SuperMonday Oddems: simpsonization like syndication is cheap & easy; vomitus erroneous: a tower tour; urology on parade; allan prell wants to give you something; wall street cash cows gone dry

Simpsonized Dave Ross Show: Dave Ross, engineer Erynn Rose, and producer Libby Denkmann

~~ Allan Prell writes from Baltimore: "It would appear that live and local programming is on the wane. It's a process I don't fully understand. Syndication is cheap and easy, but it does require paying for the big names, several hundred thousand for the major talkers, and giving up a massive amount of inventory. Syndication is easy, station management can say "Hey we didn't say it, some guy in New York or Miami said it." Also it is evident that finding local talent is difficult especially in medium markets. It is so simple to just push the button..." Help may be hard to find because nobody wants to invest in creating it. Maybe radio wants to die-off like one of those no-fucking-allowed cults in organized religion's hey day. 

~~ Allan Prell might have been lubing us with the above information to get a plug (we never her from him unless he wants something) He pleads, "Do me a favor and let your readers know thay can receive a FREE COPY of my tell all Pulling the Plug on Talk Radio by requesting it at [email protected]." It's a fun read, and probably has your name in it -- but if you get a hold of it, we can't steal from it.

~~ Cower 'neath the tower... Take the Vashon Island Tower Tour .  Here's where it all comes from: Vashon/Maury Island off the coast of Seattle is where seven AM stations -- six 50,000 watters and one 5,000 watt station originate their signals. For you radio tower geeks, there are pictures and history, too. Did you know? KVI, KJR, KOMO and KIRO are the only stations still using their original call letters. KGNW was originally KQIN. KPTK was originally KING, KEVR. KTTH was KXA.KJR and KOMO used to share the same transmitter site on Harbor Island, before KOMO moved to Vashon in 1943. KJR moved to Vashon in 2003 and shares their site with KGNW. KVI has its own beach which appeals to a much younger demo than does its namesake.

~~ Google "urology jokes" and see which talk radio blog you get to... (Hint: it ain't The Radio Equalizer).

~~ KIRO's grand new website was greeted by cheers and jeers -- but mostly cheers -- by Blatherwatch readers. With the thinning of the KIRO herd, we hope it may not prove it a hat too big for the cowboy. But there are cool things to come, says New Media Director, James Bottorff the one who birfed this baby. "We're actually working on building out a complete audio search tool which will allow you to search past shows as well as interviews, commentaries, features, etc. Should have that done and launched in February. It'll also give you the opportunity to create your own customized podcasts based on show or category (that feature may not come until March). He says they're in phase 0.1 of the site, so some things are still missing, while others may still be a little hard to find.

~~ Blather's Michael Hood spouts off in a recent piece in Will Mari's UW Daily about blogging. That's Hood talking to blogger, Seattlejew (still not sure why he calls himself that) at Drinking Liberally. Notable but not identified in the forefront of the top picture with activiste Andrew Villeneuve, is Aaron Toso, Governor Gregoire's Communications Director. Note the foul substance in the glass in Hood's hand... it's what's made him so cranky and disrespectful, not to speak of rusty. (Photo: John McLellan)

QUOTE OF THE MINUTE: "If I have to see this country go down the tubes, I'd rather see it with a Democrat in charge than a Republican," ~~ Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) to Mike Reagan last week.

QUOTE OF A DIFFERENT MINUTE: "If Hillary wins, folks out there in the email worry that powerful people will exact revenge through the Fairness Doctrine. I just love you, but I want to tell you this: I don't care what they do, I will always be on the air somewhere." ~~ Rush Limbaugh

~~ Is Talk Radio Losing Political Influence? As Big Pants and Little Hannity spout off ineffectually about John McCain, a newly released study by Austin-based Benchmark says it's not the influence is fading, it's that its been overstated in the first place. In a poll of 1,000 Talk radio listeners aged 18-65, respondents were asked what role, if any, talk radio has played in influencing their vote over the past few years: 86% said the medium had "no influence," 9% said "very little influence," and 4% said it had "moderate influence." Only 1% of respondents said talk radio had "strong influence" over their voting decisions. "Talk radio is at its best when it entertains listeners, not when it tries to exhort them to change political behaviors," said Benchmark CEO and veteran researcher Dr. Rob Balon. "Our findings do nothing to damage the credibility of any one talk host; rather, they suggest that preaching from the bully pulpit can be very tedious to talk listeners. The industry rewards ratings first: not being able to engineer the downfall,or the ascendancy of a particular candidate." Hat tip to Al Peterson at NTS Aircheck.

~~ Remember KIRO's staged debates in front of live audiences they called the Battles of the Talk Show Hosts? Now it'd be just Dave & Dori, as spellbinding as that would be. No need for a hall, they could have it in Dori's car. Read here with sad longing and a couple of laughs about the last ever BOTTSH which took place in 2006. 

~~ Made in america: why spend the money on the real thing?

WISDOM OF THE [RADIOINFO] BOARDS:

BONGWATER: You'll never see a heyday of mega revenues with the lousy way stations have been programmed and mismanaged since the '90s. Corporate radio REFUSES to innovate and evolve beyond the conventional or have a bigger vision for stations beyond mere $$$-like keeping the very medium alive and at least HALFWAY relevant. And it's only reaction to it's own debacles is to fire the people who had nothing to do with their own bad decisions in the first place. So death to it. There's better, more rewarding things to do in life.

LITTLEBOYBLU: "... radio at this stage is no different than almost any other industry. Culturally, there is SO MUCH focus on "pleasing the higher ups" ... and the higher ups are all about pleasing shareholders ... and shareholders have little tolerance for a long-term vision. Even all that stuff tends to come down to ill-informed analysts making predictions that... have to be retracted two days later when the actual performance differs significantly from forecast. All that stuff [is] much more transparent since the 1980's (remember Michael Douglas ... "greed ... is good"!!) when we suddenly got this huge obsession with every company being a Wall Street cash cow and [we] haven't looked back since."

BONGWATER: (On radio work environment) Fear doesn't work, it's a lousy motivator and with radio-alternative technologies booming everywhere, why even bother working in such an unstable environment as corporate terrestrial radio? Even fast food restaurants have a lower employee turnover than most corporately owned radio stations these days.

Comments

[leif-gaard swanson-monson]

A great post here, Mr. Blather. Prell's comparison between talk radio and no-fucking cults was funny (and so true).

And I love that you know that the past tense of "shit" is "shat," not "shitted"(see 'battle of hosts' coverage link).

[YellowPup]

Of course, Tancredo is too late. We've already watched the country go down the tubes under Bush.

[Duffman]

Radio is just another business and in the business of selling their 'inventory'; nothing more nothing less. Some prosper, some fail...some just hang on. We are just looking for entertainment and therein each's definition lies the secret to success...can a station find the broadest appeal to one's definition of this 'entertainment'? :)

[DT]

How come I never hear people yappin and yammerin when a "live and local" TV show is replaced by a syndicated show?

[safsafas]

I don't get it. On one hand, you decry the radio stations for getting rid of their local talent and for not innovating, on the other hand, you have burbank and TBTL. It may suck, but it is innovative/different.

There was nothing innovative about goldy, or shires, or any of the other handful of crappy talk jocks that have gone through the KIRO revolving door in the last few years.

If the KIRO suits really want to grab the coveted 18-34 demographic, they need more hosts that don't talk about politics. Or, as I said before go back to FM. No one in the 18-34 even knows what AM radio is, except when they listen to sports.

[DT]

Why does Dave Ross become so angry when tax payers want a tiny bit of their own money back? Dave acts like it's not their money. Thank God he was defeated.

[coiler]

Why don't you call him and 'ask'

[DT]

A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for rhetorical effect rather than to receive an answer.

[Upton]

Ross is the only decent host left on KIRO. After his show, you've got a fascist, followed by a couple of idiots, and a show that's so pathetic it's embarrassing. Whatever happened to the good old days?

[Gay Gary]

Dave seems so intelligent but his answer for everything is "well we should just do that" (where "that" is the preferred outcome of problem X). He seems to live in a world of simple solutions to complex problems.

[mangus]

If you get the bridge or other infrastructure we all need for "your money", what's the problem? Dave was saying that everybody wants stuff, but doesn't want to pay for it. Whatever happened to charities, private sector support the fucking republs always blather about? never happens. Dave used mental health care as a good example. repubs and losertarians have forsaken the basis of government, the "common good." And the infrastructure, and state of healthcare of all kinds show it. They have failed and that is why the politics in this country is in for a big change. Selfish asshole like you have had their chance.

[DT]

Upton, so anyone who wants a more limited government role is a fascist?

[sue-b]

Mr. BlatherWatch: We want to thank you for directing your readers to the VashonRadio.com site, and our radio tower feature. We hope you'll write more about the Voice of Vashon, and low-frequency neighborhood broadcasting. Thanks so much.

[DT]

Magnus, we give the government enough of OUR money already to build bridges, etc. They misspend the money we give them. We are not being selfish by asking for them to build the things they are supposed to build. It's the government who is being selfish by asking for even more money to do their job.

[mangus]

The gov't is us, asshole. If it isn't to you, then you haven't paid enough attention.

[Gay Gary]

I'm a gay man and I telecommute. Let the bridge fall down for all I care.

Life is about priorities. I recognize that infrastructure is crumling. At the present time I personally prioritize my checkbook over bridges with complete cogency of the consequences. As long as 50% + 1 of everyone else has the same priority, let the bridges fall down for all I care. The real problem people with Dave have is that they disagree with the priorities of 50% + 1 of the population, but, being self-proclaimed populists, they can't be drawn into a policy debate, so prefer to debate the structure of the constitutional and political order.

Oh, and I am a gay man and I like hearing about how crazy those range dogs like Star are with all their barking and running around with their shiny coats and such after they get a big heaping helping of Purina One.

[Gay Gary]

>The gov't is us, asshole.

How terribly simplistic. The government is only the will of the ideological majority. The government is not the respresentitive of the ideological minority. Only America's utopian brow-beating of the perfection of the democratic order supports the idea that "the government is us".

As my boyfriend and I teach our 7 adopted Native American children, the government is a technocratic elite representing the ideological majority.

[DT]

I knew someone was going to use that "the government is us" argument. Magnus, you are a naive person if you don't believe the government wastes enormous amounts of taxpayer's money. The money is there to do the things that need to be done. The government doesn't need more of our money.

[sparky]

uh huh...and here you told me you were just 17 and that I was an old man. Try to keep your stories straight, GG.

[Gay Gary]

I am 17, what are you trying to infer? Haven't you heard of the foster care crisis in this state, old man?

The Governor of the 38 Counties was just on the Dor-sters show and said, over 136 years from 1869 to 2003 the state budget went from $0 to $23 billion. Over 5 years from 2003 to 2008 it went from $23 billion to $33 billion! It took 136 years to grown 23 billion and only 5 years to grow 10 billion?!

Can we really afford 1% of the transportation budget to build metal art deco accoutrements on the side of highway 99? Common good?

I'm an angry gay man!

[Duffman]

Sparks: I'm thinkin that's dog-years! :)

[coilerc]

I thought we did ask govt to spend less on bridges, hence the new Narrows toll bridge.

[Gay Gary]

On Encino's blog on mynorthwest.com they are reporting many comments as "abusive". Among them, this one:

"Mmmm. Pizza. Free pizza? Even better."

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=78&sid=23906#comments

How is that abusive?

I'm an angry gay man!

[Gay Gary]

"I thought we did ask govt to spend less on bridges, hence the new Narrows toll bridge."

Tolls are an infringment of my right to freedom of movement. I have an absolute right to motor on all of the state's carriageways in an unimpeded manner. If a bridge can't be built without tolls then said bridge should not be built. In fact, I have occasionally attempted to motor across the Narrows Bridge presenting, not a toll, but a WRIT OF CERTIORARI that COMMANDS the toll thug to allow me to motor across said bridge unimpeded. Nine times out of ten it works because they understand they are attempting to impede my constitutional right to traverse the carriageways.

[coiler]

Are you Chuck in Kent?

[Duffman]

GG, with all due respect WHY do you have to tout that you are gay?
What relevance is it to the conversations herein. Does it really matter on most topics. I don't understand?

[Duffman]

I Drink Your Milkshake is not just a catch phrase, it now takes on a whole different meaning? :)

[wutitiz]

Duffman, it sounds like Gay Gary is on the verge of voting for Dino Rossi. You let him alone.

Gay Gary, we can build a log cabin in the woods, and live happily tax-free ever after.

[Gay Gary]

"GG, with all due respect WHY do you have to tout that you are gay?
What relevance is it to the conversations herein. Does it really matter on most topics."

So I have to hide it and be ashamed of who I am is basically what you're saying?

[lotus eater]

I have always wanted to ask Dori, or someone else who believes that the governments wastes money:

Isn't a 550 billion defense budget (plus Iraq costs) a teensy bit wasteful of their precious tax money? Might the crisis in state funding having something to do with exceess levels of federal spending on defense?

Priorities.

[chucks]

Hey fruit loops
Do you think that you are the only gay that posts on this blog? This is Western Washington tinker belle. Most of us who are not gay have gay friends and really don't give a shit (nor shat). Do not see anybody posting about being bi, or straight, or used to be one, but is now the other? Nope, this is a blog loosely based on radio talk and a lot on lib politics with a few of us annoying conservatives slinging our stuff.
So please, get over yourself. You are just another American like the rest of us. Most all of us do not care if you sleep with men, women or goats. That is your business.
Now let us get back to that which really matters. You freaking democrats have figured out that if you get a sixty per cent majority, you can tax the crap out of the folks in the top twenty-five per-cent of income earners and have to pay minimal amounts of taxes your selves. Than you whine and snivel when we get tired of it and fight back. You figured out that if you tax cigarettes, booze or gambling, you can get the shit you want without having to pay yourselves.
You gummint employees do not need to care because Queen Christine and the legislature is in your pockets. You get your regular pay checks, free or reduced cost health care and gummint funded pensions. You get COLA, merit and misc other raises.

[wutitiz]

Dori is too busy enjoying his Jag, Land Rover, mansion, and other amenities befitting a #1 talk host, so I'll answer.

Sure the military wastes scads of tax money. Ask anyone who has served. That is how government works. Other People's Money, like a rental car, is invariably the recipient of abuse.

However, unlike, say, baseball stadiums & anti-obesity plans, the military is a necessary function of gov't. Without a military, our grandaughters wear burkhas & hijabs. To avoid this we put up w/ some waste.

Has Bush presided over more than his share of military waste? Yes, and that's why conservatives have written books about him with titles such as "Imposter" and "Betrayal."

[wutitiz]

Ironically, Donald Rumsfeld was obsessed by the idea of cutting the military. He butted heads ad infinitum w/ Pentagon brass over this. He championed that idea of the small/fast/light military force.

Funny, he didn't seem to get many pats on the back from the left for it.

[sparky]

small/fast/light should not include such a scarcity of armor to where the families of the soldiers have to go out and try to buy armor to send in the mail, nor should it include military vehicles unequipped to handle the kind of roadside bombs they were encountering. Soldiers shouldn't have to sort through rubble and broken aircraft to piece and patch together what they need.Everyone hates waste....these were basic essentials. Rummy never seemed to be concerned about the bottomless pit of money going to Haliburton.
Where did that 9 billion go, anyway???

[wutitiz]

Sparky, I don't defend Rumsfeld. He was more responsible for the mess in Iraq than anyone, tho the buck stops w/ the prez. Both Bush and Rumsfeld had been anti-nation-building and had no realistic plan for occupation.

Just saying, he tried to slash the military, and to boot he was a Navy vet, not a so-called 'chicken-hawk.' So let's be careful what we wish for, we may have already gotten it.

[Nevets]

In Sparky's world, the government would have two employees standing next to each soldier, one to pull the trigger and the other to aim the gun when he comes under fire. I for one am glad Sparky is not in charge of anything to with my security.

[sparky]

ok wutitiz..it sort of sounded like you were defending Rummy. He did slash in all the wrong places. What is it you think we might have wished for and already gotten?

[chucks]

So, does our military, our gummint, and our gummint contractors get credit for solving those problems? The new up armored vehicles and new body armor Sparky? Does Bush get credit for figuring out (yes, eventually) that Rumsfeld's way was not working and replacing his butt, or that the generals in charge were not getting the job done and replacing them? Who gets credit for putting Patreaus in charge and completely turning the war around in the last ten months, or so?

[sparky]

Well..chucks,..lol..I am sure you are not surprised that you and I will have to agree to disagree on the success of Patreaus, and why Bush got rid of Rummy and some of the generals.

I will just say that anything that makes the soldiers safer and better equipped is fine with me. They deserve the best.

[chucks]

And on that, we agree.
Good night

[lotus eater]

wutitiz said:

"Without a military, our grandaughters wear burkhas & hijabs."

Oh really? Do you honestly think that is even a remote possibility? And if yes, do you think we could get by with say, a $200 billion military?

[Duffman]

A strong American military is needed. Who else will defend and protect Canada and Mexico? :)

[We should be back-charging them]

[Tommy008]

B.J. Shea just played some clips of Oprah on her show where she was putting down men again, this time saying along with her guest, that women should let the little man feel special by allowing him to open the pickle jar, but of coure we women know we're really superior and more advanced than the poor little men. And to top it off, even though women are actually better than men, men should of course still have to pay for the dinner. I loathe RACIST, MALE-BASHING, phony Oprah so much that I can't wait to see her candidate lose. Hillary is a better candidate anyway, so it all works out. OPRAH is a prime reason why Tom Leykis is successful.

[Duffman]

Thanks for your support Tommy. :)

[Bill]

So, Tommy008, how long HAS it been since you've been with a woman?

[chucks]

lotus eater
It is not so much whether we believe. It is that which our enemies believe. They are motivated to take over the world. We are part of that goal.
Every time we try to do military on the cheap, it bites us in the ass.
It is the federal gummints job to provide a military. It is not the job of the federal gummint to provide health care, free rent and food to everybody who does not wish to work etc. So let them do that which we really pay them to do. Secure our boarders and protect us from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

[wutitiz]

lotus eater, I think the burkha scenario obviously is a possibility. There are over 1 billion Muslims in the world, so we are far outnumbered. Religion is historically one of the more powerful forces out there.

History can take twists and turns faster than we think. Pre-1989, I never thought that I would see the fall of the USSR and the re-unification of Germany in my lifetime. Few, if any, of the "experts" had predicted it.

Around 1974 I went to a small shop about the size of a 7-11 in Chicago. In the shop was EVERY product at that time being imported from China to the US. I bought table tennis balls. We all know what happened thereafter, and it happened in less than a quarter century.

[not a neo-con]

"our enemies" ... Chucks, including those pissed off americans who have to live here in a tanking economy while a bunch of ham-fisted pundits continue to support welfare for corporations and the military while creating the welfare mother myth?

People like you chucks are why Haliburton and other military contractors succeed in ripping of America while you stand by giving hand-jobs to the neo-con noise machine--you are serving your master.

[Duffman]

"not a neo-con"....Right, just a 'con'.

[not a neo-con]

Duffman, I shall call you "fluffman" as you seem to be the resident fluffer around here.