CBS chops off the head of liberal KPTK

There was a bloodbath in the CBS Radio's Seattle cluster Thursday.

They own the poorly-managed liberal KPTK, (AM1090) -- also music stations, KMPS, KZOK, KJAQ, and KBKS-FM.

It was a clusterfuck with wholesale firings in programming, production, operations, and sales.

We were glad that Jim Trapp, program director -- who never liked progressive radio -- is out; saddened by the demise of operations guy, "Tall" Paul Fredericks.

1090AM is a typical local call letter turned robo-station and milked for every penny by a huge corporate media entity.

It was an opportunity missed, more evidence of Wall Street types squeezing local interests for national profit margins. Seattle could have a vibrant liberal talk station, this is a progressive mecca for chissakes! But CBS and Citadel who preceded them were fine with getting by with no-risk, no investment, and a perpetual 2.5 share, and netting moderate profits perpetually -- or so they hoped.

Unfortunately, there was no local shows; everything came from the satellites; there was no way the station could grow in the community. Even with their excellent promotional events with the national talk hosts, the station ican never be more that a piece in a series of tubes delivering syndicated product.

All good, but self-limiting, to say the least.

Look at what a live & local local morning show (Carl Wolfson)  and the presence of Thom Hartmann's national show has done for Portland's KPO: put the station' in the top five in the market. It's a point of local pride, and has cornered a decent share of a younger demo.

We wouldn't call KIRO liberal, but look what is happening there with their massaging of local talent in the weekdayparts, and long view investment in TBTL. Bonneville is expanding in Seattle while these robo-stations are shrinking. (Stay tuned for more about that).

Benignly neglected by Trapp in the name of economy, KPTK is floundering anyway.

Will things change? Will CBS invest in the station? As we stare into the abyss of a recession, it's highly doubtful. It's sad.

Comments

[Gay Gary]

Who?

[sparky]

They should have included local from the get-go, before people became fans of Stephanie Miller, Tom Hartmann and Rachel Maddow...everything else is on tape delay so I wouldnt care too much if they dumped big Ed or Randi, or moved them later in the evening. Their shows are not timely here anyway. But if any of the three live shows were replaced by "local" (interesting to Seattlites only) I know a lot of people who would stream KPOJ or KTLK directly, me included.

[Gay Gary]

Who?

[robinz]

I podcast Rachel and Stephanie anyway. Radio for me is like TV I watch when it's convenient for me.

[mark]

so, what happened at the other stations mentioned?

[AuthenticAndrew]

So, when Sarah "Painful" Palin isn't busy being inept or looking at Russian through a telescope she's abusing power! All that for a VP that conservatives would like to fuck? Conservatives have to be the dumbest motherfuckers in any civilized nation. BTW, thanks for that free market jack asses!

[Coiler]

Hopefully this will knock the GOP ' collective dicks in the dirt for some time to come, we don't need to be appeasers to these slimy racists bastards

[nevets]

"I wouldnt care too much if they dumped big Ed or Randi, or moved them later in the evening."

I agree somewhat here Sparky. But Joanie might become lost without her beacons of truth. Is that worth the price. You would be the only informed Liberal here. No, we need Randi where she is at so Joanie can keep us informed with her "Randi speak"

Now if live and local is what you libs want. Why not get Goldy hired over there. A good way to start is give ACORN a call and they can go over there and threaten a boycott. Its a win win situation for you libs. ACORN gets news coverage for standing up against the machine, and you listeners get a Live and Local Radio host. If no sponsers sign up. No problem. Call Ayers and he can threaten the neighborhood til enough sponsors are found. And to ensure everyone listens, if elected President, there is always Husseins Revolutionary Guard.

[joanie]

I don't care when we get them. I like Ed and Randi. Since I can't listen - I'm still working you know - I don't get to sit and listen till later in the day anyway.

I listen to podcasts of Peter B. Yes, I choose who I listen to. I don't need them at any particular time. Information isn't like headline news or sensationalistic "get-it-now" news. It is simply informative and interesting. And I like the analysis from both.

Stephanie is a kick but she's not someone I would spend time listening to for all three hours. I'd be reading or off doing something else. I like my comedy in small doses.

But I am addicted to information and informed analysis. Always have been.

[joanie]

So, who is running the place? Lee Callahan? I think I heard her say she was the program director recently. I wondered about that.

At least she's not as abrasive as she used to be.

To bad about Paul. I liked him, too.

When mergers make companies so big they don't have to serve the customer anymore, it is time to break them up. I thought that's what the Sherman Anti-Trust Act was supposed to do?

Customer service died a long time ago.

[sparky]

Steven, I have decided you like quilting in your free time. That would explain your habit of collecting bits and pieces of information, anagrams, sound bites and the stuff you get out of thin air and sew them all together as something that makes sense.

I didnt say I dont like Randi, its just not interesting for me to listen to news that is 6 or more hours old. Today, Ed kept his listeners up to date about what the stock market was doing. But it was past 1pm and the close of the market, so this was old news, no longer accurate.

Joanie, where do you podcast Peter B? I am going to have to start doing this. I only get Stephanie's first hour because by hour two I am at school and I cant get the station. I would really miss that.
When Lee Calahan goes into one of her lengthy spiels, I punch the FM and listen to classical for about 3 minutes until she is done.

[joanie]

Peter B archive

I love listening to him. He has guest after guest after guest. You'll get local, too. It's San Francisco, of course. But a lot - mostly - national. I think he's the best.

[keitho]

Here's another take on the CBS layoffs.

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,111009.0.html

(cut and paste if you must)

While I'm at here's a 3rd party view of the Seattle radio market as a whole. Of interest to this Blog, note how KTTH is marked as being all syndicated - guess David Boze doesn't count.

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,111214.0.html

[Bob]

"Conservatives have to be the dumbest motherfuckers in any civilized nation"

This must be more evidence of the tolerance of liberals I am always hearing about. Don't worry though, most conservatives think liberals are the dumbest motherfuckers on earth as well.

[Onlygoodliberalisadeadone]

"I don't care when we get them. I like Ed and Randi."

I am curious, since you like Randi so much, is that drunken bitch still claiming a conservative attacked her in New York, or did she finally admit she fell over because she is a fucking pathetic lush?

[Fremont]

("the station ican never be more that a piece in a series of tubes delivering syndicated product." Another BlaM-ism worthy of applause...)