Official press information, approved media assets and interview resources for Tony Michaels and Five Minutes in America.
Five Minutes in America
Five Minutes in America is a weekday series of original five-minute stories created, written and performed by Missouri writer and broadcaster Tony Michaels.
Set in Coffman’s Landing—a fictional Missouri town shaped by the people and places Tony knew growing up around Eldon and the Lake of the Ozarks—the series explores work, memory, responsibility, dignity, disagreement, neighborliness and belonging.
Each episode tells a self-contained story while gradually introducing the people, places and shared history of Coffman’s Landing. The series launches Monday, September 7, 2026, as a podcast and is also available to radio stations through syndication.
Media Quick Links
At a Glance
Program: Five Minutes in America
Creator, writer and host: Tony Michaels
Publisher: The Coffman Chronicle
Format: Weekday five-minute storytelling series, released as a podcast and available for radio syndication
Premiere: Monday, September 7, 2026
Setting: Coffman’s Landing, a fictional Missouri town inspired by lake-country life and generations of working people
Produced in: Jefferson City, Missouri
Official website: 5MinutesInAmerica.com
Listen to a Sample
“The Fence”
The first published story from Five Minutes in America introduces listeners to Coffman’s Landing and the kind of storytelling at the heart of the series.
Listen to the complete five-minute story
About Tony Michaels
Tony Michaels is a Missouri writer and broadcaster based in Jefferson City.
He grew up in Eldon near the Lake of the Ozarks. His grandparents owned Coffman Beach Resort in Rocky Mount on property that is now a public boat launch. Those personal connections to the lake, its communities and the generations of working people who built their lives there helped shape the fictional world of Coffman’s Landing.
Tony writes and publishes The Coffman Chronicle and hosts Five Minutes in America and Along the Way. He previously created more than 1,100 episodes of The Tony Michaels Podcast. Regular publication of that program ended in July 2026, while its complete archive remains available online.
His work blends humor, memory, civic life and the voices of working people.
Approved Media Assets
Five Minutes in America Cover Art
Tony Michaels Headshot
Original-resolution cover art, an approved Tony Michaels headshot, additional background information and audio materials are available to members of the media upon request.
Interviews and Story Opportunities
Tony Michaels is available for interviews concerning:
The creation of Five Minutes in America
Building the fictional town of Coffman’s Landing
Growing up around Eldon and the Lake of the Ozarks
Turning personal memory and rural Missouri culture into original fiction
The continuing importance of local storytelling
The transition from The Tony Michaels Podcast to a new form of storytelling
Podcast production and radio syndication
The Coffman Chronicle and independent publishing
Launch Press Release
Read the complete press release →
Media Coverage
Independent reporting, interviews, reviews and other verified coverage of Five Minutes in America will be collected here as they are published.
Columbia Daily Tribune — September 4, 2026
Syndicated ‘Five Minutes in America’ steps back from ‘outrage machine’
The Columbia Daily Tribune profiled Tony Michaels’ decision to step away from the political outrage machine and create Five Minutes in America, a syndicated storytelling series rooted in small-town Missouri.
AGDAILY — September 9, 2026
‘Five Minutes in America’ uses rural stories to explore community, citizenship
In a written Q&A with AGDAILY’s Heidi Crnkovic, Tony Michaels discusses the Missouri memories behind Coffman’s Landing, the shared responsibilities of rural life and why “The Fence” became the first story in Five Minutes in America.
KLIN / Drive Time Lincoln — September 8, 2026
Tony Michaels, Five Minutes in America
Tony Michaels joins Jack Mitchell to discuss the creation of Five Minutes in America, the Lake of the Ozarks memories behind Coffman’s Landing and the enduring connection between radio, storytelling and community.
Missourinet / Show Me Today — September 8, 2026
New five-minute series reminds Missourians of the community connection they are missing (LISTEN)
Tony Michaels discusses Five Minutes in America and the community connections at the heart of the storytelling series. Listen to the interview on Missourinet’s Show Me Today.
TALKERS magazine — September 4, 2026
Tony Michaels Launches Storytelling Series
The radio-industry publication featured the national launch of Five Minutes in America, highlighting its weekday storytelling format, the fictional Missouri town of Coffman’s Landing and syndication by Radio Linx.
Media Contact
Tony Michaels
The Coffman Chronicle
thetonymichaels@gmail.com
Radio Syndication
For radio syndication and station affiliation information, contact:
Keith Rupnik
RadioLinx Broadcast Marketing
keith@radio-linx.com
Five Minutes in America premieres Monday, September 7, 2026.
Listen to “The Fence” or follow the series at 5MinutesInAmerica.com.