BlatherWatch readers and KIRO listeners were buzzing. Erin Hart, the liberal part time weekend talker was missing. Her bio and picture remained on the Personalities page of the website, but she seemed to have been expunged from the line-up- her 10p-1 am show replaced with the retrospective radio drama, "When Radio Was," on Saturdays; her Sunday hours replaced by a Seahawks post game show.
But Erin was just on vacation, her demise exaggerated. The flinching listeners were just reacting after the months of wacky, nonsensical, unannounced, play-it-by-ear programming management that KIRO has become known for.
What a way to run a radio station!
The mood around the newsroom has been described to BlatherWatch as harsh and negative. There's a stab-backing epidemic and many polished up their resumes over the holidays. Great people have left or been fired from all departments.
The Seahawks pulled a KIRO victory out of the jaws of ratings defeat- at least for a little while.
But speaking to our sources inside- there are questions on everyone's minds:
a) Will Dave Ross go to mornings? Management is saying- 'hell, he got his best rating yet in the last trends. That despite that the heavy spot load and that the infernal "traffic on the 3's" gives him just 19 minutes per hour in 6 minute bites. It's a waste of Dave, and listeners we hear from are more than annoyed- they're becoming Al Franken regulars (KPTK m-f, 3-6p) or going back to NPR.
b) Why hasn't anything been done to fill in the important blank spot left by Allan Prell's abrupt departure FOUR MONTHS AGO?
c) When will they replace Mike Webb? IN FOUR MONTHS?
d) What will New York Vinnie (who lives the Seattle maxim: "It's nice to be important, but more important to be nice.") do when his ride on the Seahawks ends and everyone must face that he can't do issues?
e) Could Dori Monson be Tasered on a regular basis? (If you missed it on the air, the other day- view it here. Many of our readers will find this deeply satisfying...
f) What does Program Tom Clendening do all day?
KIRO seems to be a rudderless ship, with orders all coming down from the Captain Queeg of corporate on the bridge in Bala Cynwyd, PA. Employees are obviously downsizing their capacities to give a shit- Lou Pate is obviously just dialing it in- and, we 're hearing, he's not the only one. Let's face it, if you're bored, you're boring...
Management tried out some talkers to team with Procaccino for a team effort in the key 9-ta-noon spot, but apparently nothing came of it. As neither did the attempt to team up Lou Pate with Vinnie (Pate, we hear, refused).
(About the only pro-active thing done- the only new talent hired around KIRO lately on the newly created talk slot- Saturday overnight. It's the Bryan "rhymes-with-tryin'" Styble Show from 1-5a. Station dish dogs posit he' must be doing unnatural acts to get the support he's got from a certain program director. Styble follows the Frank Shiers playbook and hangs around the station all day sucking up and or maybe just sucking. He's pompous and verbose and peculiar on the air; and pathetic and sycophantish off. He blows).
Folks are saying that Entercom is trying desperately to find a place for the obnoxious Ron & Don who have provided unlistenable fill-in all over the skej lately. It's especially regressive and jolting to have them filling in for Dave Ross, their antithesis. If we were Ross, we'd be pissed. They're moronic, testosteronic, FM shock-talkers known around town for driving a van with a rack of police lights and a graphic that says "Chick Chaser." They had an ignominious and short-lived morning stretch on The Buzz a while back where they mustered 1.0 share before they were canned.
They don't belong on KIRO.
It's been sad to see a once-powerful station degenerate before our very eyes. No one can figure out why KIRO has been intentionally set on a death spiral. A radio pro we know just shook his headrecently and opined that KIRO must be the poorest managed radio station in the U.S.
It's a station without a vision.
KIRO is still the highest rated talk radio station in Seattle.
Posted by: umo | January 18, 2006 at 02:47 AM
Erin Hart is the only bright spot in the night time sky at KIRO. Being surrounded by so much non-talent she might do well to polish up her resume along with the others and find a station that will give her a real time slot.
It's is certain Turi Ryder has her resume polished already. She recently rambled on for an hour about how she has "padded" her resume in years past with non-existent jobs as needed.
Lou Pate was wise to turn down New York Vinnie as a co-host though I doubt Vinnie's aimless, stammering, wanderings could make Lou's poison-tongue yammerings any harder to tolerate than they already are.
Ron and Don (rhymes-with-yawn) are mind numbingly boring only when they are not mind numbingly stupid.
I need a new AM station. KTPK is pure white noise at my workplace. Maybe my radio is prejudiced. I'll bet Mayor Ray "Cist" Nagin would know.
Posted by: Steve | January 18, 2006 at 07:31 AM
Perhaps not the place to mention this, but John Carlson hinted yesterday (Jan 17) that changes were coming to KVI. Don't know if that meant "subtle" or "big" changes. I agree with the annoyance of "traffic and weather on the 3's" Dave Ross is being under-utilized.
Posted by: Seabeck | January 18, 2006 at 08:01 AM
Is it really only 16 minutes/ hour for Dave Ross? It certainly seems like it. You forgot to mention the inane "news" + advertisments + promos. I used to listen to Dave all the time. I now listen mostly to Franken except when the KPTK signal is too weak. If they upped the strength of their signal I wouldn't listen to KIRO at all.
Posted by: ExPatBrit | January 18, 2006 at 08:22 AM
I was wondering if someone did the breakdown for ross' show. KIRO needs to to news/traffic/weather when it's news/traffic/weather time, not during the talk shows.
I guess I'm the only one who liked ron & don. Unlike the crappola they have been sticking on the radio for the last month, ron & don actually kept me from changing the channel.
I still don't know what's with all the dori hate. Is it his political viewpoint or his delivery? I hate his schlepping of everything under the sun, but just about every semi-popular host does that now. Again, compared to proccacino's bland delivery and NY vinnie's insultingly boring delivery, dori is much more listenable than either of those ratings losers.
Posted by: afsaddf | January 18, 2006 at 08:58 AM
Seabeck:
Carlson had announced a while back that they are boosting their signal so that KVI will be available to the Pennisula and farther South and North (now, you loose them around Olympia and at the Hood Cannal Bridge...., I'm not sure how far North they go). I would guess that is what he is referring to.
Posted by: JDB | January 18, 2006 at 09:22 AM
Dori or Erin...you either hate them or love them. I happen to enjoy them both. However, if they are not on the air, my radio is off! The rest of the hosts, or rather, the "temp" hosts, are simply Zzzzzzzzz.
And Lou Pate? I'm convinced he was put on this earth as an advertisement for birth control and why it's necessary!
Posted by: Critter | January 18, 2006 at 09:25 AM
On point, that is what I liked about KIRO doing a news block in afternoon drive, then it didn't feel so choppy the way it does with Dave Ross Show. The same can be said for the current Carlson show. The big commercial breaks make it annoying to listen. At least when Dori was doing afternoons, the commercials were a welcome break.
Posted by: JDB | January 18, 2006 at 09:25 AM
JDB,
You guess wrong. Yes, the signal is being boosted, but there's a bit more.
BTW? Prell comes to "Drinking Liberally" and has to PAY for his drinks? Man you people are cheap! (when it's your own money). Maybe an excise tax so Allan can have a good Scotch and soda?
But...he looks great in leather.
BTW, what's with all the white haired older gents? It looked like The Moody Blues on smoke break at the Emerald Queen Casino.
Posted by: Scrilla | January 18, 2006 at 10:14 AM
I love the smirk on the WSP trooper's face as he lights up ol' Dori! That made the video clip worth watching!
KIRO's days are numbered, as far as being the top talk station. Any PD who lets his best talent shine for only 16 minutes an hour is an ASSHOLE...ut at KIRO, he's a god.
Get out while you can!
Posted by: barryj | January 18, 2006 at 11:33 AM
Dori is an idiotic rightwing blowhard, that's why I don't like him. Give me Medved over him any day, and I can't stand the rightwingers! Erin is annoying too, but she's progressive, and she is smarter than Dori. I was totally worried when I saw her out of the program lineup. Besides Dave, she's the only one I can tolerate on KIRO. I'm actually starting to fall for that woman on Air America, whose name I can't recall.
Posted by: Lo | January 18, 2006 at 11:46 AM
Hi Lo, (couldn't resist:)
I agree, Randi Rhodes is great fun to listen but she does get old because it is constant ranting - truthful or not - and as someone else said, it becomes white noise after a while. She needs to mix it up a little.
The common ingredient I see among those of us who like Erin is that we wants some passion and fire and we'll take anybody that provides it.
At least, I will!
Posted by: joanie | January 18, 2006 at 11:55 AM
Randi Rhodes isn't realy a radio talk show host, she's a nagging, griping complainer who's been sat down infront of a microphone. If she's not bitching she's feign laughing about the bitching. I can't handle more than a few seconds of exposure.
Posted by: Andrew | January 18, 2006 at 12:21 PM
I like Randi Rhodes' delivery, HOWEVER, doesn't she ever take any calls? Even if you agree with all or most of what a host says, you tire of their voice after awhile. Randi goes on and on and on and on. As my sweet daddy used to say to my mom..."Lord, woman, don't your jaws ever ache?!"
Posted by: Critter | January 18, 2006 at 12:26 PM
Again, Mr. Blather, your an idiot when it comes to talk radio. Please be advised that Ron and Don have made a hit over at Kiro and have generated some long overdue excitement in the evenings. I dont know where you get your out of date information, but as an employee I know for certain that those two may plug Web's old time slot. So stuff and get your information accurate.
Posted by: larry | January 18, 2006 at 12:33 PM
Replacing a political talker - who was amongst other political talkers - with two morning radio style shock jocks generates excitement at the station? Assuming you're not a liar this explains everything THE KIRO MANAGEMENT HATES KIRO AND IS WORKING TO DESTROY THE STATION!
Posted by: Andrew | January 18, 2006 at 01:28 PM
The key to Kiro's success - Taze Dori for charity. Each week hold a charity auction for the right to taze Dori. I am sure you would raise a lot of money and boost ratings as peopled tuned in to see if he crumbles.
Posted by: Fred | January 18, 2006 at 02:58 PM
Anybody have the link for the "I Hate Dori" website he spoke about today?
Posted by: sara | January 18, 2006 at 03:12 PM
Is this the "I hate Dori" blog run by "old people" the thin-skinned aging frat boy was speaking of today? If so, I'll be checking in regularly!
Posted by: Gary | January 18, 2006 at 03:34 PM
After listening to Rachel Maddow and Laura Ingalls, local women broadcasters pale in comparison.
Posted by: sparky | January 18, 2006 at 05:03 PM
Laura Ingalls....Ugh! Nuff said.
Posted by: Critter | January 18, 2006 at 06:44 PM
Gary, did Dori actualy say there was an "I hate Dori" blog? If yes, that guy is vein to no end.
Posted by: Andrew | January 18, 2006 at 06:52 PM
LOL I typed Laura Ingalls....mercy me it has been a long day and I dont know where that brain cell appeared from.
Let me try again, Critter...
I meant Laura Flanders, who is nothing like Laura Ingalls OR Laura Ingrahm.
There....sorry.
Posted by: sparky | January 18, 2006 at 06:56 PM
Sparky, thanks for the clarification! I started googling Laura Ingalls and kept getting Laura Ingalls Wilder, of course!
Tell me, on which station do you hear her? Perhaps I can get it, perhaps not. I notice she is on Air America but their programming seems all over the map sometimes and also I don't really like repeats. Do you hear her at some point the same day she actually broadcasts?
Also, I looked up Maddox and it appears she's on at 4AM? Is that when you hear her as well?
I love Stephanie Miller! She cracks me up. What do you think of her? She sounds way different than she looks! At least, I think so.
Posted by: joanie | January 18, 2006 at 07:15 PM
Laura Flanders is on Saturday and Sunday afternoons..usually from 4-7..I hate how KPTK moves things around so much. Remember, if you have a decent connection speed on your puter, you can stream her directly from the AA site. I do that if she is interrupted by sports.
Rachel Maddow is on from 4 am to 6 am and I catch her from 5-6 while getting ready to go to work, and then I listen to Stephanie Miller on my hour commute. I think she is hilarious, love Jim Ward the voice man and his send ups of Hannity and O'Reilly. I rarely actually laugh out loud when listening to radio, but Stephanie makes me do that at least once each morning...and she has great bumper music.
Posted by: sparky | January 18, 2006 at 07:34 PM
Andrew says, "did Dori actualy say there was an "I hate Dori" blog? If yes, that guy is vein to no end."
Watch out or Joanie will teach you how to spell correctly. What you call the crap you and the others put out daily aginst Dori?
Tough love? You're loonieism at its best.
Posted by: Lump | January 18, 2006 at 10:16 PM
Drinking Liberal is a sitcom. A mixture of Cheers, Seinfeld and Woody Alan. Does everyone realize it is in rehearsal as Faux Nework reality show?
Prell paid for his drink? and the point is???? Seems like a nice giy but seems to me everyone paid their own way. Or is he a special attraction?
Why not invite Mike Webb? At least he wuld give a speach!
Has anyone considered this group asking for a Seattle Blogtime slot on KIRO? A number of folks there last nite would be adequate hosts.
Kinda like the Ton 'n Theiry food show but with blogs, beer and blather?
Posted by: Stephen Schwartz | January 18, 2006 at 11:28 PM
Lump, take some time off for yourself
Posted by: Andrew | January 19, 2006 at 04:18 AM
"Lou Pate is obviously just dialing it in"
Uhhhh. Has Lou EVER entered Show-prep-land? Go ahead, count the number of times Lou says the following: "Its as simple as that", "truly amazing", and "4 hours of cardio". Makes a great drinking game.
Yes, tis sad. The NFL season ender is approaching KIRO like an falling guillotine. With the Hawks past performance, I bet they get extra sweaty about each playoff game. It will be interesting to go through the blood spilt afterwards. You will have your work cut out for you.
And speaking of sweaty: the Dori Monson tazer - how great is that? Seriously, THAT and THAT ALONE = ratings. The mix of both pleasure & schadenfreude (theres that word again!) I feel is indeed confusing. Both politically excited & slightly aroused. Hmmmm... perhaps another therapist visit is in order.
Now all they need to do is zap Dori every time we have to hear about the Gutter helmet. (Wait a minute, does this mean I want LESS or MORE Gutter helmet spots?)
Posted by: merciful nate | January 19, 2006 at 04:47 AM
That's ok, sparky. I goofed, too! When you said Laura Inghalls, I was thinking Laura Ingraham! OMG! Don't even get me started on that woman! I don't think I've ever heard Laura Flanders; I'll check her out on AA. Thanks.
Posted by: Critter | January 19, 2006 at 08:18 AM
Air America should send a gift basket to the program director at KIRO. He has done more to boost their listeners than any single individual EVER!!!
Posted by: JoAnne | January 19, 2006 at 08:48 AM
Isn't that the truth, JoAnne? I never heard of Air America until this shakeup started at KIRO. I wonder how long it will be before KIRO bites the dust like The Buzz did?
Posted by: Critter | January 19, 2006 at 09:00 AM
Between the death of The Buzz and KIRO's meltdown, I am listening to a lot more Air America than I used to. I just can't keep the signal coming in as I move around town, especially in the North End.
Mark me as one of the few who actually liked Ron & Don in their toned-down AM talker guise... and I HATED their Buzz gig. If they replaced NY Vinnie in the 6p-9p slot I'd listen. I still miss the Men's Room 700p newscast at the top of their show -- I always listened while driving home.
NY Vinnie may be too nice a guy, but he pretty obviously never heard of show prep either. He literally considers topics and arrives at a viewpoint on the air, in real time. He must think he's a natural, Larry King-like instinctive broadcaster or something who can pass his interior monologue off as radio theater. He can't.
I agree that Dave Ross is suffocating for lack of air 3p-6p. KIRO is trying to do two shows at once in that slot -- a straight talk show plus afternoon drive. Two objects cannot occupy the same space. It's a mess. He should go back to 9a-12p.
Proccacino is growing on me slowly, but then so did Prell.
Hate Erin Hart: reflexive, coarse and obvious.
Posted by: TomF | January 19, 2006 at 05:24 PM
If you want to know the topic of Erin's program, just read the morning paper that comes out the day of each show. She apes a lot of material from the editorial page of the Sunday Edition of the Seattle Times. And she wonders why she doesn't have a fulltime slot even after Prell and Webb were canned.
Posted by: Pedro (Erin's Dog) | January 21, 2006 at 07:13 PM
Allen Prell (or someone) said that he was given the axe because he did poorly with a focus group. I wonder if they realy do have focus groups evaluating host's performances. Big corperations figure out the public opinion on their products that way.
Maybe we're wrong in assuming they make programing decisions with the same gut reactions we have.
Posted by: Andrew | January 21, 2006 at 07:55 PM
Woof!
Posted by: sparky | January 21, 2006 at 07:56 PM
Arf!
Posted by: Andrew | January 21, 2006 at 08:19 PM
If they get rid of Erin and Mike, what's the point of KIRO? Just Dave Ross, really. The rest are OK, but forget it without Erin and Mike.
Posted by: Ian | January 26, 2006 at 09:06 AM
Erin will get the 9-1pm slot (Mike Webb's). Wait and see.
Posted by: Critter | January 26, 2006 at 02:08 PM
Here's something I recently posted at the seattle pi forumsWEEKDAY SHOWS: DAVE ROSS,
1-877-710-kiro
9:00am to Noon - Seattle, but kiro is even heard all the way up in Canada!
Dave has interviewed many Washington State activists such as Freedom Fighter Joanna Mckee, of GREEN CROSS "the Brownie Mary of Washington State",
Ralph Seely, - Attny. cancer patient, HERO! He made the case for pot
I have a few of these interviews on tape. and politicians such as Washington State Senator Jeanne Kohl. (D)36th district
Here is a quote from DAVE ROSS on his Dec. 31st 1997 show: "THE WAR ON DRUGS, I think it's been a failure and I agree with you that we [that we should legalize and regulate drugs] .... and we've done this with alcohol,... we restricted it's use to people above a certain age and to spend this time and money and all these lives, in breaking down the doors of people who are growing a little pot is a WASTE!"
- a very wise man!
Website: www.kiro710.com or http://www.mynorthwest.com
"The highest realms of thought are impossible to reach without first attaining to an understanding of compassion"
SOCRATES, 470-399 BC
http://www.milwaukeemagazine.com/currentIssue/full_feature_story.asp?NewMessageID=24046&pf=yes
Posted by: Seattle420 | November 30, 2008 at 01:13 PM