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The John Bonsignor Interview (Part 6 — Special Edition)

A Tribute to Bennie Swan, the Community Law Enforcement Appreciation Committee, and Big Talk

In Part 6 of our John Bonsignor series, we pause to honor a remarkable life of service and community leadership — a tribute to the late Bennie Swan, whose impact on Myrtle Beach continues to be felt to this day.

Bennie Swan was more than an activist — he was a builder of bridges. After a series of shootings in the Myrtle Beach area, he stepped forward at a critical moment, helping to create what would become the Community Law Enforcement Appreciation Committee — an effort designed not only to recognize the work of law enforcement, but to foster real connection and trust between officers and the communities they serve.

Before making Myrtle Beach his home, Swan had spent a lifetime engaged in activism in cities like Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Chicago. He brought that experience, energy, and commitment with him — and quickly became a driving force for positive change along the Grand Strand.

Working alongside John Bonsignor, and with the support of leaders including host Randal Wallace and the Myrtle Beach City Council, Swan also played a key role in establishing the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday as a recognized citywide observance. What began as an effort to honor the day has since grown into a broader community celebration — a lasting legacy of vision and persistence.

In this special episode, we look back on Bennie Swan’s life and contributions, and then take you back to the beginning — with a rebroadcast of his early appearance on Big Talk with John Bonsignor and Paul Gable, recorded at a time when the Law Enforcement Appreciation Committee was just taking shape — before it even had a name.

It’s a rare and powerful snapshot of a movement in its earliest moments.

We also take time in this episode to recognize Paul Gable — whose steady presence, professionalism, and commitment to meaningful dialogue helped make Big Talk such an important platform for conversations like these.

This is a story of partnership, purpose, and community.

A tribute to Bennie Swan…
and to the voices that helped turn ideas into lasting change.

Theme song is Produced by Danya Vodovoz, link to my song https://youtu.be/NRxduUMZcdw

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The John Bonsignor Interview with Councilman Cam Crawford (Part 5)

Congressman Henry Brown, The South Strand Republican Club, The TDF, & The Media

In Part 5 of our John Bonsignor series, we continue our second day of conversations — this time joined by Horry County Councilman Cam Crawford — as we take a deeper dive into the recent political history of Horry County.

This episode revisits one of the most talked-about and controversial moments in local politics: the press conference surrounding the wildfire that spread from the farm of Henry E. Brown Jr. into the Francis Marion National Forest, and the political firestorm that followed.

At the center of it all was a heated and highly publicized exchange involving a recently retired Democratic forestry official and the congressional campaign of Linda Ketner, just days before the 2008 election. Ketner — an heir to the Food Lion fortune — was attempting to gain traction in Horry County, but what unfolded instead were two disastrous press conferences that would shape the narrative of the race.

In this episode, we take you inside that moment.

Captured on video by the late Herbert Riley — a Jazz Etc performer and Democratic activist — we bring you audio from that day as it happened, followed by a detailed discussion with John Bonsignor and Councilman Crawford about what went wrong, what it meant politically, and how it played across the community.

From there, the conversation expands into broader themes that continue to shape the region today:

• The origins and influence of the South Strand Republican Club
• The debate surrounding the Tourism Development Fee (TDF)
• The evolving role of media — locally and nationally — in shaping public perception

This is a candid, inside look at the intersection of politics, media, and community — told by those who were there as it unfolded.

Part 5 brings history to life — not as distant memory, but as lived experience, captured in real time and examined with the perspective of those who helped shape it.

Theme song is Produced by Danya Vodovoz, link to my song https://youtu.be/NRxduUMZcdw

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The John Bonsignor Interview (Part 4 — Special Edition)

A Rebroadcast of Big Talk with Paul Gable and Guest: Randal Wallace (2018)

In Part 4 of our John Bonsignor series, we present a special edition — a rebroadcast of Big Talk from 2018, featuring Wallace Podcast Network host Randal Wallace in a pivotal moment of transition.

This appearance came shortly after Wallace’s 16-year tenure on the Myrtle Beach City Council came to an end following the 2017 election — a turning point that would ultimately lead to the creation of the Wallace Podcast Network, including Grand Strand Politics, The Randal Wallace Presents Podcast, and The Richard Nixon Experience Podcast.

Hosted by John Bonsignor and cohost Paul Gable, this episode captures Wallace at a crossroads — reflecting on public service, political life, and what comes next after leaving elected office. It’s an honest and revealing conversation about leadership, loss, and reinvention.

It also represents something more.

Because in many ways, the work being done today across the Wallace Podcast Network traces directly back to the influence of Big Talk. Bonsignor and Gable helped pioneer local political television in the Grand Strand — creating a forum where ideas could be debated, leaders could be challenged, and the public could stay informed.

That legacy lives on here.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Randal Wallace’s reflections following the 2017 city council election
• Insights into his 16 years of public service
• Early hints of the path that would lead to the Wallace Podcast Network
• The kind of thoughtful, substantive conversation that defined Big Talk

This is more than a rebroadcast.

It’s a bridge — from local television to modern podcasting…
from one generation of political conversation to the next.

And at the center of it all is the influence of John Bonsignor and Paul Gable — the foundation on which so much of today’s local political media was built.

Theme song is Produced by Danya Vodovoz, link to my song https://youtu.be/NRxduUMZcdw