"It gets sticky some afternoons " says someone who knows.
(Dori Monson. Photo: KUOW)
Dori Monson (KIROFM m-f, 12-3p) who once crowed daily about the King of Seattle Talk Radio is having a problem he hasn't had for years- getting callers to call his show.
"He's doing all the tricks" says our guy... calling out the names of the callers on the phone line before going to the break to help ensure they'll be there when he gets back. Or repeating the station call-in numbers incessantly.
"This has never been a problem at least in this time slot in my time at KIRO. They said it would improve with time, but it hasn't much."
KIRO, once the market leader, plunged in listenership after flipping to the FM dial, which they did simultaneously to Arbitron's switch to the new, painfully accurate ratings gatherings from personal meters (PPMs).
The powerful old AM signal now known as 710ESPN sprays the Mariners games (and will the Seahawks games) widely... But other than game times, listeners aren't sticking around, we hear.
(Bryan Suits, (KFI m-f, 7-10p) on gloatation rotation in Seattle recently, reportedly told KIRO Program Director Rod Arquette, "I want to shake the hand of the guy who put the no. 1 station in Seattle in the toilet." Suits, fired by Seattle's KVI nearly two years ago (he also worked at KIRO) is now a headliner at KFI, the gnarly LA talker whose numbers were actually improved by PPM measurement. Suits lunches on the irony that Arquette passed up the chance to hire him after he was fired, and dines onthe staritys his old station finds itself in. He and his partner Kennedy are shooting for syndication, he says).
(photo: Bryan Suits is on the right, literally and ideologically)
There is plenty of angst going around Eastlake these days. "... the news department has been culled many times, and the product shows it." he writes. Arch-rival KOMO (who's culled their newsherd but not disastrously) maintains a 24/7 news format and is kicking KIRO ass for the first time in memory.
Frank Shiers' (KIROFM m-f, 10p-1a) re-elevation to the weekevening talk spot is resented by some who remember his dreary ratings back in the day.
"Why try to put back someone who failed before?" asks the source. The only person who got worse ratings in that spot was Phil Hendrie." (the syndicated talker who both replaced and is being re-replaced by Frank Shiers). "Why not try something live & local, but different?"
KIRO should try to get back its AM old news talk franchise, they're saying. Since music is faring so much better with the PPMs, some think Bonneville should admit their mistake and put news talk back on the AM and return the FM signal to the oldies they displaced. Then at least the cluster might have one winning station.
is Dori melting?
Posted by: Tigsnort | July 29, 2009 at 12:49 AM
Said it before and I will say it again. Some of the big names might have to take a pay cut. Maybe even live on unemployment at some time. Give up their fancy homes.
Oh well.
Posted by: ryder | July 29, 2009 at 01:17 AM
Oh yeah...how's that prediction about Bryan Suits at KFI working out for you T008?
Posted by: Duffman | July 29, 2009 at 05:33 AM
just fine my man. Suits could not carry a show on his own, and I think he lasted about 6 months before they scrapped his solo format . Do you think Rush needs a girl to prop up his show? Did Tom Leykis need a girly by his side? no-o-o-o. haha Bryan haha Bryan you need the girl to do the heavy lifting for you. I've heard Kennedy and she's much smoother and more of a pro than Suits will ever be. Who says that Bryan isn't the goofball sidekick and Kennedy the star of the show? I suspect that this is the real truth of it. haha Bryan. You're still a conceited obnoxious horse's ass, whether you're temporarily "making it" in LA or not. Syndication? that crap is really starting to get old. You're going to have to show us the beef pretty soon.
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 06:01 AM
You'd rather rationalize than admit you were wrong, I see. Look, we're all wrong SOMEtimes (i.e. like I was on Mrs Clinton) can't you just admit it and move on.
Posted by: Duffman | July 29, 2009 at 06:16 AM
And I WOULD say that to your face, Bryan, old chum. i love it how you think you're the only guy in town who has any physical courage.
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 06:18 AM
How're you doin in 'the market' these days T008, got any hot tips.
Posted by: Duffman | July 29, 2009 at 06:47 AM
Had a rough spring quarter, my man. rough all over , really rough , as Rodney Dangerfield would say. I've bottomed out, conquered my gambling impulses and am riding high on drug stocks. hot plays now are Agenetics (AGEN), and , alreadt popped, less risky, but moving up still, is Human Genome Sciences (HGSI)
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 07:10 AM
Acadia Pharmaceuticals is moving up again now too, after a selloff.
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 07:16 AM
also Acadia Pharmaceuticals is moving back up now. (ACAD)
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 07:21 AM
Thx, I'll check it out; I did well with Ford earlier this year - tripled my investment and covered some of my other losses. :)
Posted by: Duffman | July 29, 2009 at 07:34 AM
Given that Bryan served three combat tours I am giving him the benefit of the doubt in terms of physical courage.
Duff, poor ph(J)oanie is pining for m steele. can you help her out?
Posted by: Puget Sound | July 29, 2009 at 07:41 AM
Boy, don't know 'bout that PUTS...thought she was stuck on Gen Wes Clarke? haha
Posted by: Duffman | July 29, 2009 at 07:45 AM
Nobody is stupid enough to deny that Suits has physical courage. That's not the point. So do a lot of people. His head is so big and he's so steeped in conceit of his worthiness and righteousness that he assumes that all men who disagree with him are poltroons who would never dare say their trash talk in front of him, when i know for a fact that that's not true.
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 08:06 AM
sorry company name for STOCK TICKER AGEN is Antigenics, INC.
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 09:00 AM
The riFLOP SWEAT is rolling down Dori's face these days at KIROFM. The contempt the broadbottomed men from Salt Lake have for him and the staion is palpable. The other week he was shinnying about the state of the putrid old carpet he ws left with after the hotshots at KIRO AM got brand new plush studios. One of his sponsors took pity and called in to offer a free carpet redo of his studio. It's not only the puny signal they inherited, it's the fact that KOMO is owning them, and taking their lunch money, with their booming new simulcast FM signal just up the dial from them. Brilliant checkmate by KOMO.
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 09:28 AM
The FM thing IS a problem; they need to get that figured out and pronto.
Posted by: Duffman | July 29, 2009 at 09:34 AM
Not only can't you get FM reliably outside of Seattle, I can't even get it in my bedroom reliably. Every time I move, I get static.
It's kind of fun watching 710DORI become LOST-IN-FM LAND-DORI. And as much as I like Dave, he's not as sharp as he used to be. He used to listen better. Be a little less aggressive in his talk. But, then, at one time he had TIME to talk and listen. Now he rushes to get substance in before going to the next break.
I'm glad Suits has found success.
Posted by: joanie | July 29, 2009 at 10:38 AM
They will never admit they were wrong on the flip... they WILL do something about it and everybody is keeping their heads down in anticipation. Frank Shiers was a lateral move...
Posted by: KIND KIRO KLAN | July 29, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Suits is a bit of an ass, but he sure got the dream situation after using up all his options in this market.
Posted by: Zero DockusII | July 29, 2009 at 10:40 AM
"those homo's from KOMO" are kicking your 710 Mormon asses!! bwaahahahaahahahahaah i gave the bum's rush to two Mormon missionaries, and booted them the Hell out of our building, the other day, in an unplesant manner, and felt good!!!
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 11:29 AM
I cannot believe the narrow sports focus of the AM blowtorch, now. It is most unapproachable to those who haven't listened to sports talk before. I like sports (especially Mariners) and listen and watch games, but to hear these jerks talking is like hearing someone speaking a foreign language. How do these stations develop new audiences?
Posted by: Perfect bound | July 29, 2009 at 11:31 AM
KIRO is failing when the real listeners are counted because their product, Ross and Monson are stale. The FM thing just sped up their demise. Bonneville is such a stick in the mud outfit they will probably never fire those guys, but will there be more deck-chair shifting and fluffing up of the pillows?
Posted by: Peaklimiter | July 29, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Dori is smart and versatile enough so that he needn't worry tho...he could likely do sports as well as current events/political talk. He wouldn't be without a job very long. He is a connsumate 'entertainer' who can always arouse the troops.
Posted by: Duffman | July 29, 2009 at 12:01 PM
tuning into KIRO AM's new anti-intellectual narrowcasts of Sportstalk 24/7 is like getting off a plane from Seattle and stepping into some lameass bar on the East Coast in some place like Philly where less than a quarter of the populace has a Bachelor Degree.Mike and Mike in the morning ,yuk yuk yuk these guys really think they're high-larious. not. Colin Cowherd follows at 7 or 8. This guy really fancies himself as quite the supersophisticate analyst. He overthinks and overreaches to the point where he sounds like a pompous fool. And just plain erroneous. Today he declared that "eveyone really knows, management knows blah blah blah "that the Mariners have no chance at the playoffs this season." They are 5 or 6games back, have two months to go in the season and are NOT out of the playoffs. It's completely possible for them to get in at this point. The GM just confirmed they're making a run for the playoffs with the trade he made this morning. So much for Cowherds faux erudition. Brock abd Salk are silly and boring, Calabro is a blowhard. That leaves only the Mariners broadcasts and New York Vinnie that are listenable. The Mormon suits are insulting our intelligence with this new KIRO AM sports dreck.
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 12:04 PM
Well, let's see. Bonneville yanked their Oldies format off the FM for their AM news talk format and the FM station plunged in the ratings.
Whose No. 1 in the latest ratings? Oldies KJR-FM.
As I recall, KBSG was beating KJR-FM when they competed.
Posted by: Erictheeditor | July 29, 2009 at 12:26 PM
Erin Hart belongs in the 7-10pm slot. I know it, KIRO knows it and the American people know it.
Posted by: mrogi | July 29, 2009 at 01:05 PM
still remember Kiro's new freq by "KBSG 97 point 3"...
Posted by: mark | July 29, 2009 at 01:07 PM
It was on my FM preselect. I preferred it over KJR. Better selection although sometimes too repetitive. And we got Frank on KBSG. . .
Posted by: tadpole | July 29, 2009 at 01:19 PM
You know what was really really sad at the noon, the news lady, Jessica Gottasman (?) said that the ladies in South Park were raped, tormented and stabbed multiple times and that the lady who died threw a chair, I'm guessing, through a window to create an escape route but died of her stab wounds in the street. And while I was still picking myself up off the floor after hearing this Dori Munson suddenly comes on to tell me I'm a weenie for complaining about this beautiful weather. It was a very odd feeling to experience, courtesy news talk 93.7 KIRO.
Oh yeah, back to the topic. There's no significant political or social news to report right now; talk radio is in a natural recession.
Posted by: -=AuthenticAndrew=- | July 29, 2009 at 03:33 PM
we're not weenies. it's not beautiful weather, it's brutal, extreme heat. sure, some people get this weather for weeks or months every year but we're not those people. We're not used to it and that's sometthing you can't just poohpooh away like Monson the twerp expects us to do. When you're not habituated to this level of heat it takes a far bigger toll on you.
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 04:43 PM
but then, this is coming from the same sicko knucklehead who whooped it up, laughing uncontrollably over a guy screaming in pain as he's being tasered.
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 04:46 PM
Monson calls us Weenies because we're not used to this heat. You can't compare us to people who experience this heat for months on end. But then, this is coming from the same sicko knucklehead who laughed uproariously over a guy screaming in pain as he was being tasered
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 04:50 PM
>>Erin Hart belongs in the 7-10pm slot. I know it, KIRO knows it and the American people know it.<<
Sure, why not. Put the screeching harpie back on the air. That will be the death knell for the once-great KIRO.
Posted by: RobP | July 29, 2009 at 05:25 PM
I love Erin. Bring her back!
I've discovered, Tommy, that it takes several minutes for your posts to appear. I trust now.
Dori is an extremist wannabe but he's too timid to go all the way. So, he just sounds like a playground bully. A local one.
Posted by: joanie | July 29, 2009 at 05:40 PM
Suits has never generated ratings ANYWHERE and NEVER WILL. He simply lacks talent.
Posted by: Sclub | July 29, 2009 at 06:14 PM
"some think Bonneville should admit their mistake and put news talk back on the AM and return the FM signal to the oldies they displaced. Then at least the cluster might have one winning station."
The people that think that are retards. Michael, your site has no credibility. KIRO-AM beat KLR-AM in the ratings in the first book, they're trying to get advertising for men 25-54. Oldies and news talk wont get you that.
Posted by: Full OF Shit | July 29, 2009 at 07:27 PM
Remember folks, it's Tommy008 Bobblehead Night, tomorrow night on Blatherwatch!!
Posted by: Tommy008 | July 29, 2009 at 08:42 PM
does anyone else wonder as i do that if the new ratings system were in place without the station switch would the old KIRO am not have had the ratings they had at the time?
Posted by: dave (not dave ross) | July 29, 2009 at 10:32 PM
Yes, I did. Am sorry the switch occurred just when it did. I'd like an answer to that question.
Posted by: joanie | July 29, 2009 at 10:58 PM
KIRO-AM is Beating KJR-AM in the Sports format despite having 7 hours of local talk compared to 16.
Posted by: Brent Kremen | July 30, 2009 at 03:08 AM
what happened to TOO BEAUTIFUL TO LIVE total nonsense??? i need to catch up.
dori needs to jump back on the mariners's duggout yelling something during the 7th inning stretch. what a slimy schmuck.
Posted by: liberaloasis | July 30, 2009 at 11:31 PM
dave ross is probably one of the worst blatherheads on the air. he never asks a tough question of his guests. he has no problem booking sims nickels or gregoire because of his timid spineless interview style. he actually apologized to gregoire once when he asked her a semi-tough question.mr. marshmellow
is a big hit with the liberals. He gives the local pols. a platform to say whatever they please completely unchallanged.
Posted by: Account Deleted | August 02, 2009 at 04:22 PM
I am sorry to have to agree about Dave Ross. He's resting on his laurels, not making much of an effort, and lets callers and guests get away this stuff he would formerly have challenge. Pardon the pun, but he sounds like he's phoning it in.
Dori is totally unlistenable. I drop in once in a while to see if The Wee One is still as screechy, shrill, and hateful as he's become and yep, he still sounds like a little girl who got her braids pulled.
He's mindless, brainless moron. He's getting pretty predictable and monotonous too.
Posted by: Evelyn | August 02, 2009 at 05:38 PM