KIROFM's return to live and local on the late night it isn't exactly the way we'd do it,
When we said, "it's the programming, stupid," we weren't advocating stupid programming.
Rod Arquette announced today that Frank ("Shiver") Shiers will start Monday on the late night slot now inhabited by Phil Hendrie from 10p to 1a.
He left the shift in January 2008, and has been doing fill-in work, board operation, voice-overs and sprucing up the restrooms ever since.
We like Frank- he's a nice man and all, but he's a bit of a smarmer, quick and generous with the cliche and a conservative who emulates (if not imitates) Dori Monson. (We were just sayin', what we need in this market is another right-wing talk radio host!)
He will certainly provide this blog with more lively live and local fodder, if we can find him wherever that station is on the big FM dial.
(Phil Hendrie, in his latest incarnation, turned out to be a shadow of his former brilliant self, and was particularly low in the ratings).
Arquette's email to staff:
I’m pleased to announce that our own Frank Shiers will be
back in the late night saddle starting next Monday, July 27, 2009 from 10pm to
1am. Frank is a wonderful talent and gives us a live, local show late at night
to cover local issues and look ahead at the topics we’ll be talking about
tomorrow. With that change, we’ll be moving The Phil Hendrie Show to 1am to 3am
Tuesday through Saturday morning. We will no longer air the “Best of Dave Ross”
overnight.
Rush Limbaugh (and Glenn Beck) will remain on KTTH, it was announced today by Premiere Radio Networks, their syndicator. More of this later- there will be blood at KVI.
well.....he IS local..... ;)
Posted by: sparky | July 21, 2009 at 05:56 PM
Another right wing blowhard, another reason not to listen to KIRO FM.
Posted by: Tigsnort | July 21, 2009 at 05:59 PM
It just keeps getting worse and worse. I do like having Dirk Vann back. A pleasant little show about nothing. I also like WSJ news. Gordon Deal Is biased as hell, but his guests are good.
Posted by: Rich | July 21, 2009 at 06:14 PM
I think it's a good move. Does anybody listen to Hendrie? I did listen to Frank for about forty-five minutes today. He was parroting his favorite healthcare expert: Michelle Malkin. And he had a guest who repeated all the Republican talking points. I sent an email and turned to Ed who was particularly good today.
I wonder if overnighters will miss Ross?
Posted by: joanie | July 21, 2009 at 07:01 PM
I like it. Frank is a loveable moron, not hateful like the other right-wingers.
I don't think anyone will miss Dave Ross repeats.
Posted by: AprilMayJune | July 21, 2009 at 08:17 PM
I've known Frank for >20 years. You'll come to love him again, I promise; I couldn't say it if it wasn't true.
Posted by: dogmandeux | July 21, 2009 at 10:08 PM
Seems the rats are returning to the ship... can Goldy be far behind?
Posted by: Santo | July 21, 2009 at 10:10 PM
Seattle radio needs to bring back Rick Miller, Alan Prell, Fred Ebert, and Erin Hart.
Posted by: mrogi | July 21, 2009 at 10:11 PM
I would rather have someone like Mike Webb, his show was entertaining. Kiro is using spare parts these days to prop up their shitty programming. I can't listen to Kiro when Thom Hartmann is on with a buffet of info that moves along in a fast 3 hours.
Posted by: Coiler | July 21, 2009 at 10:25 PM
mrogi
Say, whatever happened to Rick Miller, last I remember hearing him was on the Spokane Airwaves, KGA I think, about 2002. Alan Prell seemed O.K, I liked Erin Hart.
Posted by: EvergreenRailfan | July 21, 2009 at 10:49 PM
Erin Hart is currently doing progressive radio in Colorado, FYI
Posted by: Tigsnort | July 21, 2009 at 11:04 PM
Frank Shiers taking over Luke and Jen's crappy show would be an improvement. Frank taking over Phil's timeslot is like substituting a turd for the broiled steak undeneath the chromed steel hotel room service plate dome. Hendries new show was still funny as hell.
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 21, 2009 at 11:12 PM
The best I can figure is Shiers must have agreed to do the show almost for free. Didn't they dump Shiers for Hendrie to begin with? Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it I guess.
I heard Shiers briefly after Dave Ross. He's definately trying to mimic Monson's manufactured outrage. He will never be a great host, neither as himself nor anyone else. He just doesn't have the character.
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | July 22, 2009 at 12:12 AM
The real problem with talk radio these days is that we have total Democratic hegemony. Talk radio is like watching a game between the Lakers and Clippers--how long can you really stand to watch, even if you are a basketball fanatic?
To the extent that R's can score points against Obama it will get more interesting. Likewise, to the extent that Tim Eyman has traction, local talk will get more interesting.
Posted by: woody held | July 22, 2009 at 12:59 AM
I'm glad we'll have live and local at nite vs Phil Hendrie. I remember wondering why Bonneville had Phil on when he pulled the fake interview about women's menstrual flow (Hillary Clinton to be exact) I turned it off.
I'll be back listening at nite starting on Monday!
I'd like to see Frank replace Luke and Jen too.
Posted by: Mike the Driver | July 22, 2009 at 03:32 AM
Well Bla'M, I'll be anxious to see what's up for KVI. I used to be a big fan all the way from the days of Bob Hardwick -thru- the John Carlson (when he did local politics) days. IMO, they started going down-hill from that point and quite frankly I'd be surprised if they survived as a talk show format station? Isn't Kirby Wilbur's contract up this year?
Posted by: Duffman | July 22, 2009 at 06:00 AM
Luke Burbank is to Seattle radio what Danny Gans was to Las Vegas entertainment. They both sucked but achieved amazing success.
Posted by: mrogi | July 22, 2009 at 06:45 AM
Bring Back Allan Prell!
Posted by: Rifleman | July 22, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Does this mean that KIRO is now conservative? Two conservative hosts to one-and-a-half liberal hosts?
I don't think Luke fits a box...
Posted by: joanie | July 22, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Bring back Al Cummings....
Posted by: Bill | July 22, 2009 at 01:35 PM
At least it gets him off the board. LAWD PEEPS!
Posted by: Frank Shiers #1 fan FOR EVAH AND EVAH still | July 22, 2009 at 02:11 PM
Luke Burbank is to KIRO what Scott White was to Mike Webb. They both sucked but one killed the other.
Posted by: Billy Bob | July 22, 2009 at 03:07 PM
Hey..BillyBob....you are not supposed to post until tomorrow. Once a week, remember? It will be marked against you.
Posted by: sparky | July 22, 2009 at 03:30 PM
Hope you're listening to Reagan's show. He's talking about the C Street "Family" House. This house has a history and is scary! It picks politicians and actually tries to run policy - foreign and domestic. Family: the secret fundamentalism at the heart of American . . .
The family. The house on c street Washington D.C.
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2009/0...
This group called the Family has been operating since the 1940s and has hand picked a lot of Christian fundamentalist as political leaders and you will be surprised who they are.
A guy who got inside has written a book about them. They think they are the chosen ones and are above the moral requirements they have for the rest of us. That's why so much infidelity. This is unbelievable!
Just finished. Podcast it if you can. Green960 has podcasts of Reagan. Don't know if you have to subscribe to AA...
Posted by: joanie | July 22, 2009 at 04:29 PM
Welcome back, Frank. I love local yokels, and Hendrie's show is more boring than amusing. As soon as KIRO talkers return to AM, the ratings will return. Right now, nobody (literally) can hear them. KIRO 97.3 zzzzzttttt zzzzzzz crackle
Posted by: WILD BILL | July 22, 2009 at 05:59 PM
If you think Phil Hendrie is boring you never heard a local yokel named Bryan Styble. Harborview Hospital replays Styble broadcasts in order to put colonoscopy patients to sleep.
Posted by: mrogi | July 22, 2009 at 06:21 PM
Thanks, Bill. I soooooo agree with that.
Coiler, I'm listening to Randi. She just stated an unfactual fact: the newspaper announcement of Obama's birth did not come out on the day of his birth. It is listed with several others on the same date - August 4 - but the paper is dated August 13. She's gotta watch that when she sells herself as doing her homework and getting it right.
Posted by: joanie | July 22, 2009 at 06:27 PM
i find it hard to find kiro now on fm and komo even worse..have to listen to schram on am....unless you have a push button tuner it sucks..
frank shiers...hate him but is better than non local anybody...i tune in to kgo whenever i can get the signal.
i agree..bring back rick miller or even rick enlow!!
Posted by: franco | July 22, 2009 at 06:36 PM
Frank seems like a decent guy, but I can only take him for about twenty minutes. It's like listening to a combination of Ms. Landers (of Beaver fame) and Mr. Rogers ( of said neighborhood)....
Posted by: Mungo | July 22, 2009 at 06:44 PM
Am I missing something, or is KIRO missing the obvious. The station has problems getting listeners during the daytime, when the ratings should be higher, and their brilliant idea is to shore up the overnights? What about booting Ron and Don off the air and going back to news in the afternoon?
Posted by: NoBS | July 22, 2009 at 06:58 PM
Frank Shiers! another brilliant, innovative programming idea out of the Bonneville creative stew pot. Wow. What's next? Tony Miner doing a long news? Move Dave Ross to PM drive?
Posted by: Santo | July 22, 2009 at 07:08 PM
Tony Miner isn't what he used to be. During their prematurely thrice-reported-in-ten-minutes alert on the shootings at Fort Lewis, Tony ended by reporting "and therer might be injuries."
That was brilliant. He didn't have a clue at that time but there sure might be injuries. Sounded very amateurish to me.
And they featured three levels of reporting: the spokesperson first reported what she knew and then Heather Bosch (I think) rereported it before handing it over to Tony who reported it again! Good Lord!
Posted by: joanie | July 22, 2009 at 07:49 PM
OMG. They brought back Frank Shiers. Will they pull Bill Yend out of mothballs? The brain trusts at KIRO will probably figure out a way to dig up the corpse of Wayne Cody and prop him up n front of a radio microphone.
Posted by: mrogi | July 22, 2009 at 08:14 PM
I thought Bill Yeend has been back at KIRO for some time now....
Posted by: sparky | July 22, 2009 at 08:54 PM
Frank is far too cornball boring for me, the phony laugh, the phony conservative attitude -- when he fills in he tries too hard to impersonate the host he's replacing- WHAT SAY YOU? ugghh
Posted by: J Lareau | July 22, 2009 at 09:12 PM
think bill yeend is at komo
Posted by: franco | July 22, 2009 at 09:23 PM
ach..i meant KOMO..he has been doing the news again for awhile.
Posted by: sparky | July 22, 2009 at 10:48 PM
I also got the sense that they didn't entirely have their shit together when they broke the Ft. Lewis news. The presentation was haphazard, not as tight as in years past.
Posted by: -=AuthenticAndrew=- | July 22, 2009 at 11:51 PM
Well, Congress is not going to vote until after their break. That probably means he doesn't have the votes?
It is disgusting. Obama has waited way too long to pur his mighty force behind this. Rahm and Axelrod have let him down.
This needs to get done.
Emails:
U.S. Senators
U.S. Representatives
They need to hear from us!
Email Congress:
Posted by: joanie | July 23, 2009 at 10:07 AM
>>Seattle radio needs to bring back Rick Miller, Alan Prell, Fred Ebert, and Erin Hart.<<
Uh-huh. Let's "bring back" four people that have no business being behind a microphone.
Posted by: RobP | July 23, 2009 at 05:30 PM
Santo wisely opined:
>>Frank Shiers! another brilliant, innovative programming idea out of the Bonneville creative stew pot. Wow. What's next? Tony Miner doing a long news? Move Dave Ross to PM drive?<<
Totally agree. It boggles the mind how inept Bonneville has been with KIRO ever since they bought it back 3 years ago.
It *almost* makes one wish Entercom still owned the station.
Posted by: RobP | July 23, 2009 at 05:32 PM
King County makes up about half of the listening audience of Arbitron's Seattle Metro. And King County has to be one of the most liberal/democratic voting counties in the country.
So why is Bonneville taking this traditionally liberal time slot and putting in a faux conservative?
And why are 3 hours of "liberal" Dave Ross re-runs being replaced overnight by conservative "comedian" Phil Hendrie?
Bonneville already has KTTH. We already have KVI. Do we really need another station that is now almost all right wing??
In other news, the White Star Cruise Company of London announced today that it has hired the great-grandson of Captain Edward Smith to be the Captain of it's "Titanic 2."
Posted by: Billy Bob | July 23, 2009 at 06:55 PM
Not long ago Frank said a few words while board opping for Luke Burbank. It actually made me feel bad for him that he had to play second banana to Luke & Jen's idiocy. Frank's a knowledgeable guy who can hold a decent debate with a caller. Plus he's already getting a paycheck from Bonneville. So why not put him to better use than playing Burbank's drops? Sure, maybe Erin Hart wasn't also once a local oldies DJ but don't give Franky short shrift. And 1-3 am is better than what Hendrie deserves. Even when I "got" him, I didn't get him.
Posted by: Dangerous Dan | July 23, 2009 at 10:48 PM
Nice to see KIRO will be Live and Local until 1am. I would just get on the road home when Phil came on and I would switch to KOMO.
Posted by: edawg | July 24, 2009 at 05:21 PM
Give George Soros a mic...
Posted by: corpy | July 25, 2009 at 01:43 PM
Phil Hendrie made me laugh so hard, tears came to my eyes! It seemed like the callers were almost scripted comedy. I will miss Phil. Shiers, ug. BOR-ing.
Posted by: kittymunch | July 25, 2009 at 07:25 PM
From an industry perspective Frank hits his breaks, is a master of formatics and understands that radio is a business. You would be surprised at the plethora of hosts who choose to remain oblivious to the notion of sponsors and the role of advertising dollars. The pros such as Ross and Dori are pros because they realize the balance between entertainment and business.
This a good move for KIRO, a transition that is inexpensive, live, local and reliable. Smaller businesses can actually afford the rate card from 10p-1a. Arbitron adise, syndication generally does not translate to a wealth of sales.
Posted by: corpy | July 25, 2009 at 08:20 PM
Frank Shires ...
Why?
Posted by: sms | July 25, 2009 at 11:46 PM
I agree with corpy
..."syndication generally does not translate to a wealth of sales."
Why the fuck did they do they do it in the first place, then??? Such corporate brilliance for 10 years or so. They killed off radio.
KIRO will make it out of this pit they are in, but it won't be from dropping local programs. Maybe someone who is interested in building a radio station the old-fashioned way will get ahold of KVI or one of these other losin stations and give it a go.
I hear the commentators are doing well. Maybe there is hope over at KOMO. Otherwise, put a fork in it.
Posted by: WTF happened to AM? | July 26, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Combine cornball tropes, fake humility, global warming denial, and ultra-conservative politics, you have Frank Shiers. He's insufferable, but probably the kind of kiss-ass work horse talk radio in Duffersville needs.
Posted by: Mango Lassie | July 26, 2009 at 10:21 AM