Are those the rumbles of change at KIRO... or just gas?

 Hoards of Bonneville brass washed over KIRO management suites this week creating the tremors that could foreshadow a real shakeup … or not.

The once-proud mixed format AM news talker with heavy news emphasis has become a conservative FM news talker with lite news emphasi. As we've reported for years, now, KIRO's once market-leading ratings took a precipitous dive when the personal meters turned the Seattle market upside down.

A KIRO source tells us: "The FM is in something like 15th place 25-54; the late great 710 ayem is languishing somewhere from 18-20th. You can't make a buck with those terrible ratings in this day and age."

There's already been a recent off-air shake-up. New PD. New news hires, fires. Newsier format on weekends- like the one doing so well for KOMO.  

Rumors have it that a major host will be fired- but who and how, we ask? Long-timers Dave Ross and Dori Monson are the backbone of the KIRO broadcasting day. The iconic, ironic Ross ain’t what he used to be ratings-wise. The furious pipsqueaking Dori is doing better, but is beaten regularly by Ed Schultz (KPTK m-f, 12-3p) KUOW, Sean Hannity (KVI m-f, 12-3p) ... even Michael Medved (KTTH m-f, 12-3p).

(photo: KIRO Program Director Ryan Hatch).

Would KIRO fire one or both of these guys? Or move them around? Why? To where? Ron & Don (KIRO m-f, 3-7p) are mind-numbing fools who are embarrassing to their peers and superiors. Do they get decent ratings? Apparently they do. So will they stay, and Dave Ross go? That’s unthinkable… or is it?

KIRO just seems stuck. Any change in the weekdaily line-up will be controversial: either lateral movement, or “out of the box,” a category with which Seattle audiences are famously uncomfortable.

Stay tuned...
 

Comments

[sparky]

Didn't Hatch used to be a boxer??

[joanie]

Hmm. Mind-numbing and embarrassing sells so that answers that question. Keep integrity over snide, jerkish name-calling? I don't think so.

Make a buck? I think they could make a buck. All they have to do is lower salaries of their overpaid hosts and take some pay cuts themselves.

No, like most very wealthy corporations in America, they are going to deplete the resources maintaining big paychecks for themselves and chip away at the real talent until there is nothing left and then declare bankruptcy which will fatten their corporate paychecks yet again.

We are not talking people - thinking people - here. It is a corporation whose only purpose is to maximize profits however they can.

By either selling their souls (hahaha) or eventual bankruptcy.

So, what else is new?

[joanie]

Spain’s Jobless Find It Hard to Go Back to Farm

Sorry for the off-topic but in a way it is on topic. Greed, So much of the world's currency is now in the hands of a few corporatists and uber-wealthy whose money dates back generations, that the rest of the world is left to living in the streets - or woods as in this case.

We need to go back to local ownership. An article I read said that one of Obama's problems with Wall Street is that they can take their money and companies and go overseas leaving us high and dry. Would we be - really? I don't know.

[Ryder]

If the rumor is true, then it will be Dori getting the axe. Luke Burbank will take his place. That should bring over most of the Dave Ross listeners. Plus bringing Luke over will allow afternoons to deal with topics other than other than lying politicians and which parents should have their kids taken away. The style of Ron & Don fits well into the afternoon drive.

Dori moves over to KVI with a substantial pay cut. Kirby Wilbur takes the harmless evening shift while Shiers gets graveyard.

First however KIRO will try to sneak into another two minutes of commercials per hour.

The big problem with dumping Dori will be the need to re-cut a ton of commercials featuring his voice.

[Sam the Man]

It's all garbage anyway.

[KS]

KIRO got it ass-backwards. The ESPN-710 should have become ESPN-97.3FM. The ratings on the AM side are inherently better than FM - call it force of habit.

For instance, KXL in Portland had the all-sports ("The Game")moved to 95.5 FM and as a result, their AM all-talk is more competitive in the Portland market than KIRO's all-talk FM is in the Seattle market.

The rumors about Dori moving to KVI are simply rumors and would be very surprised if that happened - sounds like a Blatherwatch special. R & D have worse ratings than Dori and they have survived many rumors about them being canned. KIRO's ratings on the FM side will not recover much no matter what happens. Bring the talkers back to AM, and there could be some improvement.

[Tommy008]

logically, the Dori Monson of 2010 really belongs with Suits over on KVI now,,,,,,,,,there is no other host on KIRO , even Shiers, whose onair comments rise to the extreme, harsh levels of Monson's. when he's at his worst. it's like there's the little group of kirofm talkhosts, some more consevative than others, but all staying within a certain code of decency and humanity ---oh, and then there's Dori.....

[Poxie]

Isn't that picture of Butterbean, the famous wrestler of the Food Channel?

[Bagley Wrong]

Ryan Hatch is a cousin of Sen. Orrin Hatch, both of whom are gay, I believe.

[Mike Barer]

As long as their is police drama, and it seems like there has been a lot of the in the last few months, Don and Ron will be have a strong listenership.

[KIROkid]

Ron & Don will be replaced if not soon, in the fall. The only one making money for KIRO is Dori. They need another conservative to replace Dave. Kirby has applied.

[joanie]

I've been catching up as I do regularly on Ross' podcasts. No other place on radio do I get the diversity of programming. His guests and topics for the week (guests and topics correlate - not just Dave ranting away):

Kagan, Kittitas wind power project (with affected land owner), oil spill, Husky stadium, Gregoire (replacing Kagan), Parrners in Preservation, voyager 2 (encrypted signals), Thomas Frank (token liberal WSJ), David Sirota, Dahlia Lithwick (Supreme Ct Reporter), branding of kids, professors and dean of Arizona Univ ethnic studies, "Dr. Aaron Levine, Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology -Dr. Levine focuses on the interface between bioethics and public policy—including the impact of ethical controversy on scientific research, with a particular emphasis on emerging biomedical technologies."(couldn't shorten that one), Maria Cantwell re the Senate panel interrogating oil execs., the candidates for Seattle Chief of Police . . .

You can't get this stuff on KUOW without spending hours of time. He does a short discussion on so many, many topics and gets good guests - people who know and who are respected in their fields.

Uhfortuately, most people want to hear emotional ranting over intelligent discussion. How can we fight such situations when money dictates and allows dumb to replace intelligent? And where are we headed when such idiocy is allowed to reign supreme. The dumb people who have nothing to offer but name calling and toilet stall arguments will always sound stupid and our country will continue to die.

There once was an island called Easter; there once was a planet called Earth.

We are in trouble.

BTW, Ryder, I saw your post on My Northwest regarding the branding. Honestly, fella, you can't expect kids to know and think ahead. That is what parents are trusted to do. Emotion (see above) always wins out over intellect. They were thinking but feeling which is the folly of youth. We used to think the superior position of feeling over thinking would subside as children grew up and become intellectually-guided adults. We now know that is not true with some people. They are called conservatives, tea party-ers, and corporatists.

[Tommy008]

rumor just in from my Mormon management sources- Dori will be replaced by a trio of Capuchin monkees trained to press buttons which release various random soundbites lasting from 30 seconds to 30 minutes taken from all 15 years of Dori's SHows, which KIRO owns the rights to.....Dori will still be on the air but he won't have to be paid anymore.....KIRO already owns the monkeys and a staffer has agreed to take care of them with no raise in salary...

[KS]

We used to think the superior position of feeling over thinking would subside as children grew up and become intellectually-guided adults. We now know that is not true with some people. They are called conservatives, tea party-ers, and corporatists.

Posted by: joanie | May 16, 2010 at 02:26 PM

As usual your shots at the moderates and right are half truths. Corporatists are at least as much Democratics as they are conservatives - one myth debunked. You left out leftist progressives (you know - your ilk)- they are the ones in the ruling class who have taken our economy over the cliff and have no regard for the constitution..

What a ph(J)oanie !

[Chucks (are you drinking Kool-Aid or TEA?)]

I just have to ask Tommy. Did Dori Monson decline your sexual advances at one time? Is his job one that you had lusted over, yet could not win? You're as obsessed as any stalker that I have ever read about.
You are really a bitter person over this issue. Maybe it is time you find somebody else to fawn over. At the very least, turn to another radio station and just pretend he is gone.

[Obama is a black man]

A massive global selloff has begun tonight in Asia and will move across the map. You have been warned. We are entering a precarious time.

November is fast approaching.

Freedom 1/20/13.
The experiment has failed.

[Ryder]

Joannie;

I agree with your comment on my post regarding the branded kids. Adults should be smart enough to not let something like that happen. What the boys will hopefully learn is that the decisions they make may someday come back to bite them. The father is an idiot.

And a side note to Obama is a black man: How is it that one president can be held to blame for the economic mess the world has entered? Joannie is right, the bankers, investors and corporations have the politicians by the balls. And have had long before the President, be it this one or any others in our lifetimes, were even born. You are as uneducated as can be if you think getting your people into power is going to change anything.

[Zounds]

Gee, to bad Ryder didn't think about that riding his red dodge p/u before going to the polls and voting for Obama. Oh, wait, he thought there was going to be change. Bwhahahahahahah.

[Obama is a black man]

Ryder....

Bailouts, government intervention, ridiculous overspending....the list goes on.

I maintain no political affiliation.

This president like the last 5 have been joined at the hip with lobbyists and insiders.

We are witnessing the collapse of this system. What will emerge will be the mass elimination of government programs/entitlements and will in fact mean more freedom. It will be far from this garbage liberalism/socialism that Obama promotes. The riots in Athens and Bangkok may very well be a sign of things to come here. When the government checks start to bounce or don't arrive and we have inflation at 25% people will be awfully agitated.

Bottomline...we are entering a very painful time for most. You've been warned. Prepare yourselves.

[Dan D.]

Right on. Obama has given racism a good name. His stumbling has made so many Americans realize that these people really are not ready to lead a free nation in the modern era. Maybe next century, Sambo. We will sweep them all out in 2010 and 1012.

[Obama is a black man]

Sadly Dan D and others remind me of the frog in the pot that's on its way to a boil.

I'm not a rascist. My name states a fact. I've had this name ever since Team Obama made damn sure we all knew he was a black man in the 2008 election. That's essentially been the only truth the man has told.

I continue to tell the truth. When the Dow was at 11,200 I predicted 9500 or lower by the Novmeber 2010 election. I'm right on target. Ask Duffman-he's made quite a bit of money on taking my recommendation.

Incumbents are gone in November! Take THAT to the bank.

[joanie]

And if they're all the same and you not a racist, what do you think will change when you sweep us out? What is the point of your deadline? All your prognostications that things will be better in 2012?

You contradict yourself. You are a racist. You are unable to post without giving yourself away.

[joanie]

Right now Huffpo has the best headline and front-page picture I've seen: Bush on one side and Obama on the other and a picture of the burning rig in between:

RUBBER STAMP
Lax Oversight, Missing Permits, Skipped Inspections Helped Deepwater Horizon Skate By Under Both Bush And Obama

Thank god for one honest media source. I'm no effing sheep. I'm angry at Obama. He continued to keep Bush's lackeys in place. I hope this wakes him up and if it doesn't, he deserves to be replaced.

By morning, this will probably be gone and you will all have missed the satisfaction I'm feeling right now in seeing a proper blame being placed where it belongs. Finally. Obama has been a continuation of Bush on things that matter. And I didn't vote for another Bush. Obama had a duty to clean up the mess. Instead, he gregariously smiled, patted them all on the back and said: "let's all be friends"

Screw him.

[Obama is a black man]

P(Joanie) and all you other fools...

Please provide me with one shred of evidence that I am a rascist? How do you know that I'm not black?

You're a rascist.

Your policies target minorities while mine view everyone as the same.

[joanie]

That's a laugh.

[Duffman]

Seriously OBIABM ask's a legit question...what's your argument to support that he is a 'racist' other than pure speculation on your part and probably that you 'want' him to be one. [He or she may be white/black/native/latino, etc et al - you just don't know, do you.

[Zounds]

The only joke here is Joanie. Hahahahaha.

[Zounds]

Seriously, Duffman is right. Where is the proof OBIABM is racist. I have seen Joanie post more racist, sexist, and derogatory remarks than any other poster on this blog.

[BenSeattle]

Am I the only one here who finds if nothing short of pathetic that a discussion of KIRO radio turns into a slugfest about politics, blame and race? There's an overabundance of mindless numbskulls who feel SOOOOO compelled to spew their own brand of drivel that the phrase "stay on topic" might as well be in Urdu. I continue to be amazed that the so-called "moderator" of this board does so little to maintain any standards whatsoever; a couple of "post deleted" notifications would go a long way toward slapping the droning masses back in line. This is a RADIO forum, people... and do you actually think that your claptrap concerning various polticial views is of any interest to anyone anywhere?

[KS]

Take that topic up with the webmaster. That's not ours or yours to determine.

[TomF]

BenSeattle is absolutely right. No matter what topic is covered by the initial post, the comment thread invariably degenerates into a pro forma pageant of left/right silliness that scores no points, advances no ideas, and most importantly has nothing to do with radio.

It's why I hardly ever check in here anymore. I can get these very same he-said, she-said, I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I jabs from about 700,000 alternate sources online. It's puerile and exhausting.

None of the few usual suspects are exactly winning any forensics awards. So cn't we talk about radio?

[Jay]

The first person they need to get rid of is Jessica Goddessman.

I am insulted by her condescending delivery of the news. She's not telling a frickin secret!! It's the news and we are not first graders.

[Duffman]

Excuse me fellow bloggers; is ANYone twisting ANYone's arm to tune in here? This is America, you are FREE to ignore as you like.

[Duffman]

Must be a case of Dori Monson Show'itis...'acidentally' tuning in all the time. LMAO

[Tommy008]

Sad to see Bryan Suits on his knees again today, orally servicing the Seattle Police Dpartment, as he made excuses, rationaliztions, minimizations, and misrepresentations of Detective Scumbucket's twerrible behavior, with his typical smartass, laughoff attitude. So much for objective reporting on his show....his extreme bias toward anyone in a police uniform is really obvious and really lame... i had hoped Suits would turn over a new leaf as he got the chance to start over here....no such luck...same old sorrryass show.....

[Duffman]

Guess you'll have to quit accidentally tuning in. Don't torture yourself...listen to KIRO-FM's morning news with Gregg and Linda Thomas. See; now THAT was a simple solution, don't you think.
LMAO...yet again

[Tommy008]

i cant stand kirofm mornming news -....sickening and banal..... no solution at all....

[Duffman]

So, you like 'Suits' better?...better than ANY OTHER station on the dial???

[BenSeattle]

<< Excuse me fellow bloggers; is ANYone twisting ANYone's arm to tune in here? This is America, you are FREE to ignore as you like. >>

Certainly no-one is being forced to visit this website or any other. But of course: THAT COMPLETELY MISSES THE POINT. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this a website dedicated to discussing the pro's and con's of Seattle's talk radio scene? If the answer is yes, then what's the point of so many posters offering their out-of-place political views when they have NOTHING to do with the subject at hand? Aren't there THOUSANDS OF politically-oriented websites where those with strong Leftie or Rightie opinions can go to rant? Wouldn't you feel more at home gabbing with a bunch of issue-crazy fellow bloviators rather than changing the course of this RADIO discussion? I come here to catch up on the latest in the nasty world of local radio... and it would be nice to do so without the ill-informed political clutter.

[NoBS]

If anyone goes at KIRO it needs to be Hersholt. He sounds better with Linda Thomas than before, but still a full of himself blow hard.

[Duffman]

This has gotten to be a fraternity and the topics expand as the radio talk shows expand to cover a multitude of subjects. Live with it.

[KS]

Catching up on the nasty world of talk radio - there's Dori Monson on KIRO followed by Glenn Beck and the Beckerheads- the king attention getter and some lesser attention getters, like Dave Ross, Bryan Suits, Ron and Don, John Carlson, Frank Shiers, and the syndicated talkers. These guys typically drone on pretty much the same day after day with an occasional burp or gas discharge by one of them, usually Dori.

BenSeattle - your request is being processed by the management of this blog and they will respond in kind.

[Dori]

So, Ben, what do yo have to offer? Do you really think these people have all the inside news on local radio? Most post radio when they have something to say.

What's your inside story? Talk radio.

[BenSeattle]

<< This has gotten to be a fraternity and the topics expand as the radio talk shows expand to cover a multitude of subjects. Live with it. >>

If I recall correctly, a "fraternity" is a closed, exclusive club, admission by Invitation Only. Hmmmm.... unless the admins have another idea about how to grow a website, I'm guessing a small private clique is the last thing they'd want. But then again, following your logic that "topics expand," then my targeted rant has as much as place here as any other, ain't that right?

Didn't Dori Monson a few years ago observe the skyrocketing ratings of hard-right nasties such as Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, Levin and Beck and thus decide to enroll himself in the "Desperate For Ratings Right-Wing College Of Radio Gab-Yakkers? Isn't all this Attila the Hun posturing merely a pose, a stance taken soley to rile up free-thinking Progressives in the state of Washington? While he continues to recycle tired claptrap such as "One On One Against the Nuns," Monson's moral compass is so elementary as to be laughable: go against what the audience is thinking and the product is Ratings Gold. "Gold, Jerry, gold!"

[Tommy008]

Frank Shiers, the fascist, the mean, cruel parent who rations his daughter's tv viewing time to a parsimonious and draconian one hour per week, srtongly disagrees with today's Supreme Court ruling banning life without parole sentences for minors convicted of crimes other than first degree murder. No mercy, no second chances , no shot at redemption for the youthful offender with Frank. Shiers makes Scrooge look good. This is why we all hate Frank.

[Chucks (are you drinking Kool-Aid or TEA?)]

"This is why we all hate Frank".
Not all of us are the least bit interested in codling criminals. Mercy is letting them live off of the tax payers for 60 years in that perfect socialist utopia, prison.
At least the little puke didn't get shot in the ass running away from the child he had raped.

[joanie]

Well, Ben, obviously I'm one of those you are talking about. But, how many times and how many ways can you call Dori a creep?

I always imagined most people come here to read the commentary from Michael. What else is there? I try to post radio as much as I can. Some never do. And, except for more Dori bashing, you didn't offer much either.

So, what more are you expecting? I'd like you to stick around but don't expect us to roll out the red carpet. I just hope you have something to say about radio . . . about anything.

And what's most interesting is that what you just said is almost exactly what I said in my first post above: it is all about money. And nothing else.

[joanie]

And how can you talk about radio without talking politics since radio is all about politics these days? Haven't you heard: Rush is the leader of the Republican party?

Good Grief.

[Andrew]

Did Frank Shiers ever issue a correction for claiming that "disrespected" wasn't a word, and did he ever publicly apologize for likening Latinos to gang members? Probably not. That is why we all indeed hate Frank Shiers.

[Duffman]

Please notice how ms joanie AVOIDED and EVADED the question I asked at 08:11 a.m. yesterday in regard to OIABM. [Likely because she doesn't have one shred of evidence or objective fact to show that OIABM is a racist...just spewing and concluding without facts]
You shouldn't do that ms joanie, it discredits you even more and causes folks to never believe you.
[I trust you don't do that to your students...that is, draw ill-conceived conclusions...that is a very dangerous trait for a student to learn]