A cursory inspection of the KOMO radio page is frustrating.
After closing down their main talk-outlet, KVI, inhaled their last two talkers John Carlson (m-f 9a-12p) and Ken Schram (m-f, 12-3p) into the KOMO daytime where they talk blandly about Xmas trees (are artificial ones irresponsible??).
It isn't talk and it isn't news. The talkers are but glorified anchors ... breaks in the ongoing newscasts and requisite numbing cavalcade of ad spots.
What's worse: The radio page is at the end of a dark hallway on the KOMO teevee and news website... it's pinched and small and not interactive with listeners. There's a few old recorded packages, (Still on the Fence About Getting a Flu Shot?) of interest, apparently, to no one... There are no comments because there is no way offered to make one. Many of the titles have no sound attached.
Neither Schram nor Carlson has a page to himself, no blogs, no nothing.
Online, this expensive talent is invisible. In this day and age, that's shocking. (Especially with arch-rival KIRO working their website so hard and well).
Does this signal another ending?
Will John Carlson's contract be up one day and will he disappear like Bryan Suits? Will he be but another Xmas tree falling in the dense media forest?
Fisher doesn't want to be in the radio business. It doesn't have the flash and status of TV - even though they have all but given up one Idaho TV market.
Radio is just an ugly step-child the management of Fisher would rather not have to deal with.
Its management by spreadsheet at its finest with the inept leading the blind.
Posted by: Rau | December 14, 2010 at 04:34 AM
So how long before Fisher flips AM 1000 to "Kountry KOMO?"
Posted by: cueburner | December 14, 2010 at 08:23 AM
The flavor of radio in Seattle today is vanilla.
Posted by: Parker Sims | December 14, 2010 at 08:24 AM
This cannot be right. Colleen Brown and Troy McGuire are Internet superstars.
Posted by: John DeRosa | December 14, 2010 at 08:42 AM
KOMO Radio is one of those heritage stations that have been around forever. This is sad.
Posted by: Erictheeditor | December 14, 2010 at 12:20 PM
BREAKING
Jessica Godessman and some dweeb have replaced Ron and Don today!
Yipee! I wish it was permanant!
Posted by: BREAKING NEWS | December 14, 2010 at 03:07 PM
"Neither Schram nor Carlson has a page to himself, no blogs, no nothing."
If I were a betting man I would say that Fisher management is going through the motions. Both men have no cut contracts. Why should management do anything other than the minimum until the contracts are up.
MBA - Management By Apathy.
Posted by: Ray | December 14, 2010 at 04:04 PM
Why does Fisher still exist? It's a dinosaur.
Posted by: Sclub | December 14, 2010 at 04:48 PM
I like KOMO as much as ever for the news team... AM and PM.
Carlson in the mornings and Schram here and there when Jessica and her whispery voice come on during Dori's show.
They really do need to hire some kid to maintain a website...
They're missing out in a big way on that one.
Posted by: Rat_Bastard | December 14, 2010 at 08:10 PM
The Fisher guys have this all figured out. See, TV is different. Young people watch TV. But nobody under the age of 50 listens to radio, and nobody over the age of 50 uses that Interwebs thingy.
Right, Bla'M??
Posted by: Pete | December 15, 2010 at 10:22 AM