KOMO (AM) Wikipedia entry obviously written and maintained by Fisher Communications:
In July 1926, KOMO was founded on Harbor Island as KGFA 980 by Birt F. Fisher, whose lease on Seattle radio station KTCL was about to run out, and the Fisher brothers of Fisher Flouring Mills (no relation), who had been on the island since 1911. In preparation for the switch to the new station, he changed KTCL's call letters to KOMO. In December, his lease ended, and he took the call letters with him to KGFA. KOMO 980's first broadcast was December 31, 1926. Studios moved to Downtown in 1927.
We mention the obvious authors of this because it reads like a company brochure. Writing their own Wikipedia entry is standard, smart marketing these days. We didn't fact-check it, and have no reason to believe the validity of the basic facts.
But we laughed when we read the part about their purchase of the Mariners broadcast franchise, there was a major sin of omission:
In late 2002, Fisher Communications announced a six-year contract for Seattle Mariners play-by-play rumored to be worth at least $10 million annually, a record for any Major League Baseball radio broadcast agreement. To shore up the surrounding broadcast schedule, KOMO dropped its talk shows and became an all-news station with reports from an enlarged radio news staff and material from KOMO-TV newscasts.
No mention that at $10 million per season, they paid way, way too much for the broadcast franchise, and took a bath when they lost it to KIRO (Bonneville) in 2008 who paid only $5.5 million per season. It was a major blunder, and one of the reasons - along with the building of the white elephantine Fisher Plaza - that the company's in the shrinking mess it's in today.
We'd expect Fisher (or any company) to spin stuff their way any time they can, but it points to what every newsperson and editor knows: fact-check Wikipedia!
Here are some slogans from KOMO over the years (from Wikipedia w/a little BlatherWatch value-added:
- Early 1970s: "From Vancouver to Vancouver and from the Olympics to the Cascades, this is KOMO Radio 1000!"
- (also) "You're in KOMO Country". Slogan was used with a heavily orchestrated instrumental jingle package from a Canadian studio. The package was called "Big Timber", and was commissioned exclusively for KOMO.
- Early 1980s: "A taste of what you're living for, KOMO AM 1000, Seattle!"
- Early 1990s: "The station you depend on!"
- 2002-2005, 2006-2007: "First For Local News, Traffic and Weather."
- 2005-2006: "The commuter's best friend."
- 2007-2009: "The Northwest's News, Mariners’ Baseball, Traffic and Weather Station."
- 2009–2011: "Everything you need to know ...if you don’t care that much about baseball.”
- 2010-2011: Your radio wall paper
- 2011-present: Come sleep with us!
2009-present: "Radio Afterthought; KOMO 4 News Without the Pictures"
2011-present: "News You'll Never Remember From the Station You'd Rather Forget"
Posted by: Pete | August 20, 2011 at 07:33 AM
At least KOMO is consistent. Except for Saturdays mornings at 10 AM, which is awful!
KIRO 97.3 is shameful on the weekends. Their programs for the most are not local. When they are they are repeats of the week before. My God, what a waste.
Posted by: Bill Wippel | August 20, 2011 at 12:56 PM
And, Bill, they had the best line-up in town at one time.
Posted by: joanie | August 20, 2011 at 05:01 PM
Yes, Joanie. I was there.
Posted by: Bill Wippel | August 20, 2011 at 05:04 PM
Some say that all history is revisionism.
Posted by: AprilMayJune | August 20, 2011 at 10:46 PM
It's time that KOMO Radio cut back on all-news coverage & return to talk, but still have all-news during morning & afternoon drive. If KOMO went back to talk, they could bring Clark Howard, Kim Komando, Phil Hendrie & The Midnight Radio Network back to Seattle Radio.
Posted by: 12th Man | August 24, 2011 at 06:09 PM