Rumors and intenuendo are flying about the late, great KQBZ (The Buzz) which Wednesday stopped buzzing with Tom Leykis, Robin & Maynard and BJ Shea and turned into "The Woof," a no DJ's, no interruptions, shit-kicker iPod.
(Entercom reportedly put in for the call numbers: "KKWF" for the new country station, though no one's sure when or if that will happen). They're trying to compete or at least shave off a few points from the twangy market leader, KMPS, which would push KIRO up higher. They're calling it "the biggest battle in country radio."
Friday was the first day of the rest of Mike Siegel's life- at least on Entercom Seattle. He was booted from his morning drive show late Thursday despite his startling performance doing the James Brown at a KTTH event Wednesday night turned so many heads.
Rookies, Dan Sytman and Dave Boze were installed and started on the morning drive (m-f, 5-9a) this very morning.
Entercom's "happy holidays" firings and reshuffles with KTTH and The Buzz are so in tune with all their warm & fuzzy employee policies and state of the art public relations. It's just a big corporate way of saying: "Merry Xmas to all and to all a fuck you." We're pretty sure there'll be further changes soon for Entercom's mixed format talker KIRO. Most think New York Vinnie's (m-f, 6-9p) days are numbered; many believe the station could do better putting up a syndicated show than by continuing to pay Mike Webb, (m-f, 9p-1a) the big bucks; the weekends are dragging with Erin Hart (Sat. & Sun. 9p-1a and Frank Shiers (Sat.7-9p & Sun. 4-7p). Wonder if KIRO/KTTH employees will regret dumping their union last spring, as the company presses its advantage unencumbered by arbitrated rules?
Many on the local and national radio trade message boards, and speaking to BlatherWatch think these two events are intertwined. The town's thrumming with gossip and speculation- things BlatherWatch has always been happy to provide.
Probably the most popular rumor is that that Boze and Sytman are cheap fillers-in stuck in the Siegel programming hole until there's a reformat. Entercom will forge a KTTH into which Tom Leykis could fit.
There are reasons for this speculation. Leykis has always done well, here and has left it wide open. Even though he's been sentenced to late night taped delay on Entercom's KISW, his website profers no outrage, instead: "Our Seattle home has been BLOWN UP!!! Be sure to check back frequently for news (italics ours). Leykis has deep ties to the city- he was even sucker-punched by a fan here a few years ago- a show of affection bestowed on very few in our fair city.
KTTH stole Limbaugh from KVI in 2003 in a stroke that was supposed kill off the Fisher conservative talker. Apparently self-satisfied, (self-satisfaction is their corporate specialty) with that coup, Entercom management stopped maintaining the station- especially after KIRO started having problems.
They kept Siegel way to long; and never hired a local talent to compete with John Carlson in the afternoon. During the long post-election debate and attempt to unseat Governor Gregoire, KVI jocks Wilbur and Carlson were getting national attention, and sucked up the local talk oxygen. Besides Siegel, who never had good numbers at any time, KTTH had only syndicated shows not dealing with the highly charged local issues.
The start-up with such high aspirations became a life support system for Rush Limbaugh, they let it tank, and eventually even Rush's numbers evaporated, too.
Just as everyone has a belly button, everyone has an opinion. Here are just a few of what we're hearing, and reading: pick the one[s] you like:
~~KTTH is dead, If they were going to keep conservative talk, you'd see a serious effort to attract major morning talent, not hiring a couple of novices who work very, very cheap."
~~They'll need a place to run Leykis live, KTTH has the signal. Slap some sports, sex and guy talk around it and you have a Leykis vehicle after Rush moves to KIRO.
~~Rush will move to KIRO mornings.
~~Dave Ross will move back to KIRO mornings.
~~Maybe the odd KTTH weekend show here and there could survive the move [form KTTH to KIRO]. At least one other KTTH show could move to KIRO as well, somebody like Laura Ingraham or someone else they don't want KVI to grab. Slap one of these on KIRO at night, save money and get better ratings than Vinnie or Mike Webb.
~~Let Mike Webb spin the oldies on KBSG and make Mike Siegel clean-up around the station, let David Goldstein take the night shift.
~~With KTTH getting virtually no numbers in the afternoons anyway, Leykis will clear live on KTTH as soon as next week. O'Reilly to 7pm, Savage moves to overnights, Laura Ingraham goes the way of Siegel.
~~Medved can and will go to KKOL, probably along with Ingraham (live).
We wish we knew what will happen. We're pretty sure plenty will in a short time. Don't touch that dial- you'll know as soon as we do...
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