There are real tears at KOMO as Fisher shows Northwest gardening icon Ed Hume the door after decades on the air. His is one of the most widely recognized names in local broadcasting.
He'll be replaced by the returning home improvement diva Tami Michaels (KTTH Saturdays 11a-1p).
(It's only the beginning of the season of long knives in local radio).
Hume is hugely popular. Sales people are said to be "sick about it." One asks, "So I guess it's not about the ratings... Wonder what else it could be?"
Here's the email staffers got with the announcement:
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 1:35 PM
To: XXXX
Subject: KOMO Saturday Programming
We are very pleased to announce a Saturday morning programming change
beginning September 12, 2009. After many years of service, Ed Hume will
be concluding his Saturday gardening show with Art Sanders. Ed is the
original gardening celebrity of the Northwest and we will miss his sage
advice every Saturday morning on KOMO.
~
A new show will start on September 12th at 10am-12noon. The Show will
be hosted by home improvement expert, Tami Michaels. Tami has a 15 year
history here that began on KOMO radio. We are excited to have her back
home again at KOMO. More details and sponsorship opportunities to
follow.
There was quite the kerfuffle when Tami left KVI for KTTH in 2008. Bob Boyd, the reportedly oily KOMO/KVI General Sales Manager, ran her off, they say. Sounds like he and Tami have kissed and made up... and of course, KTTH isn't the ratings powerhouse it once claimed to be... KOMO's prospects have definitely risen of late with the new PPM ratings. It'll be interesting to see how this story unfolds.
And mark our words, there will be more nut-cutting in the next month or two in local radio. Stay tuned.
Ed Hume's bio:
ED HUME is celebrating his 42nd year as a gardening personality. His weekly television show is the longest continuous-running gardening television show in North America and possibly in the World. He also has a weekly radio show and has written for various local, regional and national publications. Ed is also a well-known International speaker.
At one time his weekly television show GARDENING IN AMERICA was seen in approximately 50 million homes across the United States and in Japan. Currently his weekly program is seen on KONG TV in Seattle, channels 6/16.
The
recipient of numerous awards and honors, Ed Hume is especially
proud of his induction into the Garden Writers Association "Hall of
Fame",
their highest honor. He has also received the "National Garden
Communicators
Award" (1977). Hume has also received the coveted National Academy of
Television
Arts and Sciences "Silver Circle". He is an honorary "Master Gardener";
"Certified Professional Horticulturist"; honorary member of the
"Washington
Association of Landscape Professionals" and an honorary lifetime member
of
the 'Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association". On
October 5th, 2006, Ed was awarded the WaFlorA Cup, the highest honor of
the Washington Floricultural Association.
His latest book, is GARDENING WITH ED HUME, NORTHWEST GARDENING MADE EASY. Ed has also written several other books including the ED HUME GARDEN BOOK, the KEEP IT SIMPLE series of books, and a special children's book entitled HOW TO PLANT A BUNCH OF STUFF.
When Ed goes on the air at 10am Saturday to do his 2 hour "Ask the Expert" gardening show on KOMO, 1000 AM, the phone lines are usually jammed with callers. His down-to-earth, practical advice and extraordinary knowledge have made this question and answer feature one of Puget Sound's most popular weekend radio shows.
Ed is equally well known for his personal appearances and lectures, drawing crowds of avid gardeners of all skills and ages. He speaks throughout the United States and Canada.
He has served on countless boards, both regionally and nationally. Through his accomplishments and energetic activities, Ed Hume has made major contributions to the field of horticulture locally, regionally and nationally.
A programming change announced by the sales manager?
Apparently the testicles of KOMO program director Dennis Kelly are like two shrivled pine nuts dangling below a burnt matchstick.
And, if after 40+ years, Ed is the "original gardening celebrity" why are you "pleased" to announce his shit-canning.
Saying you'll "miss his sage advice" is like Rick Pitino saying he'll miss his child after giving his one-night-nookie some abortion money.
Stay classy, Fisher!
Posted by: Billy Bob | August 12, 2009 at 06:10 AM
Its like all the programming directors got together to formulate a list of ways to definitely turn away their audience. Now if this were Cisco, I could understand. But Ed?
Posted by: sparky | August 12, 2009 at 07:44 AM
Word on the street is it's a straight flip - Ed got an option to host at 7PM weeknights on KIRO; they've had a fill-in working that time slot for awhile now.
Posted by: SIGG | August 12, 2009 at 08:03 AM
I figured his days were numbered after I heard that commercial where he couldn't pronounce "vegetables" properly.
Posted by: Brian | August 12, 2009 at 09:17 AM
Tami bought this show. Hers is an infomercial show with the money coming from the home improvement products she pitches, and her "personal appezrances." Ed gets better ratings, but Tami can offer Fisher more money with no overhead. It is what evenings, overnight and weekend radio is coming to.
Posted by: Mark C. | August 12, 2009 at 09:29 AM
Ed Hume--Love his seeds
Posted by: Erictheeditor | August 12, 2009 at 11:38 AM
The braying, cloying Tami Michaels is arguably the most grating and irritating woman on Seattle's airwaves. Her 60-second spots are insufferable; two hours of this diva of drivel is the programming equivalent of the Chinese water torture.
Posted by: Bill | August 12, 2009 at 01:54 PM
>>The braying, cloying Tami Michaels is arguably the most grating and irritating woman on Seattle's airwaves. Her 60-second spots are insufferable; two hours of this diva of drivel is the programming equivalent of the Chinese water torture.<<
Agreed.
The only thing worse than Michaels is two hours of Erin Hart or two hours of the Styblehead.
Posted by: RobP | August 12, 2009 at 02:37 PM
I respect her business. Listeners like her and advertisers like her. Win-win.
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | August 12, 2009 at 02:56 PM
Garden shows on radio are typically money makers only during the gardening season. In Seattle that's maybe 3-4 months. While I'm sad that Ed won't be on KOMO anymore, it's probably a very sound financial move on the part of Fisher to welcome Tami back into the family.
Posted by: Ron | August 12, 2009 at 08:53 PM
Hope he lands somewhere else. Scott Connors' show on KTPK (their only live and local that I know of) is also really good. I like his style -- primarily taking callers' questions about anything gardening. Compare to KIRO's Ciscoe Morris, (whose knowledgeability I eminently respect) who combines about 10 minutes of gardening advice with an hour and a half of anecdotal storytelling and another 30 minutes of "Ooh-la-la!"
Posted by: rodman | August 12, 2009 at 10:05 PM
It's simple economics: Fisher had to pay Ed; Tami pays Fisher to be on the air.
Posted by: Corporate Suit | August 12, 2009 at 11:43 PM
Tami strikes me as the stuck up bitch in highschool who acted like if you were her friend she will treat you fine. As long as you go along to get along. Can't imagine being married to this woman, simply because I am not an eunuch! Bottom line decisions are fine for corporate accountants in the short term, but what about the long term? What happens when everyone stops listening to your barely disguised informertials at a time when the intertubes are providing content without such blatent product placement and promotions? Seems shortsighted to me. If radio is going to survive the transition to total interconnectivity they are going to have to provide more content, not less. Ed Hume is content, Tami Micheals is not.
Posted by: thothman | August 13, 2009 at 08:02 AM
Apparently Seattle's sewer system empties into the internet.
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | August 13, 2009 at 12:05 PM
Now tha Humes is a goner. How about gardening with Glenn Beck on KOMO?
Posted by: artistdogboy | August 13, 2009 at 05:28 PM
certainly enough bull effluence for fertilizer for a long time...
Posted by: sparky | August 13, 2009 at 09:05 PM
If I was a betting man I would bet you little whiners about Tami are from the KOMO1000 Sales Staff that had lawn and garden advertising accounts and are loosing a couple of bucks while crying in your Coors Light. Well little girls...I cant belive you can say that some 80 year old seed saleman was good radio. I am sure Ed is a nice guy and all but is anyone shocked he went into retirement? He could have died a decade ago and this could have been Weekend at Bernis's radio ever since and a soul would not have known the differance. You whiners are pathetic. Grow some.
Posted by: Eric from Gig Harbor | August 15, 2009 at 10:32 PM
You just like Tami because she has big jugs.
Posted by: Nemo | August 15, 2009 at 11:15 PM
Maybe it's time that the Cougar Sports Radio Network signed up KTTH as it's new westside flagship station in which if the Cougs have a game that starts prior to or after sundown, they would be simulcast on it's sister-station KIRO-FM unless the Sounders FC have a game during September or October & that would mean the FM Simulcast of the Cougs
would air on Entercom's KKWF-FM.
Posted by: John Doe | August 20, 2009 at 10:42 AM
I am sick to not hear ed hume on sat. mornings! Tammy just does not appeal to me. Got to where I always turned her off when she came on over at KVI...
Posted by: lcjasper | September 26, 2009 at 11:12 AM
I realy miss the Ed Hume show on Saturday. It was always interesting and full of good tips on gardening. Caller's questions on gardening problems were really informative with the answers from Ed. It was a friendly, comforting show - something to look forward to on a Saturday morning. Tami's shrieking voice is unbearable to listen to. Sorry.
Posted by: J. Mc Gee | March 18, 2010 at 10:43 PM
Erictheeditor, I could not agree more. Hers is the most amateur, irritating voice in radio. My radio trigger finger is irresistibly drawn to the power button every time I hear her begin to speak in a commercial spot. I would gladly pay every radio station in Seattle to keep her off the air. It's pure torture.
Posted by: AvidListener20YearsOn. | April 14, 2010 at 09:45 AM
In case anyone from KOMO is reading this... anytime I hear her voice in an ad (and I hear it frequently during the peak morning and afternoon drive times - Carpet Liquidators anyone?), I fire up my CD player. I cannot stand listening to that woman's voice. Maybe she's a nice person, I don't know. I do know that after hearing her for more than 5 seconds I want to take a semi-automatic machine gun and start going on a rampage. What I also don't understand is the time slot - Saturday mornings from 10-12 are prime listening time for middle-aged men running errands, not stay-at-home moms who now have to deal with the kids for the weekend.
The fact that Ed got canned because of her irritates me even more. I don't care about gardening at all but I enjoyed listening to Ed and Art on Saturday mornings. Now everyone here is stuck with her.
Posted by: sullim4 | May 19, 2010 at 09:09 PM
Unbelievable. As a woman in the construction and design business I boil over everytime I hear her 'know it all' voice spewing what 'she things' is educated design advise. She does nothing more than deflect and 'not answer' the questions. verbal toilet paper. Unbelievable that KOMO puts that out front as an educated design professional. I also turn your station off everytime I hear her commercial. get her off the air. She gives all designers a bad name. I'm going to go listen to KIRO.
Posted by: MacKenzie Temple | November 11, 2010 at 08:15 AM
get her off the air. She gives all designers a bad name. I'm going to go listen to KIRO.
Posted by: air jordans | November 17, 2010 at 04:30 AM
I can't her voice and I run as fast as I can to get her off the air, she is like chalk on a blackboard, I will always find Ed on TVk, no smarter gardner expert.
Posted by: janet | January 05, 2013 at 02:41 PM