That didn't last long.
Last week, we reported rather breezily (some say rudely and snarkily) about Weekday's Blog, a brand new offering by staffers of KUOW chat show, Weekday with Steve Scher.
KUOW management has told staffers to desist, delete, de-blog. Tuesday at 5:11p, this was posted:
Oops, no blog
KUOW management has directed that we stop blogging. This blog will be deleted shortly.
Steve Scher will be blogging at the wrack line.
Visit there.
The blog was entirely about the show, noncontroversial, and well-written by Steve Scher, producer Katy Sewall, Sage Van Wing, Lily Mihalik and Irene Noguchi, and Brad Iverson-Long. It was a show-notes journal, upbeat, positive, informative -- not untypical of radio talk shows on public and commercial stations who get it.
We're amazed, and then again, we're not. We've long heard that certain
staffers -- one on-air talent in
particular -- were disallowed of
blogging last year. Blogs and comments should be an integral part of
any radio operation these days, and we'll be interested in finding out
why this one was pulled down by management.
We pissed-off Steve Scher by telling the world about the blog when we found out about it. He didn'[t think it was quite ready, and reamed us in an e-mail but posted this philosophically:
Guess we are online now
Our very good friend Michael Hood over at Blatherwatch found the blog while surfing and announced it on his page. I was thinking we would work the kinks out for a little while longer, but here we are. I have a pretty good idea of how to produce a public radio talk show, but as I don't need to tell you, the blog is another art form entirely. We were going to make sure we knew how to post audio and video and had our posting chops down before we went off of beta, but we may as well get rolling, yes?
Next day the ax fell.
We've written many times about KUOW's top-down resistance to new things -- especially to bottom-up on-line interactivity.
BlatherWatch has never been popular with the management of this well-endowed public broadcaster, despite what huge fans we are of the highest-rated station in the market. We're always bitching about stodgy, set in stone programming, their no apparent attempt to grab a younger demographic, the cult of anti-personality, and the website.
There are no blogs on the KUOW site; there are no comments threads; there's no way to voice an opinion other than call in to the show, or send a check.
This top-down approach is another reason why they're not getting younger listeners any more than is AM radio.
We, for one wish they'd allow staff blogs. Then they'd begin to get it. We've heard at one point this was discussed -- permission was granted for a blog or two, but then reneged upon. Maybe they're afraid somebody might be exposed as actually HAVING A POINT OF VIEW!!!
We'd like to hear what Ross Reynolds might opine; what Steve Scher's irks might be; what Marcie Sillman or Dave Beck really think.What are some outtakes from the shows? Which guest said what to another during the break? What wasn't there time for to talk about? What it's like when someone like Al Gore walks in?
Why can't listeners continue the discussions online after the show? You know, basic fucking Internet 101?
Once again, Bla'M's fingerprints have surrounded the demise of a talk radio phenomenon...(may Dori Monsoon be next.)
Bloglessness is a total bummer! I was enjoying those posts, beta notwithstanding. It will be interesting to hear what (if any) reason management offers for denying this interactive form of communication.
Lighten up, KUOW! Blogs are hotter than Paris!
Posted by: Fremont | August 07, 2008 at 08:41 AM
They will offer no reason.
Posted by: Claude | August 07, 2008 at 10:04 AM
Nobody my age would listen to KUOW. Why would we want to work there?
Posted by: Loris | August 07, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Stuff like this absolutely floors me. Do KUOW suits know how this looks to anyone with any conception of today's on-line realities or heart for 21st century freedom of expression. Don't these old KUOW farts understand that media is rapidly moving to consumer directed? The young people in that station will not settle for less, and the dinosaurs had better start looking at that sooner than later. To see what's happening they should check out Bonneville's mynorthwest.com. It is the best local offering of what a media outlet must start doing to not become buried by history.
Posted by: Foghat | August 07, 2008 at 11:07 AM
well is shame that they deleted the blog, well know we're gonna read the wrack line.
Posted by: temporary internet miami | May 01, 2011 at 01:36 PM