MGL/FGN HISTORY & TEAM

Who We Are & How We Got Here

Bill Hobson

Executive Producer/Host

Creator, Executive Producer & Host of Michigan Golf Live Founder of Hobson Media Enterprises

Gregg Hall

Director of Production

Production Director for MGL-TV Edits all episodes Oversees in-house Commercial Production Aerial Technology Repair Specialist

Bo Hobson

Production Assistant

Bo developing talents as a Producer and Drone pilot have helped provide some of our most memorable story lines and visuals. He also serves as a Reporter for social media content and assists in all areas of Production.

The Team

Production Crew

MGL welcomes a deep bench of talent to our production efforts, including Myles Hall as Audio Technician, Sean Irish as Sr Director of the Jr Team, David VanBibber as Prod Assistant (not pictured), & others as projects dictate.

1999
1999

Getting Started

MGL Executive Producer/Host Bill Hobson first had the idea for MGL Radio (the TV side was still years down the road) in 1999 after realizing there was no other radio show that celebrated the game in the golf-crazed state of Michigan. Of course, having the idea and having stations to broadcast the show are two very different items on the checklist. After spending a considerable amount of time working the phones, a handful of very kind station owners/operators agreed to carry MGL Radio for one hour on Saturday mornings, April through September.

1999

The Buick Open Impact

One of the early challenges for MGL to tackle was the expense of delivering the radio program to the affiliates. Remember, Al Gore had not yet invented the internet, so delivery had to be done via satellite - a rather costly factor in the startup of the show. Thankfully, the leadership of the Buick Open caught sight of the potential for MGL and agreed to sign on as the title sponsor of a show that had not yet hit the air. It was an amazing blessing to know that at the very least, MGL could launch with all the core costs covered. Without the commitment of the Buick Open to MGL, we may not exist today!

April, 1999

Away We Go!

From those early years of a single weekly hour of radio, MGL expanded both in length of show and number of affiliates. As word began to spread that there was a unique new program reaching out to golfers, our statewide network grew quickly. Now a 2-hour broadcast, MGL Radio began to land interviews with some of the game's biggest names.

Just as importantly, we hit the road every week of the season. Instead of sitting in a studio, MGL Radio broadcasts live from a different destination or event every week. That commitment to broadcasting live from the places people actually play vs sitting behind glass in a stale, stuffy studio has been warmly received since we began taking the show on the road.

2002

The Next Step: MGL-TV

With a background in television that dates back to starring in (incredibly bad) commercials as a child, MGL Executive Producer/Host Bill Hobson was ready to introduce a new chapter in MGL history - a weekly 30-minute TV program. The concept was simple - shine the video spotlight on fantastic places to stay and play, but also be sure to include fun and appealing content for a non-golfing spouse so they will also be enthused to visit the featured destination.

After assembling a fantastically dedicated and talented production team, MGL-TV was ready to join forces with Fox Sports Detroit - the home of the Pistons, Tigers, and Red Wings. Now over a decade into that partnership, MGL-TV has become the leading golf-themed program in the midwest.

2016

Fore Golfers Network

As MGL continued to grow across the country, we were experiencing some confusion when golfers in other states would see the word "Michigan" appear during a program that featured a destination outside our home state. We needed a brand that could "travel" anywhere. Thanks to the creative input of an MGL fan, we arrived on the title, "Fore Golfers Network" and launched the FGN Podcast, separate YouTube channel, and began airing our 30-minute TV program in outstate markets under the FGN banner. The idea worked and we're still going strong with both the MGL and FGN brands!

2022

Rolling Along

2022 marks the 23rd year of MGL - a remarkable milestone in this era of constantly changing media landscape. Imagine starting a show before the advent of social media, years before the iPhone was invented, and broadcast networks and terrestrial radio still dominated the messaging platform competition.

That's where MGL was back in 1999, but we've been blessed with a loyal audience and partnerships that have enabled us to transition along with technology and celebrate 2 full decades while continuing to grow along the way.

If you've made it this far in the reading of our history and have remained awake and alert, we'd love to hear from you with questions or comments about MGL!

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