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Frank, who became a BlatherWatch friend near the end of his life, had an unconventional life and world-trekking career in journalism.
Veteran P-I political reporter Shelby Scates told us: Frank Chesley was a real reporter working in an era when reporting was taken very seriously.”
Chesley wrote a fascinating memoir here. (photo: Pat O'Day, right, with Vancouver's Red Robinson)
Pat O’Day, a longtime reader of, and contributor to (here and here) of BlatherWatch despite his antediluvian politics has weighed in with a bouquet for Glennn Beck (KTTH m-f, 6-9a). Of course, Pat makes the important-for-business conflation of being right & righteous with being popular & notorious.
But Pat is God and we love him despite who his friends are. So take it Pat:
"[Tea Party baggers are] low-information voters who are being propped up by the Glenn Becks of the world and told to go out and protest and they really don’t know what to be angry about." ~~ Ed Schultz
MSNBC and radio talk host Ed Schultz sat on a panel at Al
Sharpton's Annual
National Action Network with Liz Benjamin and
Jonathan Capehart to discuss whether people of color are
covered fairly in the media.
"We have to be very cognizant of the fact that 90 percent of the electronic media in this country is owned, operated, programmed and controlled by conservatives," he said. "They made a concerted effort during and before the Reagan years that they were going to get the microphone. Whether you're in favor of or against or understand the fairness doctrine, it's neither here nor there...the fact is we have conservatives on the air electioneering.
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When things happen on local weekend radio anymore, it’s like the proverbial tree falling in the woods: there’s nobody there not to hear it.
(photo: Larry Rice)
First, before we forget: KIROFM’s Phil the News Junkie is gone, done, pau, kaput, finished, history, all she wrote. etc. Phil was, is Phil Vandevort, Dori Monson's producer which, in better days was reason enough to get your own show on KIRO and keep it despite no one listened besides your immediate family. We’d have done an classic BlatherWatch RIP, but it’s old news (how old we're not sure) and not exactly a scoop - a dandelion falling in the forest, in fact. PTNJ was off and on again on days when the SeaHawks and the Mariners weren't playing and was like the corpse in a murder mystery movie that’s been dressed with a hat and propped up in plain public site and everyone goes on about their business for days thinking he’s just a passed-out drunk. PTNJ is long dead, and the Bonnevillains never gave it an obit.This is for you ifn case you care to uproot from the excellent KPLU or KUOW programming you’re likely hooked on. (Public radio really shines on weekends as opposed to commercial radio which has gone all infomercial-y, best-of-y or brokered vitamin/financial guru on us.
Instead of whatever the fuck it was they used to run Saturdays and Sundays from 12-4p: KIROFM has now given us four hours of KOMO-style live-anchored news, sports and “expanded traffic reports” hosted by former teevee weather guy, Larry Rice. (Why, you ask, should the already interminable traffic reports be expanded on weekends when there’s less traffic? The answer is: to hear the audio stylings of traffic Goddess RC Katz, of course).Burl Barer was a major jock in Seattle rock radio in the ’60’s and ’70’s, but became even more celebrated as an author and literary historian.
(photo: Robert Plant and Burl Barer at Green Lake Aqua Theater 1969. Burl writes his second hit of mescaline is just kicking in).
Barer has confirmed that his deep voice is due to him having an extra testicle, but refuses to say to whom it belongs.
Burl writes about his early days in Seattle radio:
I came to Seattle in the summer of 1965, and visited KOL one rainy night that fall. On the air was Danny Holiday. I asked him lots of questions, and I must admit that although Danny and I became friends over the years, and was one of the first to call me on the phone after my heart attack May 23, 2005, he really pissed me off that night! We both laugh about it now -- but it served me well. It made me absolutely determined to one day sit in his chair and play the hits! I joined KJR in 1966, and in 1968 Danny called me from KUUU and offered me a job. Dick Curtis called that same day offering me a job at KOL. As I was delirious with a 104 fever that day, I turned them both down. It wasn't until I got over the flu that I remembered the phone calls. Despite turning down Curtis' original offer, I moved to KOL in April, 1968. Twenty years after first meeting Danny Holliday, 1985, he was doing the Rock 'n' Roll Time Machine on KZOK. I was flattered when he requested that I fill in for him while he was on vacation. I did, and it went so well that KZOK hired me to do thirteen Weekend Specials.
As for Kolorful KOL, in 1965, you could find Dex Allen, B.R. Bradbury, and Buzz Barr on the AM. Buzz was made PD, and he re-launched KOL as "Kolorful KOL, 13 Double O." Robin Mitchell came on board in 1967. Robert O. Smith, whom i first met working at KJR, also moved to KOL. Dick Curtis moved over from KJR as PD, and he also did afternoons. Tom Murphy, Bobby Simon, Gary Crow, Robin MItchell, Chris Hill, Greg Connors, Don Wade, Paul Oscar Anderson,George Garret, Gary West and many other radio legends were part of KOL.
Buckley Broadcasting became the new owner and GM in 1968. Dick Curtis was named GM of the AM in 69. He brought Lan Roberts back again to be PD and morning man.
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