Joy tempered by trepidation: KIRO staff greets new ownership

The morning's announcement at the 8:30 meeting took everyone by surprise.

"I don't know of anyone who expected it, "says a Radio Land denizen who always has his ear to the ground. An ex-KIRO-ite told us, "I'm just floored that nothing about this leaked! People are so bad at keeping secrets in radio- I made a few calls to my inside people and NONE of them knew about this."

Entercom traded four stations in Cincinnati, and Seattle stations KIRO, KTTH, and KBSG for three of Bonneville International's FM stations in San Francisco.

Bonneville should take over the Seattle stations in 30 days.

We don't know nor care about KBSG, but KIRO has been in decline since they lost the Mariners in 2003 or so, with a lot of changes over which a hapless management had little control.

KTTH is in better shape ratings-wise, and save for early morning, is all syndicated programming with robots running the boards and chatting with the satellites.

We've chronicled all this ad yawneum.

Large decisions for the two stations had been taken out of the hands of local management, yet the few large decisions made from the home office in Bala Cynwyd, PA were not always, shall we say, expeditious, nor perspicacious.

There'd been cutbacks and attrition in the news department, (the pride of the heritage station) and the same on the production side. "Producers are an endangered species," a producer has told us. Some holes in the program schedule were never filled, but plugged with full-time fill-ins.

They were sins of omission. Entercom made- grandiosely, many thought- big acquisitions, and attempted even huger ones; they did a major format switch locally, creating The Wolf out of the sheep's clothing of The Buzz. They were the darling of Wall Street, yet KIRO and KTTH employees were wearing cardboard belts and talking into Mr. Microphones.

As one staffer told us, "Entercom sucked so bad as a company that we were all like starving animals hungry for attention... pathetic."

Today, their hopes shot through the ceiling after David Field, Entercom CEO announced the trade to employees in the meeting.

Hired at KIRO by Bonneville the first time he worked at KIRO, Program Director Tom Clendening Thursday was, we're told, all smiles. He's told some employees that he's unsure as to whether he'll weather the change- PD's are like diapers, as the saying goes, they both need changing regularly and for the same reason. Tom has had 9 lives at KIRO. (We thought they called him Tom Cat for other reasons).

So what does the future hold?

"KIRO staffers should be incredibly pleased," an ex-KIRO news guy told us. "Unlike Entercom, which never has stategy for anything, Bonneville generally knows what it wants and goes out and makes that happen."

Everyone we talked to were happy about the new owners, but naturally a little paranoid about the future. "I think I'm OK, but it's the unknown that won't let me alone," someone said.

This puts a heavier onus on the Fall ratings book that comes out today. Ron & Don, Ron Reagan, and NY Vinnie will be seeing their first full books.

Most said they hoped and expected Bonneville to put some money and attention into their new properties.

"They can't at all be pleased with what Entercom did to the station and I'm sure they'll take immediate action to start repairing the damage," a radio pro and former KIRO employee told us. "I don't know if they can be successful. A lot of damage was done and no media company really wants to spend a lot on the product anymore."

Bonneville, which is owned by the Church of the Latter Day Saints, hasn't owned KIRO for many years. "Old timers remember the days of good health benefits, holiday parties and a company that cares about it's people," a producer said. This remains to be seen- it was a different company, a different economic environment, and a different  broadcasting world when they were here last; which as near as we can tell was 1995.

(Ironically, we're told, KIRO staffers cheered when Entercom took over many years ago. "They were tired of the Mormon values and excited about their new freedom.")  

Allan Prell, wry old bastard that he is, writes: "I'd imagine Bonneville is going to stay the course at least for awhile. They will ixnay the management crew that is there now and may cut BACK on the news operation because A, it costs money, and B-Z  it costs money."    

Another ex-staffer says, "A lot of damage was done and no media company really wants to spend a lot on the product anymore. But I'm certain there will be dramatic changes very shortly.

Bonneville is tried and true in news talk and they say they're looking to the future, announcing a major initiative, Tuesday, aimed at "developing the next generation of radio news content and style." They're hoping to develop programming that will attract Next Gens to the news. (good luck with that).

They own WTOP, the highest rated news station in Washington DC, and in 2006, added an FM frequency. Last year they started a collaboration with The Washington Post and began broadcasting Washington Post Radio on 1500 AM  and 107.7 FM.

Moving news and news talk to FM, with an AM simulcast is part of the new strategy.

A radio friend told us: "What they did to 620 KTAR in Phoenix is great. They kept it as talk and moved it to an FM frequency. They then turned the 620 frequency into talk. They brought in a new PD and some new live hosts.

Dori asked Field in the meeting if Entercom has a long-term strategy to buy Fisher? Field said no, of course, and disallowed Dori any more questions. Interesting idea, though.

Field was full of platitudinous hominahs about how stations shouldn't be competitive within the market- that the real competition was the non-traditional media like satellite radio and the Internet. He said that it was sad that Fisher Broadcasting couldn't see it that way.

Fisher's much-maligned Dennis Kelly, KOMO/KVI PD, was pretty congenial today. He's worked as Bonneville's programming and marketing consultant for news talk stations in Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Washington DC for the last 10 years; although, he says, he hasn't worked with Bonneville for a while now. "Way too busy refocusing KVI and moving KOMO to dominant ownership of the news image."

He  might have a unique perspective of how Bonneville might proceed in Seattle, although he wasn't willing to share that with us.

"I wish Bonneville all the best in every market," he says, "except Seattle."

As always, KIRO will be hogging the Seattle radio business news into the unforeseen future. As Kelly says, "It should make for an interesting news talk battle." 

Comments

[KING1090]

====ANSWERS=====
1)"According to the latest ratings, KIRO is the highest rated talk station in Seattle. KIRO's 4.2 rating makes it the 3rd highest."
...Before they began firing their own hosts, they got 5-6 shares, even WITHOUT the Mariners! But that isn't what counts. Advertisers look at the 25-54 demo, where KIRO is sinking. Big Ed, Hartmann, etc. on 1090 were beating KIRO:
http://www.thomhartmann.com/SeattleARB.htm
2)"There is/was an "ongoing investigation" of insurance issues for Webb. An interesting Orwellian euphemism for: "Postponning the inevitable conviction"
...Hey, this is America, isn't it? That means INNOCENT until proven guilty! What in the world was ENTERCOM doing "spying" on Webb's personal legal affairs? I mean, how did they even find out about this? Even if I found out about an ongoing investigatio, that is NEVER something that I'd fire a host for. Mike would still be on KIRO if I was PD, and he would be going through the courts, no problem whatsoever. You see, it's a private matter. It's obvious they had another reason for the firing. Considering that Erin Hart left a few days after Webb, it's obvious that it was for ideology, now isn't it? Next:
3)"Lets face it, folks, progressive radio has not done very well in this town. ever."
...wait - Jimbo! Hartmann, schultz, franken, malloy, and randi all beating KIRO! Again, see:
http://www.thomhartmann.com/SeattleARB.htm
4)"But hey- isn't Mike's problem a felony? That's a different ballpark legally than a DUI."
...Agree, but why do you guys at Entercom care so much about Mike's private life? Of those I know in this biz who have been fired, I've NEVER seen so many PERSONAL attacks on any single host. And I've NEVER seen a station fire a host for a reason as insignificant as this. Can't you 300 folks at Entercom and Fisher (who post here anonymously) just let it go? You're NOT liberals by holding a grudge for 14 months against Mr. Webb.
5)"If they were so conservative, why did they hire them in the first place. Why did they have any liberals in the first place? Why did they fire Siegel? why did they hire Goldstien? why don't they make Shiers permanent and give neocon-man Styble a real show?"
...but they HIRED these folks to REPLACE the liberal hosts that dissapeared - Webb, Hart, Ventrella, Prell, and Lou Pete! Webb, Pete were doing GREAT overnights, PD lesson number one: If it isn't broken, then don't fix it. You know, look at KGO in San Francisco. Same hosts, same ratings, dozens of books in a row.
Styble a neo-con? I don't know, but he's a social liberal and an exceptional broadcaster.
6)"Entercom has to please investors. Investors come from across the entire political spectrum. Management's job is to maximize profits. Period."
...Not so! Webb was getting huge ratings, and they fire him for no good reason. The KIRO replacements were BEAT by Malloy on AM 1090. It's all about ideology when it comes to the Entercom suits back east. Especially when after all these ratings books, they STILL won't replace Dori or Medved with Big Ed. Entercom is (was*) a textbook example of mismanagement leading to low ratings.
So what more can I say? *Hopefully Bonneville will bring KIRO back to 10 shares.

[jimbo]

Right on, King,these corporate assholes are their own worst enemy. Webb's being gay didn't help, either. Those backeast suits are probably homphobic and bigoted that way. I'll tell you what, my contract says they can fire me if I commit a crime that draws attention to the company. Mike made the papers with that one and they didn't have to spy on him to find it out I don't believe. If he is guilty, Mike should get on KPTK after he gets out of jail or picks up his litter or whatever they make him do for community service. They could use some locals on there.

[mercifurious]

Hey, this is America, isn't it? That means INNOCENT until proven guilty!

No you're right on that count. But I'm willing to bet every last dime I own that this will end in a Mike Webb conviction.

Care to make this interesting?

[mercifurious]

KING 1090, uh... I mean "Jimbo" (check the IP) burps:

If he is guilty, Mike should get on KPTK after he gets out of jail or picks up his litter or whatever they make him do for community service.

Alright, let's make this even more interesting. Double-or-nothing on Webb getting KPTK position.

[sparky]

Lou Pete? who's he?

[adc]

I still believe that the personal actions and integrity of on-air talent, at least in this market, still counts for alot.

It's a pretty safe bet that if Mr. Monson was caught driving drunk, blowing a .18, his career at KIRO would be over.

The same would happen to NY Vinnie if he was charged with say, oh I don't know, domestic violence.

Both of those examples go beyond the pale, I'm just using them as examples. Sorry guys.

Decent ratings are a must, naturally, but personal integrity still matters here, at least at reputable organizations.

I believe Seattle is somewhat unique among larger cities, in that we don't tolerate alot of the garbage that other major metro areas tolerate, or even champion.

Our politics is more Mayberry RFD, as opposed to Chicago or NY Ward politics; pro athletes who make bad choices are more often than not, shamed and publicly humiliated; and our radio waves, by and large, are filled with the voices of choir boys and girls.

If you step outside of the "Seattle Nice" expectations, kiss your ass good-bye baby.... and it ain't no ones fault but your own.

Just my .02 worth!

[KING1090]

"I still believe that the personal actions and integrity of on-air talent, at least in this market, still counts for a lot."

personal integrity IS VERY important in ANY market. However, PLEASE, PLEASE remember:

1 - Mike HAS NOT been convicted.

2 - Mike is/was in an "ongoing investigation," that was private. How Entercom found out remains a MYSTERY. Come on folks! Please, how in the hell did Entercom find out!

3 - Mike HAS NOT been fined or jailed.

it's Entercom, folks. as with Allan Prell, Erin Hart, Lou Pete, Val Stoffer, and others, they just can't seem to retain their best talent (for many reasons).

if ANYTHING should draw attention to KIRO and Entercom, it should be the Dave Ross lawsuit. Recall? Mr. Ross was accused of staying on the air too long, campaigning in 2004. Chris Vance (Washington State GOP chair) challenged Dave Ross and Entercom. The FCC and FEC investigated this. It was finally dismissed after over a year.

So. Entercom was hypocritical, in firing Webb, but NOT firing Ross. They should have fired (or retained) both, to be consistent. CERTAINLY the candidacy/lawsuit of Mr. Ross brought 100 times "more attention" to Entercom than Webb did!

And not only that, but KIRO hired congressman JAMES MCDERMOTT as a Substitute Host. Well, McDermott has been charged for WIRETAPPING!

[Bob Dole]

This is Bob Dole here.

Bob Dole has never been convicted either.

Bob Dole loves gamblin' more than Bill Bennett or his little yellow friends (Liddy be damned).

Bob Dole knows some hot action when he see's it.

Bob Dole bets KING 1090 $100 bucks that Mike Webb is convicted and will never be hired with KPTK - not even to make gofer minimart runs during the station breaks.

[blathering michael]

KIRO didn't fire Mike Webb until after he was charged and the public record was disclosed by Blatherwatch. As I understand it, they were pretty surprised when he was arrested. Webb might not have been fired so quickly if he'd apprised KIRO he was under investigation for a felony before they read it here... no criminal charges have ever been filed against Jim McDermott.

[Mercifurious is Dead]

I thank God that Blatherwatch disclosed insurance the fraud by Mike Webb.

Blatherwatch has the blue dress with a semen stain in the Webb case- what a great reporter.

Give me a fucking break, Mike Webb, plead guilty and move back to San Francisco!

We're so lucky to have a resource like this blog! congrats!

Blatherwatch...accuracy at its best (i.e. everybody remember when Styble was R.I.P.)

Blatherwatch V.I.P 2004-2007

[mercifurious]

if ANYTHING should draw attention to KIRO and Entercom, it should be the Dave Ross lawsuit. Recall? Mr. Ross was accused of staying on the air too long, campaigning in 2004. Chris Vance (Washington State GOP chair) challenged Dave Ross and Entercom. The FCC and FEC investigated this. It was finally dismissed after over a year.

...BUT ROSS was never charged, arrested, indicted, etc either!

If Webb were just "under investigation" for insurance fraud, that investigation would have been private. But once charges were filed - public.

Then again, I was in a secret conspiracy with the SPD to alter Webb's insurance records. All this is currently under investigation. Just thought I'd make that public before I'm indicted and Bla'M bans me.

[jimbo]

Hey King: your pretty smart but Allan Prell, Erin Hart, Lou Pete are the best talent??? you must be smoking something. they all sucked.

[mercifurious]

My secret lover burps:
Blatherwatch responsible for disclosing insurance fraud by Mike Webb.

Blatherwatch also has a blue dress with a semen stain.

I really shouldn't be suprised by your level of stupidity, but this is a new high.

Once again for those not paying attention: When someone is arrested, it becomes public record. That's why you have an entire industry of reporters chewin' day-old donuts at the SPDHQ, all waiting for a perp-walking celeb.

Bla'M may have been the 1st through the gates with teh story, but he didnt "disclose" Webb's arrest - it was public record.

[Mercifurious is Dead]

Mercifurious...you're a good looking guy... I look at your myspace pic every day. thanks for giving me all I need to realize that Styble will be dead soon.
I've been stupid and wrong...that simple. I'm sorry.

[mercifurious]

Hey King: your pretty smart but Allan Prell, Erin Hart, Lou Pete are the best talent??? you must be smoking something. they all sucked.

I can't be the only one that finds schizophrenic trolls that argue with themselves entertaining. Keep it up.

[mercifurious]

mmmmmmmmmmmm-gad MID, you're making me so hot right now.

I love it when you treat me dirty. Keep it up.

[mercifurious]

MID, that's my sexy way of saying
request denied.

BTW, Along with my bet on Webb's conviction, I'm betting your one hot piece of troll ass. Am I right?

[J.P.]

If Bonneville are going to make any changes or bring anybody back and I know this is going to be corny to some people, I would not mind seeing Dave Dolacky return to the overnight shift. His show was kind of comforting. It would be refreshing and a far cry from the acid tongued, anti-Seattle rantings of Lou Pate.

[joanie]

His show was purely a soft place to land after a hard day. He had a fireside chat kind of show . . . and not many callers. The few he had were on the line for many, many minutes. He was comforting . . . I remember him well. I worked graveyard and would listen to him on the way home.

I was around when NY Vinnie subbed for him and garnered many more calls. . . people were actually listening to the radio at night! That spelled the end for Dolacky, I'm afraid.

And now we're stuck with da Vinnie!

[joanie]

Oh, BTW, I called Vinnie when he was on the first night. He was talking rock concerts and asking people who they saw that they liked. I called in to talk about the Mad Dogs and Englishmen concert which was awesome.

This will date me . . . probably the best concert I ever saw and was my second live concert . . . John Sebastian the headliner and Leon Russell the intro act at Eagles Auditorium. I will never forget that night!

[KING1090]

"KIRO didn't fire Mike Webb until after he was charged and the public record was disclosed by Blatherwatch."

Oh come on - Hood - You just don't get it. Your arguments that the firing is "justified" because the investigation is on the the "public record" is ridiculous. There's no relationship about your ability to produce a program, get ratings, and something between your insurance co. and the police. Now - if it was MEDICAL insurance fraud with whoever does ENTERCOM medical insurance, THAT would be a big problem. But it wasn't.
This issue is Mike's business only. You know, whoever is fired Mike (Clendening? Preidmore? Beck?) essentially has no common sense at all. They're clueless when it comes to understanding how talent brings ratings. Mike's show was sold out (commercials). KIRO ratings went way down after the firing, and the "Mean Mike Malloy" was winning over the "Mild Mannered" substitutes. I doubt KIRO has anyone left under 55 between 7pm and 4am.

I mean, come on, how many of YOU here have ever gone un-insured, or failed to possess your cards in your car? Well, I have. It's a terrible mistake, but it happens. Insurance policies end, they're not renewed, it just happens. You know, I'm sure that dozens if not hundreds of radio MANAGERS have done likewise. As for allegations of insurance fraud, that is all they are, just allegations. We're lucky to be in the US - INNOCENT until PROVEN guilty. Key word here, folks - PROVEN. But Clendening or whoever (I don't know who) refused to WAIT and let the courts determine this. It's now February, and the issue isn't resolved. HOW MUCH LOST REVENUE is that for Entercom? 14 months? Did the cancellations of so many KIRO hosts (especially Webb) cause the KIRO sale?
So anyway, you miserable, under the weather, bitter, closeted, humorless, selfish, depressed, Seattlilites, with all your firings at KIRO/KTTH/KNWX, you guys just can't do LOCAL N/T radio up there. Indeed, it is appalling when 1090 - a station with 90% Syndicated talent - is beating the Local station - KIRO - 25-54 during the day. They've got the highest TSL of the talkers there. They didn't go the route of most liberal stations, instead, they pioneered Thom Hartmann on 50,000 watts instead of Air America. Hartmann BEAT KIRO with this.

You notice I'm the only one here defending Mike. All the others don't do it here. They know how biased and homophobic your board and its webmaster are, so they just don't bother to even try to argue with closed minded individuals. I'm a debater so I've posted over and over here at length. I know people in this biz who have a VERY high regard for Mike, even AFTER his firing. I can assure all of you that Mike WILL be back on the air - somewhere - someday.

P.S. My original question to you folks STILL remains unanswered here. *WHY* did they FIRE Mr. Webb? Ideology, right.....?!

Of course, probably.

[adc]

From what I understand, Mr. Webb is mentally unstable, carries a firearm, and was charged with a felony.

Sorry KING1090, if I were station management I'd have to let him go also.

If people like him exhibit irrational behavior, and brag about "carrying", then management has to take appropriate action to protect other employees.

The felony charges may have less to do with Mr. Webb's firing, than he would like to believe.

[jimbo]

I'd love to see Mike Webb back on the air, but it seems obvious he won't be getting his job back at KIRO or winning any wrongful firing suits. Didn't he leave the station during the broadcast and get in that accident? He should try to get on at KRKO in Everett or Yakima and work his way back up if he is not convicted.

[joanie]

You think Yakima wants a Webb-type?

Also, his ratings were nothing to cheer about . . . wonder how his compare with Shiers?

[mankow]

"So anyway, you miserable, under the weather, bitter, closeted, humorless, selfish, depressed, Seattlilites"

Sounds like a discription of Mike Webb except add disturbed.

[KING1090]

You're not capable of anything beyond character assination. Why even bother to have the "discussion" section on this blog?
What evidence do you have that Webb is "mentally unstable," or that he carries a gun? If you knew ANYTHING about radio types, you'd know that we are artistic and some of us are periodically neurotic. All artists are this way, it's just part of the territory in show business. Nevertheless, you making this accusation about Webb without providing evidence is irresponsible.
A gun, well, come on - lots of performers carry guns with them. Remember the Lars Larsen documentary on PBS? He had a gun in the KXL Portland studios. Frankly, a conservative carrying a gun scares me a lot more than a liberal with a gun.

[jimbo]

Mike's deal downtown that ended his trial looked really unstable alot more than just nerotic. The paper said his family told the cops he had a gun and they were afraid he was going to do something stupid with it. I don't know what goes on in his head, but I know alot of artists and they don't do anything like that periodically. Taken to the mental ward in harborview overnight? come on. If he is innocent, why didn't he have a defense?

[jerrold/tacoma]

Hey King? Is a talk jock an artist? If Mike is so innocent, why didn't he put up a defense?
Hey Bla'm: When is Mike's big trial, anyway?

[mercifurious]

These two "KING 1090" blurbs are just priceless - and for so many reasons:

I mean, come on, how many of YOU here have ever gone un-insured, or failed to possess your cards in your car? Well, I have. It's a terrible mistake, but it happens...

You notice I'm the only one here defending Mike. All the others don't do it here.

Now THAT is a strange coincidence.
hmmmmmmmmmm...

[mercifurious]

And then there's so-called "Jimbo":
I'd love to see Mike Webb back on the air, but it seems obvious he won't be getting his job back at KIRO or winning any wrongful firing suits.

Welcome noobee Bla'M posters KING 1090 and JIMBO. Interesting how they both started posting at around the same time.

But I'm sure thats no more of a coincidence than KING 1090 defending Mike and being "accidentally uninsured"

[Bob Dole]

KING 1090 adds:
What evidence do you have that Webb is "mentally unstable,"

One and Two

If you knew ANYTHING about radio types, you'd know that we are artistic and some of us are periodically neurotic.

"We"? "Us"?

Bob Dole here.
Bob Dole smells rotten fish
Bob Dole's gettin suspicious.