Geov parrish: john clayton leaps from KJR to 710 ESPN

In the first blood drawn in the new sports-talk war between Clear Channel's KJR and Bonneville's usta-be-KIRO 710 ESPN, ESPN football guru John Clayton, a Saturday morning fixture on KJR for nearly two decades (dating to his Tacoma News-Tribune sportswriter days) spinning his scarily encyclopedic knowledge of the NFL, is jumping to 710 effective Saturday.

The move was announced on-air on the first day of 710 ESPN's programming yesterday, just before the Mariner's opener.

It's astonishing that the enormously popular Clayton didn't apparently have any sort of non-compete clause with KJR, of the sort that would prevent him from picking up and moving from one station to its competitor from one show to the next. Such contract provisions are a staple of the radio biz -- even in formats as niche-specific as sports-talk (where KJR, for its entire history prior to yesterday, had no competitor to jump to). And especially for a personality as beloved -- and as valuable -- as Clayton, who is also likely dropping the several times a week he did guest appearances on KJR's weekday talk shows.

At the same time, Clayton's move may well have been inevitable given the muscle of ESPN, which never met a cross-platform promotion it didn't love. Having Clayton host a local show on one station while he hosted a national one on its competitor was always a bit problematic. Problem solved. Ironically, Clayton owes his ESPN gig to the Saturday show on KJR, which was his first major foray into broadcast media after a print career in Tacoma and Pittsburgh.

For sports fans, Monday was a banner day, not least because the two newly competing stations both had major events: baseball's opening day and the college basketball championship. (A giddiness tempered somewhat by the fact that neither game was very competitive.) But once 710 moved into its local programming at 11a, sports fans also got something that fans of the real world used to have: locally programmed choice. Now, once out of morning drive, robots rule the day at KVI and KTTH on the conservative side.

For libs, KUOW has three hours of local programming squeezed in amongst its NPR fare to compare with (it hurts to type this) KIRO-FM. (And most of KIRO's talk programming really isn't substantive outside Dave Ross's show -- the rest is lifestyle chatter, or, in the case of that guy with a girl's name, meaningless outrage.) That's it. KPTK? Don't make me weep.

And there we have it in 2009: a nation in two wars, a state facing its worst economic crisis in our lifetimes, and we're better-informed locally about games than we are about the stuff that truly matters.

Mind you, I enjoy sports as much as anyone; and I find sports-talk a lot better for my blood pressure than politix. But that's just me; I'm not a fair measure, cuz politics be my livelihood. With the P-I gone, the Times shriveling on the vine, teevee news a vacuous joke, and robots ruling local talk radio, it's astonishing that there's apparently more advertiser support for local sports-talk than for local talk about, well, anything else.

Comments

[Sandra Lally]

John Clayton is the only ESPN guy worth listening to, and that's because he's a semi-local. I loved his Sat. night show on KJR, I'll follow him to 710.

[midlifechristus]

F I N A L L Y! A refreshing and optimistic alternative to the constant, predictable, blow-hard babble out of KJR. Good Grief, how could people listen to that?

[Thought I Saw A Bum]

Mike Salk was predicting the M's win the division yesterday. ESPN and their talking points are like cock gagging, open wide, this isn't gonna be fun. Is Brock Huard alive?

Turned on Mitch the past two days and heard about the Masters, Syracuse and the hot chick tournament. Turned on Cowherd and heard Yankees and Mets chatter.

Someone needs to tell Mitch that his hot chick tourney is nothing groundbreaking and stop hyping it so much. Sarah Palin? But no Christina Hendricks?

Losing Clayton is a big blow, I always checked out podcasts when he was on and the Saturday morning show is great for NFL fans. He loved the Cutler trade, hell yeah bitches!

Groz and Gas, how stale is that show. Bringing on guests from a dying medium one after another, never taking calls or emails but asking people to leave voice mails. KJR is making a huge mistake devoting 6 hours of the day to not taking phone calls and they do it during morning and afternoon drive.

[eric b]

More like this, Mike and Geov. Glad to see that liberals like sports too.

[sparky]

"their talking points are like cock gagging.."
Is that a euphanism for "choking the chicken"???

[KS]

Glad to see Clayton go to KIRO. It will be just as interesting to listen to, if not more so than that 97.3 is when either John Clayton or Kevin Calabro are on.

[Sanders]

Cock gagging is sweet music to these old ears.

[intheknow]

Clayton was forced off of KJR by the muckety-mucks at ESPN in Bristol. They will not allow any of their employees to appear on KJR and threatened their jobs with ESPN if they do. Another example of corporate america holding our public airwaves hostage. Not that Clear Channel (which owns KJR) is benevolent by any means.

[artistdogoby]

I liked Mitch in the morning on KJR when he stuck to sports. But the frat boy mentality "Queen of the hardwood bigger dance" shtick was sophomoric and borderline stupid most of the time. It literally made most of the good stuff they did at KJR difficult to separate from the I'm horny all the time talk. It was like everyone was suppose to be teenager with a hard on 24/7 I guess.

They'd abuse the weather girl and anything that came in contact wearing a skirt.Clayton added class to the station on Saturdays. I don't see KJR continuing to compete with ESPN KIRO with husky football stinking up the place and them bring in the FOX radio affiliated sports talk people, since FOX radio network sports people are also focused on T and A talk most of the time.

FOX style is like watching the Best Damn sport show period? The cast always acting like construction workers when a pretty girl walks by the construction site. Pretty Lame!

I don't know what kind of contract Mitch Levy has with KJR but if he goes KJR is definitely toast.

[Freddieboy]

If KJR has any brains they will hire NY Vinnie to fill Clayton's spot.

[nevets]

I know this is a little bit off subject. But a long time friend of BW is more than likely feeling blue today since the other creator of Dungeons & Dragons passed away the other day. With the loss of Gary Gygax (GG?) last year this must be devastating for him. We feel for you Pal. Take care and dont do anything rash.

[jim butler]

I thought Hurad would be weak, but not this weak. Kevin C is great. John Clayton is the franchise. Good bye softy, groz and gas. these three are as weak as hurad.