Will the mariners kill kvi?

Can KOMO radio keep the lucrative contract for Seattle Mariners play-by-play?

There's a lot riding on the winner-take-all tug of war; which rages on even as we speak. KOMO's prime competitor is Bonneville, who now owns KIRO, KTTH, and FM KBSG, known as B97.3.

The Mariners' contract, last signed in 2002 when KOMO stole it from Entercom when they owned KIRO, was thought to be worth more than an annual $10 million, a record at the time for a ny major league baseball radio broadcast agreement.

KOMO radio reformatted to suit and to shore-up the baseball schedule, dropping its talk shows, and becoming an all-news station. It created a larger news staff and melded the news gathering operation with KOMO-TV.

KOMO radio's brand is Mariners' baseball. Without them, what is it?

If they lost baseball, their #1 feature, a lot of people would be affected. A KOMO staffer tells BlatherWatch, "... they'd lose the whole sales division, they'd lose the whole traffic division; they'd lose a shitload of the unwashed masses who never would've tuned in in the first place if it weren't for baseball."

He says KOMO would have to glom onto another identity, and fast.

"Everyone agrees," he says, "Fisher's second best radio product [after the Mariners] is The Commentators (KVI m-f, 3-6) with the strong identities of Carlson, and Schram. They're appropriated up on KOMO all the time."

He figures KOMO would take The Tators from KVI, and build programming and a new identity around them.

The speculation "up the Fisher food chain," he says, is that in the shape KVI's in at present, and left with only Kirby & Co. (m-f, 5-9a) as its only live and local, "KVI would need a mercy killing."

"Kirby is a nice guy, but he does radio circa 1996. The Choir has heard all the Republican talking points, and doesn't need to hear them from Kirby, especially in the kind of lackluster way he has."

KVI is foundering now, they say; and without The Tators, it'd be "like KTTH without Rush."

What would Bonneville do to entice team owners? They'd offer them AM and FM simulcasting on KIRO, and KBSG.

They'd flip KBSG, goes the dominant theory, from the losing oldies music format to talk.

"To double up AM/FM gives Mariners more penetration," says our source, "and Bonneville would have another talk station in the market. That would be the coup de gras to KVI."

(We hear Frank Shiers has converted to Mormonism; Kirby and Carleen have reportedly bought the book).

Suddenly, Bonneville's development of the effemdemic Too Beautiful to Live (KIRO m-f, 7-10p), and Ron & Don (m-f 3-6p) makes sense.

"That's why they fired their weekend hosts -- so they wouldn't have to fire them when they get the Mariners. Why pay for shows they'll end up preempting 100 days a year?" asks our guy.

Speculating on all this, which is Seattle radio's favorite water cooler pastime these days, is still pure poodle doodle.

But decisions will be made, and contracts will be let. The last time this contract changed hands, it was a giant eruption in the Seattle radio soundscape.

We'll know for sure in July. Stay tuned.

Comments

[gig]

Effemdemic? Great word for the puerile shows that have taken over so much of KIRO's airtime. I hope they move to an FM format. Give us our KIRO back! (you can keep KVI)

[wutitiz]

baseball can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. I was one of those kids who had reams of baseball stats in my head, but when the tax-funded stadiums came along, that was it for me.

How is it that we taxpayers don't get a share of the $10 million contract, when we paid for the building? My preference would be for the Mariners to go on NPR. No $10 mil. contract and no ads. They've got the gov't building, why not gov't radio?

It's like Ralph Nader said--they socialize costs and privatize profits.

[Tacoma]

I'm not in hock to the cable companies so I have to listen to the Mariners on radio and that's the only time I listen to KOMO. KOMO inserts a commercial into the game broadcast every 30 seconds or so to pay for that contract. I end up being aggravated not only at the Mariners for losing :-(, but also at all those advertisers on KOMO.

[[email protected]]

if we can get FM talk radio back, I'm all for it. GO BONNEVILLE!!!

[DT]

Would anyone listen to golf on radio?

[Duffman]

Unfair comparison DT. Golf is hardly as exciting as baseball. I mean with baseball you're actually seeing great (over-weight) millionaires hit, run, throw, tag...spit and scratch their private parts. (It's sometimes like watching paint dry) :)

[James]

I am sick at what's happened to KVI. So many of us were so loyal for so long to that great station. I hope they do what they have to do to save it for conservative talk.

[DT]

Yeah, I guess it's something you can't really argue about. Some people enjoy it, some don't. I like baseball, I just don't enjoy listening to it on the radio.

[jamesb]

The feeling in our section at the ballpark is there is a KOMO curse. The mariners have not made the play-offs since KOMO took over. I also really miss the Mariners Saturday Magazine that KIRO had. Not to mention KIRO has a stronger signal. I lose KOMO as soon as I turn the corner on 169 by the Jones road.
Wutizits....get over it. The stadium is not going to be torn down and no one cares if you like baseball or not. Now go take your Rossi sign and stick it in.....your backyard.

[mikebrady]

I can't peg a definite reason (their losing ways is certainly part of it) but I really haven't listened to the M's much since the hop to KOMO. There are a number of little things, and like jamesb said, I too miss the Saturday Magazine. I always thought Tom Huytler did a great job as the stadium PA announcer, but he never keeps my attention on the radio. And I realize that she may be a very nice person, and know lots about baseball, but I absolutely can't stand the sound of Shannon Dreyer's voice.

If KIRO gets them back, and r&d get pre-empted 100 days a year, I might forget that they too have voices that send my finger to the radio button faster than I ever thought possible...

[wutitiz]

Jamassb: maybe your team has a curse because they purloined all that tax $$$$.

I do thank the M's for one thing: they spawned the initiative career of Tim Eyman (Tim got his start collecting sigs. for citizens for more important things way back when.)

And jamassb--how bout them Sonics (or is it dokies?).

[Gay Gary]

This is way off-topic but I just finished listening to the Big Story with Tony Miner and I heard that Luke Burbank wouldn't be on at 7 tonight so I thought I'd tune in to TBTL to see if someone tolerable was hosting (wrong, it was June) instead of switching to Bryan Suits on the KFI stream and the lead discussion ... "how difficult is it to find an apartment in Manhattan?"

WTF?!!? Is this actually a radio program or is it Luke and June making a demo tape for some gig at 1010 WINS? It's been pretty bizarre before but it's starting to get completely ridiculous with these constant, brow-beating reminders about how much DMA-14 sucks. This has nothing to do with the fact that Luke and June are libs. Even as a gay fascist I listen to Dave Ross and enjoy him immensely. It's just this is a plain awful show. The worst.

Oculus Bleu and I are shutting this radio off and heading out to Man-Ray for the evening. This is just too much to handle and I need a Seabreeze and a night out to take the edge off. Even Big Bo Bop, our asthmatic Saluki, can tell I'm irritated right now. :(

[Tommy008]

Luke it's like never grew up to talk liek a grown man, man. Jen is now calling Luke at home to see how he's doing and he's like saying like a lot. People that work for his former employer, Dick's Drive-In say like a lot. Grownups don't say like because they know it's a meaningless filler in a sentence that makes you look and sound stupid and immature. Jen and Luke say like a lot and thus are not taken seriously as grownups. Even though they're both well over thirty, they sound like kooky college kids or skateboarders, on the show, all because of the "like" thing. I think they thought they could get away with not being grownups on the show, that it was like not a big deal? but they will find out people really don't like this , it's like chalk on a blackboard, a big turd in the coffeepot, so forth, and the show will fail fairly soon. Like summer.

[PugetSound]

tommy 008
don't be coy, tell us what you really think... :)

i gotta ask, if you had to listen to luke and jen ramble in one ear and dori ramble on about star the vunder dog in the other ear how long would it be before you just ended it.
seriously, which option is worse for you.
listening to TBTL or Monson.

[shpankboy]

Mariners are not going anywhere. KIRO just signed a long term deal with the Seahawks that reportedly provides for Saturday programming as well as expanded programming on Sunday gamedays. The Seahawks are not going to play second fiddle to anyone or be relegated to 770 or fm only and you can take that to the bank.

On top of it NO ONE is going to pay $10 million yearly for the rights to the M's. KOMO overpaid because they needed an identity...they now have that identity and don't have to overpay and lose money.

If Fisher was smart they could SAVE KVI by simulcasting the Mariners on KVI and turning it into a sports station. Maybe not big numbers but lots of ad dollars to be had. KJR could be beat in this market.

And while i'm swinging the bat...the Mariners broadcasts have not been the same since NY Vinnie and Ron Fairley have been gone. Bring them both back!

[Tommy008]

Luke Burbank has the voice of a grown man but a teen skateboarder's sentence structure, whereas Monson has a teen or preteen skateboarder's voice and lazy,crappy pronunciations of certain words, but an adult's sentence structure. Monson wins the annoyance factor contest, for obvious reasons.

[Mike the Driver]

It would be good if KIRO got the M's again, but right on about the Seahawks not playing second fiddle. So, how about KIRO broadcasting games during the week and on weekends KIRO and KBSG or KTTH? Remember when Seahawks were on KISW???

Oh and I'd rather listen to Dori than TBTL...TBTL SUCKS! PERIOD.

[joanie]

Is there anybody out there who likes TBTL? Anybody at all?

[Duffman]

I do. :)

[DT]

I enjoy TBTL once in a while. It's refreshing, light, and fun.. It's refreshing that he's not just another cookie-cutter talk host talking about top three news stories of the day. Everyone does that. I can get that anywhere.

[Longtime Listener]

The Seahawks on KIRO (and simulcast on KBSG) wouldn't keep Bonneville from trying to land the Mariners. The Seahawks have been on KIRO since Day One as a franchise and the Mariners were on KIRO from 1985 to 2002... per their contract, the Seahawks always took precedence. I don't see why it would be different this time... the football season is a tenth of the length of baseball season, so one Seahawk game is more valuable than one Mariner game.

In past schedule conflicts, the Mariners were relegated to sister station 770 (and 1090 before the stations were swapped in 1995). During the pre-deregulation days when KIRO only had an FM sister, they'd pass on the conflicting M's game entirely and let KVI pick it up for the day.

KVI was the home of the Mariners from 1977 to 1984. You can thank the KVI/Gene Autry/KMPC/California Angels connection for bringing Dave Niehaus to Seattle in the first place.

And to whoever said that KIRO has a stronger signal than KOMO -- that's not true. They're both Class A stations broadcasting on clear channels. KIRO sends most of its nighttime signal to the north and west to protect stations in New York and Los Angeles. KOMO only has to protect a station in Chicago, so it has a north-south pattern at night.

[lukobe]

Luke Burbank is a dork. Oh, and I hope the call letters KVI don't go away. I like having those three-letter stations around. Too bad KOL changed back in the '70s and it's really KKOL now..

[lukobe]

BTW, remember "My-Oh-My K V I"? I have a bumper sticker somewhere. Congrats Dave Niehaus for making the HoF!

[RobP]

>>And to whoever said that KIRO has a stronger signal than KOMO -- that's not true. They're both Class A stations broadcasting on clear channels. KIRO sends most of its nighttime signal to the north and west to protect stations in New York and Los Angeles. KOMO only has to protect a station in Chicago, so it has a north-south pattern at night.<<

Wrongo, Longtime Listener. Maybe you need to do some engineering homework.

KIRO is a DA-1 station and KOMO is DA-2. That means KIRO runs non-directional during the day, meaning a better daytime signal. Since many games are played during daylight hours, that's an important plus.

The Mariners got tens of thousands of signal quality complaints when the games moved to KOMO.

BTW - 710 and 1000 are NOT clear channels.

[Lakelover]

Realize this is an old subject but I couldn't resist chiming in about TBTL. Could there be a more useless program? It's a wasteland, sounding as though they're teenagers using "grown-up" equipment in someone's basement. Oh, I want something great to listen to between 7:00 and 10:00; move Phil Hendrie, put on re-runs of Imus, give us anything but this nonsense. I'm one of the radio freaks who watches very, very little TV and I'm having withdrawals from radio that actually keeps me interested. TBTL is truly the worst I've ever heard. Not to be rude...