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Matt Mittan is the host of "Take a Stand!", heard Mon-Fri, 3-6pm. He is also a regular columnist in The Mountain XPress and is a blogger for the John Locke Foundation based out of Raleigh, NC. In addition to his media efforts, Matt serves on the Board of Directors for the Asheville/Mountain Area Chapter of the American Red Cross and volunteers with numerous community groups.
(Photo by the Asheville Daily Planet.) |
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On-Air History
Matt began his broadcast career in Asheville, NC on October 27, 1997. He co-hosted "AM Asheville" with Matt Cole for the first few years. (The program was eventually renamed "The Matt and Matt Show".) After leaving that show, Matt says he just volunteered in broadcast media wherever he could to continue to try and improve his skills and to maintain a market presence, including runs as a daily morning show host, a weekend mornings host and several short lived slots as co-host for a few different afternoon and mornings shows. He even experimented with a one year run on TV with his news/talk program "Face the Facts".
The entire time that Matt worked in radio and TV however, he "earned a living" working in newsprint, with stints as a District Manager at the Asheville Citizen-Times, several years as Executive Editor for the Tribune Papers chain and most recently publishing his own weekly newspaper, along with his wife Amy, in Black Mountian, NC called The Valley Record.
In September of 2003, Matt accepted a part time position with WWNC as the Interim News Director for Clear Channel Asheville. Several months later, the afternoon host on 570 left and Matt was offered his own show. The rest is history they say.
"Take a Stand!" debuted as the #1 rated talk show in WNC from Matt's very first ratings period and has maintained that ranking ever since. The program is also enjoying an explosion of on-line listenership far beyond western NC. Matt left his newspaper career behind in late 2004 to pursue radio full time for the first time in his life.
He's been kicking some serious butt ever since, touring the state, speaking before large statewide audiences on behalf of his beloved western NC region and playing an improtant role in the removal and conviction of numerous corrupt politicians across NC. |
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Contact Information
Mailing:
13 Summerlin Rd.
Asheville, NC 28806
"Take a Stand!" staff contacts -
Office: 828-257-2700
- Producer: Agnes Cheek
- Programming: Brian Hall
- Advertising: Rhys Chitick
- Administrative: Pat Branch
- Web/Internet: Cory Bullman
- Production: John Anderson
- Technical/Studio Eng.: Chris Karb/Mitch Ensley
- Promotions: Mick Radford |
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Personal History
Matt was born on Dec 1, 1970 in Boston, MA. He is the adopted son of Frank and Judy Mittan who still reside in a suburb of Boston. Matt graduated from Bellingham Jr./Sr. Memorial High School in 1988. He joined the US Air Force at the age of 17 and served for 8 years as a medic, specialized in Behavioral Sciences. (A trade he credits with his ability to do talk radio.)
While in the Air Force, Matt was stationed at Lackland AFB and Sheppard AFB's in Texas, RAF Lakenheath in England, Seymour-Johnson AFB in North Carolina and Tyndall AFB in Florida. He served with the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing during Gulf War I and did numerous temporary assignments through out his time in service all around the world.
While stationed in Florida Matt met his bride to be, Amy. They were married in June of 1992 and have had three sons. Aaron Matthew (born on Tyndall AFB in Florida in early 1994), Andrew Thomas (born in Asheville, NC late 2004) and Joshua Luke (born in Asheville, NC mid 2007, but passed away shortly after birth due to heart complications).
Matt and his family left the Air Force in August of 1996 and moved to Asheville, NC. After bouncing around the apartment scene in Asheville for a few years, the Mittan family settled down and bought their first home in the town of Black Mountain, NC. In the spring of 2007, Matt moved his family into what he describes as thier 'dream home' in a rural area of Buncombe County.
On the hobby front, Matt plays an Alverez 12-string acoustic guitar, paddles the same 15ft Red Old Town Canoe he's had since the mid 80's, during the days of his cable-access fishing show "Matt's Video Fishing Diary" in New England. Matt also spends as much time with his family as possible - increasingly found gardening, tinkering in his work-shop at home and teaching his oldest son woodworking and fly-tying skills he learned from his gradfather during long summers on the rocky coast of Maine.
Matt's wife Amy, a graduate of McDowell Technical Community College, is an accomplished professional photographer who's work has been seen in western North Carolina publications, gallery shows, promotional pamphlets and books for the past several years. Matt also writes short stories and poetry on the side... or so we hear. (He won't share it with anyone!) |
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TAS TV
TAS TV is a YouTube Channel being developed specifically around 'Take a Stand!'. You've asked for it - so shall you receive. Keep a lookout for it in the weeks to come!
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TAS Daily Poll Result - Dog Chains
Wednesday 08-27-2008 2:52pm ET
Should residents be banned from chaining or thethering their dogs?
50% Yes
41% No
9% Not Sure
TAS Daily Poll Results - Obama/Biden
Tuesday 08-26-2008 3:05pm ET
How does Joe Biden being named as Obama's running mate effect your vote?
18% I was voting for Obama no matter what.
4% I will now vote for Obama.
15% I'm waiting to see who McCain picks.
63% I wouldn't vote for Obama no matter what.
TAS Daily Poll Result - Gender Seperation in schools
Monday 08-25-2008 2:41pm ET
Should Middle School students be seperated into classrooms by gender?
48% Yes.
48% No.
4% Not Sure.
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© 2008