Dori Monson's KIRO has signed up with the Seahawks for five more years.
Starting next year they'll be simulcasting the games on their oldies station, KBSG (to be known as Dori Monson's KBSG).
There was some speculation (not by us) that Bonneville wasn't so interested in sports after firing New York Vinnie last month, and their plans to fold up his former show, Sports Talk next month. 
Insiders tell us that Monson, (m-f, 12-3p) The No.1 Talk Host In Seattle helped ease Vinnie out the door in order to have the Seahawks broadcasting to himself. "Warren Moon better watch his back," says our source. (photo: Dori Monson sans teeth)
(Moon, 50, a Hall of Famer and color commentator for the Seahawks was arrested in April on suspicion of drunk driving after a state trooper saw him speeding at 2a in Kirkland. He was charged and pled guilty to a lesser charge after his blood-alcohol level was below the .08 legal driving limit when finally tested. He was sentenced to 40 hours of community service, a $350 fine and drug and alcohol awareness classes).
"Monson is now a force to be reckoned with at KIRO, he'd love the TV job," says our guy.
Bringing boyish charm and an adolescent belligerence to his show, the conservative Monson is the popular, and ubiquitous Voice of KIRO, appearing three hours midday during the week; on post-game shows weekends, and in hours of endorsement commercials.
Not exactly beloved among his KIRO peers, he's known as a behind-the-scenes manipulator and backstabber. The late Mike Webb, an outspoken liberal complained to friends that Monson took tapes of his more outrageous shows to management with questions about Webb's propriety, and "irresponsibility."
There was resentment when others were passed over for the evening show when Monson pressed for his friend TV sports guy Tony Ventrella to get the job, sources say. Ventrella, it turned out, was a better buddy than a radio broadcaster.
(last year we asked for readers' thoughts on Dori Monson. read the results of that inquiry here.
I am so sick of Dori. Dave used to be the voice of KIRO, how did it happen Dori got to be such a big deal.
Posted by: sarge | August 21, 2007 at 12:34 PM
Dave Ross is irrelevant. He has no new ideas. Just spouts Democratic talking points.
Posted by: mdjohngolf | August 21, 2007 at 12:42 PM
Dori is more 'with it' than Dave Ross. While Dave is a far better talk show host (in my opinion), Dori captures the imagination of the local public because of his topics, his knowledge about sports and his enthusiasm.
I've said many times - his greatest fear is being ignored and I don't thing he'll let that happen. If nothing else, he's always got this blog to help keep focus on his name recognition. He's LOVIN IT!
Posted by: Duffman | August 21, 2007 at 12:53 PM
right on. Dave Ross does not represent the majority's of the listeners views. Ross is boring for one thing, and irrelevant. that said, talk radio belongs to conservatives. Kick him off too. KIRO should see if they can get Mike Siegel to come back, Me might not come back to Seattle after being treated so badly.
Posted by: schmick | August 21, 2007 at 12:57 PM
Dori is a jerk. he is despised at Eastlake.
Posted by: patti sue | August 21, 2007 at 01:05 PM
Dave Ross has a great voice and this was what associated him with being the "Voice of KIRO". After his unsuccessful run for office he made many appearances in public and TV and when people put the two together his popularity waned. Too bad, what a voice.
Posted by: nevets | August 21, 2007 at 01:06 PM
If he goes to TV, maybe he will pull his dick out of the radio.
Posted by: testy | August 21, 2007 at 01:06 PM
"Dori is a jerk. he is despised at Eastlake."
Possibly...but undoubtedly 'loved' by his banker. So, who wins?
Posted by: Duffman | August 21, 2007 at 01:16 PM
That picture of Dori looks like Fred Flintstone at a retirement community.
Posted by: Hanna Barbara | August 21, 2007 at 01:29 PM
Dori is a jock. He and Ron and Don and David Goldstein are the face of the new KIRO. what do they have in common? they don't listen.
Posted by: pachinko | August 21, 2007 at 01:33 PM
Moon is an embarrassment. Raible is boring. Dori should take over.
Posted by: Mini-mike | August 21, 2007 at 01:34 PM
Dori was so jealous of Ron Reagan. He's always hated being in Ross's shadow. Maybe now he can finally get rid of Dave.
Posted by: sue d | August 21, 2007 at 01:37 PM
Dori is a Jock?
Only in his own mind. Have you seen the guy? He's a sports wannabe.
I won't listen to the KIRO pre or post game shows as long as he is there. ESPN radio all the way.
Posted by: Mungo | August 21, 2007 at 01:52 PM
Mungo: What do you think of John Clayton?
Posted by: Duffman | August 21, 2007 at 01:55 PM
Monson is a classic example of a jock-sniffer. He doesn't have the physical tools to be an athlete, so he became a sports reporter so he could surround himself with athletes. When he was younger, he practically lived in the Mariners/Huskies/Seahawks/Sonics press boxes. He was a hustler to get himself on radio then, and he still is.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. But when hustling to keep his own voice on the air equals backstabbing to climb over other people, that's something else entirely.
It amazes me that the professionals at KIRO don't recognize that Monson's very distinctive voice is overexposed -- it's not possible to mistake him for anybody else, and his awful delivery of commercial copy is counterproductive. The mental tune-out factor for Monson-voiced spots must be enormous.
His counter-argument to all this hatred (here and elsewhere) would probably be, "I'm No. 1 in the market; I must be doing something right." But "No.1" means his audience share is what? Maybe 5.5? 6? That means that 94 out of every 100 listeners to Seattle radio are not listening to him.
Posted by: rev | August 21, 2007 at 02:31 PM
Love John C....the guy knows the NFL better than most.
Posted by: Mungo | August 21, 2007 at 02:33 PM
Agreed! Steel-trap mind/memory in that regard. I'm simply amazed at how someone can retain and recall such details on a moment's notice.
Posted by: Duffman | August 21, 2007 at 02:35 PM
Why do I get the feeling that Dori is writing all these accolades to himself? Much like the copy on the website when Dori renewed his contract and he was described as the
"Prime Rib" of radio broadcasting, or something like that. I would describe it closer to rump roast.
At least on the radio I can be sure to stay off of 710 so I cant hear him. What is offensive is that he shows up on TV from time to time. At least I have a mute button on my remote.
Posted by: sparky | August 21, 2007 at 02:49 PM
Duff,
Agree completely on JC.
Aside: John C is one of those guys you hear on radio and you have a mental picture of what he looks like, but when you actually see him it ain't anything like you imagined. Carl Jeffers also was a suprise when I saw a pic of him. Not anything like I imagined.
Posted by: Mungo | August 21, 2007 at 02:49 PM
Dori looks overfed and not athletic for a 35 year old man. Possibly all those late night steak dinners and binge eating on the airplane trips has taken its toll. I give him til' 50.
Posted by: Hanna Barbara | August 21, 2007 at 03:04 PM
I think he's 43 or 44
Posted by: Mungo | August 21, 2007 at 03:11 PM
I've been reading your blog for sometime now, but this is the first time I've felt the need to comment (I almost wrote you once after you defended that idiot Alan Prell - thank goodness he's long gone).
NEW YORK VINNIE IS A HORRIBLE BROADCASTER! Not only is he a bad radio personality, but he really doesn't know that much about sports. I'm a liberal and a sports fan, and I do not care for Dori's talk show or his Seahawks stuff, but if he helped get rid of Prell and Vinnie, I'm now a big fan.
Also, you may have forgotten how much you hated Prell and Mike Webb - maybe you should be thanking Dori too.
Posted by: Gramps | August 21, 2007 at 03:23 PM
Actually, he's 46. I agree with anyone who thinks he's over-exposed on KIRO and if I happen to be in my car when his show's on (which is often) and he starts ranting and raving (which is often - no, usual) I punch the KUOW button and am never disappointed and always refreshingly informed.
Posted by: Brianne | August 21, 2007 at 03:34 PM
Dori's a classic big-fish, little-pond local market broadcaster. By this stage of his career he's not going to a big city or a network, so dominating this little town is his fallback strategy, and that means sending anyone who threatens him to sleep with the fishes, from Vinnie to Ron Reagan. It is a shame we all have to share Dori's midlife crisis.
New York Vinnie wasn't a very good broadcaster -- over and above a lack of detailed sports knowledge any "real" New York sports fan would have, his weight compromised his breath control and made him difficult to listen to. But it's still depressing to hear that Dori conspired -- successfully -- against him. I have no trouble believing that he's despised at KIRO.
Two things about Dori: I can't believe any local merchant would actually ask him to voice their spots, or seek another trade-out/ endorsement deal. He's spread that rap so thin by now, there's no credibility left. The funniest was when he was remodeling his house a few years ago and traded out to get everything he needed for free, from Gutter Helmet to Invisible Fence to windows to roofing. Whatever he's shilling for, I cross off my "buy" list.
I also think it's funny that Dori is so deferential to black callers. He plays the fired-up Angry Middle Class White Guy with a crypto-conservative, bully-boy tone of voice, but when a person of color gets on the air with him, he softens and changes completely. I think he's afraid of being hurt by people he's unfamiliar with.
Posted by: TomF | August 21, 2007 at 04:16 PM
Dori's career will go the way of Larry Nelson on KOMO radio. Long after he hangs up the radio show, he will be a spokesperson for anything that will pay him a buck. I turn Larry off when I hear him, too.
I liked NY Vinnie because he was a nice guy. He may not have been a sports "expert" but he had heart and absolutely loved the Mariners. I would guess he knows more about sports than Dori, and it never sounded to me like he was only doing it for the buck.
Posted by: sparky | August 21, 2007 at 04:46 PM
Who cares about Dori Monson? Why no post about Ken Vincent? KIRO is a corpse. I'm more intrigued by what's cooking over at the UW.
Posted by: WenG | August 21, 2007 at 04:56 PM
sparks: and that's just one of the reasons you're not program director of KIRO or any other radio station. But your opinion is valued :o)
Posted by: Duffman | August 21, 2007 at 04:56 PM
Dori looks rather old for 46. The perfect face for radio.
Anyway, it goes to show what salesmanship and being a local guy can do for moving up the food chain in local radio even when one has little talent.
Posted by: neo-realist | August 21, 2007 at 05:36 PM
Unbelieveable - that anyone could compare Monson to Ross let alone suggest he is a superior broadcaster is truly insane.
Ross is a rare find as his success on the national scene has indicated for years.
Monson is the natural conclusion of modern talk radio: Hyping up people on a purely emotional level half the time, talking about television the other half.
Posted by: troysaylor | August 21, 2007 at 06:39 PM
Curious, if Dori is such a dominant force, maybe he is banking a ton knowing that the day of reconning is coming. What do you think he makes a year at KIRO?
Posted by: daninauburn | August 21, 2007 at 06:48 PM
maybe a 100k ...
Posted by: coiler | August 21, 2007 at 07:19 PM
Dori's in in up to his eyeballs w/ Rove. If you take the name D. Monson and slightly change the emphasis, you get:
Demon Son.
Monson used to be fairly liberal, and had a crappy voice. Now he's far-right and No. 1 on radio? You tell me what that adds up to.
Posted by: jeeramya | August 21, 2007 at 08:30 PM
I love me some Dori! I find him entertaining. After all, he is an entertainer. Good grief, if you want fair and balanced reporting... well then, I have no idea where you are supposed to go, but it ain't to Dori. Dave, while left leaning, is probably the most fair and balanced on local radio which is why I am also a faithful listener to him. (Dave is classroom for me... and Dori is recess!) But really, it just kills me the attention you all pay to Dori!!! Seriously, I think you secretly love him too.
Posted by: beebee | August 21, 2007 at 08:52 PM
"Monson used to be fairly liberal, and had a crappy voice. Now he's far-right and No. 1 on radio? You tell me what that adds up to"
According to my math it = sellout.
I will not listen to that whiney voice. On the other hand, although I agree with Goldy on many things, I cannot listen to his whiney voice either.
Posted by: AprilMayJune | August 21, 2007 at 08:57 PM
I choose not to listen to Dori. I'm not going to bad-mouth him, he just doesn't choose topics I am interested in, and I do not like his voice. It might have to do with me being an adult woman, maybe not.
But since I choose not to tune in to Dori, why do I have to hear his voice all over that station all day and all evening? Makes me change the station even during Dave Ross.
Posted by: sara sue | August 21, 2007 at 09:07 PM
Every once in a while I listen to 710DORI and every once in a while, I like his show.
But, his tendency towards sarcasm, put downs, arrogance, and his two-faced handling of many guests just piss me off. That's as blunt as I can be.
It will be a long, long time before I become a regular listener. He has no class whatsoever.
I could listen to him if he got even a little class . . . but, I think he enjoys seeing himself as the average joe on the street. He may be the average joe but the streets he's walking are mean streets.
Posted by: joanie | August 21, 2007 at 09:47 PM
We can't say we like Dori. We think he's a political chameleon, just fellow nebbish Dennis Miller, who changed his tune after 9/11.
We also don't like Dori's commercials but we realize he must be getting results with them otherwise he wouldn't get paid to do them.
Our sources (or somebody else's) tell us the worker bees in the workplace don't like Dori, but our common sense tells us that doesn't matter as long he gets the ratings his bosses and advertisers like to see.
Posted by: Gusto | August 21, 2007 at 11:33 PM
Like buying a Jaguar, listening to Monson is a bad life choice. His tortured logic and high emotions over "smarts" makes him a very frustrating experience.
Ross is the high bar of quality for talk-radio, not only on KIRO, but nationally. Anyone who thinks Monson can compare not only has no taste, but is probably, to quote Monson during his last quarter-hour harangues,"In-SANE!"
Posted by: Justin Atheropinion | August 21, 2007 at 11:39 PM
I just loved it once when Reagan subbed for Dori and that awful lead-in came on - the macho one-can't remember it right now - but Reagan said in a sort of unsettled but very precise way "what's that all about?" I laughed.
No class, Dori. You have no class whatsoever.
Posted by: joanie | August 22, 2007 at 01:28 AM
'BlatherWatch'
Listening to Dori so you don't have to. :o)
Posted by: Duffman | August 22, 2007 at 05:17 AM
Don't you'all understand:
Dori is to Seattle talk-radio
as
Mrs Clinton is to POTUS
It's a given!!!
Posted by: Duffman | August 22, 2007 at 07:19 AM
Yeah...we know Duff..you need more attention. You and Dori are alot alike.
Posted by: Pilgrim | August 22, 2007 at 09:41 AM
Well hello 'Pilgrim'...wow; you haven't used that one in a while!
Posted by: Duffman | August 22, 2007 at 09:48 AM
In numerous focus groups, I have asked, "Has Dori ever met an ad that he did not like?"
Dori is too busy trying to stay in his new house, Jaguar, and send his 3 girls to college. I think Dori's 3 girls are also following in dads feet steps and doing ads also.
Dori strikes me as someone with the attitude of "I pulled myself up by my bootstraps", "I got mine, you get yours". Dori is an adult who has never suffered an adult hardship like being unemployed and trying to hold on to what he has accumulated.
I am sick of all the ads that Dori does. Speaking of ads, I hate the AAA and Onstar ads also.
Posted by: Gregory | August 22, 2007 at 02:52 PM
I just heard 710DORI's haiku having something to do with the Seattle PI. Anybody know what that was all about?
I think, Michael, you should devote a column to haiku about Dori. What do you think? Might be fun.
Posted by: joanie | August 22, 2007 at 03:03 PM
Joanie. This:
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/120490.asp
From what I can gather, the PI wouldn't give the FBI photos of "people of interest" unless the FBI gave PI more info about "people of interest".
Perfectly rational, but Orbi/Malkin et al are rubbing another giant wingnut scare-fest boner about it. Blah blah blah.
Actually, Stefan Sharkansky scares me and I think he is a "person of interest"... time to follow him around & take pictures.
Posted by: mercifurious | August 22, 2007 at 03:19 PM
OH, and here's the source of the big fat "PI Haikugate" scandal.
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/120414.asp
Note: This is not a headline from the PI. This is not even in the backpages. This is not even in the op-ed dept. This is an opine from an online PI blogger.
Meet the Stress editorial board to Malkin/Orbi/CQ/etc:
Stop stroking yer big scary Faux Noise fear-boner, or else we'll start calling you "persons of interest" (which you are) and follow you around, digicams in hand. Deal?
Posted by: mercifurious | August 22, 2007 at 04:40 PM
The thing is, Malkin would scream harassment if anyone followed her around taking pictures.
Posted by: sparky | August 22, 2007 at 04:53 PM
Glad to herar Dori has been given another 5 years. Bonneville is a "Class A" broadcaster. In the past 5 months since they re-purchased the 710 blow torch, they have spent more money in the place than Entercom did in 8 and 1/2 years! When Bonneville engineers came back this year they found the same equipment and software in the newsroom that they had installed. Nothing was replaced. So much for the Entercom thieves
Posted by: Former KIRO Guy | August 22, 2007 at 05:10 PM
On Dori's airwork: I can't stand his whine, so I don't listen either.
Posted by: Former KIRO Guy | August 22, 2007 at 05:11 PM