Photo by Dave Miller
WATCH // EXPLORE // CRAVE
A Meeting Of The Minds Every Friday morning Ocala gets a fresh dose of Unwanted Opinions.
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or those of you who may be unfamiliar, Unwanted Opinions is a podcast hosted by Ocala locals Justin MacDonald and Matt Fischer. Although you’ll never know exactly what to expect, you can always count on some interesting banter. It all started as a talk radio show on Gainesville Ocala All Talk—The GOAT. The show went on air officially in 2018. “What started as a short exploration into the realm of radio expanded into the show you all listen to and love now,” says Matt. Justin spoke about how it all got started. “We had previously done promotional product work with Fox Sports Radio, which is what The GOAT was previously, and I met thenmanager Deborah Smith and owner Don DePew,” says Justin. “Deb asked if I would be interested in hosting a radio show. I gave a resounding ‘No.’ I had never done anything like that.” However, after some convincing and persistence from Deborah, the duo officially kicked off the show. “I knew that, despite our experience, if we had 10
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// B Y J E S S E J A M E S each other to play off of, we would eventually get something that was half listenable,” says Justin. “We’ve been friends for over two decades, so we can communicate pretty fluidly.” What was supposed to be a three-month stint turned into a once-a-week, hour-long show thanks in part to Trey Adams and The Touchdown Group. The show grew in popularity for the next few years, and the two were able to bring on a fact-checker. (That’s yours truly, Jesse James!) The pandemic swept through and changed everything for everybody. There was a shift at the beginning of 2020 as the station sold, and the show was canceled. “There were talks of a podcast for a while, but the timing never seemed right,” says Justin. The trio spoke about turning the show into a podcast and how to bring it back. “After enough requests from friends and listeners, in 2021, we contracted for a spot with Workspace Collective,” added Justin. Dave Miller was brought on as the executive producer, and Unwanted Opinions made its return just before 2022.
The podcast isn’t just about one thing, and some episodes are about nothing—other than witty banter and inside jokes. It’s about unwinding, having fun and touching on the things happening around us. The crew takes on topics of all sorts, ranging from technology and art to sports, world news and more. They frequently open up about their adventures and experiences through life; including some local news sprinkled throughout. Think of it as an hour-long conversation between friends, listeners included. Unwanted Opinions is back in full swing as a once-a-week, one-hour, live show, broadcasting on Facebook Live with a few new elements, including a different special guest each week. Tune in every Friday from 8-9am and watch for yourself. And, if you are interested in joining the fellas as the “Person on the Couch,” reach out to Unwanted Opinions on Facebook or Instagram (@unwanted.pod). Unwanted Opinions // View podcast on Facebook Live every Friday 8-9am