~~ Mike Webb late of KIRO, who will be facing a judge on March 21 in the City of Seattle's case against him for felony fraud, has gone missing. No, he hasn't jumped bail as far as we know, he just hasn't done his podcast for a few weeks. He's been running KIRO tapes of his old show complete (yawn) with commercials and traffic. Also moldy Stephanie Miller Shows apparently ripped off the Net. The website says he's on vacation. Our sources bet he's out looking for a job- there's nothing in this market for Mike Webb, we're betting.
~~We're all about words around here, so every once in a while, we have to mock Michael Medved (KTTH m-f, 12-3p) for his, shall we say unique? pronunciations. We've bitched about his mangled "Nawlins," when he's trying to sound like Loozyana down-homeboy (kinda hard when you've gotta yiddisher kopf and all that Ivy League education). Then there's his Ku (rhymes with pew) Klux Klan, which gives us hives and today, he again said BOO-fay for buffet sounding like a realtor putting on airs at the Royal Fork. (In France, the slang buffer, pronounced BOO-fay, means to wolf your food- farmhands, teenage boys, and reporters buffe). He also says ISSaquh (rhymes with duh!) instead of Issaquah (rhymes with kiss-a-squaw). Knowing Michael (which we don't) his pronunciation is probably the correct Salish; but for people who live around here it just sounds like he's from LA and has the words but not the tune.
~~Quote of the Day: "Why do people still keep tuning in to KIRO? Isn't that like continually opening the refrigerator door, hoping that one of these times there will be something interesting to eat?" ~Sparky in our comment threads.
~~Quote of the Month: "It's hard to be a conservative these days." ~Laura Kiel, of Kiel Mortgage, Republican stalwart, patron, and principle sponsor of Republican Radio, the snide Saturday snorefest (KVI 3-5p) where we heard this in a discussion of Hell-with-port-security-everything's-for-salegate. It shows how deeply the Bush ineptitude and guile is rumbling through his own party. If Laura Kiel is doubting out loud on the radio- you know they're in trouble- and so do they.
~~Sorry, sorry sorry. We said Knute Berger, editor of the Seattle Weekly lived on the Eastside. You probably thought we meant the Eastside of the Lake Washington. No. We meant the east side of Capitol Hill- but we didn't say how far east because we don't know and because we hear there's a stalker who's stalking editors (what a freek!).
~~Dave Ross (KIRO m-f, 3-6p) fails at the finger factor. (We've learned to trust our fingers to tell us what the real radio ratings are (this is the only thing besides eating Chinese food we can depend on our fingers for- they've utterly failed us at the piano and long term relationships). By noting when and where our fingers subconsciously jump on the car radio buttons, we can get a fairly accurate read on when and where other people do the same thing. It's our ratings system and it is at least as scientific as Arbitron's. Ross is the most thoughtful and engaging talk host in town, but it's all ambushed by the incessant "traffic on the 3's" and all those ads. We spent some time in the car today, and Dave got a one share. Whose idea was "traffic on the 3's?" Tell us it wasn't because KOMO has "traffic on the 4's"...please?
~~And besides NPR, (which considerably slows down the Russian fingers) there's almost no place for our fickle fingers to go at that hour except to John Carlson (KVI m-f. 3-5p) and for the last few days it's been Bryan Suits (KVI m-f, 5-8p) filling in. You can see a portrait of the artist as a young man, here. We'd forgotten how boring the Bad Lieutenant can be. Today, a woman's car was stolen in the southend after she left it running with her baby in it. The whole drama in real time took 25 minutes (the baby was immediately recovered) but our Lieutenant gave it 2 hours. OK, the 2 hours were separated by a ten minute rant with no callers about how successful is the Iraqi war effort by the boyz in blue (or whomever).
~~Black roses from one radio executive suite to another? We only recently heard this 2003 story. Entercom's KTTH stole Rush Limbaugh out from under Fisher's KVI, who had had the Big Panted One since the earth cooled. It was a coup- KTTH's highest moment. Unfortunately, the Maha Rushee had only been aboard for a day or so, when he went into drug rehab for abusing pain pills because he likes to get high and he is an addict. Fisher execs reportedly sent KTTH execs a bouquet of roses spray-painted black with some gloating endearments which included the word "junkie." Michael Medved had some self righteousness on-air for the prank and Sandeep Kaushik wrote briefly of the incident in The Stranger.
How about this for a late night show on KIRO radio , Up and down left and right !! in your face !!! It`s the Scary Gary SHow after midnight , with nightly interviews from girls gone WILD! and 5 ways to cheat in poker
Posted by: Brian Lacey wash. | February 28, 2006 at 06:01 AM
Micahel said:
"We'd forgotten how boring the Bad Lieutenant can be. Today, a woman's car was stolen in the southend after she left it running with her baby in it. The whole drama in real time took 25 minutes (the baby was immediately recovered) but our Lieutenant gave it 2 hours."
Time is all relative, my dear. 25 minutes of lovemaking I would just consider a nice start, however, 25 minutes of MY baby whisked away in a stolen car with a crazy person would be a lifetime.
Posted by: Critter | February 28, 2006 at 08:43 AM
Well I accidently tuned in Dori yesterday and he had Karen Hughes from the Dept of Truthiness on. I don't think she was in the studio but he certainly behaved like she was there looming over him.(She's probably 12 inches taller than Dori). After 20 minutes of propaganda and drivel with Dori basically agreeing with her there was no chance for callers to rebut what she said. Dori just moved on to his favorite subject about how the evil democrats are going to spend all the money in Olympia.I remember when Dori would try to look at both sides (like Dave Ross). Move him to KTTH where he belongs please.
Posted by: ExPatBrit | February 28, 2006 at 09:21 AM
John Procaccino actually called another guy "darlin'" a minute ago. Please tell me he isn't the real morning host, KIRO.
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 28, 2006 at 09:40 AM
Actually, having constant traffic at set times is nice if you are commuting. That is why KIRO was better off running their news program from 4-6.
As it is, at 5-6 at the heart of commute, there is now nothing worth listening to. Carlson doesn't do drive time any more, Ross is broken up (20 minutes of talk, 40 minutes of breaks), and if you have been listening since 3p, you have already heard All Things Considered.
The Commetators may be a good show, but is it worth an extra hour of Bryan Suits?
Posted by: JDB | February 28, 2006 at 10:27 AM
As kind of the flip side of Girly Procaccino, The Bad Lieutenant thinks that talking about ammo size numbers, weapons types, snipers picking off men at 300 yards, and so forth, is manly talk which makes him sound like a heman, whereas the real military heroes simply do their job for their country , come back home, and talk like normal, sane people. I emailed him on this "military talk" crap before he went to Iraq, becaus it was bad enough then, and he sent me a terse note without bothering to address me by name, a courtesy I had given him. He's thinskinned , egotistical/narcissistic, always hhas to be right and always needs the last word. He sounds smalltime.
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 28, 2006 at 10:40 AM
It's not my job ( nor inclination) to defend him, but Suits, unlike most "military heroes" came home to a TALK RADIO JOB!! Not FedEx, or Seattle Weekly gossip columnist.
Should he...ignore his unique expertise?
He more than held his own with Schram on The Commentators.
Posted by: Scrilla | February 28, 2006 at 11:04 AM
I think he should go work for Fed Ex! Great idea!
Posted by: sparky | February 28, 2006 at 11:18 AM
Suits actually contributes something when he talks about our policy in Iraq, how the war is going, and other things normal people are interested in. We're not interested in his alolescent "barracks bravado" talk. Well I take that back. There aer some pinheads that listen to KVi that get an erection over it, but what can you do?
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 28, 2006 at 11:21 AM
haha I'm glad someone else picked up on Medved's obnoxious "authentic" homeboy pronunciations such as Nawlins and Missoura. It just makes him sound the bigger ass. How about his pronouncing Chinese as "Chinees". I think Medved and Rabbi Lapin both have a major superiority complex. Lapin finesses his a little better than Medved does.
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 28, 2006 at 12:19 PM
Sorry, not Chinees. Medved pronounces Chinese as "Chinise" as in anise
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 28, 2006 at 12:23 PM
What can you do with an erection? Ask Jeeves....
Posted by: Fremont | February 28, 2006 at 12:28 PM
Alas, I was away, first on business, then on vacation. Pray tell, what is found on this blog when I return? Tommy008 and Critter complaining about Suits and conservatives. How boring, sad and lonely your lives are. Do you folks have any life whatsoever? Tommy008 obviously not getting any. Well, and Critter, who would want to touch that? Does anyone else besides these two contribute to this board? Everyday it is the same old responses, regardless of the topic. Can hardly wait for the nasty responses to this post. After all this is how Tommy 008 makes himself feel like a man.
Posted by: It, A True Progressive | February 28, 2006 at 12:44 PM
It, a True Progressive:
I suggest you get your head out of your...ahem, and read more carefully. I never posted a word about Suits; I've never even listened to him. If you want to start something with me (which I suggest you think twice about), you might want to find something I actually posted about.
Now, go back to sleep, It, and quit bothering me. *rolling eyes*
Posted by: Critter | February 28, 2006 at 01:48 PM
Why are people like Sean Hannity or Ann Coulter so gleeful talking about how liberals are terrorists? Why does Dori Monson act so happy leading up to, and while, deriding liberal government? It doesn't add up. How can people be outraged and grin simultaneously? Me confused.
Posted by: Andrew | February 28, 2006 at 01:54 PM
It, a True Progressive (ITAT) Critter's a girl, and T-8 may be, too...so there's no way they would want/need to "feel like a man." Also, they're both Scorpios, or maybe Leos...
Posted by: Fremont | February 28, 2006 at 02:28 PM
Critter's a girl, and T-8 may be, too...
I just did a quick check...I didn't see her name there...unless she's undercover.
Posted by: audioslave | February 28, 2006 at 02:36 PM
IT, A True Progressive whines,
"How boring, sad and lonely your lives are. Do you folks have any life whatsoever?...Everyday it is the same old responses, regardless of the topic."
How would you know unless you are monitoring the dialog here....Nice of you to take time from your exciting substance-filled life...
Interesting moniker...you must be a legend in your own mind..
Posted by: Wanderer | February 28, 2006 at 04:03 PM
Ah good. I see It made bail once again!
Posted by: sparky | February 28, 2006 at 04:21 PM
This came in my mail today. This is how Bush "supports the troops."
Bush Budget Increases Health Care Costs For 1 Million Veterans.
For the fourth year in a row, the budget increases health care costs for 1 million veterans by imposing new fees for veterans, costing them more than $2.6 billion over five years. It would double the co-payment for prescription drugs from $8 to $15, and impose an enrollment fee of $250 a year for category 7 and 8 veterans, who make as little as $26,902 a year.
Administration Continues To Block Low Income Veterans From Enrolling In VA Health Care.
On January 17, 2003, the Bush Administration stopped enrolling new Priority 8 veterans for VA medical care, and the President's budget continues this restrictive policy. This has prevented 1 million veterans, who make as little as $26,902 a year, from enrolling in VA health care.
Refuses To End The Disabled Veterans' Tax.
The President's budget fails to repeal the Disabled Veterans Tax, which forces disabled military retirees to give up one dollar of their pension for every dollar of disability pay they receive. The budget continues to require nearly 400,000 military retirees with service-connected disabilities to continue to pay the Disabled Veterans' Tax.
Fails To End The Military Families' Tax.
The Survivor Benefit Plan penalizes survivors, mostly widows, of those killed as a result of combat. These widows lose their survivor benefits if they receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits because their spouse has died of a service- connected injury. The President's budget forces these 53,000 spouses to continue to pay this unfair tax, even though these families have made the greatest sacrifice for our country. Mental Health Services For Iraqi Veterans Fail To Meet Growing Need. An Army study shows that about one in six soldiers in Iraq report symptoms of major depression, serious anxiety or post- traumatic stress disorder, and some experts predict that the number eventually requiring mental health treatment could exceed 170,000. Up to one-third of Iraq war veterans are suffering from some degree of PTSD. (UPI, 1/27/06) And yet, the President's budget calls for only about 14 percent more for post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health services than last year.
Cuts Funding For Medical And Prosthetic Research.
It cuts $13 million from medical and prosthetic research this year. This would set the research grant program back years, just as many of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are coming home with terrible injuries that require this expertise.
Ah just let 'em limp....
Posted by: sparky | February 28, 2006 at 04:25 PM
Kiro JUST totally changed their web site...
Erin dropped off the new site :( --DAMN THEM ALL TO HELL! Good thing Art Bell is back on KVI weekends.
My theory is KIRO set out to fix what was not broken, or rather could not be fixed better than it was a few years back. This due to competition from other sources. The result is the pathetic, confusing mess we hear today. Did George Bush do the planning for this?
They finally did it... they BLEW IT UP. --DAMN THEM ALL TO HELL!
Posted by: Barkless in Seattle | February 28, 2006 at 04:48 PM
Tommy,
Hey...the show's the show. Don't listen Tommy. For the record, I have no recollection of any prior contact, and I am addressing you by your name.
Posted by: Bryan Suits | February 28, 2006 at 04:53 PM
BTW-.....The ARISTOCRATS!!
Posted by: Bryan Suits | February 28, 2006 at 05:00 PM
Kiro looks like it dumped their chatroom, as well.
Posted by: chris | February 28, 2006 at 05:10 PM
Sound like anyone we know?
Sociopathy is chiefly characterized by something wrong with the person's conscience. They either don't have one, it's full of holes like Swiss cheese, or they are somehow able to completely neutralize or negate any sense of conscience or future time perspective. Sociopaths only care about fulfilling their own needs and desires - selfishness and egocentricity to the extreme. Everything and everybody else is mentally twisted around in their minds as objects to be used in fulfilling their own needs and desires. They often believe they are doing something good for society, or at least nothing that bad. The term "sociopath" is frequently used by psychologists and sociologists alike in referring to persons whose unsocialized character is due primarily to parental failures (usually fatherlessness) rather than an inherent feature of temperament. Lykken (1995), for example, clearly distinguishes between the sociopath (who is socialized into becoming a psychopath) and a "true" psychopath (who is born that way). However, this may only describe the "common sociopath", as there are at least four (4) different subtypes -- common, alienated, aggressive, and dyssocial. Commons are characterized mostly by their lack of conscience;
ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY, SOCIOPATHY, AND PSYCHOPATHY
Posted by: joanie | February 28, 2006 at 05:10 PM
Also, their list of staff is reduced into categories. I wonder how much they've reduced payroll over the last couple months? Chapter 7 . . . 11 . . . anybody?
I like the site better, however.
Posted by: joanie | February 28, 2006 at 05:13 PM
wow the chatroom is gone...where will the short bus go on the weekends?
Posted by: sparky | February 28, 2006 at 05:27 PM
>>>>wow the chatroom is gone...where will the short bus go on the weekends?
We gotta secret clubhouse for miscreants where we worship Satan, figure out how to kill Christmas, and poke poison dipped pins in Bush dolls.
Posted by: Barkless in Seattle | February 28, 2006 at 05:52 PM
excellent!
Posted by: chris | February 28, 2006 at 06:53 PM
"Critter's a girl, and T-8 may be, too... just did a quick check...I didn't see her name there...unless she's undercover"
Slave, that is against the law in this state...Shame on you!
Posted by: Fremont | February 28, 2006 at 07:14 PM
Duh da show's da show . Brilliant . I don't listen anymore Suits. And the fact that you can't ercollect my contact with you means WHAT now? That it didn't happen? Jackass.
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 28, 2006 at 07:16 PM
Fremont:
Yes, I am a girl. However, not a Scorpio. This woman's a proud virgo and a red-haired Irish Cherokee. Can't you tell by my temper? :)
Mr. IT (also known as Lou Pate, or possibly one of his followers) is the one who needs to get a life. :)
Posted by: Critter | February 28, 2006 at 07:23 PM
audioslave said:
"I just did a quick check...I didn't see her name there...unless she's undercover."
You didn't see my name where? And don't ignore this question, audioslave, because I'll keep asking.
If you weren't referring to me, I'll aplologize. If you were, I want to know why and where you're checking up on me!
Posted by: Critter | February 28, 2006 at 07:27 PM
Critter, I think they are putting you on.
Fremont, you're pretty quick on the draw! You and Audioslave had me going for a while too!
Shame on you. :)
Posted by: joanie | February 28, 2006 at 08:33 PM
Radio is dead to me….
On the way home tonight from work, I decided to listen to ny vinnie just to see if anyone was calling his show. Does anyone else notice that he takes long pauses while he talks? Not to mention his breathing in the background that sounds like he’s hooked to a friggin respirator. He is just trying to fill the time I’m sure. Anyway, during 1 hour of time he threw 4 topics out there for discussion (all completely boring and old news) and had one caller during the last 15 minutes of the show. Notice I said 15 minutes. This is because Vinnie was so desperate, he started interviewing his own caller! You know, asking his caller the real hard hitting questions like, “Do you think Shawn Alexander will leave the Seahawks?” Who cares what some meth addict in Shelton thinks about the chance of our all star running back returning to Seattle. Not me. The funny thing is, that after this guy was going on and on and Vinnie was being so nice to him, Vinnie came up on his last break before quitting time. He kept the caller on just long enough to cut him off with that hurried phrase “news radio 710 kiro” and just like that, another failed program was off the air.
What is it going to take for exec’s to hear our cries for good radio? The only entertainment I get from it now is from goofing on it all the time. It really is that bad. I actually heard frank shires last night who apparently is filling that late night role for Lou Pate. He was talking like it was a permanent thing since he spoke about HIS sleep patterns and HIS daughter and how HE is doing with the change. I then went home to throw up.
I will say however that FM radio isn’t much better right now. Why don’t they just call KISW 99.9 the all talk station? That’s ALL they do and to top it off, the talk sucks. The DJ’s are completely boring and no one is calling them either.
hoppy
Posted by: hoppy | February 28, 2006 at 11:27 PM
I finally had the opportunity to listen to the oft' discussed Frank Shiers.
He opened the show with an anecdote about his wife and daughter. As charming as it was, I would suspect that, like me, the rest of the audience, just didn't care.
Of the current 3 (Styble,Ryder) I would have to say I find Shiers the weakest, both in content and presentation.
It is okay to pronounce your words correctly, Frank. It isn't "thinkin'" or "talkin'".
There will no doubt be a local shortage of "and uhs" based on the number of times he leaned on that thought connector during the show.
Posted by: Liz | March 01, 2006 at 04:41 AM
Hoppy, you make NY Vinnie's show sound more like NY Ninny.
Posted by: Ted Smith | March 01, 2006 at 06:17 AM
Hoppy said "Why don’t they just call KISW 99.9 the all talk station?"
Same goes for the morning show at KZOK 102.5. I kept punching them yesterday and didn't hear a single song before 10 a.m.
Posted by: Ted Smith | March 01, 2006 at 06:20 AM
Fremont said:
"Critter's a girl, and T-8 may be, too.....upon which audioslave said: "I just did a quick check...I didn't see her name there...unless she's undercover."
"Slave, that is against the law in this state...Shame on you!"
Fremont: shhhhhh, I have clearance.
Critter said:
You didn't see my name where? And don't ignore this question, audioslave, because I'll keep asking.
"If you weren't referring to me, I'll aplologize. If you were, I want to know why and where you're checking up on me!"
Fremont: you wannna handle this one? I've always had trouble with redheads, for some reason.
Posted by: audioslave | March 01, 2006 at 07:05 AM
Thanks, joanie. Possibly they were joking but it's difficult to tell without facial expressions or voice inflections. I'll assume you're right because I'm too busy and way too tired to fight with anyone this morning. Maybe tomorrow. ;-)
I noticed slave didn't answer my question so maybe that is my answer. Hmmmmmm
Posted by: Critter | March 01, 2006 at 07:56 AM
Thanks for my morning laughs Hoppy and Liz! I feel exactly the same about Shiers. I just sort of feel sorry for Vinnie. He should never have been given that responsibility!
And I do still miss having my dial in mostly one place all day. I used to be so bonded to KIRO! It is like parts of me are missing!
Posted by: joanie | March 01, 2006 at 08:11 AM
"Fremont: you wannna handle this one? I've always had trouble with redheads, for some reason" Sorry, Slave, I'm a redhead, too (this week)...Virgo moon, Cherokee rising. You're on your own.
KING-FM just finished "Mozrt month". Surely some classical Euro-music would soothe your troubled souls and talk radio saturated minds....
Posted by: Fremont | March 01, 2006 at 09:21 AM
John Proccacino is generating his topics by doing the same morning web surfing I do. He opened this morning by reading a Howard Stern/CBS/lawsuit brief off The Drudge Report, word for word, and now he's on to a thing about Nancy Grace's credibility, which is the topic of a big article in the New York Observer, which is being linked to by The Huffington Post. He is not crediting his sources, but lifting his storylines wholesale from these news/opinion websites; he circled in on the Nancy Grace thing with a long preamble/soliloquy about crime-on-television programming, to make you think he's enterprised the topic. But in fact he's ripped it off from The Huffington Post and The NY Observer, and you can go on there right now and read the stuff Proccacino is leveraging to fill air time.
At best this is a sort of intellectual plagarism. At worst it's laziness. I can read websites to an audience too. In fact I think I'll just read the websites and turn off the radio.
Posted by: TomF | March 01, 2006 at 09:25 AM
"Virgo moon, Cherokee rising. You're on your own."
No good, I'm blonde, and a Pisces.
Love Mozart, but a good dose of heavy metal is better than 40mg of Paxil.
Posted by: audioslave | March 01, 2006 at 09:32 AM
TomF, they all do that. Dori does it even more blatantly. They are radio hosts not journalists. They have 0 journalistic obligation. Plus the stories are usualy repeated on allot of websites and blogs besides Drudge and Huffpo. There's no need to credit headline aggregate sites.
Posted by: Andrew | March 01, 2006 at 10:09 AM
"They are radio hosts not journalists"
How many of them realize that?
Posted by: Fluffycat | March 01, 2006 at 10:23 AM
Here's how it works. At the top of the hour a credible voice (Tony Miner) give actual news. At seven past the hour until the end of the hour some ass hat tells you how you should feel about the news.
And some people don't know how to feel so to them that's news in itself.
Posted by: Andrew | March 01, 2006 at 11:32 AM
If we are sorting ourselves, I'm brunette, a Capricorn and love Led Zepelin and Vivaldi!
Boy, does that date me!
Posted by: joanie | March 01, 2006 at 11:40 AM
Frank Shiers should be regarded as the best host on town!! My man Shiers is the king of talk radio in the city!! The City of- Bremerton.
Posted by: Tommy008 | March 01, 2006 at 12:02 PM
ronanddon.com
check it out.
What a joke!
Posted by: kiss my butt | March 01, 2006 at 12:09 PM