BlatherWatch

KIRO changes, continued!

Dribs and drabs of inside information are arriving in our mailbox about the significant changes at KIRO FM.  We often remind our loyal readers that no one approaches the level of "insiderness" that Mr. Hood has enjoyed. We wander the vast wasteland of news about raydeeoh until we unearth tasty nuggets. One such nugget was written by Chris Miller, owner of Chris Miller Digital, is a leading radio consultant specializing in research-based strategic planning and smart use of digital media.

He weighs in on radio in general and KIRO's changes specifically:

"SHAKER HEIGHTS –I can tell that we radio folks are more stressed out than ever, because I’ve been in on a few conversations recently where the subject was how people out there don’t understand the value of radio anymore.  That’s a change from the previous sentiment, which was that we just needed to get more compelling content on our websites and in our social media.  The feeling seems to be now that we have to make potential fans and clients understand what we’re all about, and what we offer.

Then, I see here in TALKERS (10/17) last Wednesday that Bonneville in Seattle is putting one of their key on-air people “in the driver’s seat for bringing unique, local content to both KIRO-FM and the company’s digital space, MyNorthwest.com.”  So wrap your head around this.  Linda Thomas, who’s been part of KIRO-FM’s morning drive news block … that’s morning drive in the 13^th largest market … is moving online.  That’s a real commitment on Bonneville’s part.

Linda’s a quality journalist and a solid radio pro.  This is a dramatic move, but not just because of the digital commitment.  This is also about integrating content across platforms in a way that listeners expect; but that a lot of us in radio simply don’t get yet.

For example, if you go to KIRO’s website, you’ll find news.  That page was full of nothing but news when I looked at it!  It reminded me of the front page of a newspaper.  I think that’s good.  Meanwhile, I looked at the website of another well-programmed station in that format.  I did find some news.  However, there was almost as much front-page content about all the contests they were running.  There were also links to viral, non-news videos, and their “hot babe” galleries.  More and more smart digital buyers have learned to hate those hot babe galleries.  I fear it’s going to reflect on us negatively as an industry, instead of just those stations that have them.

So I’m not saying don’t talk about your contests online.  Don’t give them prime, front page real estate that you don’t give to whatever makes you unique and mass appeal.  That applies to all formats.  If I’m a country fan and I love your country station, I’m assuming that I can go to your website and get caught up on news and fun stuff about country music, as well as the funny things your morning show said that I missed.  Galleries of cute pets and hot firefighters?  Not so much.

You may be getting web hits on those cute pets, but they’re empty calories.  They’re doing nothing to truly build your brand.

If you’re that country radio station, your big fans expect to find great country content at your website.  They assume your social media will be chock-full of special news about your station as well as country music.  They sign up for your emails or texts so that they can learn exclusive information about you, and get extra access to the music they love.  That’s why KIRO’s move is so beautiful.  They’re focused on delivering content that relates to what people love about KIRO on all their platforms.  That’s what your heaviest listeners want!

Once you do that, then you can start recycling folks from your broadcast to your social media to your website in a powerful way.  Not all web hits are created equal.  It’s the ones from the people who love your brand that count the most."

As mentioned earlier on BW, Bill Radke is leaving with no hard feelings. From his KIRO page he says:

"You may have heard that Seattle's Morning News is doing a reboot. John Curley will be your morning host, bringing his vitality and intelligence to the mornings. I'm a huge Curley fan.

Linda Thomas will leave the show to become KIRO Radio's Senior Features Reporter and Digital Journalist. She'll continue her fantastic, award-winning News Chick blog and file original web reports on parenting, politics, technology and trends - whatever captures her limitless imagination. She is a jewel in every way.

I'll be moving to another local radio station where I intend to steal all the secrets to KIRO's success: deliver the news and connect the dots through the eyes of thinkers and talkers, from the meaningful to the offbeat, bringing you what's most interesting right now.

KIRO is a Northwest treasure and I'll treasure the friendships I've made here. Thank you for listening, emailing and posting here. Oh, and to my friend Tom Tangney: Tom, I want you to know that I'm about to sleep in for a month. Jealous much?"

 

We will be watching the morning drive time ratings very closely to see what Seattle thinks about Curly's style and brand of humor----before they have had that first cup of coffee.

 

Odds and Ends: KIRO and Savage

 

As posted by others here, KIRO FM has shuffled the deck chairs once again this week.  Gone is Bill Radke, but he isn't saying where, but evidently on good terms "I'll be moving to another local radio station where I intend to steal all the secrets to KIRO's success".

  In his place, John Curley moves from 7-10p to host "Seattle's Morning News". Curley's old time slot will be "KIRO Radio at Night".  Also gone from the morning news is the honey voiced Linda Thomas, who will stay with KIRO in a 'digital presence' as stated: "She has been named Senior Features Reporter and Digital Journalist for KIRO Radio and MyNorthwest.com."

Curley will be partnered up with current AM drive co-host Tom Tangney and news anchor Ursula Reutin.

 

Michael Savage (Weiner) has signed a deal with Cumulus Media, terms of the contract are not available but according to Talkers , Savage' deal would have his program distributed 9-12p ET. 

 

Savage states in the release, “Cumulus and Savage will make radio history.  The turbulent times we live in give talk radio a new power.  This is the biggest move of my radio career and I look forward to reaching many millions of new listeners on their flamethrower signals.”  No word yet on any affiliates in the NW that may pick up Savage Nation.  Cumulus owned stations in Savage's own Bay Area like KGO and KSFO already have either news blocks or another show in that time slot.

Radio odds and ends

Thanks to our faithful reader BT for his head's up on some local raydeeoh news:

"KOMO radio weekend anchor Val Stouffer has resigned to take a full-time gig at KIRO FM. For Val, it's a homecoming, of sorts. She formerly anchored the KIRO Afternoon News with Tony Miner, but was fired when the station jettisoned the 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. news-block in Jan. 2005. In the ensuing years, Val did fill-in at KPLU and KZOK before moving to KOMO.

 KOMO has also cut Gary Burleigh's weekend sportscasts, opting for canned sports from Total Traffic (formerly Metro Traffic). Gary brought a seasoned broadcaster's personality, energy and style to the weekend programming, (and notwithstanding the fact that he's an old friend, it seems a shortsighted, cheap decision) .

John Curley and KIRO get taken in by con-man

Faithful readers are the backbone of this blog, and sometimes, one of them is kind enough to send stories our way. Just such a story ended up in the inbox late last night. (hat tip to SBW)

Read this from " Anatomy of a Tragedy-Ponzi schemes and faith. " 

by Joynt D. Case

People I’d like to talk with…

The public records in this case raise more questions than they answer.  But they certainly raise some interesting questions. If somebody granted me access to a few of the people in the public record, and gave me the right to ask them just a couple of questions each, there are a few tempting places to spend those questions. 

There’s John Curley, a Seattle talk show host who hosted Dan Gaub [ a foreign currency exchange trader]  on his show in the spring of 2011. Part of their exchange carries deep irony, because they invite listeners to contact Dan if they want to be among his students who quit their job and become financially independent. 

Dan: It would be an honor to have somebody come from this listening audience, whether it’s via the Internet or live in the Seattle area, and say “I heard you on the show with John. I want to be one of those guys. How cool would that be a year from now?

John Curley: That would be very cool. Then they would be able to say, “I listen to John Curley and he made me a millionaire.” 

The irony comes from the date of the interview. It was May 3, 2011 when they looked down the road one year with the casual patter of making somebody in the audience a millionaire.

Dan Gaub died May 4, 2012.

I’d like to ask Mr. Curley whether he’s heard from any listeners who decided to get in touch with Dan Gaub in May, 2011. What was their experience a year later, in May 2012?  I’d also like to ask him whether he saw or heard any red flags when Dan claimed on the show that he made $8 million in April of 2011 and had made even more - $10 million – another month. For anybody who remotely follows business, those claims should have raised all sorts of flags.  

(Come to think of it, I’d like to ask KIRO Radio whether anybody has contacted them about being sucked into a Ponzi scheme by one of their talk shows.)

This comment from an angry investor:

"Dan Gaub (pictured at left) has been running a fraud and scam in the Yakima Valley for years! Unsuspecting Church members have been victims of his. He has taken millions and millions of dollars and all the reports are not good. I lost hundreds of thousands myself! Some people have given him half million, MILLION dollars and then he killed himself like the coward he was! I have read articles about him on places like FraudandScam.com and VictimAdvocates.net. I mean check this all out yourself if you doubt it! Dan pretended he was a Christian. He was a servant of the devil and ripped off everyone he knew and even his own family and friends. "

Another investor had this to say : "Dan Gaub claimed to be a Christian and a helper to those who wanted a return on invested funds. I knew him. I knew his family. I knew his friends. He seemed to be genuine and true. He ended up killing himself when his ponzi scheme caved in.. He left his wife and family as well as hundreds of investors with nothing". Just like Bernie Madoff!. Now we find that his family are pulling more crooked deals,. My trust of man kind has gone down the drain!. It is not the money I lost that is the problem|. It is trusting those who claim to be one thing while they are living an absolute lie when they think no one can see what is going on!. He took the coward's way out.. That much is as evident as a train wreck."

And from a site called "Ripoffrepairs" "Forex robot scams can be found all over the internet. In fact, once you get on the “right” mailing list you will receive daily emails about the latest Forex Robot. Unfortunately,these robots will lose you thousands of dollars! If you want to be a day trading professional, you need to learn how to trade! There are no holy grails or magic systems. Trading is like any other business. Knowledge and experience is how you become successful. Many system vendors prey on those with a “Get Rich Quick” or “Gambling Mentality”.  Dan Gaub preyed on trusting victims.  Dan Gaub will leave a legacy as the worlds biggest forex scammer!  Word is out that this man scammed so many people its beyond words.  All under the statement of “its my mission to help people”.   If you have been a victim get a hold of either fraudandscam.com or victimadvocates.net and let them know.

Another person I’d like to talk with is his brother Nathan, who claims he was involved in starting the business called Gaubfx. His LinkedIn profile can be seen here.

After Dan’s death, Nathab  told the Yakima-Herald Republic he was not involved in Dan’s business. You can read the exact quote and all of the details surrounding Dan's death here.

Amazingly – at least to me - just a few weeks after Dan’s death, Nathan then reserved a domain name that suggests he plans to continue with a business that looks a lot like the one he claims he started with Dan. The new name is  4xmentoring.com. You can see the domain registration information here.

I’d like to ask this man to explain to me – to all of us who see this entire story as tragic – exactly what his seemingly contradictory statements and actions mean. There may be an innocent explanation that makes perfect sense, but it eludes me. To me, it looks like the line between FOREX “mentoring”  (and its companion, FOREX robot software) and the Ponzi scheme that it fed is too fine for any reasonable person to try to walk away from it. "

I guess what I really want to ask him is, “What do you think Dan would tell you…now… about this idea?”

Editor's note:The author has gone on to explain more about this at People I’d like to talk with…Part II .

Weekend open thread 5/25/12

 This weekend we honor those who have given their lives in service to their country. While we are at it, let's thank a soldier, sailor and Marine for their service as well.

In the news: Tonight at 8PM Central Time, Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his Democratic opponent, Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett, will square off in a debate in advance of the June 5 recall election. The debate will be carried by C-SPAN and should also be available for livestreaming. Since it is C-SPAN, it most likely will be repeated again during the weekend.

Today Vice-President Biden gave an emotional speech about loss to the Gold Star parents of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. He related how he lost his first wife and daughter in an accident, his son barely surviving, and shared how he knew a little bit about what they were feeling. He commiserated with them over the "black hole" their lives had become since losing a loved one, and there is no way the country can ever repay them for the sacrifice of that family member.

And finally, to further demonstrate that he is "on top" of things, Dori Monson sputtered his outrage that sex ed workshops were held at The Evergreen College this past week.  We are relieved that Dori follows the hard news.

This is an Open Thread.

Weekend Open Thread

Trending on the radio waves today:

Facebook went public today on the NYStockmarket. The stock opened at 11:30 a.m. at $42.05, but soon dipped to $38.01. It briefly traded as high as $45 and by noon was at $40.40. It fluttered throughout the afternoon and hugged the $38 mark for much of the final hour, before closing at $38.23. The 421 million shares that were sold fetched $16 billion and represented 15 percent of the company's stock. Facebook got $7 billion, and the early investors $9 billion. The other 85 percent of Facebook's stock is owned by Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives, employees and early investors. In comparison, Google offered just 7.2 percent of its stock when it went public in 2004. Its stock rose 18 percent on day one. (We are confident that sometimes -poster Tommy008 made a killing today.)

Bill Radke introduced the morning news today in rhyme:

"John Edwards' life? A big disaster.
Ads about Obama's pastor.

Last Dance for Donna Summer.
Bad Girl's gone and that's a bummer
Dim All the Lights - we loved you, Donna.
Trayvon Martin smoked marijuana.

Postal Service makes a cut.
Skechers shoes don't shape your butt

Baby names: Michael's fadin'.
Now it's Braden, Aiden, Jayden.
Girls are Mia, also Leah.
Goodbye Britney, hi Sophia.

Most new babies aren't born white.
Women might be allowed to fight.

Facebook's giant IPO --
Is it worth it? I don't know.
It's how Linda stays in touch.
Me and Tangney, not so much.

Tom is watching flicks today --
Film Fest finally underway.
Looking forward to his reviews.
This is Seattle's Morning News."

 Speaking of birth rates, for the first time, there are more black, Hispanic and other minority babies being born in the United States than white babies, according to government data released on Thursday that confirm a long-growing trend.

U.S. Census Bureau data show the United States is on its way to becoming "majority minority," with almost half of all young children currently from minority groups, including Hispanic, black and Asian.

Time Magazine this week featured a cover photo of an attractive young mother nursing her young son. Controversy broke out over the fact that the son was about 3 years old and was standing on a chair to reach his lunch. The headline read "Are you Mom Enough?" and arguments erupted on the radio waves over whether or not the boy was too old to still be nursing. (Personally, when our offspring grew teeth, the deal was off.)

Enjoy your weekend!

Radio out of the box, coming to Tacoma!!!

 For only $10, 97.3 KIRO FM is coming to... Tacoma.  Yes, for ten bucks plus tax, you can watch a Kiro host in what they describe as "an intimate" setting.  Insert 10 dollars for the next ten minutes. 

 In what is being called KIRO Radio On Tour, KIRO FM will be visiting cities that evidently are unaware of their presence.

 

 

 

 

 

The event proceeds go to a good cause, the Fisher House which constructs comfort homes to provide free, temporary housing to the families of service members receiving medical care at Veterans Affairs and military hospitals around the world.  Dori might even be frying up  his Pink Slime burgers.

 

 

BREAKING: Dori Monson 1995-2012; Ron Reagan Starts Monday

The King of Seattle Talk Radio has been dethroned.

In an abrupt end to a remarkable 17-year run as one of Seattle's most controversial talk show hosts, at the end of his shift Friday Dori Monson (KIRO-FM 12-3p) was given ten minutes to gather his things. Then, carrying a suitably little box of his desk's contents, Monson was escorted out of the Bonneville radio complex on Eastlake by building security, his long reign over.

A source inside Bonneville says Monson will be replaced, starting this Monday, April 2, by former KIRO host Ron Reagan. After his one-hour KIRO show (12-1p, immediately preceding Monson) was cancelled in 2007, Reagan hosted a national show on Air America until its 2010 demise and then, in 2011, published a memoir of life with his father. Reagan lives in Seattle and has a number of miscellaneous free-lance radio and TV gigs that he will reportedly continue to do along with his KIRO show.

"Management wanted the anti-Dori," says the source, explaining the choice of the genial, mild-mannered Reagan. "It wasn't any one single thing...his ratings were stagnant, and they were just sick of Dori's act. Salt Lake feels that, in this market, bile isn't a sustainable business model. Every other daytime show KIRO is now airing is light, positive, fun.

"Monson's schtick is sustained outrage. It just didn't fit any more, and Larry [new KIRO PD Larry Gifford] was at wit's end trying to pair Dori with foils who would soften his image. Dori wanted none of it, and did everything he could off air to make their jobs miserable.

"Eventually the decision was made that the negatives outweighed the positives. And frankly, when the news broke just about everyone in the building privately cheered. The guy's a prick."

If the source is right, and Monson - who is reportedly still under contract to Bonneville - was bounced because he didn't fit KIRO's move to lifestyle-oriented talk, it's telling that the suits didn't simply move him to conservative sister station KTTH (The Truth). KTTH has been languishing in the ratings of late, with its only local show a peculiar one-hour afternoon stint by former morning guy Dave Boze (KTTH, 3-4p), who was also subbing for Dave Ross last week. Either Monson's contract is up; he was fired with cause; or management decided that the hassle of dealing with Monson's outsized ego so outweight the boost he could give their struggling conservative talk franchise that they would rather pay him to go away. (Hint to anyone in the know over at Eastlake: We'd love to know which it is. E-mail us at [email protected]. Anonymity assured. We especially want to know if he was in a car accident while on a Twinkie run during a news break.)

Left unaddressed by this is the contrast between Monson's often hyperlocal schtick - he could spend entire shows venting about a local politician or a minor news item from Maple Valley - and Reagan, who is a national figure. During his last stint on KIRO, Reagan showed no interest in doing anything but national topics. Will that fit on the new KIRO?

Monson's dismissal creates some other issues for KIRO as well. Monson padded his six-figure salary by doing personal endorsement deals with just about any local company that would have him, and his ubiquitous voice during commercial breaks means a lot of commercial accounts will need new spots (and perhaps new air talent endorsement deals) in the coming weeks. Monson has also, since 2002, played key roles in the Seahawk football broadcast, doing pre- and post-game and halftime hosting and analysis on the Seahawk network. The Seahawks employ Monson and their other announcers separately from Bonneville. Will the team still want the irritating, jock-sniffing Monson after he's no longer on their flagship station?

Aside from his undoubtably bruised ego, which takes up about 80 percent of his body mass, Monson himself is sitting pretty. In the short term, he's financially comfortable, and Bonneville may still be paying him for years. At age 50, he still has plenty of working years left. Monson would doubtless have more opportunities had he not spent so many years being a colossal jackass to so many people; and his future prospects are handicapped by being short, Icelandic, and having a girl's name. Still, somebody will want him, if only for his notoriety.

But not in broadcast radio. Unless it's on infomercials, it's hard to see where else he'd go on air in Seattle. A home boy (he trades heavily on being from Ballard, though he actually lives in Lake Forest Park), Monson's occasional efforts to expand his audience outside Seattle have been dismal failures. And outside KIRO and KTTH, nobody else in Seattle really does commercial political talk any longer.

Monson probably has a standard non-compete clause in his contract that will keep him off Seattle's airwaves for either six months or the length of the contract. But even then, where would he go? KVI's conservative talk is long gone, replaced now by a vapid mix of syndicated and local lifestyle shows with dozens of listeners (on its better days). KOMO's midday talk shows (former "Commentators" John Carlson 9a-12p and Ken Schram 12-3p) are a cheap way to use air talent already under contract without having to spend any money on programming; and KOMO is also big on the genial, happy-talk approach. They're not about to pay out big bucks for the incendiary Monson.

Sports talk is also a non-starter. Bonneville, which just fired Monson, also has one of the two sports-talk stations in town (KIRO-AM, aka ESPN 710). The other, KJR, just eliminated its local evening show for budget reasons and has three decade-plus station veterans parked in its daytime lineup. Even KKOL is gone from the talk stable. The odds are, unless someone undergoes a format change or Dori decides he wants to do a morning show on a music station (think Bob Rivers, only without the likeability), Monson is done in Seattle.

Moreover, he might not be the only one. Given KIRO-FM's move away from acerbic commentary, our source noted: "One of these weeks John Curley is going to wander in to do his show and find that his key card doesn't work any more."

Lastly, under Gifford's watch, KIRO's move has been to not only a softer-edged, politically tinged lifestyle approach, but to having a second voice - either a co-host or a newsie or producer as foil - on each of the daytime shows. Who will bat around the day's entertaining events with Reagan? And will Reagan make his opportunity stick this time?

Tune in Monday at noon to find out.

 

 

GMOnson

Listening to talk radio so you don't have to, should also include not eating what they do. 

On a recent edition of the Dori Monson show, 97.3 KIRO FM, Dori says "who cares about 'pink slime' burgers?" "If the meat treated with ammonia is good enough to serve up in federally subsidized lunches, then it's  good enough to serve to my Shorecrest Scots as well, when we win the championship". 

No districts in the state that we know of serve pink slime or it's counterpart, Shit on a Shingle in school lunches.

 

While extolling the virtues of shopping for beef remnants at his neighborhood Albertson's for the past 25 years. Dori was shocked, shocked that "quality" stores like Target and Wal-Mart were also among those selling "lean, finely textured beef" 

 

 

 

 

 

BBQ time at the Monson house, Corelle, bottle of left-over wine and George Forman.

 

Dori, who went on to claim he makes "about the best hamburgers in the world" ended by saying, "I don't see how I can change, ignorance has been bliss, I see no adverse health effects, my body is addicted to the ammonia"

 

Monson van spotted outside of an upscale Wal-Mart

while loading up on beef by-products

We don't know if pink slime was transported to France in 2000 when Dori took his family there and insisted on bringing food on-board the flight.

Dori pleaded for advice on whether to quit buying meat that's just as good as 'hot dogs', or stand in line at Whole Foods or Communist Costco, so drop him a d-mail

March is the cruelest month

At least it is around here. Snow, hail, monsoons, wind--it's enough to send the most cheerful among us to the bottle of Xanax.

Not much on the radio waves: Ron and Don (KIRO FM M-F 3p-6p) think the father of the 3 year old who accidentally shot himself with his father's gun is lying about where he was when the shooting took place. Don is sure the father was actually in the mini-mart with the mother, instead of being a few feet away, pumping gas.  The R&D show has pretty much been wall-to-wall coverage of the trio of tragedies to befall Puget Sound-area children in the last month.

Dori Monson (KIRO FM 97.3 M-F 12p-3p) had his usual classy fare today by talking about a woman who drinks her own urine.  Whatever.

Obviously, this weather is beginning to take its toll.  What have you been listening to?

This is an Open Thread.    Rachelle