Gregg Hersholt, 1984-2010 R.I.P.

Facebook note from KIRO morning man and longtime newsie, Gregg Hersholt.

“You might as well hear it first from me.... next week will be my final week on the air at KIRO Radio after 26 years. Change is in the winds!”

Last day: May 28th.

Mornings at KIRO changed last November when the ditaff half of the team, Jane Shannon was fired. Now Hersholt. This leaves Shannon’s replacement The News Chick, Linda Thomas, and presumably a spot to be filled. The next morning hire will be an interesting sign as to where this station’s going. Younger? more pith less chummy yack-yack to pry listeners away from commercial-free NPR? Something lively enough to lure prurient audiences from Glenn Beck? We can only hope.

Who's next?

Comments

[Jason Andersen]

Ryder, that is *excellent* analysis about possible civil unrest that'd be the direct result of the choking off government safety nets, in lieu of a good old boot straps talkin' to, with a map and directions to the nearest church soup kitchens and pedestrian thoroughfares where begging is tolerated.

At some point, we need honest policy makers that will at least seriously consider reform of our criminal justice system. We imprison way too many people who are neither violent nor sociopathic, but who are rather poor, maleducated, addicted, and 4 or 5 times more likely to be African American.

As much as it's vaunted as a panacea and common-sense sentencing alternative, drug and alcohol treatment seldom cures severe addicts, if 100% abstention is the desired effect. To provide these people with permanent no-frills housing, basic health-care, food, and a small cash stipend would be dramatically more cost-effective. But I am afraid that much of our culture would have too much attitude and resentment thinking that they are working their ass off to pay taxes and support some do-nothing junkie scum, and as a result we pay expontentially more to warehouse these people, and also in the costs into almost everything we buy that is factored on the exorbitant costs that businesses spend on security.

Regarding unemployment benefits, I've *never* known of anyone to get more than about $400 per week, and some times a lot less. I hardly think that the long-term unemployed are giddy about surviving on a fraction of what they are used to living on.

The austerity measures in Greece are necessary; like some pension systems here, the social benefits in Greece are unsustainable. However, don't fall the ignorant conservatives' argument, "... that as fall the socialistic marxisitc PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain), so goes the 'Obama Nation...'" Greece also has about 30% GDP that's black market, worse than Italy or Russia; even with the USA's appetite for drugs and all things pirated, the non-market portion of economy is less than 10%.

Greece and Spain have only had freedom for hardly 30 years! Before that they were ruled by right wing military dictatorships, so it's understandable that the pendelum has perhaps swung a bit too far in the other direction.

[Duffman]

I doubt Gregg Hersholt will be collecting unemployment insurance payments for long (if at all).