Derek Wang took over as KUOW's Morning Edition anchor this morning; he replaces Deborah Brandt, who presided there since 1998.
Brandt retired after 30 years in radio, 25 of which were on morning drive. "She got tired of getting up at 3 a.m.," a KUOW source told us.
It's a generational change-up: the 50-something Brandt with the 30-something Wang. We don't know if that was the intention, but it perhaps mirrors NPR's Morning Edition replacement a couple of years ago of the elder Bob Edwards with the younger Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne.
(The slot is the Seattle sacred radio loin from whence sprang Bill Radke, beloved KUOW alumnus now a national NPR co-host of Weekend America (KUOW Saturdays, 12-2p).
Brandt's departure was heralded gleefully by James over at Seattle-est:
She's been plaguing our commute since 1998, segueing out of news segments while laughing at her own cornball insights. Many is the morning we'd glance at our wife as Brandt chuckled through some comment and find our own "What the hell...?" expression reflected back at us.
Brandt's worst habit, however, is her zen-esque, Abbott-to-Costello relationship with traffic reporters. Every time she introduces Harmon Shay she mines the previous segment for a pun to connect some element of the human condition (NPR style) to the conditions of the road. Shay forces his way through these conversations, though we suspect he'd rather cut to the chase and recommend taking the I-90 bridge before she eats up all 20 seconds of his slot.
Dan Savage at The Stranger's Slog, echoed James' sediments and cleared up- once and for all- any questions about Wang's sexual preferences: "Some mornings the banter with Harmon made me want to hang myself—but I opted for switching over to KPLU instead. The much-less-annoying, sounds-gay-but-isn’t, way-too-attractive-for-radio Derek Wang takes over for Brandt later this month."
Wang describes his career path thus:
I was first hired by KUOW to help with the national launch of Rewind, an irreverent week-in-review show. Before that, I was a producer for member station WNYC in New York City, and a desk assistant at CBS News.
I have a B.F.A. in Film from New York University, and a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University. While there, I was the short-lived disembodied voice of the Admissions Office's outgoing phone menu system.
Wang's weekend day shift will be taken by Jamala Henderson.
Good job, KUOW. Take note - arrange for the door to hit Steve Scher and Weekday in the ass and I'll redirect my (generous) KQED membership to you. I want to love you but as it stands you make me switch over to Adam Carolla at 9 when that mushmouth comes on. (That and the fact that KPLU hooks me up with Fresh Air on the way home... but let's take this one step at a time.)
Posted by: Hank | February 20, 2007 at 05:32 PM
As heard on KUOW - October 9, 2006
Deborah Brandt finishes the news and before she turns it over to the pledge couple, she says, and this is not a lie....
Deborah (cheerful like kids on christmas): one more story I have GOT to tell you because it's just so bizarre...in philadelphia yesterday a woman was arrested because, during an apparent fight with her boyfriend, she hit him by swinging her BABY at him. I mean, she hit him with her
BABY...hehe... (the cheer starts a slow painful fade) ... the baby is in critical condition and the other children have been removed from the
home ... (she trails off)
Pledge man: oh.
Deborah: (trying to regain her composure) I don't know, I just thought it was so bizarre.
Pledge woman: disturbing....
Deborah: (attempting the crunchiest most painful radio transition in history) well, that's just one of the interesting facts and stories you get here on morning addition but we need your support...
Pledge man and woman audibly turn their backs on Deborah and move forward.
-----
I have nothing else to say about this. It happened, and this is my documentation of it.
Posted by: m | February 20, 2007 at 05:34 PM
Wow...KUOW isnt the same as way back in the dark ages when i used to volunteer to answer the phones on weekends for the pledge drive. it was all very proper, bordering on British-stiff-upper-lip. Seems there is still no reason to tune away from Thom Hartmann.....
Posted by: sparky | February 20, 2007 at 05:44 PM
"I have a B.F.A. in Film from New York University, and a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University. While there, I was the short-lived disembodied voice of the Admissions Office's outgoing phone menu system."
Wow...that's a real resume for handling news with depth and a sense of history....it sounds like it, too.
Just what we need coming into an election year...does he even know the names Ed Muskie...or Walter Mondale...or Michael Dukakis...or George McGovern...or Lloyd Bensten..or Gary Hart...or Alan Cranston...or...Ralph Nader....
Posted by: Thom | February 20, 2007 at 07:50 PM
Funny, Thom. I was thinking sort of the same . . . puts me in mind of Tina Nole, ace in the hole for Ross, and her Evergreen drama degree.
You never know about us drama people, do you? :)
Posted by: joanie | February 20, 2007 at 08:10 PM
You fogies. After working some years in radio, Derek went back for a masters in journalism from Columbia, for Christ's sake. By you two's standard, you need to be 50 to be report the news. I'll bet he knows who Lloyd Bentsen and Ralph Nader are... As for Tina, look at the job she's doing...
Posted by: blathering michael | February 20, 2007 at 09:09 PM
Fogies is right. The dude reads local news. He's not called upon or expected to be Edward R Murrow or Bob Freaking Woodward (back when Bob was an actual reporter and not a Name Author With Access to People in High Places He Must Protect). All Wang has to do is not be annoying (a minimum standard his predecessor did not meet).
BTW, I'm willing to bet he not only knows the names of all those Laughable Leftist Losers (and all the corresponding Evil Rightwing Nutjobs) he very likely knows more about at least a couple of them than you do. And he likely knows a thing or to about subjects beyond American politics -- that is, subjects that actually matter.
But even if he doesn't: who cares? It's just the freaking local news -- and the local news for Seattle, too, rather than a real city.
Posted by: Joe | February 20, 2007 at 09:35 PM
Michael, you're the only old fogy on this blog.
Where's your drama degree? Hmm. . . I'm in good company it seems.
Did you hear Dave and the mayor discussing the viaduct this morning?
Dave had a "really, really good shew."
Who am I?
Posted by: joanie | February 20, 2007 at 09:46 PM
Wang is a dull wanker. That's all he needs to be.
Posted by: mandible | February 20, 2007 at 09:47 PM
If Kiro 710 am put's Herr" McStyblehead , back on the radio weeknight they need to change the name of there call letters to
KKK Kiro New's talk 710
HOOTY HOO !
Posted by: Brian | February 21, 2007 at 07:43 AM
Glad to see I'm not the only one who's completely irritated by Steve Scher and his soporific speaking style.
Even if the conversation is covering the darkest, most morally troubling issues, he always speaks like he's remembering a quiet daydream he had one summer's day.
Posted by: Trip | February 21, 2007 at 11:07 AM
Steve Scher is a sexy, sexy man, but listening to him is like listening to a robot with a Ph.d in medieval English
Posted by: cyn | February 21, 2007 at 11:17 AM
The robot on Weekday is the producer. He (or she) chooses topics with appeal of wall repair. Then theres the snotty elitism of the we're more thoughtful than you crowd. Susan Painter and the lofty crew of on Fridays are the worst. Weekday is the Seattle liberal echo chamber at its worst. If they weren't so boring, they would be dangerous.
Posted by: peaklimiter | February 21, 2007 at 11:32 AM
If Weekday is so boring, why does it have such great ratings? I read here that it beats everything in Seattle.
Posted by: Sadie | February 21, 2007 at 11:37 AM
I admire and appreciate KUOW, but I agree that they often put me to sleep!
They seem to delight in sounding different . . . I used to love Sarah Vowel (and bet most of you still do) but after a while I began to think NPR has two goals: either find the most professorial boring types or find the most annoying-sounding types. Difference for the sake of difference doesn't always work.
There's a lot on KUOW I do like so don't beat me up here. But, I find lot of it just plain annoying to my ears.
Posted by: joanie | February 21, 2007 at 11:38 AM
The BEST spoof of public radio was on Saturday night Live with Alec Baldwin as Mr Schwetty, who was advertising his bakery and their famous donut holes called 'Schwetty Balls".
Posted by: sparky | February 21, 2007 at 11:45 AM
NPR high ratings are a myth spread by the owner of this blog.
Posted by: peaklimiter | February 21, 2007 at 11:48 AM
Derek's a quality reporter. He'll do a good job in the anchor chair too.
The pace of NPR bores me, but the content is good. I didn't enjoy listening to Brandt for some of the reasons mentioned above.
If I'm being honest, as Simon Cowell would say, there aren't any current news women who are interesting. They all sound fine, and can get stories out without stumbling (except for Heather Bosch) but they offer nothing. NO connection to the product or the audience. Jane is the most dispassionate. Her fill in this week, Heather, is a fine reporter, but a lightweight as an anchor. And Manda over at KOMO sounds like she's competent, but is dull, dull, dull.
Posted by: NoBS | February 21, 2007 at 01:02 PM
Guess you don't remember Lisa Foster in action...one of the best women in radio...quick, funny...literate.
Posted by: Thom | February 21, 2007 at 01:45 PM
Wow. I might've restrained some of my tap-dancing glee had I realized Brandt had been fired -- I assumed she'd found a different position.
While I still don't think she was a good host, I'm a little sad to hear she was fired.
m, that's the kind of thing I knew I'd heard, but for the life of me couldn't remember any specific details of. Brandt was a character.
Posted by: James | February 21, 2007 at 08:31 PM
Hi Everyone,
Just to clarify, Deborah Brandt was not fired from KUOW. She decided to retire after 30 years in radio, with 25 spent doing morning drive.
Thanks,
Arvid Hokanson
Asst. Program Director
94.9 KUOW & 91.7 KXOT
Puget Sound Public Radio
[email protected]
Posted by: Arvid Hokanson | February 22, 2007 at 01:00 PM