The incredible shrinking seattle talk radio... or ... why we don’t have much to write about any more

Conservative talk radio was invented in Seattle, now it’s as endangered as the wild Puget Sound salmon. and let’s face it, save Dave Ross, there ain’t no local liberal talk.

With the KVI’s elimination of Kirby Wilbur, another block of local airtime went to out-of-town, out-of-touch, syndicated blabbermeisters- sending a butt-load of ad $ somewhere else.

(Washington conservatives and Republicans suffered another depressing (for them) election defeat despite the talk radio dominance of right-wingers. With Kirby’s demise, right-wing activists are the real losers. Where now on the radio, go the flacks for Evergreen Freedom Foundation, and the Discovery Institute; the BIAW mafiosos; homo-hater Rev. Ken Hutcherson; initiative huckster Tim Eyman; skum-skimming skourge Floyd Brown; or State Auditor and fake Democrat Brian Sonntag).Here’s who’s left:

The Commentators (KOMO m-f, 10a-2p). Veteran conservative and man about Seattle media John Carlson (he was conservative before it was cool) battles each day with scratchy Channel 4 commentator Ken Schram. The show isn’t all that political- much of the time the two Catholic suburbanites debate pedestrian issues like pit bulls, and school dress codes- the disagreement is kinda pro forma. This hale-fellow-well-met debate was moved from KVI because the very presence of the free-wheeling libertarian Schram was unacceptable and  the shriveled right-wing listener base couldn’t abide any impurity whatsoever on "their" station. Anymore, the once-mighty KVI community is but a wide spot in the road, and the cranky, codgerly listeners now have bupkis except a bunch of fresh and canned national talkers, and an hour of the damaged Peter Weissbach.

Dave Boze (KTTH m-f, 3-6p) 37, a Hillsdale College alum, a low-key, Reagan conservative who worked long as a KVI producer, and finally got his own show- the only local offering on KTTH. He married into a well-connected conservative family- his wife, Peggy O’Ban, 53, was spokeswoman for Washington Women for McCain, and a Bush-appointed AID official. Her brother Steve is a conservative attorney who successfully argued against gay marriage before the state Supreme Court,

(photo: Producer Jake  and Dave Boze)

and unsuccessfully toiled to save us last election from the broadening of gay rights. This all makes for conservative purity, but not, necessarily, for spellbinding radio. Dave’s show is rather ploddingly produced with a penchant for book reports, martial music, clucking like deacon about the moral decline of the Great Unwashed, and genteelly mocking of Seattle Communists and the Bolsheviks occupying the other Washington. He means well, and is congenial enough except when’s doing his sissy-slap act with Producer Jake.

Dave Ross is still the sanest, pithiest, - though many of our readers might argue this point- the most liberal live talker in town. He’s not pissed off, he has many talents, interests. One of these days, he’ll retire or do something else… and believe you  us, there’s nobody waiting in the (left) wings to replace him… they’ll probably promote Frank Shiers, or Phil the Junkie.

Dori Monson (KIROFM m-f 12-3p) is madder, and louder than Dave Boze- but a more and experienced and gifted broadcaster. His testosteronic slagging, strutting, angry, wall-to-wall denunciations are directly proportionate to his short stature, his long sensitivity over having a girl’s name, and his fall from his erstwhile perch as the King of Seattle Talk Radio. He was once a  national security libertarian more interested round ball games and Las Vegas, but the longer he stays on the radio the farther right he goes. Dori calls the governor, legislators and the president criminals and frauds every single day; then bitterly decries that they won’t come on his show. Voters, politicians and public servants don't respect what he says because they don't have to...because his ranting doesn’t matter in any measurable way.

  Ron & Don (KIRO m-f, 3-7p) are getting a new producer and a bonehead course in current events. It probably won’t save them. They specialize in raising funds for victims of news

(Photo: Ron Upshaw)  

events, and it doesn’t go much deeper than that. Our only hope for them is that they're not replaced by Mark Levin.

Frank Shiers (KIROFM m-f, 7-11p) is a nice man, who really wants to keep what he’s striven to get- a 4-hour evening slot on KIROFM, the Zippo that once was a blow torch. Although his politics are made-for-Bremerton from whence he proudly came, we’re glad he’s given up teaching where he could do harm to our children. He tries lots of things, like our patience, Monson riffs, Glenn Beck voices, and homemade audio production; often whippings through 2 or 3 topics an hour when his phone doesn’t ring. Evenings, like weekends, don’t count for much in radio, but he IS a new live & local in a market that’s shedding them like underwear.      

Phil The News Junkie  (KIRO Sundays, 4-7p) Lonesome Phil is arguably the best producer in town (the Dori Monson Show) However, the wry guy whose politics and verbal riffs, for some reason, mimic Dori’s, is charismatically challenged. He’s harmless enough, but unfortunately for him, his show is rarely heard- it’s really a KIROFM fill-in for when the Seahawks or Mariners aren’t being simulcast with KIRO’s AM sports station which exists, supposedly, so the talk would never be interrupted by sports. The paucity of total downtime between football and baseball leaves Phil with plenty of Sunday afternoons at home.

Although it's improved its numbers lately, KIRO's hurting and something needs to change, but it’s hard to know just what they would or should do. Dave and Dori ain’t going anywhere. Maybe the answer is to bulk up the Morning News to better the day, try to wrench it from Glenn Beck on KTTH. Problem is they’ve shrunk their news staff, and dumped their old news brand. (Apropos of nothing: Jason Brooks has left or soon will to become the money erg a stationing in San Francisco).  

Peter Weissbach’s weird little Pomposity Hour (KVI m-f, 5-6p) has few listeners, but he's all that's local on KVI during the week. The Seattle Times’ recent revelations about his skeezy and illegal hiring practices would have sank him in less desperate days when Fisher Broadcasting could afford to have a conscience. (Remember when they sacked John Carlson for a conflict of interest? Or dumped Mike Siegel when he gave conspiracy theorists whose smears of Mayor Rice he hoped were given free rein on his show? If the Fisher family were still selling flour and guided by their present-day moral compass, a 1-lb. sack of flour would only weigh 14 oz.) Weissbach is probably only around until the station decides which live, syndicated talker can be finagled onto the roster- Lars Larsson recently declined, we’re told. 

Mouthing Off (KVI 6-7p Sundays) bills itself as "The View with Balls" and has slipped through the cracks of Fisher Radio’s ineptitude. Although they don’t get much but an hour of Sunday airtime the station apparently couldn’t sell to penis-mercials, Dave Carson and Kevin Dodrill trade punches, bon mots, and masculine but witty takes on sex, politics, and the meaning of life. More of this on a different station could help turn around the talk radio business, but we're afraid if someone upstairs finds out there’s someone on the air on KVI under the age of 40, the Mouthers will be toast. Not that that will happen any day soon, the Fisher suits don’t really care what’s actually on the radie-yo, just what it costs them.
 
Mike Siegel, (KKOL m-f, 12-3p) probably doesn’t count: he's a Seattle veteran talker, long irrelevant who does business talk on KKOL, a Salem Communications station (home of LoueDobbs!)that shows up in no ratings lists- it's positioned somewhere below 41st in the market.

Comments

[AuthenticAndrew]

I have to give Frank Shiers credit for dropping teaching to take up radio at a mid point in his life. It's as if joanie went to try getting onto the radio and actualy did so with reasonable success. Joanie would probably be escorted out by security (no offense) but Frank Shiers made it work somehow. He sucks but at the same time he gets microphone priority over a lot of people who've been in the radio business longer. Mike Seagul (sp?) would proly do shameful things to get that gig.

[AuthenticAndrew]

This might seem overly simple but why doesn't KIRO just try to find another centrist for the 3-6pm and another bomb throwing libertarian for 6-9pm. You can't have too much of a good thing. Maybe if they cut back on Frank Shiers' feed it will make him more aggressive.

[The Other Kevin]

This format,talk radio is over in Seattle. Lets move on, Hood. why don't you write about music?

[Rich]

If you like sports, Broch Huard is turning out to be pretty good. Salk is growing on me. Still like the Gasman. Medved has become iratating.Since he's iratating perhaps a spot on the taters will open up.

[Sclub]

Dave Ross has a secret: he's actually a mere mouthpiece for whoever happens to be his producer at the moment.

[Tina Nole]

YOU FORGOT THE RON REAGAN SHOW! 6-9pm PST 1090am

[sparky]

But Tina..KPTK plays a repeat of an earlier broadcast at 6pm our time. That is what is so frustrating about them putting Norman Goldman on live--where Ron used to be-- during that drive time for us. I can listen to another station by streaming, but driving home, I cant hear Ron live.

[AuthenticAndrew]

I thought Ron Reagan was syndicated - local but not local.

[blathering michael]

Tina, Sparky and AA are right and that's why I didn't include Ron, or Michael Medved as live and local even though both broadcast locally. (and now sadly, Ron's not even live... (and Randi Rhodes has been banished from Seattle w/out fanfare).

[joanie]

I don't care if they are live. What does it matter unless you want to call in. Well, it was nice hearing Ron live . . . but, in the end, so what? I was able to hear Ron more in the 3-6 spot because I'm often at school working and listening at that time. Harder to catch the 6-9 show.

I do miss Randi. Norman just doesn't do it for me. I don't even like the way he calls his show norMAN goldMAN. Kind of juvenile. He smart. I'll hand him that. And he sure talks a lot about Seattle - all the way from LA.

[sparky]

I think Ed gave him that name...and I think KPTK is trying to cash in on Ed's popularity by running Norm ( friend of Ed ) right after Ed's show. Can you stream in your classroom? Randi is on 620 KPOJ at 3..

[joanie]

No, I can't stream. I have a very limited ability to use the internet. We are constantly behind in plug ins and streaming is out of the question.

I don't know why. Seattle is a mess. In more ways than one.

Do you know, Sparky, that all teachers now have to do 24 hours of PD every year? And it has to be recorded? Some of it is such trash. Let me work in the classroom. I can get way more done. We are all walking zombies in this district. Time for everything but preparing to teach.

[sparky]

I have to do 14 every year and its documented too...I will say we have enough technology offerings that I dont mind going. But the other stuff is not very inspiring, i will agree.
Normally I do mine in two classes in August so its taken care of for the year. We are allowed to petition for a variance to take 7 hours off-site.

[joanie]

Fourteen seems odd. Most classes in Seattle are either 3 hour or 6 hour classes. Is your PD configured in 7-hour increments or days?

[joanie]

BTW, I"m currently listening to Reagan on AM760 in Colorado where he is on 10-12. Apparently, they only take 2 hours because from 12-4AM they feature Alan Combes.

Randi precedes Reagan.

I've been getting creative trying to find listenable radio.

[Mike Barer]

I disagree with Mark Levin, and would not want him in my presence. However, I find him entertaining and with a great delivery. He has such an established cadence that I can predict when his voice will raise and when he is going to scream.

[sparky]

14 hours, 7 hours each class, one day per class

[joanie]

That's nice. You get more in one day than we do. Ours are always three-or-six hour increments. No pay for lunch, of course.

And they always start at 8. I'm not a morning person! I like 9. :)

[Mark C.]

Norman Goldfman bought his way onto KPTK. The norMAN goldMAN came from when he used to guest on The Al Franken Show. He's a putz who made his money shaking down nuns -- now he's using his millions to buy his way onto talk radio... these efforts usually fail.

[homegrown]

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. Edward R Murrow must be spinning a million miles an hour.........

[PapaFord]

I was bored through this list. It looks like local talk has died.

One question though, is Boze's wife really 53? or is that a typo and she's 35?

[IS FRANK SHIERS A MORMON?]

BREAKING! IS FRANK SHIERS A CLOSET MORMON? T008 News Service Frank Shiers deepened the intrigue around the natUre of his religious faith last night with a cryptic answer to a caller. T008 News was tipped off to Shiers' possible Mormonism when he apparently slipped up a year or two ago, and stated that his young daughter was all about hearing from the Book of Mormon. After this oh so brief reference, not a peep was heard from Shiers about his religion other than vague generalities. Last night Shiers was engaging in some particularly UnChristian, nasty chortling and laughing over Tiger Woods ' predicament which cause a caller to call him out. "You're a Christian aren't you Frank?' he queried the Baron of Banality. here was Frank's prickly, and rather cryptic reply-"I don't really discuss my religion on the air, but I was raised a Lutheran?" hmmmm "RAISED a Lutheran"? hmmmmmm why so testy and mysterious on the religion question, Frank? Tommy008

[AuthenticAndrew]

That would certainly put him in good standing with the bosses. Take note, news department.

[DoriPhilosophy]

So tell me, why the fuck would it matter. You got something against Mormons.

[sparky]

I didnt know Mormons were allowed to say "fuck."

[IS FRANK SHIERS A MORMON?]

sir or madam Doriphilosophy- foul language is strictly prohibited on this blog. it's just not done.

[Tommy008]

Doriphilosophy- foul language inevitably leads to foul behavior. For instance, a woman stated on Ron and Don that she had driven up to the controversial bikini/thong coffee stand in Snohomish and had seen men sitting in their cars masturbating to the girls in the stand. I'm sure nearly all of these men use foul language. A word to the wise is sufficient.

[joanie]

That's a tough post to follow! Certainly ignites the imagination.

Because it is what I get in my classroom, I listen to Norman Goldman. He is getting a different kind of caller. More men for instance. And more blue collar? At least, they sound more blue collar. Seems to get a pretty good call rate; he might make it.

As much as I love her intellect, Randi's ego didn't always sit well with me.

[Mike Barer]

Holy cow, this discussion has gone downhill fast. These last poster need to try out for the US Ski team.

[ABM1]

Dave Ross seems to lost his edge ever since he decided to run for congress, ever since then he's basically been mouth piece for local politicians, maybe it's time for KIRO to start grooming his replacement-maybe bring back Luke Burbank but put him on a very short...

[RealityInSeattle]

No mention of Medved? He is syndicated but is here locally.

Frankly if Boze can be in the mix as one of the heavies of conservative radio...that says a lot about the level of talent on the right in Seattle.

He is to put it lightly, an intellectual light weight, he is just a trampoline to keep whatever ideas are bouncing around in the ne0-c0n echo chamber that day, he doesn't generate his own ideas or really even have a specific thing of his own.

Plus just technically, he is bad with cues, his teases are like giant bricks, he is a TERRIBLE interviewer...if this is the level of talent it takes to get in the game...

[Tom]

Say what you will about Boze intellectually, but just about the funniest damn thing I've ever heard was when he and his producer were talking about the artificial-christmas tree vs rear Christmas tree debate. It was hilarious.

Actually, they had a funny bit where he and his producer were talking about the new full body scans at Airports.

I think that Boze is actually better in a two man show. Thats why he's at his best when the producer is on with him. Thats why he was so funny on Sitman and Boze a few years back. Its how he does his stuff.