BlatherWatch

Don't shit where you eat dep't: Hannity, limbaugh and beck defend bain capital

Gee whiz, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck defending Massachussetts moderate Mitt Romney???

(photo: why is this man smiling?)

They most certainly did, but only after Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry took after Romney's Bain Capital, and its "predatory" business practices.

Turns out, predatory practicin' has been great for Rush, Sean & Glennn: seems... they all work for Bain Capital... who co-owns Clear Channel Communications and their talkers syndicator, Premiere Radio Networks.

What's been the bain of thousands of de-employed radio workers, has be darned good for the few big names.

When we say darn good we shit you not: Premiere signed a $400 million, eight-year syndication deal with Limbaugh in 2008. Hannity got a $100 million radio deal and Beck got $50 million from Premiere that year.

Clear Channel, among many, many other putrid practices buys up small radio stations, fires all the locals, flips them to talk, and beams down their own talent, Limbaugh & all, from the satellites. They've created the entertainment equivalent of Olive Garden all over the country.

If Romney were elected, he'd be the first president who owned Rush Limbaugh, instead of the other way around.  (it won't prevent from kissing Big Pants' nether parts whenever he can ).

 

John curley is redistricted out of the 5th district: is he out at KIRO?

(photo: the Honorable John Curley)

Being outside the compartment, that is the tiny Seattle radio world, may have been the reason John Curley, ((KIROFM sometimes mondays; frequently tues & weds; lots of times thurs; and occasionally, even on fri. 7-10p) blabbed to at least one of his fellow Sammamish City councilmen, that he had decided not to renew his radio contract with KIRO. Another councilman insists it was KIRO who wouldn't renew him.

If true, this comes as a surprise to fello KIROians: "Hope he stays," said one. "I like him." Another told BlatherWatch: "I think he really is an asset to have around - he seems to fill in really well on the other shows - he's still got some name recognition, and his show was doing fine in the ratings, so I don't know why they wouldn't want to keep him around."

But if he does go, seems he won't be forfeiting his down-scaled Sammamish mcmansion and pricey running shoes: "He makes more than anyone at KIRO via his auction work," said another KIRO guy, "so [radio is] not something he needs to feed his family."

It's no secret that we don't like Curley- he's just another depressing example of the dumbing down of KIRO. We don't like his mean, smart-ass, frat-boy air, his puerility and propensity for graphic urinal adventures. (Here's another one of his urban urinal tales, plus a few back zits and a little poo).

Also: he's a goddamn Republican, whom, it was been widely speculated, would run for the Legislature from the 5th District.

Unfortunately for him, Sammamish got redistricted out of the 5th and we're not sure if Curley lives in the 41st or the 45th, but neither would be easy for a silly yet elitist Sammamish Republican who talks about his ass tats on the radio.

Rush and sarah palin agree: romney is "obama's candidate of choice"

We love this: Rush Limbaugh concurred with Palin on the radio Monday:

There is a story on the Drudge Report today from Sarah Palin in which Sarah Palin says that the White House wants Mitt Romney to be the Republican nominee. Now, not only did I tell you that the Broncos were gonna beat the Steelers, for months I have been telling you that the Democrats want Romney — and you all know it. You’ve been listening here and you’ve heard people call me and tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about, that I’m full of it, that they’re scared of Romney. “Romney is the only guy who can win.” And I have said, “No,” and I’ve stood tough, and I’ve said, “They can’t wait for him. What’s Occupy Wall Street all about but running against Romney? He’s the Wall Street guy on our roster — and then Romneycare,” and I’ve laid it all out. So here comes Palin, she says it, and makes news.

He, she are full of shit, of course. The White House has long known Romney is the most formidable candidate (with independents) the GOP's got... he's deeply flawed, but he's not as baggage-burdened as some or out in the deep inner space of the right-wing fringes as the others.

Not sure who Palin & Rush will endorse, but at the moment it's anyone but Romney (author's note: hee-hee).

Dave & luke live from new hampshire

(photo: Luke Burbank (r) getting all the Santorum he can get)

You can sure as hell tell who's the market leader and who's the market loser in the presidential primary season.

We don't have to name the loser, but KIROFM's definitely not it... what with Dave Ross & Luke Burbank (m-f, 9a-12p) reporting live from New Hampshire to the mothership and all of us all weekend, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Bonneville's obviously got the dough these days and is willing to spend it on live & local programming. Good on 'em.

The new tom leykis: 'What we are doing is cutting edge, groundbreaking, exciting, and without limits'.

In an exclusive interview in the Orange County Register, the popular, debased, FM crotchshocker Tom Leykis just might be on to something...

He's announced he's returning to talk April 2 on any or every device ... except radio. He writes:

"Radio doesn't want you to have this show. Tough shit. We will be heard anywhere and everywhere in the world for the first time. This will be a problem for many."

His Tits & Ass radio will be live streamed to his avid fan base from here, and on Facebook sans all the old terrestial impediments, and prudish local station censors.

When we start the new Tom Leykis Show on April 2nd, we will decide where we are heard and where we are not. No more moving time slots (remember Seattle?), no more changing stations (four stations in Portland in 13 years), no more cancellations (New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Diego), no more format changes (Los Angeles and Dallas) and no more cities blacked out (Houston, Atlanta, Boston, Washington, DC, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, and more). 

Leykis lost his show from which he launched his syndicated program when CBS flipped their LA mother station, KLSX from talk to Top 40. He has honored his lucrative non-compete to make talk-talk with CBS; it runs out in March.

He's amused himself in the meantime doing a wine show called The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis for the last seven years, and created a new enterprise called The New Normal, which includes 24/7 Internet music streams.

For all his crude asinity, he's no fool: here are some observations about radio

The truth is that the talk radio that is currently on the air in Southern California primarily attracts an audience over age 45 with a majority of listeners who are 65 and over. I'm not saying that this demographic shouldn't have talk shows to listen to. It's just not what I prefer to be doing at this moment. Our audience is men 18-44. Men under 45 are still looking for talk shows to listen to that speak to them. I'm not saying that I wouldn't ever work in radio. At some point, when the economy improves, someone will realize that there was (and still is) a large audience of tech-savvy younger men who care about more than just sports. And, looking at the recent ratings, not many young men are listening to the sports talk shows that are currently available in Southern California either. Also: over the last three years, I have seen the future and it doesn't include clumsy old technology, static, or patriotic Michael W. Smith concerts. Or infomercials. What we are doing is cutting edge, groundbreaking, exciting, and without limits.

H/T to TC

Ooh-la la: KIRO boots ciscoe morris off sundays

We thought we'd never see it.

Garden guru, hunka-hunka Ciscoe Morris' Sunday show on KIROFM has been unceremoniously composted without notice to listeners?!

He's still on Saturdays from 10a-12p, but the longest-runningest radio show in town has been cut to one day only and the time given to a warmed-over episode of the day before's Tom Douglas and Thierry Rotoraux's new Seattle Kitchen (KIROFM Saturdays, 8-9a; Sundays 10-11a).

Bonneville suits, it is said, caught holy hell from Dori Monson whose quirky show, Ossimodio (Saturdays 2-3p; Sundays 4-5p) had been shoved aside in the original weekend programming plans for Douglas. Apparently Ciscoe lost the fight.

Mitt vs. everybody else, round 2

It's doubtful this 2008 New Hampshire Romney fan on the left is alive this year to vote for Mittens, but no doubt he'd be thrilled to be participating this weekend. There are two debates from the Granite State. One on ABC tonight, and another tomorrow morning on Meet The Press. It's an overdose for junkies, and fisticuffs that could well winnow the GOP field even further.

Old Seattle Radio Saturday: Dick curtis meets the man behind elvis and the dancing chickens

We continue legendary Seattle radio man Dick Curtis' autobiography, Me, Myself & I - We're on the Road Again. He wrote it for family & friends a few years ago, but has availed it to BlatherWatch. The book is fascinating glimpse, not only into early rock 'n' roll radio, but even more into the business of talent management and concert promotion in an incredible, crazypants time to be there: the 1960's, '70's and '80's.

This installment finds Dick doing advance work for an Elvis Concert in Tucson in 1976. To put it into context: It was his third, at least, comeback attempt, it was the fat Elvis, and a year before his death.

The biggest act that Jerry Weintraub and Concerts West partnered together was Elvis Presley! [...] Colonel Tom Parker was Elvis’ lifetime manager and [all of ] the business with Elvis was done without a contract. The largest rock ‘n roll act in the world and his concert business was conducted by a handshake!

I never will forget a day in Tucson, Arizona where an Elvis Presley concert was about to go on sale. I was sent to oversee the presale.

Elvis wouldn’t be appearing for weeks but fans were lined up for blocks just to get a ticket on this day. There were so many people that Colonel Parker actually hired concession venders to work the ticket sale lines.

I heard him barking to the venders, “Now, holler real loud. Make ‘em hear you. If you do you’ll make a lot of money and money ain’t easy to come by these days.”

I could only chuckle to myself. The Colonel was putting the same show on sale in twenty-three cities this day and they would all be sold out in a matter of hours. Yup, money isn’t easy to come by these days unless your name was Colonel Parker...

The Colonel had gotten his start in show business with his “dancing chickens.” He made the rounds as a carnival attraction, “Colonel Parker and his Dancing Chickens.” How DID he do it? How could he train those chickens to dance like that? It really wasn’t that the chickens were all that talented. They were just trying to survive. See, the good Colonel had them dancing on a hot plate.

(photo: The Colonel with his only client, 1969)

Parker arrived in this country as an illegal alien from Holland. That’s the reason Elvis never appeared outside the country. While I was working out of the Weintraub office in L-A, a Japanese promoter offered a million dollars for Presley to appear in Japan. The offer was turned down. Had Parker gone out of the country, he wouldn’t have been able to get back in. Elvis only ventured as far away from the mainland as Hawaii to perform.

Hannity, Trump predict obama will start a war with iran to get re-elected

Gleeky Republican scum Sean Hannity (KTTH m-f, 4-7p) last night passed along Donald Trump's accusitive prediction that President Obama would start a war with Iran to wag-the-dog just in time to help him win the 2012 election. (Ironically, this crowd usually bashes the President because he HASN'T started a war with Iran).  

 

“I say he starts a war with Iran before the election which will make it very hard for the Republican to win,” Donald Trump predicted (again) on Hannity’s radio show yesterday morning. “I think it’s going to happen.” On Fox News Channel, Hannity put the question to his guests:

Ed schultz to liberal listeners: 'shut-up!'

Ed Shultz (KTPK m-f, 12-3p) has had it up to here with audiences who expect him to be fair & balanced in the Fox News mode.