PAT O'DAY SPEAKS OUT ABOUT SEATTLE TALK RADIO: PART 1.0

Is Pat O'Day the founding father of Northwest rock ‘n’ roll or the “Godfather” of the 1960s teen dance scene? A vampire or the catalyst? Or all of the above? There are many Northwesterners who would debate these points for days on end, but what is perfectly clear is that when it came to the business of rock music in the Northwest, Pat O’Day was the Chairman of the Board, the Grand Poobah, the Top Dog, the Big Kahuna. New York City had Alan Freed, Boston had Arnie Ginsberg, Los Angeles had Hunter Hancock, and Seattle had O’Day. As Seattle’s highest-profile DJ of the 1960s and the region’s dominant dance promoter, Pat O’Day ran Northwest rock ‘n’ roll for nearly a decade. ~~from HistoryLink. Read the whole story here.

These days, Pat O’Day, 72, the man who personified KJR (Channel 95) for so many of us, is a Friday Harbor businessman a Republican, an author (It Was All Just Rock 'n' Roll II) and ubiquitous spokeshole for Schick Schadel Hospital. He’s inarguably the most successful personality, programmer, and promoter in Seattle radio history.

Pat agreed to comment for BlatherWatch on the state of Seattle news talk radio. He takes no prisoners, and even though he’s a damn Republican, we wish he were directing some programming around Seattle in these dog days of talk-talk. 
~~
Let’s Do It Right For A Change!
news talk radio and play by play may be the last soldiers left standing…
By Pat O’Day
    MUSIC RADIO UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF GEEKY, unqualified, non-creative, clueless program directors is gradually handing its audience over to iPods, and satellite programming.

There’s no reason why talk and news radio- especially that with strong local influences, can’t grow and not suffer!

One can’t evaluate talk radio, local or national, without establishing a base line and that base line today is Rush Limbaugh. He personifies the greatness of the medium and how it can be employed to maximum effectiveness. Limbaugh must be credited with being one of the five most important radio contributors in the history of the industry.

(And I’m not sure who the other four are. Probably we include Todd Storz, Gordon McClendon, and Sarnoff.)  He saved AM radio from near extinction and provided a path to renewed and salient viability).

No, I’m not talking about Rush’s politics. I’m talking about Rush, the performer.

Rush uses radio as we used radio in the ‘30’s and ‘40’s- as a stage where theatrics thrive by employing radio’s third dimension, which is only possible with audio-only vehicles. 

It’s called: the “Theater of The Mind.”

Rush says he was inspired greatly by Larry Lujack when Rush was growing up in Missouri and listening while Larry was on WLS Chicago. Well, Larry was a great role model as every Lujack show was consistent, well-prepared, topical; painting verbal pictures, cynical as only Larry can be- outrageously arrogant, and in the third dimension. 

Now, Limbaugh employs those same tools, coupled with a conservative agenda, in creating the most listened to program in all of radio.  I mention this for an important reason. Radio is only as good as its performer. The mere fact that you are a talk format, and you deal with controversial matter, doesn’t make for great listening, or large audiences. 

Without great performers, without solid, gripping, electrifying personalities with the ability to reach through the speaker and grab you by the ears, talk radio is just another boring diversion in a world packed with excitement.

This brings us to talk radio and news talk radio in the Seattle market.

Seattle suffers, as do most markets, from a shortage of local talk greatness due to a lack of coaching and development on the part of the program directors. The tendency prevails to hire them, put them on the air, tell them what topics to avoid, which topics to emphasize, the let them succeed or hang themselves.

The days of disciplined, patient, talent development seem to have vanished. Aircheck meetings, goal setting, performance accountability, and a requirement of constant improvement are rare to non-existent. 

Sometimes, the talent is so great, the talent overcomes this lack of direction. There are the exceptions such as the KJR Sports Talk lineup is loaded with talent. Grosby and Gastenau are outstanding and major league in every regard and Mitch ain’t far behind. 

KJR is a station that leaves you disappointed when they switch to national hosts for late nights and weekend programming in that the local is so damn good!

Other exceptions are Kirby Wilbur and John Carlson on KVI, Dave Ross and oft times Dori Monson on KIRO.  Bob Rivers and his team break through the sound barrier mornings on KZOK. Jeff Aaron up in Everett shows great effort and great dedication to his craft. And then there are the rest of the hours, days and weeks. 

Blame should be placed on stations that rely only on research for direction.

Blame should be placed on GM’s and PD’s who haven’t the ability to listen and truly understand the difference between sensational communication and mundane jabber. If a GM or PD has to wait for the book to come out to know how their station is doing, they were miscast in their positions.

Magic is unmistakable if one is listening for it.  But compelling, spellbinding, listener-grabbing programming can only be heard if pre-conceived notions are put aside.

Research must be put in the trashcan and any concerns over political correctness abandoned. These two things, which comprise the fixations of many in management, are the archenemies of great radio.  Newscasts also suffer from the same blind oversight. 

Let me explain.

There was once a time when the FCC required a percentage of programming, throughout the day, to be local and national news. One of the true tragedies visited upon our young people, and older populace, was the dropping of this requirement. 

Radio was truly a great national resource that educated the young to the nation and world around them. That’s been wasted by a foolish Congress told by the broadcasters themselves that such requirements placed an unfair financial burden on the stations.

So radio took a big step back in relevance and a great disservice was rendered our citizens who until then were well informed, regardless of musical tastes.

The news requirement necessitated the development of stunning, exciting, gripping, newscasts- anything less would’ve chased the music audience away. Radio news was upbeat, sensational, and immediate, be it on a country station or a rocker. 

Now, all that seems to be lost.

Radio news has become very lifestyle; very low key, very redundant and very boring. Oh yes, I know the research says people don’t want to be shocked, they don’t like the sensational, they don’t like bad news and they simply love good news. They state they simply adore nice lifestyle stories. They bullshit the interviewer every time!  They tell the researcher what they think will cast themselves as an individual in a favorable light.

In short, they lie! In fact, they really want to know exactly what’s happening that impacts them, their neighbors, their families, their nation and community. They want it in the foreground with emotional variances between the critical and the non-critical. In today’s busy, noisy, media cluttered world, it must be delivered with high impact or they can’t hear it! 

Seattle’s truly great radio newsmen, with an exception or two, have seemingly vanished and their traditions, the lessons they taught, have been ignored. Lou Gillette, Les Parsons, Dick Curtis, Bill Munson, Chuck Bolland, Bill Taylor, Frank Thompson, and Bill Foster, to mention a few, all set high standards of emotion, sensationalism and theater that no longer can be heard.

We don’t even bother to create ear-catching intros any longer. I guess they fear an inability to deliver anything as great as a big, exciting intro would promise. In that regard, they’re probably right! 

Where radio news can be bombastic, and addictive, I find it to be generally insipid. But, some PD’s and their consultants will say. Things are different now! 

Oh really? 

We’ll post Part 2 of Pat O'Day's comments in coming days.  Wait'll you read how he’d run an AM news talk station!

Comments

[chris]

If only Keith Olbermann had a full-time radio show...

[joanie]

Hmmmm . . . requires some thinking. I found myself puzzling over items as I was reading.

Seems to me AM radio began it's resurgence in Seattle when Mike Siegel took KING to new heights with his (then) liberal activism, esp. as it concerned the Exxon Valdez. He had people picketing and when he was fired by KING, it generated physical withdrawal for many of his listeners.

Also, I used to stay up at night listening to Larry King who was then a fantastic interviewer because he listened more than he performed. He, too, was addictive. and he talked a lot about the return of AM radio via talk radio. When Jim Bohannon took over the show, I quit listening. I didn't like Jim's constant insertion of his own tics and testy opinions.

The ability to listen is also what makes Dave Ross so good. (IMO)

I'm thinking what made Rush so different wasn't his entertaining ways but his ability to polarize people and he did it confrontationally and negatively. Negativity is so bonding! Ask those of us who listen to Mike Webb. We love it! That's what Dori does as well. Just with less passion and more snideness and arrogance. Even Larry Lujack was addictive as the bad boy of teen radio.

I'm curious. Who in talk radio had higher numbers than Mike Webb in the 9-1 talk slot (besides KUOW). Does anybody know?

Can't wait to hear other opinions on Pat's letter, esp. from those people who have been paying attention to Seattle radio over the years. BTW, my favorite station of all time was KZAM. Not talk radio for sure, but great hosts and eclectic programming which someone told me was their downfall. Maybe I'm not the typical listener.

Right now if it weren't for Al Franken and Thom Hartmann and a couple of NPR programs, I'd give my radios away.

[artistdogboy]

Just 10 days and a couple of followups.... and no more of those boring meetings

[Fremont]

Why, oh why, is the venerable Pat O'Day a republican? What happened??!!

[Steve]

I respect Pat's views greatly, and the specifics of what he speaks about are inarguable. There is indeed a formula that is required to run a radio station, to produce shows, and to meet a basic need of the public.

In fact, I pointed out many such things to the PD of KVI about 10 years ago, in begging for a new local host for their station. I looked to KFI out of LA, which has produced more nationally syndicated hosts, and more people who transitioned into big media than any other. John and Ken, Laura Schlessinger, Bill Handel, Tammy Bruce, Joe Crummy, Bill Press, Tom Leykis, Dean Edell, and Stephanie Miller all started at or came from KFI. I begged for an intelligent host who could use dramatics and humor to engage the audience, and provide information, debate, and a compelling reason to listen.

It was a dream come true to me that Bryan Suits came on the air. They did well with him, and he speaks with clarity, humor, and from experiences that lead one to believe that he truly believes what he speaks about, and does more than bloviate. Good move on their part. (Now, if they would just upgrade the power of the station, so I could hear it better, we would be in a perfect world)

Part of the issue here, it seems, is that things change. This isn't the 40's. Not the 50's, 60's, or 70's. The market is evolving. Technology is changing. So do the metrics and the expectations of the audience. I have no doubt that there is talent out there to carry the torch that Murrow, Cronkite, Bolland, Wayne Cody, and the others that came before us. The question becomes how to engage those people, develop them, and to get the in roles that can enhance the craft? For a GM or PD to basically abdicate the time and effort to develop new talent, going for the easy route of putting on syndicated shows creates even less opportunity to make things better. Our guy on KRKO has a good gig, a wonderful manner, and is consistent. Yet, being on a sports talk radio is limiting to him. He now competes with Blogs, podcasts, limited station power, and a small audience. Yet, he does well.

I have considered, and been repeatedly advised to look at being on air talent for radio, yet I have not done much with it. I believe that I understand a fair amount of what's required, think that I can match the dynamics of emotion and information, making it compelling and consistent, and could bring a new perspective to radio. Going beyond the parroting of political rhetoric, I honestly believe that the lessons of blogging can and SHOULD be brought into radio to provide a more full view of issues and topics today. Perhaps someday I will make the commitment and do it. Not today.

Pat, thank you! For bringing your perspective and the sense of the market to us. Very interesting, compelling, and shows us where we have been. And some great thoughts on where we should be today.

Steve

[joanie]

Steve,
Murrow, Cronkite and Cody on the same list?

Edell and Schlessinger - "compelling" radio? Besides Stephanie Miller, Leykis maybe the only one I agree with on your list and his popularity seems to be declining??? Or perhaps he just no longer fits the Seattle audience. . . Many years ago I liked him but his johnny-one-note started to get old with me.

Chuck Bolland was an okay news shouter.

Of the list you named, I don't know Crummy or Bruce. Stephanie Miller is great! She is entertaining - downright funny! Also, informed and interesting. And she engages in political talk which is the niche that attracts me.

Your post seems a little self-serving, Steve. (IMHO)

[Andrew]

Steve don't threaten us with your awesomeness.

[umo]

Pat O'day is an anachronistic boring dinosaur from yesteryear. Advice from O'Day about modern broadcasting is like contemporary singing lessons from Ethel Merman.

[Lump]

Chris sez, "If only Keith Olbermann had a full-time radio show..."

So his ratings would match his TV show? In the toilet?

[Lump]

Steve sez, "In fact, I pointed out many such things to the PD of KVI about 10 years ago, in begging for a new local host for their station. I looked to KFI out of LA, which has produced more nationally syndicated hosts, and more people who transitioned into big media than any other. John and Ken, Laura Schlessinger, Bill Handel, Tammy Bruce, Joe Crummy, Bill Press, Tom Leykis, Dean Edell, and Stephanie Miller all started at or came from KFI. I begged for an intelligent host who could use dramatics and humor to engage the audience, and provide information, debate, and a compelling reason to listen."

Steve, that's a great point you brought up about KFI. You have to understand that some of your responders have never been out of King County and wouldn't know about KFI or any other prominent station. It's interesting to note that KFI has produced so many national personalities from different walks of life and all sides of the politcal sprectrum. Andrew and Joanie only care about loonieism at its best and nothing else counts.

[Mike Barer]

Pat may be Republican but only a fiscal one.

[ExDem]

Umo,

You could show a bit more class and humility by refraining from attacking Pat O'Day. He is a respected radio icon in this market and his opinions carry some weight in this area. If you don't care for his advice, you could just say nothing. Instead, you posted something mean spirited and it makes you look petty.

[Steve]

Self serving, perhaps, though to what end I would be, escapes me.

I named those names and listed them as compelling on the basis that they are obviously successful, having found a niche, a formula, and an audience that listens. I don't personally enjoy all of those personalities or their shows. But I do recognize, and celebrate success in their lives.

From a self serving standpoint, you are correct that by looking at their success, I try to learn their methods and focus, that I might evaluate and apply those lessons that would apply to me, if ever I should enter that arena of competition. Not sure anything is wrong with it.

Steve's post was illuminating about Stephanie and Tom, in that it shows a strong to lukewarm like for that particular genre of show. And I am happy for Steve that he likes those over the others. It's myopic when one considers the broad spectrum of radio, for not everyone has the same tastes in personalities or formula. And that's ok.

Had an interesting moment in watching the background of what it takes to put a radio show on. John Kobylt and Ken Champeau were doing a live remote on the border with Mexico, out in the middle of nowhere. Went out there, and watched the whole process. Tammy Bruce was in the studio as backup and was bringing people off the street to 'protest' the racist rantings of John. One of the studio engineers at the station let John know that Tammy was feeding the people she brought in questions and phrases to increase the vitriol. Friends, I have rarely witnessed an outburst such as John laid upon Tammy regarding 'contrived' radio, and how inappropriate it was to artificially enhance the guests opinions. I am sure she remembers the encounter, as have I.

You will notice that I left off Lars Larson, and Mike Siegel in the list. While they have their local niche, it's hard to argue that they have been compelling in their formula. Lars and Mike both had a level of local syndication, but neither was able to make it pan out to anything approaching success. Perhaps it was their formula and focus, state issues, style, or personality. In any event, I now know that I would more likely resist a state level syndication effort, and focus more on a centralized broadcast from a 50KW station to reach the larger audience.

Folks, I say this as I become one of the many who have migrated to satellite radio. Not for the talk, but for the lack of commercials as I travel through the northwest and the country. Aside from Bryan Suits, and my one hour a month that I will listen to Dori, I would rather enjoy the peace and tranquility of classical music without commercials.

[Steve]

The Tom Leykis phenomena. Tom has a mystique. He is 'naughty.' He is 'controversial.' He says those things that appeal to people who want to have an outlet for their nonsocial thoughts and feelings.

He is successful at garnering an audience. He has formulated a persona that causes people to want to listen.

I celebrate his success. Don't personally care for him, and haven't since his days at KFI, but obviously, it's worked for him. In my opinion, and from having listened to him for almost two decades on and off, it's clear that his underlying theme is a contempt for the people that he can annoy, and an even bigger contempt for those who try to emulate him. He has a venue to jab the ribs of all who listen and call, and enjoys every minute of it. Good for him!

Art Bell is among the most sad stories in talk radio, in my opinion. I say that as I offer my condolences to him on the passing of his wife last week, but also for the years of angst, hardships, and drama that has invaded his life as a result of his success. His show struck me as a ham radio operator who enjoyed talking with people, and using the platform to engage the audience to share their stories. He enjoyed learning, in the early days, and discussing things in alternative realities. In the early days, the person most compelled to listen and learn was Art himself. But as the threats, loonies, health concerns, and such invaded his life, he lost that interest, and the show suffered. Became a curse. And he weathers the effects on his life to this day. Yet, there are many elements of his success that are valuable to take note of, and to learn from.

1) Engage the audience to share instead of picking callers who support your views.
2) Do what you love, and love what you do.
3) It's possible to set up a remote studio and avoid a great deal of the office drama
4) Never pollute your home environment with your work life, particularly in radio.
5) Know when to quit.

[sparky]

Randi Rhodes whips Lars' ass in the ratings in Portland...

[windie]

steve; you missed an important part of Leykis' 'mystique'... "Pay for intereseting callers to address the topics you want to talk about."

Also, wasn't Bell the one who quit doing rightwing Schtick after Oklahoma city?

[Lump]

Sparky sez, "Randi Rhodes whips Lars' ass in the ratings in Portland..."

Does she wear spiked heels, a push up bra and a mask when she does it?

[Andrew]

I don't know if I can sympathize with Art Bell with regard to his radio related problems. His wife's death and the fiasco with his kid aren't related to his radio career.

I listened to him in the late 90's and I realy felt dicked around with all the breaks and mini retirements he was staging. If he was threatened by crazies he could have had security. No matter what the story, his listeners deserved some sense of consistancy. It didn't help matters that his stand-ins were so much worse than he was. Bad memories.

[joanie]

Didn't Mike Siegel fill in for Art Bell for an extended period? I thought they were both nuts.

[Dick Curtis]

Happy 74th Birthday Pat!