Don Stugots welcomes a crowd into his home every Sunday, just like any good Brooklyn Italian.
The only catch is that his guest list is in the thousands and spans the globe.
Every Sunday at 6 p.m., Stugots (real name Andrew Hewitt) and wife Regina set up shop and bring a little piece of Brooklyn to the world via their Internet radio show, “The Experience.”
“It’s like two people sitting in their living room and all the sudden decide to turn microphones on,” Hewitt says of the topic range of his show. “We pretty much talk about everything, even stuff I’m not supposed to talk about.”
Conversations on “The Experience” run the gamut from pop culture to politics to television, food and more, as well as interviews with special guests. Although there’s often a local spin, the duo draws an audience from across the world.
In a phenomenon he can’t quite explain, Hewitt said each week, 200 to 300 listeners in China are downloading his show.
Hewitt began “The Experience” in February of 2007 and credits his drive to produce his own show to a long-standing love of talk radio, particularly XM/Sirius Radio’s “Ron and Fez Show.” His nickname, Don Stugots, which is a nod to his Italian culture, is actually his message board name on ronfez.net.
“Any radio show that’s pulled me in has always been personality driven,” he said.
Hewitt’s decision to create a show where his personality shines through is genuine on many levels.
Despite the success of the show, Hewitt refuses to let the radio biz obscure his candidness.
Although several Internet businesses have approached the show looking to become sponsors, Hewitt has politely refused each and every one, even though such sponsors could offset his costs of production.
“I tried that when we started and I felt so beholden and so obligated never to say anything bad about anybody.,” he said. “Never again.”
Hewitt would prefer to think about the future anyway, and the future looks bright.
“The Experience” is currently trying to book Danny Aiello. They are also promised a visit by former Championship WCW wrestler Diamond Dallas Page, although there is a one caveat.
Page, who recently wrote “Yoga for Regular Guys” said he will only come on the show if Hewitt demonstrates the yoga moves live, a challenge which the yogaphile is more than happy to accept.
“The Experience” can be streamed live Sunday at 6 p.m. at cmsradio.net or at nosaintsmedia.com, or downloaded for free on I-Tunes. The show’s blog is available at www.donstugots.com.
Thoughts and Prayers.