The not-so-incredible shrinking seattle radio market
AM Talk radio made its chops on hard-edge, piss & moan conservative boilerplate. With the death of live and local programming there are signs that the next wave may be lighter in content and softer in volume.
Conservatism took a big hit after it became the establishment, and its practitioners -- the Bush administration, and the Republican majority blew it so utterly. (The R's are so freaked out they've nominated a gen-u-wine RINO).
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the numbers aren't out yet
How could numbers not be out yet? R&D have been droning on for weeks about how they are the "#1 rated show in Seattle".
this show is gathering a new audience of their peers
Each time I happen to tune in I hear them taking listener calls for a few minutes and it's 75% a bunch of 40 to 60 year old queer dudes cooing about how young the show makes them feel and then hitting on Luke in the butt-boy way that Lt. Gaeta would go after Dr. Baltar in every 1st season episode of Battlestar Galactica. I caught the tail end of last night's show and Luke was trading tall tales with some 61-year old. If KIROs "youth demo" is 50 and 60 year olds, things must really be worse than anyone imagined. I do like Luke's Alaska Airlines ads, primarily due to the fact that they seem to have recorded a lot - like we're not hearing the same 2 or 3 over and over. They're not as good as the Horizon Air ads, though. But they are better than Shuttle Express --- god, did they get their drivers to voice those? They sound like they were recorded by a middle school drama club. Each time they come on I break out laughing. Who is their ad agency? Or did some station AE sell those spots directly to them?
Dave Ross may be
Does anyone know how old Dave is anyway? Based on the fact he's been on KIRO since they were using smoke signals I kind of assume he's like a million years old but, that aside, exactly how many years does he have left to retirement age?
all older than even than Kirby Wilbur
On wikipedia it said Kirby was "discovered" because he was a frequent caller and a producer liked his voice. Is that true? If so, who exactly was that producer? I mean of all the things to like about Kirby - and I really do like him on many counts - his voice is not really his strong point. I sometimes think he's not a native English speaker or he has speech impediment. Does anyone know if either of those are true or is that just me hearing that?
Posted by: vTech | May 06, 2008 at 01:44 AM
Contrary to popular belief, conservative talk radio is alive and thriving in Seattle. Most of it just happens to be nationally syndicated. Conservative talkers like Limbaugh, Hannity, Medved and Savage enjoy massive success in the Seattle market. Locally, Wilbur and Monson keep raking big money and ratings.
Posted by: abob | May 06, 2008 at 02:01 AM
Well IMO Dave Ross sounds a lot better on the air than Jean Enerson looks on her anchor set; so I'd like to see her retire before he does. I love Jean (I watch her all the time), she's a true professional but her time has passed. Again, IMO KING would be wise to get Sabrina Register to take over for Jean. Sabrina (NW Cable News) is also a real pro and very attractive and has a great delivery.
I can certainly agree on Dori Monson's talent and popularity as I've been saying that for a while now; but Kirby Wilbur doesn't do it for me. He had much clearer enunciation when he first started but now, I agree, he slurs his words in a very unusual way; could be from too much saliva in his mouth...understand he's a big eater and his glands are probably over-active.
TBTL still continues to be a plus with me, I enjoy it...Luke's way with talk and his grasp of many subjects (at such a young age) amazes me. He is very good at enunciation and has that fast, sometimes ever so subtle humor that is catchy. Jen is a great support for him. SEATTLE radio is just fine for me; when I can it's Dave Ross, Dori Monson, TBTL...and the rest of the time XM Satellite radio and blogging herein. Ain't life grand. [Beats 101+ degree weather with full pack and getting shot at or blown up in Iraq]
Come on Mrs Clinton, I'm counting on you to make a GREAT showing today in Indiana and NC. 'Sen Obama, party of two...your plane is ready...BUH-bye!'
Posted by: Duffman | May 06, 2008 at 06:00 AM
Streaming is where its at boys.
Why limit one's self to the revolving 5-6 topics that is Seattle radio, when you've got BBC, NovaM's phoenix station, Pacifica, etc. A few minutes of local news at the top of the hour, and Im ready to move on. LTR, over there in the left column of this page, lists gazillions of stations that are available. As Rosalind Russell used to say, " Life is a (radio) banquet and most of you son's of bitches are starving to death!"
Posted by: sparky | May 06, 2008 at 06:14 AM
I prefer to listen to shows that focus on local area topics. I believe this is one reason why Dori's (& to a lesser extend Dave's) show is so popular. There are 'many' fine talk shows on XM (and probably a lot more when they merge with Sirius) but they seem to be in the National mold and regurgitate the same ol stuff that one hear's on Cable. Local content is where it's at for me. I wish KVI would do away with the 'Fermentators' and let John Carlson do what he's best at: local political commentating and analysis. That would likely get me back to KVI (at least for that show).
Posted by: Duffman | May 06, 2008 at 06:27 AM
" Life is a (radio) banquet and most of you son's of bitches are starving to death!"
..Haha, or as Rosanne Barr says 'so many buffets...so little time'.
Posted by: Duffman | May 06, 2008 at 06:32 AM
Still like Dave but timing is a problem. I, like many, work. Nor is his show "local" except locally produced. Nice mix of local and national.
Monson - again, just a working girl who hears him rarely. But, he's too contrarian in a mean-spirited way.
Last Friday while driving, Malloy drove me to find new radio. He was over the top in his Limbaugh bashing - again. Surfed like crazy but listened mostly to Burbank. Sorry. Just no there there. But, even he admitted it was a Friday night and he wanted to go home.
Three hourse of small talk in a lighter vein? It was pitiful.
I rely on radio esp. when driving. I was going crazy.
Love Dave but can only hear him when I have time for podcasts.
BTW, heard Rosanne and Johnny Argent on Air America last weekend. She has a kind of nice way with people - sort of common folk. But, she can be a pain to listen to. Argent sort of interrupted her a lot the first hour. He was much more deferential, perhaps obedient, the second hour.
Posted by: joanie hussein for obama | May 06, 2008 at 08:10 AM
Rachel rules!
Posted by: joanie hussein | May 06, 2008 at 08:11 AM
joanie: I hope you will agree to change your moniker to 'joanie rodham for clinton' after today.
Posted by: Duffman | May 06, 2008 at 08:18 AM
You are the eternal optimist, duffman.
Thinking about the radio thing...I wonder if they are trying a a retro thing. Going back to a time when radio hosts were just friendly voices keeping up a one-sided conversation while women worked in their kitchens.
Sort of a fifties style radio reminiscent of Fowler and French.
I was too young. And radio didn't attract me until I was a teenager hooked on Lan Roberts. Then Larry King and his great interviews and Mike Siegel with his Exxon activism. It all became so intense.
Still is in a way. Maybe Luke is a throwback to the past. For that matter, Ron and Don too. Just not as innocent as in the fifties...after all, seems like very few people really want to be informed. It is all fun, games and silly on TV so why not radio as well.
Interesting thread, Michael. Just a quick thought before heading into the day. We're going on an outdoor field trip. Bet it rains.
Posted by: joanie hussein | May 06, 2008 at 08:32 AM
Alas...sometimes I get to go on 'field trips' also...I enjoy those!
Posted by: Duffman | May 06, 2008 at 08:35 AM
KIRBY & KOMPANY - All I know is that this morning I tuned-in in the middle of Kirby Wilbur pounding out a fiery, barnstorming sermon about how humans were better than plants and could kick plants' ass' any day of the week.
Maybe I missed the context of the beginning of the discussion but I can't even begin to fathom what that context would be -
That show hasn't become a Christian cluck-cluck, it's become a Christian coo-coo. But it's good to see people making full use of the freedoms guaranteed them under both the First Amendment and the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act.
TBTL - I couldn't disagree more on the Alaska Airlines ads.
Whiny sounding voices on VOs are not pleasant for anyone. Especially if said whiny voice is reading a whiny script. If I'm going to fly I don't want to trust my life to a bunch of alto-voiced dandies who spend all flight whining about how miserable things are in their lives.
Posted by: Gay Gary | May 06, 2008 at 08:44 AM
"because if you haven't noticed, we're getting bored and maybe it's BlatherWatch who's due for a realignment." Bored??! Take that back, Bla'M! How could one be bored when Duh'f is writing incisive daily commentary on his fascination with HRC? Yes, we've noticed...realign but don't resign.
Thanks for the LTR reminder, Sparkola! And ditto, Joans...thank the goddesses for Rachel!
Posted by: FREMONT | May 06, 2008 at 08:49 AM
Yeah..may be time to start 'banning' folks we don't agree with...Ah Ha, that's the ticket.
Posted by: Duffman | May 06, 2008 at 08:54 AM
Is it conservative or GOP radio that is dying? Unfortunately, for them, the messages are the same. They failed to put the past two decades behind them. Contents consist of tiresome pro-war spin accompanied with counterfeit hero worship of troops while their own military service or of their children is nil. Then there is god, prayer or school vouchers, private health insurance, privatized government, lower taxes, yadi yadi yah, and more rubbish of disproven principles. Their regrettable radio voices include Savage who amplifies racism and hatred of Mexicans and Muslims. O’Reilly’s astonishment of African-Americans behaving in restaurants further illustrated the lack of color within the GOP and the conservative movement. Medved is never wrong, while defending the abnormal such as slavery and Mel Gibson’s anti-Semetic tirades. Hannity’s standpoint is that you can only be a “patriot” if you think like him and wear a silly flag lapel pin. Mark Levin advocates bankrupting the country with more asinine increases in defense spending. Michelle Malkin, token woman of color for conservatives, defended internment of Japanese-Americans during World War 2 while failing to realize that her Asian descent could have brought her the same fate during a fearful and ignorant era.
On the local level, Kirby has gotten duller by the day and no longer entertaining. Even if you did not agree with him, there was some level of intelligence in his arguments before. However, he has always been a cheerleader for the right and rarely interviewed guests with opposing point of view. His constant rants on global warming make him look sillier including the people he invites to support his views. Putting Carleen with Kirby must be part of her lawsuit settlement. How can someone with very little talent and intellect be put on the air of a talk show? Hillary Clinton is nowhere near polarizing as god-fearing Carleen and thankfully, Ms. Johnson is not on a national level. Then there is Matt who seems to be only a wall decoration used to hold up the flag for background in a date-a-Marine contest. John Carlson needs to be on his own. I give Mr. Carlson credit, as he is not afraid of interviewing or airing someone, including callers, with a different point of view. The only other conservative talk show host that did that was…G. Gordon Liddy but he did it only once.
KTTH is not an original and when it first came on the air, it was and still is a KVI wannabe. Something is brewing at KVI though. There seems to be a lack of interest to improve programming or make changes to increase audience share by current management. Is the station up for sale or will it go through a complete format change? If so, it cannot be a secret because their lack of interest shows. It will be a matter of time before Kirby and Company goes bankrupt and John Carlson can argue with Ken Schram about the latest barbecue sauce back on KOMO or elsewhere.
Conservative radio is like rotting food in the refrigerator, it is time to throw it out and go with something fresh. They could use a Ron Paul conservative who is not a mouthpiece for a discredited GOP and maybe I can listen to it again objectively.
Posted by: rozskat | May 06, 2008 at 09:25 AM
Cute, GiGi, clever LPS reference...
Posted by: Fremont for Joanie Hussein and Obama | May 06, 2008 at 09:27 AM
Cute, GiGi, clever LPS reference...
Posted by: Fremont for Joanie Hussein and Obama | May 06, 2008 at 09:28 AM
Very good summarizaton in my view!
Posted by: Duffman | May 06, 2008 at 09:31 AM
J - Thanks, I try to check my use of these "psych" terms but I'm happy someone "got it"!
Rozskat - You are so dead-on in the second to last paragraph ... I was thinking the other day, a full one third of KVI programming isn't even live ... it's tape delayed anywhere between 3 to 24 hours! One third? How on Earth is that sustainable? As a listener, KVI just seems like this empty shell; a big factory closed down several years ago but three of the workers are continuing to operate the assembly line on their own, apparently ignorant to the idle machinery, hundreds of empty lockers, darkened corridors, all around them.
Posted by: Gay Gary | May 06, 2008 at 09:39 AM
Remember, Duffman, Seattle is not "local" for me. My local stations just play music, and the farm report at noon.
And obviously you have not seen Roseanne lately Duffman. She is not the same person she used to be..not sure what happened, but she is much more mellow, and, as joanie pointed out, was really pretty good on the radio. I think she is off drugs now and she seems much happier.
Posted by: sparky | May 06, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Understand the local thing...and you're right I haven't seem Rosanne in a while, but just heard her on the radio (this morning) touting her new Las Vegas act and giving away free trips to Vegas. She sounded mellow and funny...and signed off that way by saying...'so many buffets, so little time'....ha.
Posted by: Duffman | May 06, 2008 at 10:36 AM
Radio is just like TV. programming pooped out from LA or NY. homogenized for general use, and played even in a creative city like Seattle hours or days after it was fresh. No wonder kidz avoid it... there's nothing authentic about it. It's just a choice of left/right (mostly right) flavors on an out-of-date technology added to the huge national menu of flavors on better technology. It deserves to die.
Posted by: Ben | May 06, 2008 at 11:17 AM
It deserves to die.
Ben, you are after my own heart! I agree whole-heartedly. As a graduation to the phase-out I've said on this blog that AM radio should be converted to long-wave broadcasting so the whole country is covered by 30 AM stations based in Omaha, none of this affiliate nonsense where affiliates are all carbon copies of each other in city after city.
Oh if only I were FCC Chairman.
Posted by: Gay Gary | May 06, 2008 at 12:21 PM
I love Rachel Maddow.
More lesbians = More gooder.
Posted by: abob | May 06, 2008 at 01:27 PM
What a stellar day!
A fabulous beach walk with a 3.6 low tide.
A frantastic Randi program in which she really stuck to issues and clearly spoke the truth actually defending Republicans who are finally getting it and realizing they've been lied to about everything and are voting dem in droves.
And, finally, an enlightened and intelligent post by rozkat.
It can't get any better.
I can even laugh at the foolish a-boob without contempt. Well, almost.
Posted by: joanie hussein | May 06, 2008 at 09:19 PM