Conservative Radio Host Michael Medved Reveals He Has Cancer

Syndicated conservative radio talk show host Michael Medved has revealed to fans that he has been diagnosed with throat cancer, and the condition is forcing him to take a leave of absence as he recovers.

In an open letter to his fans, the radio host reported that he has been undergoing chemotherapy since being diagnosed with throat cancer in mid December.

“I was diagnosed in the middle of December with stage three throat cancer,” Medved said in his statement. “I began medical treatment immediately at one of the finest cancer centers in the country and my prognosis for full recovery is very good; in the great majority of cases, this is a highly curable form of cancer.”

Unfortunately, even as his recovery is going well, his voice is not cooperating, forcing him to take a medical leave of absence as he recovers. “I will be back just as soon as I can,” he assured listeners.

The radio talker thanked his fans and staff and ended his statement noting that despite how important politics is, life is more so.

Medved, who is syndicated by the Salem Radio Network, began his career in the public eye as a movie critic. For years, Medved appeared on TV to bring his brand of film criticism to such shows as PBS’s famed Sneak Previews, which he and Jeffrey Lyons hosted for 12 seasons.

He also authored several film-related books and was a reviewer for The New York Post for five years.

But even as Medved had an early history as a film critic, he was also involved in politics in his early 20s. Far from his life as a conservative, though, Medved began his young adulthood working for a string of liberal Democrat candidates, including the late Robert F. Kennedy.

Medved later had an epiphany and became a conservative, a journey he detailed in his 2005 book Right Turns: From Liberal Activist to Conservative Champion in 35 Unconventional Lessons.

Beginning his radio career as a regular fill-in host for Rush Limbaugh, Medved went on to gain his own show, eventually becoming syndicated on some 200 stations and talking to 4.75 million listeners each weekday.

Medved has often been featured among talk radio’s Heavy Hundred most successful talk show hosts as compiled by Talkers magazine, a radio industry journal.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.