed my heart.

Of all the men you've interviewed, what would you say is the trait they have most in common?

It would be their passion for the sport and the fact that they're humble enough to play golf. Here are some of the most successful personalities in the world who are so challenged by a sport that's unlike any other sport. A common denominator among all the people that I've talked with is their ability to overcome some kind of adversity. That's why they're champions.

Would this be due to their sense of competitiveness?

I think it's not only their sense of competitiveness, but also their persistence and perseverance. There's always something that champions have to overcome. Something major.

Has there been anyone who was completely different than you had anticipated?

I would say Alice Cooper. I remember him when I was a kid. He had long hair and painted fingernails and blood gushing out of his mouth and the snake on the stage and the guillotine and all this stuff. It was enough to shake the living daylights out of you. Then when I met him in person, he was completely opposite from that image, and I realized how much of that onstage persona was just an image and not the real person. He could not be nicer. He's so intelligent, he's so loyal to his wife and his kids, and he does not live that stereotypical rock-and-roll lifestyle.

You work with your husband, Steve Geller, but you are the producer, the director, and you sell your shows. You call all the shots. Is it difficult to let go and delegate? Or perhaps sell?

I would love to sell. I would be elated if a network said, "Hey, we love your how so much, we'll pay you to do the show, and we'll get the sponsors." I'm so busy now, that would be just wonderful.

When you are the one being interviewed, is there any question that's never asked of you, one that you would like to be asked?

I think it would probably be something about who I am as a pe4rson and what I'm trying to accomplish. My goals are to be a positive influence on young people, to be a solid citizen, to lead a productive life, to help other people, and to influence them in a positive way. My goal is not to be a multi-multimillionaire, although if that happens, it would be nice.