Whither KTTH? is dave boze toast?

 Radiotown’s buzzing. Will Bonneville’s KTTH dump Dave Boze (KTTH m-f, 3-6p) to pick up Fox Newstool Sean Hannity formerly on the late KVI?

We hope not: Boze is the only live & local Seattle show on the right-wing talker which already has Rush and Beck (and we forget who else) beamed down from the birds in the sky.

What does it mean that longtime Dori Monson producer Phil Vandervort, reassigned last month to the Boze show has quit and has gone to produce for John Carlson (KOMO m-f, 3-6p)?

Speculative clichés abound: Might Producer Phil have seen (or was shown) the handwriting on the wall? Could it have been a rat/sinking ship/get out/gettin’s good kinda move?

Fisher’s KOMO must be happy to see Phil, who’s proven to be, not only a great producer, but a loyal employee. (It’s an employer’s market, and Fisher, of course, famously has had no such reciprocating loyalties: They fuck ‘em and forget ‘em as they see fit… Problem for Fisher: their view of what's fit ain't always brilliant).

Bonneville in Seattle has been doing pretty well, by our lights, by actually spending money on local talent for KIROFM (re: Radke, Burbank). You may not like Bill and Luke, but the company had to do something, and and they did it.

KIROFM has gotten some better numbers lately, but KTTH still sucks.

Were far-left extremists (Democrats!) of course, but picking up Hannity sounds stupid to us. He’s a self-satisfied, awe-shucks, doctrinaire winger whose show has not done well in Seattle.

Unlike Beck and Rush, his rabid anti-Obama blatherings are so predictable they rarely even break into or out of the parallel conservative press. Hannity, full of portent and smarmy right-wing RediWhip, occasionally makes news with wiffle interviews of such pols as Christine O’Donnell or Sharron Angle who tactically steer clear of real media with their pesky real questions.

He's big nationally with the Southern bubba crowd to whom he panders endlessly. In Seattle, even the Olde Rightie KVI types grok he doesn’t need or give a shit about the West Coast, so he’s long been whupped midday by Michael Medved (KTTH m-f, 12-3p), KIRO’s Dori Monson and even Ed Schultz (KPTK m-f, 12-3p). KOMO’s Ken Schram may even be making inroads in that loathsome slot.

Where could KTTH put Hannity? He’s live 12-3p, but so is Medved’s syndicated show from their own studios. Beck and Rush have mornings tied-up. Would they put Hannity refried in the afternoon drive? They’d almost have to.

(Medved, an intelligent, though thoroughly deluded human being, shares BlatherWatch’s loathing for Hannity. Michael is once-bitten: Fisher once dumped him from KVI for Hannity. We’ve been told his twice-shy contract with Bonneville is jelly tight).

For Bonneville to hand over KTTH to the obsequious paid-for robots and youthful $10ph knob-jockeys of 24/7 satellite programming must be attractive.

Though the man wears furs, and graduated from Hillsdale College, Dave Boze is a low-key, down-home kinda guy. He earnestly believes the shit he says and is a genuine native. Nonetheless, his show with its salaries and benefits is big-time overhead compared to the no-cash-out of syndicated programming.

Bye Dave.

(Note to Dave if you’re goned: it’s your beloved free market that kicked your ass. Time to move to Billings or Muskogee or Juneau where your product might be more competitive. Or… you could become a lobbyist for the Evergreen Foundation).

We’re rooting for The Dave Boze Show. We think KTTH should be live-er and local-er, even if it means more destructive reactionary talk, and Bonneville loses some more dough.

We're conflicted (as liberals are). While wishing Boze a long life, we, in general, wish all right-wing media would fall on its ass. We just wish it wasn’t taking local radio down with it.

Comments

[sparky]

"full of portent..."
Is that Mexican for "shit"? ;)

You can come home now, Michael. The snow is gone.

[Puget Sound]

Sure hate to lose David Bose if this turns out to be true. Lets hope that he can stick around but as a true fan of the market place you won't hear any whining from him.

His talent to discuss a story like this will be missed. For example, the WikiLeaks is already letting out the Sec State Clinton Spy-Gate. Hmm, does make one recall when some unnamed Clintonista requested all those raw FBI Files in the early Clinton Admin years of their political enemies...

Any fans of Julian Assange here?

" US diplomats are alleged to have been requested by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to spy on the diplomats of other countries at the United Nations. That was the purpose of the “National Humint Collection Directive,” which has been seen by SPIEGEL. The document was signed by Clinton and came into force on July 31, 2009.

The information to be collected included personal credit card information, frequent flyer customer numbers, as well as e-mail and telephone accounts. In many cases the State Department also required “biometric information,” “passwords” and “personal encryption keys.” In the US, the term biometric information generally refers to fingerprints, passport photos and iris scans, among other things."

[KS]

Bring on Pat Cashman - he has been off the air too
long ! Only problem is - he is apolitical.

[Puget Sound]

Cashman will be perfect for the Usual Suspects given the tone and tenor of political news the last 12 months.
Of course, if he slips in an Anti Obama Admin joke he'll become suddenly 'non funny' to some of our more immature Blatherwatchers.

The only local talk that survives in Seattle is Sports talk. I love same but would miss no Dave Boze to tune into on the way home.

[KS]

Portland is the antithesis of Seattle for talk radio - two sports stations (1 AM + 1 FM), vs. 3 in Seattle. For talk, there are a potpourri of stations to choose from; KXL, KPAM, KEX, KUIK and the leftist KPOJ (Air America - next generation).

Boze for Hannity would be a shame, but Boze is not that interesting to hear - he has a monotone delivery and was better when he teamed with Weissbach some time ago, but now Weissbach has been slandered by the local media (including BW) and has lost his mojo.

The best local host replacement would be Pat Cashman along with Lisa Foster (of course) - they would lighten things up and everyone could use that. They may even talk to the usual suspects and help expose their conspiracy theories and perhaps plug Blatherwatch - if they gave him free publicity. The next best replacement would be Mike Siegel - full circle here, since Boze replaced Siegel (way better than Hannity - who bores me after 5 minutes).
As a national host, I would recommend Dave Ramsey - maybe better from 9-midnight than at drive time or they could always go full circle and bring back Michael Savage again - also preferable to Hannity.

[Rat_Bastard]

This is good news.
I've been listening to Carlson ever since the Commentators...
Never cared much for his solo show before, but now he is my morning "program of record".
Good to hear that Phil Vandervort will be a new ingredient to the Carlson blend if this is true.
If only KOMO could stuff Bryan Suits in the early morning.
Suits/Carlson/Schram would escellent.
I'd hate to lose the local Boze show, but it seems the obvious result of the recent shake ups.
Not a big Hannity radio fan.
Don't miss him at all.
Hopefully he won't cause any bad scheduling ripples if he gets back on the Seattle radio grid.

[Rat_Bastard]

"Suits/Carlson/Schram would escellent."
They would be EXCELLENT too.

[KS]

I didn't even include Bryan Suits in the list of possibilities - KTTH or KOMO would be missing a great opportunity, IMO if they did not get him. On his facebook page, Suits mentioned that he had an interview for a radio job a week ago Friday - one can only hope.

I still miss Pat Cashman.

[Justindignation]

Re: Puget Sound ...

It is funny as heck to hear outrage that the State Department is an offshoot of spy's-r-us. It has been that for years and decades, not a earthshaking revelation. But certainly go ahead and see what kind of traction it gets.

[Andrew]

Phil Vandervort going to KOMO is bigger news than the prospect of Dave Boze being cancelled. I took the swap of Munson and Boze's producers are an effort to spread the talent around rather than keep it couped up, and then Vandervort up and leaves. That can't be how things were supposed to work out.

[2cents]

I wonder if O'Reilly will gloat about the demise of KVI like he did with the Seattle PI.

[Chucks]

Were far-left extremist (rat bastard commies!)...........
There, I fixed that one line for you Michael.

[Puget Sound]

Maybe Sec of State Hillary can bring that big 'Re-Start' Button to the UN she used as a prop with the Russians a couple years ago?

Not looking for traction per se, rather pointing out that that maybe Hope and Change is more schtick than substance.

Of course, we can all run off to Easter Island and cite to Chalmers Johnson. LMAO

This is where Boze is so good on the radio. He does a nice job with these type of stories. Maybe pointing out that all of those who would normally be happy to have Julian Assange pointing out flaws with the Bush Admin will pretty much be silent when its a Dem Admin being exposed.

So yeah, unlikely to get 'traction' with the Usual Suspects as that requires a bit of intellectual honesty or self awareness.

[Fred]

>>Were far-left extremists (Democrats!) of course, but picking up Hannity sounds stupid to us.<<

Which is why you blog instead of work in radio, Hood. And based on the frequent gramatical and typo errors - even the blogging ain't so hot.

[Rat_Bastard]

Were far-left extremist (rat bastard commies!)...........

Yes, damn dirty Commies...
Stay out from under my bed.

Dave Boze is a reliable local host, I listen to him a bit most days.
(lead in to my favorite John Gibson)
I first became a Boze listener when he and Dan Sytman had the early morning KTTH show.
"Sytman and Boze"...
They were great, but just didn't last.
Then Glenn Beck took that slot and there you go.
I'm surprised that KTTH keeps any local show anymore.
I take it that Medved is considered National?
Figured KIRO would be the locals and KTTH the syndicated nationals.
That's what I thought Fisher would do...
KOMO for local shows, KVI for the nationals.
With all of those big shows cut loose from the former KVI, so much for KTTH to choose from.
Anyway, good for Vandervort...
Producing Carlson's show sounds like much firmer ground to be standing on right now.

[Erictheeditor]

Pat Cashman is much better as a music DJ than a talk show host. No substance-no real controversy. An older Luke Burbank.

[Rat_Bastard]

Pat Cashman is one of those personalities who seems like a great guy, but I just don't want to listen to him.
Not serious enough to be serious.
Not funny enough to be funny.
Bryan Suits is as funny as it gets, and I'm not sure his own mother even likes him much.
That's the perfect type of talk radio host.
You don't have to like 'em, but you don't want to miss 'em.
Much like Dori is to many people here.

[KS]

Agreed about Suits - he combines humor, wit and insight and is unapologetic when interviewing the pols - which I like. He is back on KFI, according to his FB page. Sorry, but I'd listen to him 9 times out of 10 if pitted against Boze.

Cashman is more of a writer - he wrote much of the material for Almost Live - has a good voice for radio and does commercials on TV and Radio. He has significantly more substance than Burbank, in fact - his son Chris Cashman (on 710-ESPN) has more substance than Burbank -who got his start at KVI back in the 90's.

[Jim Barker]

It all seems to be the end of local hot talk radio. It's all freeze-dried from New York or LA, like everything else. The new KIRO will (is) bland and increasingly non-political. It's not just Burbank, even Carlson and Dori are dropping the hot topics for the more mundane news items. I'm not going to get any new hardware to listen to Dr. Laura. I'm listening to more music and getting my politics on the TV. There's nothing left for me on the radio dial.

[Andrew]

We just exited an election cycle, there's no reason for KIRO to focus on political news.

Just because Burbank doesn't talk about things that are of interest to baby boomers doesn't mean he lacks substance.

Cashman's radio career got free-marketized. Get over it. I listened to him for years, but as day to day news became more serious after 9-11, he was increasingly out of place.

It seems like people here are mad just because KIRO doesn't cater to their eccentric tastes. Any objective observer will admit that KIRO's lineup has never been stronger than it is now.

[Rat_Bastard]

Bryan Suits kept his once a week show on "military topics" after he left KFI 640 am L.A.
"Dark secret place" is available on Demand at www.kfiam640.com
I was listening to Bryan's regular show on demand often when he was gone, but I sure miss his morning show in Seattle.
The only thing KIRO has for me now is the half show or so I hear of Dori.
KIRO still has "Handle on the law"... Saturday eves, not often I hear it.
Aside from that, I'd love more reason to listen to more of KOMO and KTTH.

[NoBS]

I thought Tony Minor was going to KTTH? Is that just a place to stick him until his contract is up? I don't like KIRO's new morning show. Too much of Radke, not enough Thomas.

[Andrew]

Why does a completely syndicated radio station need a PD anyway?

[Rat_Bastard]

I didn't even include Bryan Suits in the list of possibilities - KTTH or KOMO would be missing a great opportunity, IMO if they did not get him. Posted by: KS

Also, I thought they already did have Suits on a 3 year contract and that is was just a matter of giving him a KOMO show.
Of course, I could easily be wrong.

[Andrew]

Why do they give all these guys three hour bocks? Can't they give Carlson an hour, then Suits an hour, etc.? Maybe a part of the reason few talk hosts last more than a few years before getting bumped has something to do with over-exposure.

?

[joanie]

While you guys are all about local, I've moved almost entirely to podcasts and not-local. But this week has been the worst on record: Sirota's wife had their baby and he's been gone; Peter B. went to Maui for an extended stay; I can take about ten minutes of Goldman; and Randi is all ego these days. I think she secretly wants to be a stage comedian. And Lezzzzzlie Marshall shouted me off the radio entirely yesterday.

Music can be a waste of time! It lulls the mind and I like to think! The best radio I've heard lately is Ring of fire on Sat and Sun.

Sounds like nobody is getting their fixes lately. I'm sure not. Malloy is still okay . . . most of the time.

Local? I tried KUOW and Ross Reynolds is sounding more and more like a robot. And they have too many juveniles trying to do important news. At least, that's the way it sound sto my ears.

Sirota get back on the radio! I can't take it!

BTW, Big Eddie is still Big Ed but he's on at the wrong time. What's a old-fashioned woman on the left supposed to do?

[joanie]

Also, nice little tribute (sort of) to chalmers johnson from the Guardian short and sweet.

Why is nobody talking about Julian Assange. I love the guy. I hope he turns the whole cabal upside down. It's about time someone did. Might be the best thing to happen to our so-called Republic. I wonder if the corporations have put out a contract on him yet? Bet they do.

[joanie]

And finally, check out Wendell Potter's blog: he finally apologized to Michael Moore and said that Moore was absolutely right on in his movie, SICKO. That the insurance companies were scared people would get aroused and do something about their corruption.

Ah, the American people get aroused? Why, whatever gave the insurances that idea? I'm beginning to admire the tea partyers. They're dumb but at least they are aroused and dumb. Gotta give them some credit.

[Rat_Bastard]

"an hour, etc.?"
Posted by: Andrew

Yes, if you want Weissbach for an hour... He was happy with that...
If radio hosts could tape their personal musings and send it in for quick editing every day maybe...
1 hour just doesn't seem to work.
Commentators at 2 hrs was perfect.

"they have too many juveniles trying to do important news. At least, that's the way it sound sto my ears."
Posted by: joanie

My wife's mother said that "you know you're old when cops and doctors seem young."
I've been old for years.

[joanie]

No. It's the valley girl twang and a kind of unsophisticated girlish banter that loses me. Like kids on the radio for the first time. Yes, it is mostly the women. But Ross Reynolds really needs to pick it up as well.

I think it is harder to be good for females because our voices simply don't transmit as well. Too high pitched in most cases. The really good women on the radio have lower tones or have learned to center their voices and refrain from the shrillness so often a problem.

I'm not old. So watch it, sonny boy.

[Tommy008]

KIRO's "drama queen", Jessica Gottesman, is the worst of the females on the air. She remnds me of thos singers who add all sorts of gerace notes and flourishes to a pefectly good song liek the Star Spangled Banner. Less is more, Ms. G. A dramtic news headline or story will speak for itself without your mawkish emoting. And, have you noticed, she's full of herself, just like Monson except not quite so blatant. Very disappointing.

[Rat_Bastard]

Is that why Jessica Goddessman does that weird whisper thing every other sentence?

Laura Lee had one of the all time great female radio voices.

And you're not old, just less young than you were before now.

[joanie]

I remember Laura Lee but not her voice. Women have it tough: too sexy; too shrill; too unsophisticated; to unworldly. The best voice I ever heard was Linda Ellerbee. Remember her? And Diane Rehm's who still makes the best of her situation. Actually, I can think of quite a few: Susan Stamber(?) on NPR and Mara Liassson (?) also on NPR. And Christine Craft is pretty easy to listen to on KGO.

BTW, John Rothman is an ass down there. Not sure who's more argumentative: Rothman or Wattenberg.

What am I doing up? I've got to get up at 7 AM. G'night. Nice chatting.

[joanie]

BTW, I"m looking forward to Coast to Coast if KIRO will carry Ian on Saturday nights. He does some very intelligent interviews. I'd listen.

[Andrew]

joanie,

- podcasts are offline-media, i.e. if the sky falls while you're listening to your podcast, you'll be the last to know.

- Julian Assange is a megalomaniac who's first motivation is to destroy Earth... unless you think introducing volatility among nuclear powers makes us all safer. Despite claiming to have dirt on many countries, banks and global corperations, he has chosen to release information most damaging to the US.

- You're right about a female voice being harder to listen to over a longer period of time, but it's not just their tone, it's their wordy, conversational manner. Men tend to speak with intention, get to the point quickly and focus on their thesis. Hence some of the questions that have arisen over Luke Burbank's masculinity... although the valley-girlisms don't help matters either. Nor does referring to Dave as "David" like some kind of jilted lover, or Sean DeTore as "Seany". You figure that out. Or his natural rapport with the women featured on TBTL. Or his justification of saying things are "gay" because it's ironic... somehow? But Burbank is awesome. We listen.

[Rich]

Laura Lee had a voice. What a voice!

[AprilMayJune]

Queen of shrill voice: Dori

[Dori]

Of course KTTH needs a P.D.! Miner's the guy that gets to run in and start a commercial when the dead air silence alarm goes off (which happens a lot at these automated stations).

[Rat_Bastard]

"The best voice I ever heard was Linda Ellerbee. Remember her?"
Posted by: joanie

She was great, I remember her doing the over night news...
She had more of a smoker's cafe waitress voice.
She would be an excellent talk radio host.

Laura Lee had a voice that was 2 parts Marilyn Monroe and 1 part Ginger from Gilligan's Island.

I like Laura Ingraham...
Damn smart, damn funny...
Long gone unless KTTH picks her up after the KVI demise.
I think we need more good female talk radio hosts...
As long as they go right back to baking cookies and doing laundry after their show ends.

Hey, Robin from Robin and Maynerd had great sarcastic wit the times I heard her...
I was surprised that she never popped up a few months ago when KIRO was doing all of that "new possible radio personality" testing.

[Goldy]

Good to see Phil land on his feet. He's a stand up guy, and should be a good fit working with John.

[Puget Sound]

Linda Ellerbee had a great voice and a lot to say. She was smart and capable of some great, albeit sarcastic, humor.
She also waged a heroic fight with cancer. She is missed.

The knock on women's voice is the same canard that has been around for years. They use to say that about female newscasters and that tv viewers would not take female news anchors seriously. Last time I looked, plenty of them seem to do damn well. I guess no one passed the memo to Jean Enerson or Lori Matsukawa. No reason it can't transfer to radio. You may not like the content, but there is nothing wrong with Laura Ingraham's voice. Or Randi Rhodes.
For some reason the worst critics of females tend to be other females. Its almost like they want to invent reasons to tear other women down. It's sad.
For example, the same ones that tear down female hosts are pimping Robert F Kennedy's radio show. Now that is a horrendous voice. You can not seriously tell us his voice is better than any competent female host.

[Attila the Right]

With Dr. Laura going off the air soon I imagine KTTH would just bump John Gibson's tape-delay further to 9PM and delay Hannity's show to the 6-9 PM slot. Still wish SOMEBODY would pick up Fred Thompson's show (live 9-11 AM PDT), but then again I listen to him now live online. Suits doing 6-9 AM on KLFE 1590 would be cool. Sandwich him between Bill Bennett live 3-6 AM (only show worth listening to on 1590 IMO) & Dennis Prager 9-Noon (live). Then KLFE could put on Boze if Bonneville dumps him (same 3-6 PM slot), and run Levin, Hewitt, and Gallagher tape-delayed.

[joanie]

- podcasts are offline-media, i.e. if the sky falls while you're listening to your podcast, you'll be the last to know.

Andrew, sometimes your youth betrays you. If the sky ever falls, we'll all be the first to know. We won't need to hear it on the radio.

No, Julian Assange is no megalomaniac any more than Daniel Ellsberg was a megalomaniac. Your youth again, I presume. And do you think it possible that he is releasing "dirt" on the dirtiest who feigns the cleanest reputation even though much of the world knows that the reputation no longer matches the myth? Or are you as propagandized as the rest? Have you started believing in the righteousness of our empire?

And you have an opinion about my post and women's voices but not the right to declare the righteousness of my post. Nor do I agree with your opinion that men speak more intentionally. But, you have a right to your opinion nevertheless. And if the best analysis of Burbank's persona is to associated it with his "masculiity,' I am sorry for you. I think you need a life.

And, sputs, your post is so ludicrous that it really doesn't merit a response. Compare the number of men to women and you have your answer. You're a bean counter, try counting.

[Andrew]

- If you listen to talk radio, breaking news matters to you. Don't pretend it doesn't, your just shooting your credibility in the face.

- The idea that being anti-Assange is a youthful position is a laugh. Thanks for the laugh. Opposition is assorange's methods is the prevailing bi-partisan opinion. If anything, you should be explaining why you hate America so.

-I was joking about Burbank, me thinks she who does not laugh at jokes needs to look at her life maybe, yes?

[joanie]

No. Breaking news is what I go to Huffpo to get. In fact, I have more access to my computer at my workplace than radio which cannot be blaring during the day. But stealing a look at Huffpo from time to time is perfectly possible. You are still living in the dark ages, Andrew.

You're welcome to the laugh. I'm glad to know you find the truth entertaining. Assorange? You've been watching Fixed News, haven't you? That kind of thing fits the rightwingers on this blog but not the left. You should be ashamed, young man. Leave the cheap shots to the rightwingers on this blog. It doesn't become you.

I think your last paragraph a bit defensive.

[Tommy008]

Our resident town crank calls Assange a hero bascially. No he is amoral and illegal- and called out as an illegal leaker and scumbag today by Hillary Clionton. Joanie's venomous hatred and ingratitude toward her native land reminds me of idiotboy Kanye West- who calls America "a bastard, an illegitimate daughter of the mother country..... and much more nonsense such as this, in his latest CD. As for me. every night i meditate and pray for my accumulation of googobs and googobs of more money, much more money, exponential portfolio growth , at least doubling each quarter ( i've lowered my goal from doubling every 5 weeks.).

[OSK]

To Attila the Right...

Fred Thompson on the Radio? Yikes, who wakes you up when its over?

Puget Sound...

Are you uninformed or insensitive? Robert Kennedy Jr. suffers from spasmodic dysphonia, a genetic neurological condition which strains his speech and can make it sound as if he's choking up.

[Andrew]

You know, for the past nine years the right has accused the left of simply wanting America to fail, or "rooting for the terrorists", and... until this inexplicable love for wikileaks emerged I would never have guessed they might be right. At least with respect to the hard left.

At first wikileaks was about exposing corruption, the truth about war, good stuff. But then they decided to go full blown anarchist and simply release secret shit for no other reason than it's secret. Yes, it is in fact terrorism.

Assorange has decided he wants to be the next James Bond-esque supervilian, and cause geo-political disruption for it's own sake. He just wants to be remembered as that guy who fucked shit up.

He has a keen sense of history, and he pretends he's the hesitant "lightning rod", yet he must also be aware that what he is doing is historical in and of itself. He's a raging narcissist. I don't think he cares if he dies at this point, as long as he gets credit for the damage that has been done.

[Tommy008]

Assange is on the run from a rape charge in Sweden. How's that for a hero, Joans? Why couldn't this terrorist puke Assange have been the victim of Seattle's random hatchet murderer ( he killed a guy with a hatchet on Capitol Hill last week, a poor schlub walking home with bags of groceries, and probably is the guy who killed a guy with a hatchet in Chinatown a day or two before). Like 99% probably. Why does an innocent little doggy have to be the one who was electrocuted last week after stepping on a metal plate on a Queen Anne sidewlk, near a malfunctioning light pole, instead of a rat like Assange? Fate is extremely cruel.

[Tommy008]

correction- apparently authorities only want to question Assange- no charges filed yet. Where there's smoke there's fire.