Al Franken (KTPK, m-f, 9a-12p) is coming to town Monday, May 9 to do his national live Air America broadcast with his smarter sidekick Katherine Lanpher at Seattle Town Hall.
Blogging our asses off, blatherWatch will be there...
Not sure yet what locals will be guesting, but we, you, can come up with some suggestions for his producers: Who should be included? Who should be included out?
Before we go on: an UPDATE. Program Director Jim Trapp of AM1090 finally took one of blatherWatches many annoying calls and for that we are very grateful. Mr. Trapp was mighty cordial though a little stingy with the details--guess we can’t blame him for not spilling his company’s guts to such known blabbermonkeys as we).
He agrees with all of us that time is drawing nigh for local programming for the Air America station if they’re to compete with other talk outlets in town. He, of course, would give us no time-line on that, but it was affirming that he shares our intense interest. (Only liberals, by the way, ever feel 'affirmed.')
As always, blatherWatch has more rumors and intenuendo.
KTPK sales folk have reportedly told potential clients there’s a 6-month goal which would put a local host in the 6-9a spot by Fall.
We also know that KIRO’s part-time Erin Hart has been very out around the newsroom about her applying for that position. BlatherWatch has also noticed (happily) the proliferation of local issues on her shows of late.
Hart’s had more than a few extra shifts lately filling in for Mike Webb (KIRO m-f, 9p-1a) who was MIA most of last week and will be out the rest of this one. No one really knows why--he’s not calling in sick--he was suspended a few years ago for not paying his union dues, but apparently that’s not the case this time. Webb is also rumored to be talking to Air America--he’d be a fool not to be. BlatherWatch thinks Trapp would be a fool to hire him--can you imagine having Mike Webb with your first cuppa? Yikes! He makes Mike Siegel seem like Fred Rogers.
We’ve digressed. Suggestions for Franken Show guests next week could start with some of those nominated to be local talent on Seattle Air America affiliate, KTPK by blatherWatch readers.
Editor and sex columnist Dan Savage from The Stranger speaks funny and well for progressives in Seattle; activist and blogger David Goldstein, “Goldy” of the successful “Tim Eyman is a horse’s ass” initiative campaign is politically astute and hilarious. Weekly Editor and noted mossback Knute Berger is terrific radio and civic critic, we know that from his years on NPR’s late, great, “Rewind.” Left of the left Seattle Weekly columnist, Geov Parrish is a seasoned radiophile and a smooth talker.
Poet/filmmaker Sheman Alexie is a certified Indian (always attractive to New Yorkers) a comic and insightful commentator on things Seattle. Eddie Vedder from whatever that band was is a money-where-your-mouth-is progressive activist, and can hold his own behind a mic.
I’ll bet Rep. Sunny Jim McDermott would come down if he’s in town; populist Nick Licata, author and everybody’s favorite City Councilman ought to be there. Former councilwoman, southpaw and slick chick, Judy Nicastro is looking to a broadcasting career and she makes great talk-talk.
Any other suggestions?
~~
Al Franken Show
MONDAY, MAY 9, 2005!
Tickets are on sale through Brown Paper Tickets, or by calling 1-800-838-3006. General Admission tickets are $25 plus service charge. The National Live Broadcast is Monday, May 9th at Seattle Town Hall. Doors open at 8am and the broadcast starts at 9am sharp. Al will be doing a book signing in the lobby after the broadcast with Elliot Bay Books.
A portion of the proceeds benefits Washington State CASA whose mission is to support local CASA programs in providing trained volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children. For more information click here or call 1-800-530-0045.
If the jocks and jockettes of AM radio could talk with half the panache and elan that you write, Michael, I would be an NPR exile, just for the wise and witty banter. Are you positive your talent shouldn't be aired on Air America? Search your soul...
Posted by: Fremont | April 27, 2005 at 11:46 AM
sheRman alexie.
Boy, you must've been excited.
Posted by: Scrilla | April 27, 2005 at 04:21 PM
Erin Hart?? oh please. Erin is a huge flipflopper...just visit the KIRO chat room and ask former fans who were horrified that she suddenly embraced Bush as " HER PRESIDENT!!" but now denies saying it.
She likes to refer to herself as the "local Randi Rhodes"!
Not even close.
Erin does not have the depth to her shows that Randi does and is not as well read. And talk about a voice you dont want first thing in the morning!!! I dont want a screamer over coffee...there is a reason Air America puts Randi on in the afternoon...
If 1090 goes with her for the morning slot, I will listen to NPR or KING FM on my way to work, and will stream AA online at work.
KPOJ got Thom Hartmann to move from Vermont to Portland. KPTK should start thinking carefully about the kind of personality they want on that important morning drive time....
Posted by: Sparky Anderson | April 27, 2005 at 07:07 PM
Concur
Posted by: Scrilla | April 27, 2005 at 07:14 PM
I agree and might add that prior to 9/11, erin was doing her bush bash and had a pretty loyal following up until then in the Kiro chat room, then she stated "no more bush bash" and even went as far as saying that "Bush is now my president as times have changed and I'm behind him". She supported the 'war' in Afghanistan as well. The loyalty went out after several months and several fights in the chat room occured. Webb might be hard on the ears in the morning, but he is consistent and has a better voice for radio, more like Mike Malloy and KGO's Ray Talliaferro. Erin goes with the wind, much like some of the 'new dems' or centrists do and we need someone who is progressive all the time.
Posted by: chris | April 27, 2005 at 09:07 PM
Wow, Franken's coming to town. Nobody listens to him or Air America. Ratings are in the toilet and still hemmorging money after being on air for over a year. How long will it take the Titanic to find the iceberg?
Posted by: Lump | April 29, 2005 at 10:53 AM
Lump - I realize that as a republican you are not used to dealing with facts but just in case I am wrong can you cite ANY authority for your bullshit statements?
Nobody listens to Al or Air America? What's your source for that statement? Ratings are in the toilet? What's your source? Hemmorging money? What's your source?
In case folks want the turth, look at Arbitron. They will show you ratings success that Rush would have loved in his first year.
Posted by: Scott | April 29, 2005 at 11:34 AM
Now Scott, calm down and try not to act like all the loonies do. Name calling, profanity etc. While you probably do have a point about Limbaugh's first year ratings, put it into perspective that he was the first to ever try the format that hundreds now copy. All you have to do is check the Winter Arbitron Ratings that are available to the public and you'll see where I got my facts. Also, the LA Times had a commentary in April 18, accessable by archiving their web site. NYC ratings now lower than the station it replaced. Boston ratings so low that they no longer rate. San Francisco and LA, nobody listening. Just read the facts and call it like it is. The only host they have with any integrity is Ed Schultz and he works for another network.
Posted by: Lump | April 29, 2005 at 02:10 PM
So let me get this straight. You get your FACTS from an LA TIMES COMMENTARY? Now this explains how Bush got elected.
As for Arbitrons. You quoted two or three markets. Air America is in more than 50 markets. Why not mention the other numbers? Could it be that they don't support your claim? Let me help you ...
"In New York during April, its first month on the air, Air America attracted more listeners in the 25-to-54-year-old demographic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. than did WABC, where the popular Limbaugh is heard. Air America also beat WABC among the 18-to-34-year-old group."
http://radio.about.com/od/airamericaradio/a/aa060904a.htm
Reuters reports that, "Franken posted a 2.6 share from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., compared with a 1.1 share for O'Reilly in the 25-54 demographic." (Rush Limbaugh beat them both, but the article doesn't list his ratings number.)
Regarding "The Majority Report," hosted by Janeane Garofalo and Sam Seder, it is the #1 New York talk show among 25-54 year-olds in their time-slot, which is 8-11 PM in New York.
Among 25-54 year-olds, "The Majority Report" with 3.4 in New York is beating WABC which has 2.2 (numbers derived by combining what was reported by The Daily Kos with instructions to adjust those numbers at The Majority Report blog.)
WABC airs Laura Ingraham 8-10 PM, then John Batchelor 10 PM-1 AM.
Laura Ingraham trashes Hollywood people who are against the Iraq War, and Ingraham is getting lower ratings than Janeane Garofalo (a former Hollywood actress who is against the Iraq War.)
I could go on but I have already more than debunked your false post. No doubt SOMEBODY is listening.
As for the fact that a brand new station using a brand new format didn't outpoll the station it replaced. Wow-what a schocker. Maybe a few more books will be necessary. Using your Flush Limbaugh argument, Air America is the first to do an all liberal network format.
And even if it were true (and it's not) that Ed Shultz is the only AA host with integrity, that would be one more host with integrity than any of the right wing hate radio stations has.
Face it. Liberal radio scares the righties to death. They are used to a world where only one side gets to play offense. You guys have been saying AA would be off the air in a week since day one. Well it's been about a year. What happened?
Posted by: Scott | April 29, 2005 at 03:56 PM
Dan Savage might be a good choice if the infrastructure's there to wipe his ass for him (there are stories about behind the scenes on his old "Savage Love" show) but the country's most famous doorknob-licker has a tendency to get in over his head. Plus, if you want a slow learner Catholic would-be moral scold, why not go for the original, not the cheap imitation, and hire Andrew Sullivan?
Posted by: Daniel Schniederman | April 29, 2005 at 06:01 PM
Well Scott, you made my point for me. You made a jab about my reference to the LA Times, which is a very liberal newspaper, and even threw in a Bushism. But the real kicker is in your reference to a ONE YEAR OLD ARTICLE from the "LA TIMES." The aticle is for 2004. I didn't see a reference to AA not paying their bills and their hosts not receiving a paycheck for a long period of time. Wow, they're on over 50 stations and some of them are so small they never figure into any kind of ratings. But the best one is in NYC where in 2005 they receive a lower rating than the format they replaced, which is Carribean music, and that is a 2005 fact. How about San Francisco, the home of the loony left, where ratings have dropped from a high of 2.4 in their debut in September of 2004 to 1.0 in March of 2005. You're very passionate in your beliefs, but the facts are the facts and how long can they not make a profit before they find the iceberg.
Posted by: Lump | April 30, 2005 at 07:01 AM
Once again you are dodging facts. I destroyed your argument. So you took the Bush approach and said up is down and down is up and night is day and day is night. Won't work here pal.
I repeat, you mention two cities out of 50 and then you LIE about where most of those cities are. Yes you LIED. The fact, which I challenge you to controvert, here in this forum, is that AA is on in 18 of the top 20 markets rated by Arbitron ADI.
I am patiently waiting for your evidence to prove me wrong.
By the way, that stat's something it took Lush Flimbaugh three years to achieve. By every metric, AA is doing better than the right wing talkers did when their format broke out.
Since you are talking in circles, repeating your argument.... I answer once again, receiving a lower rating than the station they replaced is typical of a new format. Let's wait a few books to see how they are doing.
I again challenge you. You claim NO ONE is listening. You cite an editorial, not a news story. You make vague generalizations that ignore or distort or outright misrepresent the facts, and you offer no proof.
I cited news. Some of it a year old some of it not. But it clearly, convincingly, and overwhelmingly defeats your lies. You said no one is listening. I showed proof that they were and that they listened more than they did to right wing hateriots like that pervert Bill O Really.
Once again, all that you can do is HOPE for the iceberg you have been predicting since day one. But having trouble as a startup, something that befell even Microsoft, is not proof that the iceberg is coming. It's proof that business, any business, is hard.
What really puts the final nail in your coffin is this. If AA was truly no threat, you wouldn't be here talking about them. You guys are afraid. And well you should be.
Posted by: Scott | May 01, 2005 at 07:31 AM
Well the hysteria in your post is reaching a new high. Your last post tells me I can no longer have a battle of wits with an unarmed person. Watch out for the ice.
Posted by: Lump | May 01, 2005 at 08:29 AM
Yes give up republican coward. That's what all of you do so well.
Pray for the ice. It's the only chance you and your ilk have. But unfortunately, the ice is in fact coming, it's just coming for you!
Posted by: Scott | May 01, 2005 at 06:13 PM
Laura Ingraham has been diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, her plight gives her radio broadcasts the foreboding aura of impending death. She is done as a commercially viable talkshow host.
Posted by: uno | May 04, 2005 at 12:01 AM
If I were a Pat Robertson or a Jerry Falwell style left winger, I'd say God gave Laura cancer. Couldn't happen to a nicer girl.
Posted by: Scott | May 04, 2005 at 04:15 AM
Vintage Scott. Refresh me, what makes you better that Falwell/Robertson ?
Posted by: Scrila | May 04, 2005 at 08:57 AM
I never claimed to be better than either of those lying bastards. I simply seek to make the point that they would say something like that if it were a left winger with cancer. Make you uncomfortable to know you're aligned with such wierd zealots Scrilla?
Remember when 9.11 happened? Both of them blamed gays, abortion and pre-marital sex and said it was God's judgement. Nuff said.
Posted by: Scott | May 04, 2005 at 10:41 PM
Here's yet another link (local no less) that refutes the "Nobody's Listening" liars.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/222691_onradio05.html
Truth hurts.
Posted by: Scott | May 05, 2005 at 06:22 AM
I hate to admit it, but Scott is right. AA had great numbers in NY in the first few months, then hasn't been heard from since. I can't understand it. All I can say is that America must be populated with an overwhelming % of idiots.
Posted by: Bush Lies | May 05, 2005 at 06:53 AM
"I never claimed to be better than either of those lying bastards. I simply seek to make the point that they would say something like that if it were a left winger with cancer. Make you uncomfortable to know you're aligned with such wierd zealots Scrilla?"
No. As long as you've admitted being no better than them. Finally.
I don't align with them. I have no faith or family values.
Posted by: Scrilla | May 05, 2005 at 10:18 AM