Talkritique: live & local talk radio... is it over?

Should we just shut up and watch as local programming is whittled away?

In a year, we've lost Ron Reagan, Bryan Suits, and Frank Shiers-- 20 hours of local issues-and-politics-talk programming.

Added to the money dayparts: Glenn Beck, Dr. Laura, and Phil Hendrie. Do they hate us?

Dennis Kelly Fisher's Program Director at KOMO and KVI told the P-I's Bill Virgin last year that talk  is "still the most popular format in America. ... Stations have to find a great balancing act between keeping existing listeners and attracting new ones," he said. "That's not easy."

He and Fisher let Dr. Laura (KVI m-f, 9a-12p) replace a local show but have innovated (with mixed result) with their The Commentators (KVI m-f, 3-6p) a point counterpoint show with Ken Schram and John Carlson. 

Bonneville, who owns KIRO and KTTH, helped shrink local product, but has also introduced Too Beautiful To Live, Luke Burbank's new local show (m-f, 7-10p) which is not issues-and-politics programming but aims at (and may be hitting) a younger demographic that's never listened to the radio.

That said, the heritage station KIRO has abandoned a tradition of all-live-and-local-programming-all-the time that's nearly been unbroken since the station went on the air in 1927.

We asked some radio friends of ours-- all radio veterans none of whom would let us use their names-- to help us answer the question: Is live and local programming going away?

Their answers were depressing.

Source One says production costs are indeed an issue, but argues that listeners don't really care how local radio is anymore.

"A majority of the people will comment on your blog that the loss of live and local is a tremendous loss; but the truth of the matter is the vast majority of listeners do not interact with the radio station. That's true even of radio contests. Only a tiny fraction of the audience (less than 25 percent) will participate even if you're offering a great prize."

So if most listeners aren't in it for interaction with the host, what's left?

To be entertained and informed, he says. "Our NPR stations offer relatively little local content and do very well in the ratings. Further, there often isn't a lot of pressing local news to talk about."

He makes a point we often hear from readers like Sparky-- local is boring: "How much time can you spend reading the Seattle Times before you get bored?"

Given that national and world issues are important, and that most listeners will never call the radio station, he asks: "Why do you need a local host?"

He remembers the days when you could call a radio station at any time of the day, any day of the week, and get a live body. "That hasn't been the case in years and I am sad about that. But the vast majority of listeners don't care. And if they don't, why should the corporations pay the bills?"

Source Two (whom we're careful not to refer to as "No. 2") says most markets can only support one robust live and local talk station. Some markets, he says, have enough listeners to support two.

Seattle has three.

"If you were to add up all of the weekday live and local talk shows on Seattle radio-- Dave Ross, Dori Monson, The Ron & Don Show, Too Beautiful to Live, Kirby & Co., The Commentators, Michael Medved (kind of) and The David Boze Show), you'd have enough to run two robust talk stations."

He says the challenge is that the eight shows are split up over three different talk radio stations. Oddly enough, all three perform adequately with their core audiences, but "no one station is allowed to become the dominant talk radio station due to parity." 

"As a result of not achieving, or maintaining dominance," he writes, "no one station has committed to live and local 24/7 (like KGO)."

No. 1 makes another point we hear from a few readers-- entertainment quality.

He asks: "Who's better able to keep listeners interested in those [national] topics: a polished national host or somebody locally who's willing to work odd hours?

(Jeez, how much of the vaunted job of talk host is simply the willingness to work weird hours?)

"Granted," he says, "the radio owners are a big part of the problem. With the constant budget cuts, they aren't developing new talent. I think that's wrong, but that's the reality. And for the listeners ... mediocre local talent are not more compelling than mediocre syndicated shows."

We heard from Source Three, a little more of what we wanted to hear (always a good thing, and sure to play big on BlatherWatch).

"It's too much focus on "short-term bottom line" as opposed to long-term success-- of course, too many owners need to answer to Wall Street every month," he said.

He doesn't think there's anything wrong with quality syndicated programming, and points at KPTK, and KKOL as great examples of stations that are all syndication but aimed at a specific targets.

"But I don't understand why the owners of the heritage stations [KIRO, KVI] that have made their mark with live, local programming want to give up on that.

"They cut out a $75,000 talk host and then have to give up 4 or more minutes of commercial time each hour to a syndicator.  So even if they were only getting $25 per spot for those commercials (and the KIROs of the world get a lot  more than that), that comes out to at least $100 an hour in lost revenue.

It can be easier, and cheaper short-term, to can hosts and stick on a syndicated show. But to me, it seems shortsighted."

We political types have been eating up the proferred bullshit that talk radio is some kind of civic service-- that it's a staple of our political life, like some kind of town hall meeting. The truth is that political talk-- pioneered by Big Pants and a thousand clones-- pencilled, bailing AM radio out of its pickle of the late 1980's. When it no longer turns a profit, conservative, liberal, it's gone. The steady collapse of local talk may be the first of implosions on a grander scale.

All we know is that the further we-- for one-- get from our radio product, the less we give a shit about radio. Maybe it's selfish-- that if live and local programming keeps disappearing, our little blog niche would disappear with it. 

As new media, the Interweb goes more towards developing communities, that radio seems headed in the opposite-- more impersonal-- direction is counterintuitive, if not downright stupid.

You know how we feel... what do you want?  Or will you just be satisfied with what you're given?

Comments

[ZANZIBAR]

"If you were to add up all of the weekday live and local talk shows on Seattle radio-- Dave Ross, Dori Monson, The Ron & Don Show, Too Beautiful to Live, Kirby & Co., The Commentators, Michael Medved (kind of) and The David Boze Show), you'd have enough to run two robust talk stations."

That belies the importance of locally originated weekend programming, the backbone of locally-originated broadcasting, and something that is virtually dead thanks to KVI's decision to go to all-brokered, all-the-time. If you added weekeday and weekend programming you'd barely have enough for 1 "all local" station. To wit -

KIRO-AM ---

Local: 77% --- 132 hours/week
National: 20% --- 32 hours/week
Infomercials: 3% --- 4 hours/week
Brokered Time: 0% --- 0 hours/week

KVI-AM ---

Local: 24% --- 40 hours/week
National: 48% --- 80 hours/week
Infomercials: 0% --- 0 hours/week
Brokered Time: 28% --- 28 hours/week

KTTH-AM ---

Local: 10% --- 17 hours/week
National: 85% - 141 hours/week
Infomercials: 2% - 4 hours/week
Brokered Time: 3% - 6 hours/week

[joanie]

Zanzibar must be in the biz.

As for local programming? Dori is mostly local from what I've gleaned in my frequent temporary check ins.

But Ross and Reagan when around? Not at all. I'd say 50-50 and I could be off considerably. And you don't have to be from Seattle to care about state-wide issues. I just don't think anybody who chides KIRO for being too local listens to KIRO.

Ron and Don are lifestyle jocks. They don't discuss issues at all. At least, very little.

I do listen mostly to KPTK but it is truly because of the political mess in this country. When we get some new liberal blood in the Capital(Capitol?), I'll probably listen less. The current administration is like Katrina, the Chehalis Flood, 9-11 and OJ all rolled into one. Who could avoid talking about that?

And Tom Hartman is boring because he talks the exact same script day after day after day...

Give me a Dave Ross and even - I hate to admit it - a Dori Monson any day. But it's got to have some bite. Ron and Don - well, different strokes for different folks. But at least our local talk isn't boring - and it isn't all local.

A city the size of Seattle (like San Francisco) is big enough to support local talk. We just have to hang in, let KIRO grow up a little, and accept that market niches are the future. How much money do they have to make anyway?

It is like newspapers: I remember the comment that newspapers were crying that they were going out of business when, in fact, they just wanted to preserve they current profit line. Well, so they make less now. They're still making money. They are cry babies who want more...

Finally, KIRO should have let Allen Prell stick around. His ratings were improving - I think - and time is on the side of quirky, funny, original hosts.

And the point about low interactivity with radio? Well, Michael, how many people actually post compared to the number of people who read? C'mon, your sources are so boxed in. I don't expect young people to be tuned in to radio. So radio should go after the market that is tuning in and quit crying about it.

I sure don't want local radio to go away. I don't know much about this, but licenses should be cheap and plentiful so we can all get in on the act.

And there must be something local that Sparky needs to know from time to time in her little neck of the woods? One little thing even?

I wonder how many big urban areas feature all synidicated programming? I would think most large cities feature live and local. Anybody know? We're not a hamlet anymore...

[wutitiz]

KIRO in particular has gone thru a passel of hosts of hosts Prell, Ebert, Hart, Ryder, Maloney, Shires, NY Vinnie, Ventrella, Procochino, etc. All were let go because they were not very good. I think only Lou Pate left of his own accord, and he was not that great either. KTTH had to drop Mike Siegel and then Dan Sytman because of ratings.
It seems that these stations are like the Sonics trying to find a 7 foot center. There are that many to go around. Until some talent can be unearthed, they have no choice but to fill the gaps w/ syndicated shows.

[Norah]

This probably doesn't apply, but back in about 1992 or so, KIRO went from having Bill Gallant on from, I think 10-1 PM to having some syndicated show; plus I think whatever they had on the overnight was syndicated. I think even before that they had Bruce Williams or Talknet or something. This went on a couple years, and apparently it didn't do that well in the ratings because in about 1994 or so, Gallant's show came back and they had Dave Dolacky on overnight.

So maybe the same think will happen now. It just depends if they can get the younger listeners to listen to talk radio--if they are into podcasts or whatever, though, it might be a hard thing to get them to change. Of course there are always exceptions--I remember kids that used to call Bill Gallant and Drake Collier that were in their early teens then, but they were probably the only kids in their school who listened to talk radio.

[Norah]

I meant that Bill Gallant was on from 10 pm to 1 am in 1992. Sorry!

[AuthenticAndrew]

I just want to hear interesting controversy and exciting news, and that can come from a national or a local show, but is more likely to come from a local show since there is a wider range of potential topics. National shows will never discuss a 520 toll or the latest initiative, and if there are no good national headlines they discuss stupid shit topics (Air America), but on the flip side a national act is usualy a better talk radio host. They won't bother you with every little detail in the lives of their wretched child or dog. You don't have to worry about a syndicated Erin Hart.

So there are pros and cons either way but the prize goes to local talk for giving me more of what I want. I don't see any problem with having a mixture of both on one station.

For me the problem is not national versus local I think it's finding any good talent. People like Shiers, Prell or New York Vinnie are of interest to 50% of whoever will listen but are dead air to the other half. Radio hosts like Michael Medved and Art Bell are able to transcend the mediocrity and attract listeners of all types.

[abob]

Allan Prell, Rick Miller, Erin Hart, Lou Pate, Fred Ebert, NY Vinnie, Fred Shiers were all a bunch of local yokels KIRO tried to foist upon the listeners. They all sucked, the public rejected them all, and they all got lousy ratings. The local talkers who remain on the air are equally pathetic. Luke Burbank, Jen Andrews and Bryan Styble couldn't be any more putrid if they tried. Syndicated radio is the only alternative to simply shutting down KIRO at night.

[sparky]

Ok let me see if I can clarify...
To borrow a famous quote, " It depends on what your definition of 'local' is.."

I have nothing against local news. But local for whom? When I lived in Snohomish county, when did KIRO ever cover anything going on there unless it was part of the news broadcast? Now, my "little corner of the world" can still access KIRO at least on car radios, but as far as Seattle radio stations are concerned, there is no traffic south of Tacoma or north of Marysville. And yet, statistics show that the greater north King county/Snohomish County area will hit 2 million people in just a few years. The KIRO signal is strong clear to Bellingham. That is a huge audience to ignore. When I lived up there, sometimes I did find things discussed on KIRO to be of some interest because I was in Seattle at least once a week. But step outside the 25 mile circle and we cease to exist.

So I have made my peace with it..KIRO's niche is for people who live within the 25 mile circle. From school, I can still get the station on my radio, but I didn't hear about too many state-wide issues. My joke about "all viaduct/520 bridge all the time was based on some truth. Those are issues that are very very important to the people within the 25 mile circle. I think it is a shame if KIRO gives up on even the people within the circle.

As far as attracting younger listeners..I have a 30-something cousin who lives in Ballard with his wife and kid. I asked him to listen to Burbank's show--he emailed me that he stood it for 15 minutes and then turned it off. Why not spend time talking about the music scene, great restaurants, visit local wineries, amateur sports--all things my 30 something cousin is interested in? Why does kIRO assume that because they have a young host that young people will want to listen?

Because its what Bla'Ms sources said..its about money and if a show doesn't bring it in, they move on to the next idea. I can't stand Dori, but KIRO keeps him because obviously enough people like him that they add to the revenue for advertisers. So, quality doesn't matter as long as he brings money to the ad clients.

Local is not bad if they would just broaden the topics and at least make an effort to appeal to those outside of the 25 mile circle.

[sparky]

joanie, after all that maybe I didnt answer your question...
I would listen if they came out in the hinterlands and talk to people about what developers are doing to former farmland by putting up thousands of tickytacky homes so close together you can stand between them and touch walls on either side of you. Transportation issues that are meaningful to us --how many people would do business in Seattle if we could hop a light rail instead of fighting freeway traffic for HOURS and then paying 20$ to park for the privilege?
Take a look at some of the WONDERFUL things going on in schools around here. Talk about the struggle the tiny communities have in passing school levies. In the summer, broadcast from the Farmers Market in Olympia and talk to the farmers about issues important to them, talk to the people who are visiting. What about the explosion of rennovation going on in downtown Tacoma? The debate over whether or not to light up the Narrow's Bridge, the impact of paying a toll has on the people of Gig Harbor? How about talking to sheriff's departments on the problems with meth? How about interviewing the people who run the outdoor recreation businesss that serve the south sound, Mount Rainier, White Pass?
In otherwords, there are millions of topics out there that are "local", and if you pay attention to us, we will listen.

[wutitiz]

Sparky, one thing that should interest you about 520/viaduct is that you will be cordially invited to help us pay for it.

I know what you mean tho--one thing I used to like about Mike Siegel is that he kept up with Olympia & reported on state-wide matters. When the Wenatchee witch-hunt was going on he did his show from there briefly.

[coiler]

Perhaps Seattle isn't a full time talk town like SF or elsewhere. The determined listeners tune in for Public Radio shows during the day because they appeal to the most dedicated.

Few talk markets can match what NPR or other large public radio programs can do--A host who can keep listeners captivated with callers and guests who can rub 2 brain cells together while having a conversation.

Haven't people moved on to the Internet for news and opinion and radio never really caught up?

[rev]

>KIRO has abandoned a tradition of
>all-live-and-local-programming-
>all-the time that's nearly been
>unbroken since the station went
>on the air in 1927.

Not true. As a CBS affiliate through the 1940s and 1950s, KIRO broadcast much (if not all) of the CBS network programming, including news and entertainment shows. Indeed, many of the surviving recordings of the CBS Radio News coverage of World War II exist only because KIRO recorded it for delayed broadcast.

And now we return to your regularly scheduled topic...

[Professor Radio]

Bla'M said: "KIRO has abandoned a tradition of all-live-and-local-programming-all-the time that's nearly been unbroken since the station went on the air in 1927."

That's not quite true... in the "golden age" of radio during the '30s and '40s, there wasn't much local programming on a network-affiliated station like KIRO or KOMO. I'd say the ratio of local to national programming was comparable to what a network TV station airs today, maybe even a little less.

The concept of "live and local all the time" originated in the '50s and early '60s, when radio had to change its ways or be killed by television. The networks were putting fewer resources into their radio operations and programming less of the broadcast day.

Network stations, stuck with Arthur Godfrey or Don McNeill's Breakfast Club and a few soap operas, were increasingly viewed as stodgy and it was becoming harder for these "block"-scheduled stations to compete with MOR and Top 40 stations airing a consistent, locally based format all day long.

Old-line radio had to adapt... and there really was no viable alternative (except for primitive automation relegated to FM, which no one listened to) but to stick local people in front of the mic, playing records and taking phone calls.

Even still, programmers have always jumped at the chance to take canned programming from out of town -- whether it be NBC's "Monitor" (as great as it was), or Herb Jepko, or Larry King. There just wasn't as much of it available as there is now.

The Internet (and all its related technologies) have forced radio (and TV and newspapers) into another adapt-or-die situation. This time, there are so many different media forms and outlets vying for our attention that we may be losing the sense of shared sense of community and cohesiveness that emerged thanks to TV and radio during the 20th century.

I don't think we will ever see common cultural icons like The Beatles or Johnny Carson again -- they were born in a "mass appeal" world that was a result of fewer media choices. It's much easier to "tune out" things that don't interest you. If you're immersed in a prerecorded track on your iPod, it's not going to stop and tell you that the president has been shot or the space shuttle has exploded. As we become more "connected," it seems that we are becoming increasingly disconnected.

[Ryder]

Except for news programing and entertaining talk there isn't much long term hope for AM radio. That means that most of them will eventually bite the big one. There are far too many radio stations to not only afford quality talent but also attract advertisers. Right now KIRO can afford high paid talent because they have talent who attract listeners. When the day comes that Dave Ross retires, then Dori Monson, KIRO is mortally wounded. The death will be slow. But it will come.

Right now KIRO can jam commercial after commercial down the listener's thorat. That brings in the dough. Without the heavy star power of Ross & Monson the ratings will drop which will result in lower advertising rates. To gather/hold onto listeners KIRO will have to cut back on the endless barrage after barrage of breaks.

Lord, now if we can only hope for the same collapse on all the cable news networks.

Me, I like rabbits

[Allen]

First time poster hear, long time reader of Blatherwatch. I don't own a TV so I get all my entertainment from listening to radio. I used to listen mainly to KIRO but as everyone on this board knows they have declined steadily over the last few years. I can't believe they just switched to Phil Hendrie show- it is not entertaing to listen to someone try to dupe his listeners with outrageous comments by fake guests. I would even prefer the Frank Shiers show to Phil. One host that I rarely see talked about on this board is Carl Jeffers. Carl is not a local host but he tries to pretend he is. I think he lives in Los Angeles. I try to listen to him but he repeats himself regularly including spending the entire first segment talking about how he likes to run his show. He also loves to hear himself talk so when he gets a caller on he will let the caller make a point, then goes on to a lengthy discussion about whether he agrees or disagrees but doesn't allow the caller to further the discussion. Also Tori Ryder as a fill in host is another Californian whom tries to pretend she is from here when shes not. Please Kiro let someone local do the late night show!

Bytheway- Dori is a girls name

[sparky]

Seems to me this would be an excellent local talk radio subject!

Added to what you said, Professor, is the idea that we no longer write letters, or for that matter, we dont write much of anything anymore..so much of it is electronic. I am reading a book I got for Christmas that is a collection of the letters from Noel Coward and the letter he got back. It is a fascinating book. The reviewer in the NYTimes pointed out that this type of book will disappear because people send email now, and they usually dont keep much, if any, of it around. So our written history will disappear along with the mass appeal figures in radio and TV. Kind of sad.

Coiler is correct...many people get their news and listen to opinions on the internet. I can hear radio stations and read newspapers from all over the world.

KGO has a thriving talk radio business, but they step outside of the Bay area sometimes. On the weekend, Gene Burns does his wine and food show and focuses on the Napa/Sonoma area, but also talks about food and wine from outside that area as well. Lots of Seattle people travel to the tri-city area
..why not do features from there--Hanford issues, etc.

Wutitiz..are they wanting the entire state to pay for the 520 upgrade? I thought they were looking at making them toll bridges--you play, you pay. If not, no wonder the people on the eastern part of the state are always pissed off at this side of the mountains.

[ZANZIBAR]

"Also Tori Ryder as a fill in host is another Californian whom tries to pretend she is from here when shes not. Please Kiro let someone local do the late night show!"

And yet the reverse is true as well. Gene Baxter of the Kevin & Bean morning show on LAs KROQ-FM does his half of the show over ISDN from his home in Seattle.

If a station is generating at least 50% local content I think that's just fine. What I have a problem with is stations masquerading brokered-time programs as "local". Ninety percent of KVIs brokered programs are nothing more than "live and local" infomercials. I fail to see how a couple dudes schilling their cruise agency for an hour serves the public interest.

[FirstThymecaller]

What a great discussion. I just read Marc Fisher's "Something in the air: Radio, Rock, and the Revolution that Shaped a Nation," and highly recommend it.
This topic is the elephant in the parlor for radio right now. Programming is now the counting of beans, pure and simple. Maybe it deserves to die, Wall Street is beginning to think so even after helping it do just that.

[sartoon]

Weekends don't count in programming a station, so few are listening. NPR has that market cornered anyway. KIRO, to their credit, uses weekends to develop talent and keep their fill-ins like Jeffers, Goldy, and the weird one loyal. Otherwise, the time might as well be brokered and bring in some revenue...

[Rich]

I thought Gary did a credible job when he filled in for Frank. Did anybody hear the first hr of the new years eve show? It was real live and local and engaging! Pure magic!!

[wutitiz]

Sparky--the gov's latest plan, at least for 520 is that tolls will pay for half the cost.

A little over 1/4 will be fed money, and the rest will be state gas tax and sales tax money.

Don't know about the viaduct...my bet would be that they will just take it down, sit back and watch the mothor of all traffic jams ensue.

[sparky]

ok, sales tax and gas tax make sense..I thought they might come up with another tax. They should up the hotel/motel tax on the east side to catch business people who fly in and stay in Bellevue.

[asfas]

Bottom line: The local radio shows don't want to pay the cash to get GOOD talk hosts on the air. They are more than willing to spend peanuts to throw up B-D grade talent (as listed above in the other posts)over and over and over again. Burbank is just the continuation of the status quo.

Of course, the PD's and KIRO owners will act all surprised and bemoan their fate as they show Burbank the door after a couple ratings books come in, wondering why Seattle listeners "refuse" to back local talk radio.

When was the last time any of the local shows ponied up the cash to cherry-pick a host from a top 20 radio station in a top 20 market?

Local shows comes down to prep time and research. Dave and Dori have good shows because whether or not you agree with their viewpoint, they KNOW their topic, and have a good delivery.

Ron and Don sound like they grab the PI five minutes before their show starts and just read from it to get their topics going. Of course I'm still pushing for another FM talk station, with bj shea, ron and don, leykis, and Pat Cashman, just like the good 'ole days.

Pineapple upside down cake mix FTW!!!

[Nevets]

KIRO gets out there, you just are not listening. like how about that tornado that ripped through Vancouver the other day. If you were listening, KIRO broke in and reported it right away.

Sparky, can you give more insight on this unusual event in the NW, you must have been scared having a tornado come through your area tearing up power lines and all.

[sparky]

I dont live anywhere near the tornado site..lol...are you trying to play Battleship?

I have been home for 6 weeks, Stevarino, after having foot surgery. I have explained to you before that I only get KIRO on my car/truck radio here, not in the house. It is all static and buzzy in the house. Plus, after reading all the comments here about KIRO, why would I want to listen??? My radio dial MOVES and I find all sorts of interesting things to listen to! I am perfectly happy the way things are.
I watched the coverage of the storm on NWCN after being notified by someone that it had happened. This was a case where pictures were needed! Glad to hear that KIRO covered it. I was also able to stream KATU ch. 2 in Portland, on my trusty laptop.

[abob]

It's amazing how KIRO gets listeners to endure the endless tidal waves of commercials during their daytime shows. Dori Monson's audience must be made up entirely of geriatric paraplegics who simply cannot reach their radio dials in time to avoid the barrage of Gutter Helmet spots.

[Nevets]

Battleship?

You mean to tell me you didn't even notice all the thunder, lightning, hail, and wind? Must have been asleep huh? but glad to hear it didn't affect you. The Mayor said it felt real personal when it nearly it his house. Lucky you.

[coiler]

D4 you sunk my battleship!

[coiler]

D4 you sunk my battleship!

[joanie]

I don't know what else to say. I listen to Ross a lot and he gets around. If you'd listen more regularly, I think you'd know that.

Dori is almost always Seattle local, that's true.

I'm wondering, however, when a market might be too small. Dave has done a lot of shows on zoning. It seems like talking zoning in a small area is going to appeal to such a small audience that it may not be worth the time - which is expensive.

I do agree that Tacoma should be included more than it is. I do not hear much having to do with issues there and it is a good market. Maybe you've made a great observation that KIRO needs to consider.

As for Bellingham? I'm interested when I'm up there but not much when I'm down here. Also, KIRO is hard to get north of Mount Vernon unless you're on line. Trust me, I'm stuck with Canadian and I'm not much interested in Canadian when I'm up there. As I recall, there is at least one local station up there. I don't listen to it when I'm up there.

Like most people, I think, I'm interested in what affects me.

That's why there should be lots of local stations - lots of licenses and places on the dial for really local radio. Don't you think we've lost that with all the mergers and corporate takeovers?

Regarding Gene Burns, I don't listen to him so can't say. Does he do more lifestyle programming or is he varied: politics to cuisine?

And Allen, welcome to posting! Keep it up!

Coiler, some of you guys seem to do a lot via computer. I'm in a job where I can't sit on my laptop and stream radio or post. I think an awful lot of people still rely on AM radio to get entertainment and news. In fact, our country is quite behind the Europeans when it comes to internet access.

I still love my radio!

[joanie]

BTW, we've talked a lot about Jeffers on this blog! He's gotten way more bandwidth than he deserves...

As for the Eastern WA being taxed for 520? Umm, don't those big trucks hauling crops to market on the West side use 520? I think Eastern WA should count their blessings when it comes to taxes and the urban west.

Both 520 and the viaduct are pretty important to the transportation needs of the entire state. Let's keep looking at the big picture here.

[sparky]

You dont like 690 AM out of Vancouver? CBC 1 is a COOL station!

I didnt mean that KIRO should cover Bellingham.I just meant that there is a huge population in north Snohomish county--people who live up there but commute to Seattle--who I believe are underserved. The signal is pretty strong especially at night.

Goods from the east side I would think would come across 1-90, the Gorge and over White Pass. Also, a lot comes over by freight train.

If you are the average citizen of eastern washingon..Dayton, Clarkston, Colfax, Lind, even a metropolis like Walla Walla..it takes 6 hours or more to get to Seattle, so trips there are rare. It is faster to go to Portland! They are concerned with what goes on in Olympia, but Seattle, not so much.

Your idea of lots of local radio is the best bet.

[coiler]

AM radio is lost in some markets. It remade itself in the 80's with talk or newsradio formats. KOMO does a good job of this because of their ability for spot news with a cross staff of TV reporters. You don't have to wait long for traffic updates 24/7 and their 'neighbor to neighbor' storm coverage isn't all that bad.

For the rest, I think coded messages sent out to bootleggers over the airwaves would probably be more profitable today.

We are way behind in most technology, Europe and Asia have invested with public money while we play catch up using the free market system. It is one of many areas where the govt will have to subsidize to move ahead or Toyota and other companies will continue looking at Canada and elsewhere for investment.

[ABM]

It's hard hard to remember but I think we had @ least 2 local stations that featured all local hosts, or when Dave Ross, was the young up & comer that would actually talk about local issues including being of the 1st take a look the gang problem.

[Rich]

Is Dori doing gutter helmet again?

[joanie]

Don't you find it fascinating how many people still think we have the best of everything here?

We suffer very low standards in infant mortality; healthcare; technology/internet access/cable; time off; transportation/infrastructure; working conditions.

The only thing we do well anymore is make war. And I'm not sure we're too good at that. We make a lot of it but judging from Nam and Iraq, I don't think we do it very well

[joanie]

Which is why we started invading countries like Panama and Grenada.

[Tommy008]

That's it. Luke has just been officially hit the "like meter" tilt button. Too many "likes" in one show, achieved earlier, when chatting with some wench reporter from the Sranger named Kelli O. Kelli O has a great voice and should replace Jen (she of the "manly tones") immediately. Kelli O said a naughty word which had to be bleeped, the first truly genuine moment of the show to date.

[Chris]

GET RON & DON OFF THE AIR!!!

I cant believe these two baffoons are actually still on the air. I purposely boycott KIRO because of these two idiots. Hell, I will listen to a damn Mariners game where they are getting their whipped like a misbehaving child in a Wal-Mart on KOMO just so I can hear the F-ing traffic reports before I will listen to thoses assholes on KIRO in the afternoon. PLEASE KIRO PULL THOSE TWO PRICKS OFF THE AIR! KIRO, YOUR STATION SUCKS SEWER SLUDGE EVER SINCE YOU PUT THESE IDIOTS ON THE AIR.(Keeping Dori Monson on air hasnt helped either. Is it me or does Monsons voice just make your skin crawl!) KIRO, PULL YOUR HEAD OUT LONG ENOUGH TO HEAR THESE BOZOS ON THE AIR AND CANCEL THEIR DAMN SHOW!

[sparky]

You're new around here aren't you.
KIRO could not care less what you think.

[KS]

Requirement ? they don't need no stinkin' require-ments !