Gotta tell you- we've been pinned down lately listening to Rachel Maddow (KPTK m-f, 3--5p) the Air American host newly brought to afternoon drive in Seattle.
You know how we love local. But in the present wasteland of local PM drive programming, we started exploring the options.
We found Rachel. And found her bright, funny, upbeat, packed with good liberal news and great guests. We couldn't touch the dial (as is our wont) she must have TSL (time spent listening) like a Yogi orgasm!
But then again, what are the afternoon choices? There's Dori and Ron & Don on KIRO. You know how we feel about them- although we're tempering our criticism about the Big Dopes (KIRO, m-f, 6-7p). We think they're probably going to make- they connect with people and they're not bad radio, even though we think they've dumbed down the station and will start drawing a less, how you say, discriminate? listenership.
(We don't like the testosteronic/moronic-FM-morning-show tone they bring to AM afternoon talk. Their success, if they have any, has much to do with some enlightened producing (and great patience) by the talented Jennifer Andrews).
What's worse, they seem to be lowering the level of their rival (?) Bryan Suits over at KVI (m-f, 3-6p) who's seen fit to let loose his inner idiot since Ron & Don lowered the level and he thinks he needs to compete.
Thursday, in his introduction, he said something like "[If you have a problem with that] why don't you look around and see how the weather is... in your ass." Now we love stuff like that, and think it's the funniest thing the Bad Lieutenant has said since approximately March, but we're thinkin', This is on Kool Konservative KVI? Staid ol' Fisher Broadcasting? Our inner idiots loved that he said that and yelled, "Yahoo! what else has he got?" And we came up, sad to say, with pretty much nothing.
We love Al Franken, in many ways, (none of them biblical, btw). He now follows Rachel, but he causes our fingers to do the walking on the car radio buttons with his long slow periods between his usually wonderful guests. We're hoping someday KPTK can get it together to have all three hours of Rachel in the drive and Franken live again in the 9 ta noon (and don't forget: a live and local host!).
In the mean time, we have Rachel and NPR's "All Things Considered." (KUOW 4-6:30p) What more do you need?
3 hours of Rachel YES! Al Franken 9-noon..absolutely not. Bla'M have you listened to Thom Hartmann? Your fingers would never be tempted to switch stations. Al is only going to be doing this another year or so and then he is going to hit the campaign trail. Leave him where he is.
My dream schedule would put Ed Shultz in the 8-11 slot and have Randi right after Rachel. Randi is trimming her show down to 3 hours anyway. Or if you MUST have a local yokel, then give them the drive time after Rachel.
I have listened to Rachel ever since she was on Unfiltered. I listened to her from 5-6 am and now am happy to listen to her on the way home.
Posted by: sparky | September 21, 2006 at 06:06 PM
They cut Randi's show to 3 hrs, Rachel is still only 2. The Young Turks are a little too GenX for me in the mornings. I end up listening to a little of Steph Miller and then switch to KPOJ to catch Thom's local Po Po show. He has really given the Lars on Mars show a run for his money
Posted by: coiler | September 21, 2006 at 07:06 PM
Yeah, what Sparky said!
Posted by: Rick | September 21, 2006 at 07:21 PM
Have any "Blatherers" been skulking around Long Island? Bill O'Reilly is complaining about intruders on his property. He says when he gets mad, he has a punching bag with Al Franken's face on it, and he gives it a workout. Well, actually he said "various peoples' faces" on it, but we know Al is one of them.
Posted by: Tommy008 | September 21, 2006 at 07:47 PM
He is telling people that Al-Quesadia is after him, that they called Fox Network to warn them that he and a couple of others are targets....
Fox News said they have received no such warning....
Posted by: sparky | September 21, 2006 at 08:30 PM
hahahah!
Posted by: chris | September 21, 2006 at 08:43 PM
O jeez- Sparky, you're right- I forgot about Thom when I wrote that...what a quandary. what we need is 2 liberal stations so I can surf between Thom and Al during the 9-noon.
Posted by: blathering michael | September 21, 2006 at 09:51 PM
Suits just doesn't suit KVI.
Posted by: sclub | September 21, 2006 at 09:54 PM
Buffalo NY has 2 progressive stations
http://www.kb1520.com/
http://whld1270.com/
Posted by: chris | September 21, 2006 at 10:03 PM
Let's not forget 88.5 KPLU. 3-6:30 with All Things Considered and good local news coverage, then 6:30-7:30 with Fresh Air (a show so good Bill O'Reilly walked off).
Posted by: JDB | September 21, 2006 at 10:59 PM
Love Rachel as well. As to all the rest of it . . . whatever.
Posted by: joanie | September 21, 2006 at 11:14 PM
Gotta tell you - I've been pinned-down in the mornings (KPTK, m-f, 6-9am) by Stephanie Miller (I wish this were actually true - yowza!)
BAH! Frank Shudder Shiers on. Stick to moldy oldy DJ-in, Herr Shiers.
Posted by: mercifurious | September 21, 2006 at 11:23 PM
Thom Hartmann is close to a local host-does his show out of portland-Even if it wasn't highly probable that Franken was going to leave a couple of years down the line, I'd much rather have the fresh and engaging intellectual honesty and logic from Hartmann at the 9am slot than Franken. Not than Franken doesn't bring the honesty and logic, but he sounds like he's mailing it in.
Posted by: neo-realist | September 21, 2006 at 11:29 PM
He (O'Reilly) is telling people that Al-Quesadia is after him,
I can't believe he said that! Outrageous! Where does Herr Falafeloofa get off saying I'm a member of Al Qaeda!
Note: Herr Falafeloofa is now a registered trademark of Meet the Stress, Inc.
Posted by: mercifurious | September 21, 2006 at 11:32 PM
I like Franken a lot. Do wish he'd drop some of his cuter bits . . . but he gets the best guests of all. I love that. 9-noon would put him out of range for me . . . I like him in the evening.
Posted by: joanie | September 21, 2006 at 11:33 PM
Who's this genius wiki-contributor:
"Falafel" - under current events
"Television personality Bill O'Reilly allegedly made a reference to falafel during a sexually charged phone conversation" [2].
Alright, let's check "Luffa"
PAYDIRT!
Am I the only one anxiously awaiting O'Reilly's boycott on Arabic goods?
Posted by: mercifurious | September 21, 2006 at 11:49 PM
I don't spend much time in the car so I love to podcast Air America. Every day it's Al, Rachel, David Bender and the Young Turks.
Al is my favorite with Rachel as a close 2nd.
I have discovered I like to be informed with out call ins. As soon as someone calls in I ff the segment (unless it's Frank in the car :) No offense to the masses but usually they sound like ding dongs on the radio and it makes me cringe.
I've tried to listen to Hartman when I'm in the car but so far no go and Ed Shultz is to...to something, just can't put my finger on it. I can see how Shultz use to be a conservative. It still bleeds through on occasion.
robinz
Posted by: robinz | September 22, 2006 at 07:56 AM
I think Bubba reeks of being a good ol' boy as well as having an ego the size of Texas.
Randi is great but rants too much . . . although when she on a topic, is perhaps the most informative of all. Her website is excellently linked! She can be exciting.
Thom - I like him - but ever since I heard him in a conversation with David Horowitz when David sometimes got the better of him, I'm more skeptical of his expertise. Still like him but not quite as well.
Posted by: joanie | September 22, 2006 at 08:24 AM
Bubba is a used-car salesman. That's it.
Posted by: joanie | September 22, 2006 at 08:24 AM
Miller,Rhodes,Maddow and Laura Ingraham are the best of the female political talkers. The problem with women doing political talk is that they are only tolerable in small doses. After more than 10 minutes they all start to sound like nagging mothers.
Posted by: umo | September 22, 2006 at 09:03 AM
mercifurious:
Oh great. Because of you, now FOX security will be coming down on all of us hard.
Posted by: JDB | September 22, 2006 at 09:22 AM
Nate...Bill told Barbara WaWa about him being on the Al-Quesadia HIT LIST...bwahahahah...
The talking heads are having a heyday...Keith Olbermann actually giggled.
Posted by: sparky | September 22, 2006 at 10:40 AM
Actually, I have a skewed vision of so-called Fox security.
I'm sitting by the phone with a digi recorder waiting for that call.
Fox security = golden ticket
Posted by: mercifurious | September 22, 2006 at 10:42 AM
Its ok, Bla'M...I agree it would be wonderful to have two stations..we could get some of the other syndicated progressive talkers from around the country. Something for everyone's tastes and we wouldnt have to lose one good person just to hear another.
Chris put it well in describing Young Turks as a GenX show. I think that is why it doesnt hold my interest for too long, and that Jill person is just too snotty for early early morning listening!!
I really like listening to Rachel on the way home..a time to relax in the car and listen to straight news with insightful commentary. As much as I adore Stephanie Miller, part of her appeal for me is she makes me laugh on the way to school, but I dont think I would want to listen to her in the afternoon. Some bloggers on the KPTK forum want Tom replaced with Sam Seder...I am GLAD we have two West Coast hosts instead of the NYC view on things all the time.
Posted by: sparky | September 22, 2006 at 10:47 AM
Cthulu knows I tried my best. Even sent Herr Falafeloofa an email saying:
"If al-Qaida comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except Bill O'Reilly's studio at FNC. You want to blow up the Bill O'Reilly? Go ahead,"
That "Al-Qaeda out to get me" quote not youtubed yet, but you know it'll be a top-tener
Posted by: mercifurious | September 22, 2006 at 10:47 AM
lololol
Posted by: sparky | September 22, 2006 at 11:48 AM
Al Franken, unfunny, bad Dead music, and idiotic "mainstream" focus tested positions on the issues of the day. Another millionaire headed for the Senate.
Posted by: rosco | September 22, 2006 at 02:27 PM
Since Crossfire skulked off the screen with Tucker's bow tie after being seriouly spanked by Jon Stewart, MSNBC has paired Madow with a tieless Carlson...she's as terrific on teevee as she is on radi-yo....
Posted by: Fremont | September 22, 2006 at 02:53 PM
Nate, you ARE a genius....that's a bigger catch than Stephanie Miller (IMHO)....
Posted by: Fremont | September 22, 2006 at 03:17 PM
Holy shit!! Maddow has a DOCTORATE in political science and was a Rhodes scholar!! Mighty impressive!!!
Posted by: Fremont | September 22, 2006 at 03:27 PM
Sorry to interrupt this love-in for Maddow, her show today wasn't her best. I've been listening and like her but today she was shrill and boring.
Guess you can't be on your game all the time . . .
Regarding Franken "mailing it in" . . . uh-uh. He's so sincere and genuine that that's why I put up with the un-funny business. He really cares. . .
So, rosco, you prefer extremist positions like torture, lying, and giving millionaires enough money to turn them in to billionaires?
Posted by: joanie | September 22, 2006 at 07:23 PM
Jeez, Joans, do you have a problem with Ro's torture preferences?
Posted by: Fremont | September 24, 2006 at 10:59 AM
Oh, I guess one torture is as good as another . . . ho-hum.
Posted by: joanie | September 24, 2006 at 11:11 AM
NEVER replace Thom Hartmann with Al Franken. Thom is the best thing going in the morning.
My day starts with Stephanie Miller. She is the warm-up act for Thom. Ed Schultz is kind of irritating at times, when he doesn't listen to what callers are trying to say to him. I would much rather have Randi live.
I was so glad that they put Rachel Maddow on in the afternoons. I enjoy hearing her report the NEWS.
I like Al Franken, but he really needs to give up radio. His show is very hard to listen to. Extend Maddow another hour, and woo Ronnie Reagan from KIRO for three hours after that.
Posted by: Liberaltopia | September 26, 2006 at 01:57 AM
What Liberaltopia said!!!
Obviously you have excellent taste in radio :-)
Posted by: sparky | September 26, 2006 at 05:57 AM
Maddow aint qualified to carry Randi Rhodes' jock.
Posted by: umo | September 26, 2006 at 06:48 AM
I think Al Franken is too safe and conservative. How does that make me support torture? Also I don't like listening to the Dead which is another form of torture.
Not everyone who disagrees with mainstream Dems is a right winger.
Posted by: rosco | September 27, 2006 at 09:09 AM
I think Al is too conservative as well...
Joanie, Freemont, Liz....I heard last night on KGO about the new "radio for women"--Jane Fonda, Gloria St. and Oprah all have launched radio programs "for women" because they believe that women dont like to listen to men's voices or listen to politics..we want to talk about 'our issues."
WTF are "our" issues??? I find it highly insulting. This is like back in the day when the Today show had hard news only during the first hour when the Husband of the household was getting ready for work. Once the Hubby and kids were out of the house, the 2nd hour of the show was for the little woman, who could sit down with her coffee and watch stories about movie stars and cooking...jeebus.
Posted by: sparky | September 27, 2006 at 09:39 AM
Hey Sparky, I completely agree, Oprah is one of the most bigoted people I can think of. Sorry, I don't know how to post a link, so here is a cut and paste of an article on TMZ.com
"from TMZ.com
Posted Sep 25th 2006 1:52PM by TMZ Staff
If it wasn't already totally evident that Oprah Winfrey can talk about anything for any length of time, her debut today on her own XM Radio channel just confirmed it. The talk-show queen gabbed with her best pal Gayle King (who called her, inexplicably, "Mommy") on what is nominally King's show on "Oprah & Friends," the satellite channel that launched today.
Among many, many other things, Oprah talked about her humble beginnings in Mississippi, and particularly about how her mother's highest aspiration for her was that she might end up cleaning white people's houses, because "they give away nice clothes." And then Oprah pointed out that now that she's Oprah, she has "all these white people" working for her, and that in fact there's only one black person on the staff. Way to turn the tables, girl.
Finally -- and this was just in the first fifteen minutes -- Oprah moved onto her most recent favorite topic, excrement. O assured Gayle that the reason she doesn't have children wasn't that she can't deal with poo, or "pooty," as the pair called it. For this -- and whatever follows -- is what XM is paying Oprah $55 million over the next three years."
Do you think any white person could have gotten away with making the reverse comment?
And the idea that women need to discuss "women's issues" goes totally against the concept of equality. I think what Oprah really needs to do is grow some balls as come out as what she really is, then she *might* have some credibility. You're misleading the public Oprah. Not everything end happily or can be cured with a hug and positive thinking.
Posted by: Liz | September 27, 2006 at 10:03 AM
Oprah is glitz...but Gloria Steinham????
Why do I have to hate men to be a feminist?
Why do I have to converse and relate only to women to be 'true to myself"???
Barf!
I cant think of anything more boring...
Posted by: sparky | September 27, 2006 at 12:04 PM
Dr. Laura is the most sucessful female broadcaster in radio history. She should be celebrated and exalted by feminists like Fonda and Steinem as a trailblazer for women. Instead...those phony feminist bitches act like Dr. Laura does not exist.
Posted by: umo | September 27, 2006 at 01:15 PM
Dr Laura is a feminist.....yeah.
Successful? I guess you could call her successful if that means being relegated to the butt crack 'o dawn radio schedule.
Umo, you must just be smitten with her grizzly bear picture...
Posted by: sparky | September 27, 2006 at 01:36 PM
Dr. Laura promotes feminism like James Dobson supports gay marriage.
Posted by: Liz | September 27, 2006 at 01:41 PM
Dr. Laura promotes feminism like James Dobson supports gay marriage.
Posted by: Liz | September 27, 2006 at 01:41 PM
excellent analogy Liz!
Posted by: sparky | September 27, 2006 at 02:58 PM
Dr. Laura embodies the feminist ideal. She is a strong financially independent woman who built a multi-million dollar radio career from scratch. She is the only woman to ever win a Marconi Award for syndicated broadcasting. She has the third biggest radio audience in the United States. She has a long term marriage and also raised a son. She has accomplished everything a feminist could hope to achieve in a lifetime. Rachel Maddow has done nothing even remotely comparable.
Posted by: umo | September 27, 2006 at 04:13 PM
Oprah has been making offensive racial commens for years. She had the nerve, years ago, to blame that trouble she had with the meat industry (for her irresponsible comments about beef on her show) on racism. This after white America made her into the biggest talkhost on tv. She is a typical black racist. I believe the other "rumors" about her, also. hehe. It seems rather obvious to me.
Posted by: Tommy008 | September 27, 2006 at 05:07 PM
...except for Rachel's REAL PhD from Oxford.
Dr Laura has a "post doctoral certificate" in Phisiology not a PhD. Yet she keeps calling herself a psychotherapist, which she is not. She is not a psychologist nor a psychiatrist. Her doctorate is in Physiology only. She is also a licensed Marriage, Family, Child Counselor but not a psychologist. This has been a great misconception of her which she has in many ways been willing to perpetuate and exploit. Even in her TV listings she is being called a Psychotherapist, which is totally inaccurate.
Her social views suffer from the same fundamental contradiction as the social views of the religious right in general: they can't make up their minds as to the question of biological determinism vs. free will. When it comes to the role of women in society, the religious right takes the viewpoint of biological determinism: women were biologically designed by God for a specific role in society. To be truly happy, they ought to get married to a man, stay at home and bear and raise children. They should not work, or serve in the military. In marriage, they are to submit to their husband, who is the natural leader of the family unit. Women are not supposed to make their own choices in life. In particular, they are not to decide whether or not they can have an abortion - male-dominated society must decide that for them. I have nothing against marriage and children...but to say that it must be a woman's ONLY choice is very 19th century thinking.
She may be YOUR feminist ideal, but screaming at women through a microphone that they need to stay at home and do everything their husbands' desire, while SHE rakes in how many ever bucks, is hypocritical. Also, Laura got snagged for having fake guests on her short-lived TV show. One of her staffers, named San-D Duchac, made guest appearances in two consecutive episodes having different topics, posing as two different people. D'oh!
So, in a way, you are right, umo...Rachel has done nothing even remotely comparable.
Posted by: sparky | September 27, 2006 at 05:26 PM
Whoa, Sparks, Gloria Steinem HATES MEN??? I disagree....she has supported the VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) sponsored by Joe Biden and referred to inanely as "The Man-Hating Law" by righty bigots. My understanding of her proposed radio show is to tone down the hostility and testosterone, not dilute the content with cookie dough! She hates injustice...not men!!!
Posted by: Fremont | September 27, 2006 at 06:00 PM
Sorry, Fremont..I did not mean to attach that comment to her name. I know she doesnt hate men...I listened to quite a long discussion last night on kGO and part of the discussion was related to how some have taken the feminist movement and turned it into men bashing. Among the rationale for the all-women line up was that women dont like to listen to men, that women dont like heated discussions, etc. Of course not all women feel that way, but the tone of the conversation took that turn. And it leaked into what I typed because Im still kinda ticked off by how condescending it feels....sorry for the unintentional combination. :-)
Posted by: sparky | September 27, 2006 at 06:17 PM