BlatherWatch

Will Rush Limbaugh save KVI?

Negotiations should be wrapped up this Friday (July 10) between Bonneville International, Fisher Communications and Rush Limbaugh. Then the suits, and we hope everybody will know: will Big Pants leave Bonneville's KTTH to jump back to Fisher's KVI?

KVI is hopeful and their very existence as an AM talker in Seattle may depend on it. It's a long shot for sure, but what KVI has going for it is the precipitous drop in the new PPM ratings of KTTH ... even anchored as it is by the Big Fat Genius.

PPM's put KIRO, KTTH in the basement

We have seen some of the new 25-54 (money demo) ratings in this first rating book using the new PPM (portable personal meters) technology.

It ain't pretty.

Remember KIRO AM/FM and KTTH who enjoyed 1st and second (or 1st and 4th) places in all Seattle-land?

PPM-er to blatherwatch "we have not listened to KIRO since April 1."

A guy who describes himself as a 42-year-old "home-officed" Seattleite whose family members are Arbitron personal meter wearers told Blatherwatch today that neither he nor his wife have heard KIRO news talk since April 1st, the day they left the AM dial.

Rumors fly rife-ly: will KIRO radio dump KIROTV?

This one won't go away... and our regular KIRO sources are uncharacteristically close-mouthed.

The word on the street is that Bonneville is trying to get out of their since-the-earth-cooled news partnership with CBS affiliate KIROTV to go with KING5 instead. (Don't be confused, the KIROs are only distantly related -- at one point in the distant past, the radio and teevee stations were owned by Bonneville).

Dave Boze kicks dori monson's butt in the ratings

Dave Boze said on the radio last week he has "the highest ratings of any live and local conservative host in Seattle."

He wasn't lyin'": the self-effacing, ursine, conservative Boze has dethroned Dori Monson, the self-designated "King of Seattle Talk Radio" who had seemed to have overcome his girl's name, and some physical deformitiies to take the crown.

(photo: His Ursine Majesty, Dave Boze)

From now on we can call Dori the "Little Prince of Seattle Talk Radio."

Have you made the switch?

We've heard from listeners about the recent major shift in Seattle radio: the switch to FM of the hoary AM new stalker KIRO to AM and the format flip to sports.

Frankly, FM talk has never made it in Seattle.

It was a bold but risky move by Bonneville -- one they've taken in other markets. KIRO AM was their crown jewel in Seattle, and it'll take a year or so to know if the change was good.

Geov parrish: john clayton leaps from KJR to 710 ESPN

In the first blood drawn in the new sports-talk war between Clear Channel's KJR and Bonneville's usta-be-KIRO 710 ESPN, ESPN football guru John Clayton, a Saturday morning fixture on KJR for nearly two decades (dating to his Tacoma News-Tribune sportswriter days) spinning his scarily encyclopedic knowledge of the NFL, is jumping to 710 effective Saturday.

APRIL FOOL'S PUNKED: Dori monson to ESPN and sports only

We've always heard that when it comes to sports announcing, Dori Monson (KIROFM m-f, 812-3p) is a bit of a poser (we wouldn't know, we loath sports almost as much as we do him).

Maybe we misunderestimated Dori's talents.

A KIRO source says he'll announce next week he's giving up his longtime news talk show (13 years at KIRO!) to do syndicated ESPN sports talkery. But, this insider says, will "still work for 710 ESPN on a seasonal basis."

Historic seattle radio day THURSDAY at KIRO

 Dave Ross will pull the plug, throw the switch, slay a small four-legged animal and fo, rmally say goodbye to 710KIRO as we know it at 11:55a THURSDAY April 2. The 710 KHz location has been news gab for over 80 years.

(The ceremony was delayed one day in order to April Fool BlatherWatch:
 were told it was to happen yesterday).

Sports talk 710AM ESPN will be launched in the hallowed location Monday, April 6. 

Goldy to fill-in for schram

An honest-to-gott liberal on The Commentators? Yes... and it's Goldy!

David Goldstein, political blogger at Horsesass.org and former KIRO talk host, will fill in for Ken Schram on March 23 & 24th.

"We're excited about having David join the team," said PD Dennis Kelly, "He's a great talent."