Boy, did I get an earful from insiders after my last post about Allen Prell. It seems that the problems at KIRO, for years the top-rated Seattle news-talk station, and its li’l sister KTTH are inspiring a lot of rodents to think about ejecting from the Entercom Mothership.
Radio management is secretive, so it’s hard to see the whole picture, but emails from Entercom staffers describe what they see as major strategic programming and business screw-ups.
Here are the headlines according to the help:
- Michael Medved (KTTH, m-f, 12-3p) is reportedly moving his syndicated kulturkampf to KKOL, the little Christian station soon to power up to 50,000 megatons. This would bring another Seattle right-wing station into ratings relevance, and perhaps help sink KTTH in the process.
- Low-rated, brow-beating Mike Siegel (KTTH, m-f, 6-9a) could be replaced today, tomorrow or the next day (it might have even happened yesterday). Entercom head-hunters are beating the bushes for his replacement.
- Lt. Bryan Suits’ (KVI m-f, 6-9p) first act upon arriving home from his Iraqi duty was to apply for Siegel’s KTTH morning job. This despite being on the KVI payroll and getting a triumphant KVI homecoming worthy of Gen. MacArthur. With uncharacteristic clarity and vision--perhaps remembering the Bad Lieutenant’s tepid KIRO ratings--Entercom suits took a pass on Suits.
- Dori Monson (KIRO m-f 12-3p) was the driving force behind what insiders fear is a disastrous new line-up at KIRO. They say he got his friend, nice-guy Tony Ventrella (KIRO m-f, 6-9p) a job he’s not suited for; put Dave Ross in a morass of commercials and traffic reports that cramps his thoughtful style and drives his thoughtful listeners to NPR.
- Monson’s getting killed by Medved and Sean Hannity. Recent ratings put him in 11th place, with 25-54 adults, the main demographic. He blamed the noon news lead-in, so they canned it. He then pushed for the scheduling changes, which resulted in the firings of anchor Val Stouffer and business reporter Kevin Ebi. “Dori's out of people to blame,” says a co-worker, “so now the ratings better go up or he, along with his buddy [new Program Director] Tom Clendening’s going to be in big trouble with corporate for pushing for this horrible station revamp.”
- KIRO is dead last in the news-talk wars at night. Mike Webb's (KIRO m-f, 9p-1a) time slot (shared with Ventrella) scored only a 2.4 share for a 15th place ranking. Webb reportedly struggles to get callers. Ventrella misses lots of work.
Entercom, the media giant out of Bala Cynwyd, PA, owns not only KIRO, but KBSG, KISW, KMTT, KNDD, & KQBZ. Last year, they stole Rush Limbaugh from KVI to anchor programming for their con-talk upstart, KTTH.
The coupe was, some say, payback for the theft from KIRO of Mariners' baseball by Fisher's KOMOam.
Entercom thought they could kick back after they stole their rival's top ratings winner (the Big Fat Idiot
is no.#1 nationally with Hannity not far behind). And yes, there was a ratings surge for KTTH at first, but the trend didn't continue.
KVI was the original right-wing format in Seattle and for years a con-talk monopoly. The station's success was about Limbaugh, and listener-loyalty inspiring local talent like Kirby Wilbur and John Carlson. (KVI is owned locally by the Fisher family who also own KOMOTV, KOMO, KPLZ).
With KVI's emphasis on local talkers, and KTTH's dearth of them (they've only got Mike Siegel) they made an impressive jump in the Winter Arbitron Book out last month, while KIRO went down from 3rd to 4th.
Many media observers are predicting the worst for KIRO, though it may be schadenfroid and hoping the big dog can be brought down. I’d hate to see this mixed-format station decline or go desist--it’s the largest piece of progressive talk we’ve got in Seattle.
Although...an Air America with Dave Ross might be worth it all...
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Got any talk-radio poop to dish? Blab it at blatherWatch-mail@yahoo.com. Discretion assured.
BRAVO BLATHERWATCH!!!!!
Seems you, laden with your insider "poop", have once again driven the proverbial nail home. Prell...Hell he speaks for himself. What this man is doing opening his mouth for a living is beyond me.
Yet the real spike in today's post, that gargantuan railroad tie of a nail driven home, belongs to no other than Idiot Monson. Dori is a textbook case of the following Talk Show Host Psychosis: The less one knows, the weaker one's mind, the louder one must shout, dominate and prevail at the expense of truth and (god forbid) dialogue.
It is a shame that, Mr. Ross, at once intelligent, informed, open and forthcoming should be forced to wander the same hallways of idiocy as Prell and Monsoon. Air America with Dave as our local? Works for me, as does the new NPR Morning Show with Dave Ross.
Keep up the great work Mr. Blather. Sorry, I've got to go. Mr. Sue-You-Now, anti-establishment, anti- yuppie Webb is about to pick me up in his shiny, sexy new Black Lexus...
Posted by: Rollup Gridd | March 30, 2005 at 01:10 AM
WOW! I'm dreaming of an Air Amercia line-up of Seattle all-star liberals. Goldy 6 to 9 a.m., Al Franken 9 to 12, Dave Ross 12 to 3, Dan Savage 3 to 6.
Posted by: cindee | March 30, 2005 at 08:25 AM
Great news about Monson. I can't stand this guy! The lowest of the low for me was his serial interviews of the swift boat liars.
My fondest wish for him is that he goes into radio diaspora like Prell.
He really surprised me on the Schiavo issue. I actually agreed with him! Cruel mistress arbitron whipping him down to size perhaps?
Of course he calls himself a "centrist" which means he goes whichever way the wind blows or wherever cruel mistress arbitron tells him.
Posted by: John | March 30, 2005 at 09:42 AM
How can KIRO justify hiring Prell to a fulltime position while relegating Erin Hart to part time weekend duty? Alan Prell obviously possesses compromising pics of KIRO execs in a motel with livestock.
Posted by: umo | March 30, 2005 at 08:20 PM
It's been a decade since I lived on the Oly Peninsula. But if KIRO is short changing Dave Ross, they're slitting their own throats.
When I lived in Silverdale, Ross was the only thing there worth listening to on the radio.
When I went into labor with my daughter (1993), I listened to Dave in the car on the way to the hospital. His soothing voice and funny quips kept my spirits up and made it easier to relax and focus on that STUPID breathing. LOL
Posted by: carla | March 31, 2005 at 05:02 PM