Another local conservative has gone.
In case you didn't notice, former local teevee star, John Curley is yucking it up tonight with ol' buddy Mike West about Justion Bieber in the 7-10p hour on KIROFM.
Frank Shiers didn't get to say goodbye to his dozens of listeners: Curley and West just appeared, blabbing away as if they'd always been there.
C'est la vida loca in radie-yo.
Frank Shiers, if anything, was loyal. An oldies DJ on KBSG, he started doing fill-ins and voice-overs on KIRO in about 2005, and over the years had several evening shows, and lots of fill-ins.
With one of the most exuberant fake laughs in the business, Frank put a lot into his show. Obviously not enough.
He's one more live & local right-wing talker to have shuffled the coil in the Seattle market. Frank was the penultimate conservative on KIROFM, leaving only Dori Monson (m-f, 12-3).
This isn't the first radio obit we've written for Frank, and probably won't be the last.
Frank Shiers must really
Really hate teaching.
Posted by: Andrew | February 17, 2011 at 12:23 AM
Actually Frank Shires actually moderated some of his extreme views -but was still a right winger for sure.Dori Monson must be pretty nervous about now-with the wholesale rejection of right wing talk in the Seattle market. I heard Dori actually quantify his listeners as around 25000 for his show-peanuts!! I can't listen to this guy anymore-just continuous whining and this guy is all over the place.I hope he is shown the door too.
Posted by: Kyle Mesherscmitt | February 17, 2011 at 01:22 AM
His last show on Tuesday night -he was laughing hysterically about a shoplifter who was so fat(5'2" and 400 pounds) she got stuck trying to leave a store with stolen merchandise .At least he had a good laugh on his way out.
Posted by: Kyle Mesherscmitt | February 17, 2011 at 01:43 AM
If Monson agrees to get tasered again... I might listen to his show. Or jump out of an airplane, but no parachutes. Parachutes are for pussies. I want to hear him yell about how wasteful public toilets are while falling from 8,000 feet. Then he can count me as a listener.
Posted by: Andrew | February 17, 2011 at 02:00 AM
I was tired of hearing Frank's hard on for Amanda knox.
I hope Dumb and Dumber be shown the door also. As Frank would say "Yeah, yeah, yeah..." an annoying trait of Frank.
Posted by: Frank Said Stupid Things | February 17, 2011 at 02:22 AM
I use to enjoy Frank more the first time around. He worked Sat nites too and I was on the road 6 nites a week and enjoyed some of the guests he had on (lawyer for Martinac Shipbuilding talking about the old steel ferries for one).
His last show had changed with very few if any callers getting to be put on the air. I laughed when I would hear him say at start of the show here our number and you can call in. I would call and no one would answer.
I did get tired of the comments about his daughter over the years about how the sun rised and set etc. etc.
More recently I noticed they would replay after 9:30 pm news break an interview that was on the show in the first hour. Never telling the listeners that we're gonna replay the interview from earlier this evening; so I would turn off his show.
From the mynw.com website:
"John's passionate about the news, an amazing storyteller and the ultimate entertainer," said Ryan Hatch, Bonneville Seattle Operations Manager. "We're excited to add him to 97.3 KIRO FM's collection of distinctive Northwest voices."
The John Curley Show will give the day's most interesting news stories a unique perspective and a shot of adrenaline.
"I can't wait to have an open, honest, pull no punches discussion of the local and national news stories of the day," stated Curley.
I listened to some of his show and was not impressed with his "passion for news". Some things he talked about after Ron & Don had, although Mike West added some additonal comments or details not told on Dumb and Dumber show.
I didn't really hear anything discussed related to local and national stories of the day. But of course I didn't listen to the entire show.
But you can already tell that callers won't be calling in and able to voice their opinions.
Same as 710 ESPN when I heard on Groz's show one day his cohost filling in and told a guest: "We don't take calls from the listeners"
I will try listening a few more times and if it's the same old crap as Wednesday's show, I will be turning off KIRO FM at nite and listening to other stations.
Posted by: Tacoma Listener on the road | February 17, 2011 at 04:56 AM
I didn't agree with any of Frank's political views, but I do think he was a pretty good host on KIRO.
The one thing I liked was you could always count on Frank talking about what I thought were the important stories in the region. And usually having guests on who could add some insight on those stories.
I think he tried too hard to be funny and hip, but he did good interviews and was pleasant.
John Curley, to me, is just a loud-mouth goofball who has no real opinions on issues or even cares about issues.
Maybe this is the stuff that works in the ratings game now. But, just like adding a nitwit to Dave Ross, this is more of the super dumbing-down of a once great station.
Posted by: Itchy | February 17, 2011 at 05:20 AM
If KIRO has to have a conservative on the staff, they should have ditched Dori and kept Frank.
He could occasionally be reasonable. Dori, not so much.
Posted by: Don | February 17, 2011 at 07:05 AM
I think KIRO is at the beginning stage of a major overhaul.
It's hard to believe that Ross will keep kid kid sidekick. That used to be a more serious 3 hours.
Dori will stay because he's controversial.
It amazes me that R&D that once replaced Webb for the night show continue to stay on this station. The show is just bad.
Shiers was OK but Curley is a goof ball that's been handed everything in his life. I give hime 3-6 months.
Posted by: Dick | February 17, 2011 at 07:22 AM
do you notice how Dori has never congratulated Luke Burbank for his comeback on KIRO , wrangling equal billing with Dave Ross on the show.....its possible he did on Luke's first day but i seriously doubt it.....still cant stand Luke, but there seems to be some jealousy there with the wee-membered one.....he sure let us know that "his girls" are going to state though, trying to play the humble man act.....the "humbleness" didn't really seem too believable...
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 17, 2011 at 07:53 AM
Frank is over 50. I remind you again of the staff meeting KIRO's PD had last year in which he ordered everyone UNDER 45 to stand up and be counted. Several full-time employees came from that action. It was also noted who stayed SEATED. None of those employees was given a full-time job, and several have been let go. The Hatchet has it out for people older than him. Is this an LDS mandate? They don't let Mormons sing in the choir after 50. Maybe they're trickling this philosophy down. Ya'll are overthinking this for any other reason.
Posted by: Stillhandsome | February 17, 2011 at 08:07 AM
ohhhh. i get it.......Dori must be nervous about KIRO'a ultimate intentions........he knows Luke's listeners willl eventually be sick of Dave's parental, correct English , with no "likes" and other hipster flairs, as will Dave's listeners become sick to death of the fake college kid. Dori's thinking ahead , to the daywhen the suits decide to split up the team and give Luke the Dorrster's slot. Nervous as a longtailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 17, 2011 at 08:14 AM
ok.... i believe Dori let it slip in his talk with Bertha Davis, his old fifth grade teacher that he was around 48. Someone said his contrace expires in a year or two......do the math, kids......Luke Burbank is definitely under 45 , isn't he?,,,,,that speech that Hatch made asking those under 45 to stand up reminds ome of the Soviet Union or China under the Cultural Revolution...repulsive and creepy....Hatch may i be the first to call you out as an asshole?....thank you.... i know ...you wish there weren't pesky little blogs and "stillhandsome" types that expose your little meetings...and you could just lay all of us off....with security escorting us out the door.. sorry, Hatch.... you sick little prick....
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 17, 2011 at 08:26 AM
Stillhandsome: I call bullshit on your "everyone under 45 stand up and be counted" rumor.
They would never be so transparent about their age discrimination. If they are going to axe the elderly, they'll do so under the guise of 'different direction' or 'poor performance.'
They might hate the gays and the libs and the niggers, but they're smart business people and would not open themselves up so easily for a lawsuit.
Posted by: Itchy | February 17, 2011 at 08:27 AM
The meeting happened. I have witnesses who concur. Take it for what you may. Unless "Itchy"....you're feeling itchy under the collar because you realized too late what was going on in that meeting.
Posted by: Stillhandsome | February 17, 2011 at 08:30 AM
Funny how I've bashed Frank over the years, and then feel sorry for him now.
(Don't think I'd feel that way about R&D)
I didn't realize that the new show would be "Curley and friends", but he didn't host on his own in the fill in times recently did he?
This whole clown car show stuff is awful.
Dori is still "the host", and I really like Jake.
(Always enjoyed hearing him with Bose)
Bringing in Jessica is horrible, only because of her voice and gushy fawning over Dori.
Wouldn't be so bad if there was a less annoying news person in the day.
Oh well, KIRO is obviously doing what they think works for them.
I still hear a bit of Dave Ross...
Too bad KIRO din't leave Dave alone and put Luke in Frank's place.
Posted by: Rat_Bastard | February 17, 2011 at 09:11 AM
i'm seriously believing now that thhe whole Ross and Burbank thing is simply a way to groom Luke a bit more until he takes over Dori's show, as soon as Monson's contract expires which people have said is fairly soon. I think Dori jumped the shark with his last summers Ethiopian funeral in Key Arena protest . A serious error in judgement by someone at the height of his hubris and feelings of omnipotence at the station . He truly embarrassed the Mormons, who obviously told him to knock it off in no uncertain terms. When in the past have you ever heard Monson drop a pet peeve subject cold without so much as a whimper about it in the weeks to follow.
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 17, 2011 at 09:25 AM
The Mormons may hate "the niggers", women, and men over 50, but they want to be thought of as community good guys. No way do they want to be associated with a petty, meanspirited campaign against a generous municipal gesture of compassionate accomodation to one of the city's hardworking immigrant communities, in their time of grief and need.
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 17, 2011 at 09:33 AM
also there is Michael's perceptive point about the local and live rightwing talkers now following like dominoes in the Seatle market. Wilbur,...Suits.. Boze.......Shiers.........................
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 17, 2011 at 10:02 AM
I would like to listen to John Curley and Jessica Goddesman.
I think they work well together
Posted by: m g | February 17, 2011 at 10:08 AM
Ryan mentioned in his in-house e-mail that KTTH is a destination for Frank. That must be where Bonneville sends its old horses nowadays. Tony Miner was similarly dispatched to “The Truth,” albeit as assistant program director. My question is, what programs are there to direct – or assistant direct – at KTTH?
Posted by: bmoc | February 17, 2011 at 10:16 AM
Dori often floats a subject and then drops it when people respond with revulsion to him. The other day he started complaining about the statue of the man who stopped a mob from chasing the Chinese out of Seattle. I wrote him an email calling him "disgusting" and saying that he would have been part of the mob. The subject never came up again.
Posted by: David Tatelman | February 17, 2011 at 11:08 AM
@ mg +1. John and Jessica together are magic to my ears. At least they got John on the station. That's the first step.
Posted by: Tarses | February 17, 2011 at 11:22 AM
I think John Curley is 48 y/o btw.
Posted by: Andrew | February 17, 2011 at 12:13 PM
you may have a point about Goddesman (Gottesman actually but i like your spelling).Not one of her fans, but she would fit with him whereas another smartass cocky white guy teamed up with Curley is certain death for the show, assuming that the presence of Curley alone isnt enough to kill it, which is by no means a given. Curley 2
Posted by: Tommy008 | February 17, 2011 at 12:46 PM
Itchy: I'd love to know more about this "stand-up" meeting by Hatch. Do you have any other evidence to back this up? I mean, that is a HUGE lawsuit waiting to happen and I'm surprised no one has done it yet. If they were really targeting those over 45, then most of the staff would be gone including Ross, Reutin, Bosch, Upshaw (he's not 40), Tagney, Haeck----I mean, that's a lot of talent right there. But if you can provide more to this claim, it's something for The Times, The PI, Crosscut or even Weekly/Stranger to investigate, if not the state.
Posted by: JimF | February 17, 2011 at 01:49 PM
Another point: Is there any other business in this country (maybe TV, but besides "media) in which you are working your 8-hour day, 2 PM - 10 PM (and, yes, Shiers did work 8 hours a day which included prep, production, research, etc. He just didn't show up at 6:59 pm and sit in the chair unprepared) and then when you leaving just after 10 PM, you find that your boss has driven from his home to the office to wait for you and call you into his office---WITH another senior staff member (this being the News Director) and telling you that you're being relieved of your current duties and are now part-time? Not a meeting 2 weeks prior to this date to make amicable for all concerned? Just, "Hey, I need to talk to you before you go."
And what other business tolerates open sexual harassment and hostile work environments in the cause of sales/high ratings? Such is the case of R&D? They do not have the highest rated show in NW and they have caused a lot of staff personnel a lot of anguish.
Posted by: JimF | February 17, 2011 at 01:54 PM
I don't feel bad for them because they're fighting for finite air time. They all know if they're arent exceptional they're going to take you out in hopes of installing someone who will be.
And it's obviously heavily based on trial and error. They give people like Goldy a show with the best of intentions, hoping it will work, knowing it might not.
That's why you know it has to be tough for Shiers to be perpetualy sub par, to be continuously replaced with try outs.
Posted by: Andrew | February 17, 2011 at 02:16 PM
Frank Shiers was boring. Enough said.
Posted by: Tim | February 17, 2011 at 03:39 PM
This continuing quest for a dog and pony show in this time slot that will get ratings is truly entertaining. First you have the smug, entitled Gen-Y nightmare that was TBTL, then Frank's show (which I happened to really like - I know, I am boring!) and now CURLEY? The mind boggles.
Posted by: rk | February 17, 2011 at 03:48 PM
I had no idea what Shiers's politics are; my objection was that every time I tried to listen to him, it was the most boring radio I'd ever heard. Stunningly dull.
Posted by: william williamson | February 17, 2011 at 04:24 PM
"...and telling you that you're being relieved of your current duties and are now part-time?"
Posted by: JimF
JimF really seems to know the details...
So, is Frank still employed at KIRO then?
I'd like to know more about how much these people really earn...
I keep hearing how the talk radio biz is dying, but the local shows are starting to have 2 hosts instead of 1, along with everything else that goes into it.
Can a duo really attract enough listeners to make up for the cost?
Posted by: Rat_Bastard | February 17, 2011 at 04:35 PM
Forget it!
Goddessman will not work the 7pm show. She races out of the studio at 630pm in her MDX toward Tiger Mountain. She has kids and needs to kiss as to her 2nd husband the sugar daddy doctor.
Posted by: KIRO Know-It-All | February 17, 2011 at 04:45 PM
Wow, you out-weird our years worth of Dori obsession in one short little post of no more than 30 words. You're a true freak my friend.
Posted by: Andrew | February 17, 2011 at 05:03 PM
E-mail discussion between Frank and me when he was decrying everybody slamming on Sarah Palin about her TV show. Frank admitted he had never watched the show but defended her as if he was her white knight. I think he has read her book however as he quoted one of her embellishments. Work your way up from the bottom:
Frank,
You need to watch the show. No she does not know how to use a firearm. I am a firearms enthusiast and it pains me to see her behavior. It gives gun enthusiasts a black eye.
When she is handed the weapon and asks if it kicks you know what that means? It means she has no time with it on the range or elsewhere.
It may be well documented but that does not make it true. I suspected it in an over embellishment to the extreme.
I saw the one with them fishing. Their trailer had lost a wheel but that didn't stop them using it with 3 wheels and no brakes to tow a commercial fishing skiff to Bristol Bay. Brilliant example of responsibility.
The fishing business is Todd's and he sells directly to a Seattle based buyer. In 07 it grossed about 50k. 15k in profit. That's part time work.
-----Original Message-----
From: Frank Shiers [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2010 1:07 PM
To: Me
Subject: RE: Sarah Palin
Hi,
Palin has been hunting and fishing with her family for years. It's well-documented. In fact, she and her husband have a fishing company up there. I can't speak to her competence with a weapon. But, she certainly knows how to use one.
Frank
________________________________________
From: Me
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2010 11:28 AM
To: Frank Shiers
Subject: Sarah Palin
You really need to watch the show. I love the outdoors and she is a fish out of water out there. The "hunting" episode was the last straw. She does not carry a rifle in the field, somebody else loads it for her, she cracks off several errant rounds, takes a shot at a trotting animal, and finally when handed a rifle (loaded, safety off) she sticks her finger through the trigger guard immediately upon handling the weapon. This was all show. She is no hunter or outdoors person. She is merely another suburban person that happens to live on a lake in Alaska. She is a phony.
Posted by: drool | February 17, 2011 at 05:23 PM
@Rat Bastard - Yes, Frank is still employed at KIRO, although only as a p/t, on-call, fill-in, production person. Could he be a replacement for John Gibson at KTTH? It would make sense, but financially, Gibson doesn't cost them anything---and they have a person who landed a 3-hour drive-time talk show literally out of "The Peter Principle" and he is now doing only an hour (which they should really call it "The David Boze Hour" instead of "Show") so I can't see them adding any more live bodies to KTTH.
I'll listen again to Curley-West--but neither of them have enough talk show skills to handle the format (despite West's claim of '30 years in radio'. Well, Mr. West, 30 years of being a "DJ" cannot prepare you for a talk show--it's a totally different beast and Mr. Shiers can tell you that) I'll listen to them again, but if it's anything like last night.....I just can't see how it can succeed. John Curlye is NOT a hard-hitting interviewer or a person of news analysis.
Posted by: JimF | February 17, 2011 at 05:25 PM
There is no replacement for John Gibson.
I'm actually surprised that Bose still has the one hour unless it helps the other blocks line up.
Syndications seems the KTTH method now.
The local hour is sentimental and all...
I miss the "Weisbach hour".
I'll check in on Curley one of these days...
Does this mean that we'll be hearing him do a bunch of ads now?
Posted by: Rat_Bastard | February 17, 2011 at 05:56 PM
That's my suspicion about Radke and the KUOW staff who have one hour shows. I bet talk radio is a lot like flying, where skill has a relation to logged hours, and I think someone who has spent 20 years doing one hour at a time isn't going to be as skilled as someone who spent ten years doing three hours every day. I have to imagine Luke Burbank is getting sharper and sharper doing roughly four hours of radio each day.
Posted by: Andrew | February 17, 2011 at 05:58 PM
i cannot stand those kiro commercials about dan in fed way or slut in maple valley on her way to the massage parlor etc ..i turn radio off everytime!!
Posted by: franco popular | February 17, 2011 at 07:48 PM
This may still be try-out time for Curley but he's already failed when he was filling in for Ross with Brodeur. He was dominating and dumb. And he was a conservative without any doubt. He made some really stupid remarks about people. I listened for about a day and the next morning for about half-an-hour and that was enough. Goofball and conservative spoiled boy.
I don't these guys work eight hours. Maybe six. What is there to do for eight hours with tree on the air? Their producers do most of the work. If they want to sound knowledgeable at all, I supposed they have to watch the news shows and read the papers and online stuff. Jim F., what the heck do they do? Let's be serious here.
Also, I thought age and sex discrimination was illegal. I don't think anybody will sue - it has to be the offended person. But asking people about their ages sounds risky at least.
Posted by: joanie | February 17, 2011 at 09:48 PM
@joanie - What do they do? OK, let's review. A good host would get into work and, as we all do, take care of admin work (emails, meetings, etc). Then they need to determine WHAT is the topic of the day. Keep in mind that Frank often talked about and to news makers who would be relevant THE NEXT DAY so that the morning news show would have content to work with. So not only did he have to determine what "the" topic was for the evening, but it also determine what was going to be talked about the next morning.
As for "producers do all the work"....child, please. Producers are not the ones who are the air. Producers can make the calls and book the guests and do some production (if they are capable working with Audio Vault and News Boss), but the HOST is the one who has to read, research topics and come up with a unique opinion--or "angle"--to take on the issue. And then he/she has to build upon that in terms of a monologue or argument to support his/her case. That's the hook to getting callers to chime in.
And, as a host, you have to be armed with enough material and topics to take you through a 3/4 hour show. One topic may take off like wildfire and go the full show while another that you felt SURE would be barn burner just goes flat. As a host, you have to know when to make the call to "move on" to something else.
Frank--and all good hosts--did their homework and read opposing viewpoints so they would not be caught flat-footed on not knowing a critical part of the issue (which you often hear most hosts, including R&D and most of the guys over at KIRO AM try to do the job by the seat of their pants). So, YES, it's a full 3/4 hours of prep and then into the studio to get the phones going and draw in listeners.
Posted by: JimF | February 17, 2011 at 11:36 PM
It irks me that Bill Radke bills himself on his blog as "THE Voice of the KIRO Morning News."
So what is Linda? Chopped Liver?
Posted by: JimF | February 17, 2011 at 11:38 PM
I think Frank sounded plenty prepared. I wouldn't count that as one of his weak spots, the problem was his personality, he didn't sound genuine, and if he was genuine, he'd be more likeable yet it would also be clear that he belonged in the Tri Cities, not Seattle.
Here's an upset for you, I believe Luke Burbank is the least prepared of all the hosts. He sounds prepared for maybe the first 20 minutes, then he's just winging it, working the thesaurus to sound more astute than he really is. He's still an asset to the show either way.
I agree with JimF, Linda Thomas upstages Radke so badly it hurts. She's blatantly more informed about nearly everything, she speak clearer, louder. I think we're all just supposed to play along and pretend Radke is a leading male figure with gravit.. gravit..taaa..
Including Burbank, I think all the NPR people who come over to commercial radio just aren't prepared for the work load. They go from 2 minute prepared sound bites to three hard hours of wall to wall blabber.
Posted by: Andrew | February 18, 2011 at 02:43 AM
None of these talk shows works an 8-hour day. Oh, you might hear them bellyache about all the 'show prep' they have to do, but really, it's bullshit.
Maybe the old Dave Ross did hours of show prep. But how much show prep does a John Curly or a Luke Burbank have to do?
Now if you want to count reading some news websites and watching Letterman and American Idol and TIVOing Jimmy Fallon, maybe they work 8 hours. But, hell, we all watch TV and look at news websites. Is that work?
KIRO has become the chit-chat station. Even the morning news is often just Bill and Linda chit-chatting. That's followed by Dave having to chit-chat with Burbank. Then Dori's newsgal and producer chit-chat with him. Ron and Don chit-chat. Now more chit-chat at night.
Maybe that's what listeners want.
97.3, Chit-Chat FM.
Posted by: Itchy | February 18, 2011 at 04:38 AM
Dori brags that he works 60-80 hour weeks at times up until 3am preparing for his show.
What the hell is he doing? Surfing the web?
Posted by: KIRO Know-It-All | February 18, 2011 at 06:44 AM
Sorry, Jim. I podcast some shows: without ads they are hardly 3/4 hour of radio. I believe Ross' podcasts came in around twenty minutes per hour? Can that be right? I haven't podcast since Luke joined so I"m not sure but I think that's what it was. Been a long time since you've worked in radio? Have you at all?
And your answer reinforced that the producers do the work. The rest is catching up on the news of the day. I like to have five hours to catch up on the news of the day. That would be called a vacation.
Posted by: joanie | February 18, 2011 at 08:15 AM
Itchy, Joanie..child, please. It's amazing that you know what goes into doing a daily talk show when neither one of you have ever done it.
Posted by: JimF | February 18, 2011 at 08:25 AM
I don't believe you have either.
Posted by: joanie | February 18, 2011 at 08:42 AM
Try 20 years of experience in two major markets (including Seattle).
Anyways, what I'm saying is that hosts often do work beyond their on air shift, but in some cases their compensation is based on one thing: ratings and revenue.
Posted by: JimF | February 18, 2011 at 09:42 AM
I liked listening to Frank when i was in my car during the evenings. At least he had genuine topics to discuss. Much more interesting than the other hosts. Speaking of the other hosts, someone needs to get Dori a big sign to carry with a big finger pointing at him saying "LOOK AT ME". That's all I ever get from anything he has to say.
Posted by: NoiseMan | February 18, 2011 at 10:05 AM