kiro wins a edward r. murrow award...posthumously

Not surprising that KIRO's Dave Ross (m-f, 3-6p) won a national first place for "Best Writing" for his CBS Commentary when the national radio trade Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) gave out its coveted Edward R. Murrow Awards, recently.

Ross is the most singularly talented talk personality in this town; AND he's funny, AND he's a liberal; AND...he can sing.

KIRO should be proud--but they won another Murrow they're not puffing about. It was first place for Newscast In A Large Market for a story about last year's Vashon Island oil spill. Why so mum? Because it was done in PM drive news by Val Stouffer and Tony Miner--long time talent summarily booted when Program Director Tom Clendening and Mr. Pridemore killed that very newscast in January.

Oops.

Some say RTNDA's awarding this posthumous honor to the newscast was to send a message to KIRO about dismantling its once mighty news gathering operation. These kudos were for last year--KIRO's so far out of the news business, sources say it's doubtful they'll be winning more news awards any time soon.

A lot of the ratings problems suffered by KIRO (locked into first place for years, and now stuck in 6th) has to do with, not only disastrous talk programming, but because they cut the long established noon and drive-time news hours like that late, great one by Val & Tony. It was just another gift they gave to Fisher's KOMO AM.

In a piece about the across-the-board ratings softening of Seattle talk radio, former Seattle talker (KVI, KIRO) conservative blogger Brian Maloney writes about KIRO's problems. The Equalizer and blatherWatch don't agree much about politics, but Maloney writes authoritatively when analyzing radio. Like blatherWatch, he calls 'em like he sees 'em, right or left. He says:

What's key to KIRO's survival, by the way, is not how any of the talk shows are performing, but whether the morning news program's ratings hold up. Recently, those had begun to slide for the first time. That's where the money is made, so any real drop there, would hurt KIRO badly.

KIRO's real competition is a news station, KOMO-AM, which stole the Mariners radio broadcasts away from the station several years ago. With the team not faring much better than last year, KOMO hasn't seen the big ratings surge expected, at least not yet. That's more likely to change as the summer figures emerge.

We disagree with Maloney when he posits that KIRO's overrepresentation of liberals is a major factor in its problems. He says it's a "sandwich," one conservative (Dori Monson) between two liberals Allen Prell and Dave Ross. We believe it's the choice of liberals (Prell's a disaster) or an ill-chosen time slot: Dave Ross is up against NPR's highly rated news, "All Things Considered," and a very well loyal John Carlson audience.
~~
Here's the list of the recent KIRO awards...they should be proud of their news staff's performance...(Memo to Mr. Clendening: don't let anything happen to Heather Bosch).

Overall Excellence
Best Newscast: "5pm Oil Spill coverage" Val Stouffer, Tony Miner 
Best Continuing Coverage: "Governor's Race"
Best Investigative Reporting: "Housing Discrimination" by Heather Bosch
Best Spot News: "Felon on the Run" by Chris Sullivan
Best Feature: "Let's Talk About Britney" by Tom Tangney
Best Series: "Citizen Soldier" by Heather Bosch
Best Use of Sound: "Dock Dogs" by Heather Bosch
Best Writing: "Wardrobe Malfunction" by Dave Ross
Best Website

Comments

[mickh]

I Usually agree with your rants but today I think you are mostly wrong.

You give Brian Baloney way to much credit for being on top of all things radio. I honestly feel I read your assessment of KIRO long before the B-man did his take that was very close to yours except he had to add the LIBERAL thing.

As for Dave Ross he is funny, he is liberal but he can’t sing. Sorry. (I can't either).

[Rush Limbaugh]

I agree - Brian Baloney - the one who can't get a radio job, is hardly an authority on radio.

I also note the absence of awards for the right wing hate radio stations. Too busy calling Senator Clinton names I guess to do any real award-worthy news!

[Rob]

As an employee of KIRO, I sure am confused by your "reporting."

You say the station is being "mum" about winning the best newscast award. Odd, since every hour I hear a promo for the fact KIRO was named by the RTNDA for best radio newscast in the nation. Plus, they put up a huge banner outside the Eastlake building listing the "best newscast" award.

Not exactly my idea of "mum."

And, just so you know, every reporter who was involved in the award winning oil spill entry is STILL working at KIRO and still covering news in afternoon drive.

You are correct that one person is gone. But, honestly, that person sat on their ever-widening ass all day and bitched about the station, doing ZERO work.

In fact, that person's news reporting was similar to yours: full of crap.

[sparky]

hmm me wonders if Rob got turned down when he asked Val for a date???

[Brian Maloney]

You guys can think what you want about me or my take on KIRO. Love or hate my site, I don't care (enjoying the explosive traffic growth very much).

And I do still work in radio, as a fill-in for national and regional talk shows here in New England.

In addition to my site, I've been contributing columns to WorldNetDaily, one of the nation's largest conservative sites. My Newsweek Koran story work was featured in MSNBC and Fox News coverage.

The personal attack on Val is just sad and really reflects poorly on KIRO. I've noticed a very unflattering tendency on the part of a few people (unfortunately still there) to kick people when they're down.

And I hate to say it, but it's clear that at least some of this nastiness is coming from current management, typing behind closed doors.

I'm amazed at how the egos remain, even as the ratings fall. I don't know how you do it.

Val's a great person and excellent broadcaster. She's one of a number of people who have been fired from the station in the last number of months.

Her only crime was getting in the way of Dori Monson's re-do of the radio station, which is costing the station dearly in ratings and soon, revenue as well.

Abandoning KIRO's news image, built over decades, in favor of talk shows that failed instantly, in addition to ruining Dave Ross's hard-earned following from 9-noon, ranks as one of the all-time talk radio blunders.

If Dave Ross had any backbone, he would march into that office, agent in tow, and demand to be moved back to his old timeslot. How it doesn't register in his mind that he's in the driver's seat, just astounds me.

Alan Prell was fired in Baltimore more than 6 years ago, since then, his only stint that I'm aware of was a brief, failed run in Denver that generated almost no ratings.

He was hired because of a friendship with the current PD, not because of talent or abilities.

If the afternoon news block needed retooling, there should have been some attempt to upgrade it. Val should have been given a chance to be a part of that.

News was always a key part of KIRO's appeal and it was flushed down the toilet for no reason.

And before you throw the "sour grapes" or "disgruntled" tags at me, keep in mind these changes were made by a new management team. The person who fired me was let go 10 days later. And, I have no ill feelings toward the company, still being in regular contact with a number of people inside it (mostly outside Seattle operations).

My point about Dori's show is that it doesn't make sense to have a liberal show followed by one conservative, then a series of other leftists.

It's like taking a three-hour Country break on a hip-hop station. I don't think he fits with the direction the station took.

I don't think this programming lineup or management team will last very long, maybe just a few more months, because I think Bala Cynwyd will run out of patience with the poor-performance excuses very soon.

It's clear Ventrella will exit soon, after a dismal performance, and the next PD can sort out what to do with the rest of the lot.

Hood's right about one thing, I call 'em like I see 'em.

[Timmy]

last think i knew, baloney was on kiro shitting his pants everytime they found a firecracker in iraq and the media tried calling it WMD. jezzuz fucking christ, what an idiot! find any yet baloney? no wonder he was fired, he sucks. prell sucks just as bad though, just to be fair and balanced.

[Rush Limbaugh]

I love it. A guy who hasn't got a radio job and who got fired from KIRO is giving no less than Dave Ross career advice. That's like a little league right fielder trying to give Ichiro advice. Brian Baloney says he has a radio gig but won't share the call letters of the stations ... UM?

And as for writing for WorldNetDaily...excuse me while I spit up since I am laughing so hard. They make Fox look like a legit news channel.

So sad.

[Don Bosch (evaneco.com)]

[Confidential to Blather: Thanks for the kind stuff about Heather. Don't tell anyone that the secret to her success is she's a closet conservative at heart...

Sincerely,
Heather's Very Proud Blogger Brother Don]

[joanie]

I find Maloney's response above on the KIRO dilemma interesting. I never liked him on the radio and used to refer to him as Brian Baloney and have to say I really sort of hated his show.

So, it is odd, I suppose, that I should agree with him now. I always thought Val Stouffer was absoutely great at what she did. I think she's a lot more interesting than Jane in the morning. She had verve and personality.

I was learning to like Prell and he was changing in the end to less nonsense in his presentation. I wish he were still on air.

It seems to me that Maloney's comments about trying to mix up the political line up is right on. Keep your listeners tuned in by keeping similar political philosophies on the air. I tune out Monson which means I go looking for alternative radio and I often stay there (whether it be NPR or Air Amer). Some days I stay there. If they would offer a day long alternative to all the right-wing stuff that is out there, I'd stick. I don't really enjoy cruising the dial. Do the left thing but find liberal hosts who cover the range of liberal thinking. Dave is really pretty centrist.

KIRO maintains its slim lead for three reasona: greater transmitting power; seahawks and sports; and its tendency toward liberal politics which represents Seattle thinking.

So, give us a line up of Ross, Jeffers, Jaco, Hart, Hartmann, and whomever else fits the bill. Continue to mix in the drive-time news hours.

New respect for Brian Maloney but please don't ask me to listen to him on the radio!