TBTL: it lives!

Everyone wants to know: Is KIRO's show Too Beautiful to Live?

Seems the KIRO suits were high-fiving each other Monday: "We're the highest rated show on the station in the 18-34 demo," says Luke Burbank, the host of the new low-concept show (m-f, 7-10p).

This seems like a fine distinction, he says, "except that when we  took over the slot, it was at 0.00. And the whole idea behind TBTL was to get the youngsters."

Well, although they haven't yet seen their numbers separated out from the Phil Hendrie Show (the initial book lumps the shows together), it looks like they're doing just that.

The show is experimental: Bonneville and and PD Rod Arquette handed the time slot to Burbank, and producer/sidekick Jen Andrews to do with what they please as long as they get younger listeners.

When the show started up January 7, they promptly chased off the listeners in the old demo, much to the disdain of our aged readers. As time wore on, and the show got its legs, we began hearing voices on the radio that are rare: young voices. the show definitely feels like there's new energy generated. 

Local talk radio falls into two categories, says Luke: "Either it's yelling and getting everybody frothed up about something the Edmonds City Council did, or it's talking about boobs."

(photo: Luke & Jen)

We're not sure just how significant these first ratings are, but the bosses are happy at KIRO, and so far, Luke and Jen, and Sean Detore have done it their way. No boobs, no civic outrage!

Comments

[Mike the Driver]

Well they have the BEST ratings of the 18 - 34 DEMO for the station? Jeez, I wonder how good that can be... what DEMO age bracket does Dave Ross and Dori Monson go for? 18 to 34?

HOW DOES TBTL RATE FOR THE TIME PERIOD AGAINST ALL THE OTHER STATIONS?

I guess I'm not in that DEMO of 18 to 34 since I'm 54 now.

But I still say TBTL SUCKS ASS. I don't listen to KIRO much anymore, especially at nite. News sometimes in the morning and maybe some of Ross/Monson if I'm doing something around the house since I work 6 pm to 2 am. I may listen to some of the BIG STORY, but when time for TBTL I turn KIRO OFF.

WHO IN THIS WONDERFUL BLOG HAS THE INFORMATION FOR RATINGS FOR THE DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS? I'm curious where KIRO rates in the 7 to 10 PM slot against all other stations in the market?

[AuthenticAndrew]

That should be reworded to "local talk falls into one category: talking boobs yelling and getting everybody frothed up about something the Edmonds City Council did."

I hope Self Satisfied Dori Monson can take something away from the success of Ron and Don and TBTL: you don't have to sell your soul to the lowest bidder to make good radio.

And what a sad contrast there is to be had, in the one corner you have a guy who brags about his talk radio salary and his good fortunes between while crying about the city's mayor (I already forgot his name) for hours at a time, while in the other corner you have hosts who are authenticly having a good time and inviting listeners to have fun with them.

I think Burbank feels that Monson and his style are toxic to young people and uses him as the model of what not to be, everytime Burbank says "now, I'm not trying to be one of those talk show hosts who..." he describes Monson too closely.

[AuthenticAndrew]

Even if TBTL and R&D cater to a different age group you still have to give them credit for the volume of content they cover, little to no callers and numerous items throughout each hour stands in contrast to the others who state one topic for the whole hour then spend the rest of the time strategicly hanging up on people.

[vTech]

HOW DOES TBTL RATE FOR THE TIME PERIOD AGAINST ALL THE OTHER STATIONS?

Keep in mind, TBTL is competing in the Special Olympics, not Beijing '08. It's a show on the highest-powered station in a time slot with no other live competition. They're going head-to-head with reruns.

To be even moderately happy their numbers should be absolutely through the roof. One would assume you could put an antelope on KIRO at 7PM and, as long as it broadcast live, it would rate better than every other talk station in the market. Talk radio is meant to be live so that people feel they at least have the option of calling in. Incredibly, outside KIRO, no talk radio station in Seattle is airing live programming after 6PM. To wit:

KPTK --> Randi Rhodes on 6-hour delay

KTTH --> Michael Savage show 2-hour delay

KRKO --> Mike Gallagher Show repeat

KVI --> Mark Levin Show 3-hour delay

KLAY --> Jim Bohanon Show repeat

Unrelated, regarding my post yesterday about Kirby Wilbur's voice, a friend of mine who is a doctor said that Kirby's voice has the sound of someone who's had a stroke. Does anyone happen to know if Kirby had a stroke? This might explain it I'm thinking but am not sure what his health history is, or if that info was ever made public. How old is he anyway?

[Duffman]

I'm a bit past the 18-34 demo and I can say that I really like TBTL. There's a great camaraderie between Luke, Jen and Sean that flows well during the show. The 'sillyness' (if you will) adds to the overall effect; they're obviously not trying to appear as 'experts' on ANYthing, it's loose and relaxing but Jen keeps it very well organized.
Caught a bit of the John Carlson Show [yes, Ken was out yesterday] and it was very good; reinforcing my opinion that John can do it alone MUCH better than part of the 'fermentators'...come on KVI, get with it! Isn't there a station devoted to religous broadcasting for the Christian Kirby & Friends morning show....GO THERE!

[Sclub]

It's just filler until the M's return to KIRO.

[Duffman]

Are these blogs really our Therapy?

[June]

I'm 50+ years old and I love TBTL.

[Duffman]

AAAAAaaaaL RIGHT 'June'!!!

[joanie hussein]

Just goes to show that it is retro - back to meaningless chatter that doesn't require thinking or even focusing. Just a mindless presence in the room. Leave the room for a bit, take a phone call, you haven't missed a thing.

Much like your posts, duffman.

And like fifties talk radio before King and Siegel made AM radio live again.

[DT]

I disagree with Joanie when she says all talk radio must be serious in nature, focusing only on news and politics, and that "it should never vary from this formula." I believe talk radio can be many things, and there's a place for entertainment shows like TBTL. Unlike Joanie, I welcome diversity on radio. I believe variety is a good thing.

[Duffman]

You see DT, THAT's the difference between someone who listens to the radio for 'entertainment' -versus' 'direction'.

[Gay Gary]

I just wonder why, if they want a young audience, they hire a 31 year old guy who looks like a 41 year old guy and a woman pushing menopause. Wouldn't it be better to get young hosts if you wanted a young audience? But what do I know?

[Toilet Flush]

I like TBTL....I agree with the energy and variety. But here is my rant its on TOO early! Scrap the worn Phil Hendrie pahleeaasseee....

After TBTL to turn to KGO 810 San Fran, better reception better hosts!

[Freakin']

In other news...

BERNIE WARD PLEADS "GUILTY":

The San Francisco Gate/Chronicle site is reporting that former KGO, San Francisco (810) talk show host Bernie Ward will change his plea from "not guity" to "guilty" to distributing and receiving child pornography via the Internet. Ward, a former priest, was indicted by a federal grand jury in September, and pleaded "not guilty" in December. He was later fired in December by KGO when the indictment was unsealed by the courts. Ward insisted he was innocent, and that it was all part of research for a book he was writing on hypocrisy. Ward goes to trial in about a month - after federal prosecutors refused to allow a First Amendment researcher defense.

Lib talk show host = pedophile

[Duffman]

If this is the case, sorry sparks (& others)...know you stood by him.

[Dave (not dave ross)]

I do have to admit TBTL is growing on me and i am 55. There are times when Luke is too silly or so deep inside that only the people in the studio know that hes talking about, i turn the channel then. Mostly the light hearted humor is listenable and compared to Frank Shires, i'll take TBTL any day. Also the hour that Luke interviewed the woman jailed in Nigeria with the film crew was insightful, he asked serious questions and let her answer them. That was the turning point for me and TBTL for the better.

[AuthenticAndrew]

Gay Gary makes a good point but if they hosts were any younger I bet it would get unprofessional realy fast. I've heard a few webcasts of shows by guys in their early 20's and they are a total mess, lots of dead air, way more goofing off, etc. Luke and Jen keep things moving, they seem perfectly positioned between adulthood and youth.

But for as much as Luke complains about old radio I wonder what kind of show he'll do when he's fifty. If he's still using the useless conjunction "like" by then he won't have an audience.

[vTech]

Well you know what I can't stand? I can't stand how KIRO interrupts anything on a dime with "breaking news" that is barely news and never breaking. They just interrupted Ron & Don with an apartment fire to let us know that an apartment was on fire but they didn't have more information but maybe they'd get it and, when they did get it and if it turned out to warrant it, they'd liberally interrupt again.

Each time I hear their dumb Breaking News tones I think there's just been a major terrorist attack but it always ends up being the stove in someone's apartment is on fire, or there's a cat in a tree or Greg Nickels stubbed his toe or it's starting to rain on Queen Anne.

[AuthenticAndrew]

I was thinking the same thing but didn't want to mention for fear of stating the obvious. Did they learn nothing from the Homeland Security terror alert fiasco?

I suffer through their horrible commercials for the decent talk shows, and I suffer through their horrible promo spots with the nasaly sounding woman, the robot with down's syndrome and the non news OH MY FUCK IT'S AN EMERGENCY beeps for much the same reason.

I actualy couldn't listen online anymore because the repetitive online commercials for onStar and others drove me over the edge and good people had to lose their lives.

[joanie hussein]

I disagree with Joanie when she says all talk radio must be serious in nature, focusing only on news and politics, and that "it should never vary from this formula."

Cite your source young man! Where exactly did I say that?

[joanie hussein for obama]

Mostly the light hearted humor is listenable...

See, meaningless chatter.

Also the hour that Luke interviewed the woman jailed in Nigeria with the film crew was insightful, he asked serious questions and let her answer them. That was the turning point for me and TBTL for the better.

And yet, it was the serious stuff that hooked him.

[vTech]

Andrew - yes, I stopped streaming KIRO a few months ago because they went for 2 weeks where - at every break of every show - they'd play a mortgage commercial (not Caitlin, one of the non-Dori backed companies, I think Platinum Escrow or something like that) on repeat until the break was over.

So, if it was a 4-minute break, they'd play the same ad 4 times in a row. Then, at the next break, they'd play it 3 or 4 times or however long the break was.

My KIRO listening has probably dropped off by about 50% since it was usually convenient at work to stream online, now I stream KPTK. But I still occasionally listen to KIRO in the car sometimes.

[Dinosaur]

Someone asked if Kirby Wilber had a stroke. I went to high school with that character, and I can tell you, he has a bad habit of talking with food in in his mouth.
(Or maybe its his foot...)
Seems the standards for radio host has slipped since my day. Used to be one had to be able to speak without spitting all over the mic...

[Gay Gary]

On a message board someone is saying TBTL is 24th in the market and has improved among 18-34 to 11th. Is 11th really high-five material? I could very well be reading this wrong or maybe the person posting this info doesn't know what he's saying, I was just curious.

I've got to assume Luke is making more than Frank, plus they've added a F-T producer so even going up a notch or two could be a net loss.

Or am I reading things wrong? (likely)