http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/ http://www.eblah.com en http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216827470/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216827470/#num1 Donald Courtnay
voice of many Seattle-area radio, TV commercials

By Arla Shephard

July 23, 2008


Donald Courtnay had a "big,
warm and booming" voice,
says colleague Dean Smith

To many, Donald Courtnay was the classic voice of Seattle in the 1950s. To his family and friends, he was a classic gentleman.

"What can I say, except that he was a wonderful man?" said his wife of 34 years, Gay Courtnay.

Mr. Courtnay, best known for his voice-over work in local commercials, died of natural causes July 14 in his Sammamish home. He was 84.

His family and friends remember him as a loving father and husband who took care of everyone around him. He was a "perfect gentleman," his wife said.

"If there was a lady in the room, he was always opening the door, graciously greeting everyone," she said. "It came to the point where when people would light a cigarette, they would just sort of stand there and wait for him to light it because he was always Johnny-on-the-spot with that."

Mr. Courtnay was born in Chicago on Feb. 22, 1924, and served in the Navy during World War II. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a major in the Washington State National Guard and a 32nd-degree member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

With his booming and inviting voice, he began a radio career in Salt Lake City in the 1940s. During the 1950s he moved to Seattle, where he became a widely recognized voice-over artist through his work with KING and KIRO television and KJR radio station. He later became general manager of KCPQ television in Seattle.

"He was, of course, the freelance voice in town," said colleague Dean Smith, who met him in 1962 and worked with him at KJR. "If there were 10 voice-overs to do in town, he would probably do nine of them. He had a wonderful voice and was the type of guy you could just respect."

Among his accomplishments, Mr. Courtnay is best recognized as the voice of Safeway for 19 years, with his signature line in commercials: "Shop Safeway — you'll see!"

"Everyone of course envied Don. He had that quintessential announcer-man voice: big, warm and booming," Smith said. "About every other commercial you'd hear Don's voice."

Mr. Courtnay first met his future wife in the early 1950s when they worked together in Seattle. She later moved to California, and it wasn't until 1973 when he came to Los Angeles on a business trip that they reunited, she said. They were married a year later.

"He loved my mom so much and he was so good," said his stepdaughter, Randi White, of Los Angeles. She wrote in his online guest book: "From the moment Don began his courtship of our mother, (in the true old-fashioned manner) one could sense that this love would grow into one that might move mountains."

Later in life, Mr. Courtnay went into the heating business and continued to do freelance work for heating companies after his retirement, designing boiler installations in Alaska.

White remembers her stepfather as protective and attentive to everyone in the family. When her grandmother could no longer walk, she said, Mr. Courtnay was "the one who was carrying her."

"When it came time to speak at a memorial or funeral, with his beautiful voice he would say exactly what was in our hearts," she said.

He is survived by his wife, Gay Courtnay, of Sammamish; his sons James and Jason Grimmer from a previous marriage, both of the Puget Sound area; and stepchildren Randi White of Los Angeles and Evan White of Pleasanton, Calif.

A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Friends are invited to share memories at http://www.flintofts.com.

Arla Shephard: 206-515-5632 or ashephard@seattletimes.com

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008067321_courtnayobit23m.html

.

]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:37:50 voice over http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216825140/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1216825140/#num1 KING-5 to pull the plug -- sort of


KING-5 has sent out a breathless e-mail announcing a test it's doing during it's Thursday telecast.

For five minutes at 5 p.m., the station is temporarily turning off its analog signal so viewers can see whether they get a digital signal. Next February, you'll need a digital-ready TV (or a special converter box) to view over the air signals.

If your TV doesn't work during the five-minute test, "consumer advocate" Jesse Jones will tell you what you need to do.

There's also going to be a special phone line for concerned viewers to call into if they have any questions.

Overkill? Perhaps.

Skip the fuss, avoid calling KING-5's "experts" and just go to the store and get a converter box or buy a new TV. It'll take you five minutes.

In the United States, you can even get a government coupon to make your converter box purchase a little lighter on the wallet.

Posted by Moises Mendoza at July 22, 2008 6:17 p.m.

The Big Blog
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/144117.asp

.
]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:59:00 AirWaves http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215036410/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1215036410/#num1 July 2, 2008 12:00 PM ET
advertisement
Market Wire

Fisher Communications (NASDAQ: FSCI) announced today that the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) awarded KOMO-TV, Fisher's ABC affiliated station in Seattle, Washington, the prestigious national Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence.

In the large television market category, KOMO-TV received the Overall Excellence Award for the depth and quality of its news programming, its Problem Solvers investigations, breaking news coverage, and service to the community.

Commenting on the announcement, Fisher President and Chief Executive Officer Colleen B. Brown said, "Receiving the national Murrow Award for Overall Excellence is one of the highest achievements in our industry, and I congratulate KOMO 4 Television for their outstanding performance. This award represents the team's tremendous commitment to the local community and its focus on providing the local news and information that Seattle-Tacoma residents have come to rely on."

Jim Clayton, KOMO-TV's vice president and general manager, added, "KOMO 4 Television has one of the best news organizations in the country, and we are honored that RTNDA has recognized the hard work and dedication of our talented team." KOMO 4 News Director Holly Gauntt added, “This award validates the outstanding work and commitment of our news staff.”

KOMO-TV also received a national Murrow in the Writing category, and 5 regional Murrows, including the award for Outstanding Newscast. Last month, KOMO-TV was honored with 14 Emmys including Station Excellence, Morning News, Evening News, Breaking News, and Team Coverage. ]]> Wed, 2 Jul 2008 18:06:50 One More Mohican http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1214873293/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1214873293/#num1 left KIRO???]]> Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:48:13 grand pa http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1214757590/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1214757590/#num1 XM Radio to relive
classic-rock station KJR  

By Patrick MacDonald
SeattleTimes.com
June 27, 2008


"KJR Seattle Channel 95."

Longtime Seattleites can still hear that jingle in their minds, if they were rock 'n' roll fans in the 1960s. That's when KJR was the local rock powerhouse, with national influence. If top jock Pat O'Day latched onto a song, program directors across the nation took notice, because O'Day had great ears. For instance, he is believed to be the first disc jockey in the United States to play the Beatles.

Relive those glory days of Seattle radio from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday, July 4, when XM Satellite radio Disc Jockey Terry Young will play music featured on KJR in the '60s, along with original station breaks, jingles, commercials and DJ patter.

The show will feature a call-in segment from listeners in the Seattle area, sharing their memories about KJR and its memorable jocks, like Lan Roberts, Larry Lujack and Dick Curtis.

Not an XM subscriber? No problem. You can tune-in online via a free, three-day trial at listen.xmradio.com. If you are an XM subscriber, turn the dial to Channel 6 and bask in the memories.

— Patrick MacDonald, Seattle Times music critic

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/aedispatch.html

.]]> Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:39:50 SAM http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1213895746/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1213895746/#num1 Bonneville radio stations
in Seattle get new chief

Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) -
The Business Journal of Milwaukee
June 18, 2008

Carl Gardner has been named vice president and market manager for Bonneville International's cluster of three radio stations in his hometown of Seattle.

Gardner has been with Milwaukee-based Journal Communications Inc. (NYSE: JRN) for the past 17 years, most recently as executive vice president of television and radio for Journal Broadcast Group and vice president of digital media for Journal Communications.

Gardner's appointment is effective on July 7. The stations are KIRO-AM, KBSG-FM and KTTH-AM.

Bonneville is based in Salt Lake City and owns and operates 30 radio stations in the Chicago, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Phoenix, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Salt Lake City markets, as well as an NBC television station in Salt Lake City.

Journal management had no comment on Gardner's departure. However, in a Tuesday memo to Journal Communications staff, Gardner said he was looking forward to returning both to Seattle, where he grew up and graduated from the University of Washington, and to front-line management of radio stations.

"Now and then, if we're lucky, we come across an opportunity that's too good to pass by," Gardner said. "My family and I are fortunate enough to face one of those today, and we're going for it."

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/06/16/daily20.html

.
]]> Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:15:46 voice over http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1213110460/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1213110460/#num1 KOMO cancels
'Northwest Afternoon'
after 24-year-run

SeattlePI.com
June 10, 2008

As it basked in the afterglow of a strong showing at the regional Emmy Awards ceremony Saturday, KOMO/4 announced Monday that it will pull the plug on "Northwest Afternoon," the locally produced talk and entertainment show that has been on the air for nearly 24 years.

In a news release distributed Monday afternoon, KOMO vice president and general manager Jim Clayton gave no reason for the decision. A station spokesman later said poor ratings are the culprit. "NWA" goes head to head in the Seattle market with "Rachael Ray" on KIRO/7 and "Dr. Phil" on KING/5.

The station said on-air personalities will remain with the station "and be integrated into news and other programming."

"Northwest Afternoon" is co-hosted by Natasha Curry, Cindi Rinehart and Kent Phillips (who also is program director of all FM radio stations operated by KOMO's owner, Fisher Communications). It offers the same sort of fare as nationally syndicated daytime programming -- touring authors, visiting celebrities, consumer advice, etc. -- with the added fillip of Rinehart's soap opera updates.

"Northwest Afternoon," which airs weekdays at 3 p.m., will wrap at the end of August and be replaced in the fall by "The Doctors," a nationally syndicated program developed by Dr. Phil McGraw's production company. "The Doctors" will feature an ensemble of medical experts in a roundtable discussion of daily topics.

Before the finale, Clayton said viewers can expect a retrospective look at some of the show's luminaries and landmark episodes over the years.

"This has been an outstanding program for many years in the local market," Clayton said. "Shows like 'Northwest Afternoon' are unique in today's broadcast industry. It is a true testament to those employees who have worked on it over the years."

Aside from newscasts and sports shows, original daily programming on commercial TV stations is increasingly rare. The departure of "NWA" will leave KING's "Evening Magazine" as the only locally produced daily program on commercial TV in Seattle.

KOMO introduced "Northwest Afternoon" in September 1984. The show's original co-hosts were Dick Foley and Dana Middleton.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/366399_nwafternoon10.html?source=mypi

.]]> Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:07:40 SAM http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1212412911/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1212412911/#num1 Long-disputed radio towers approved for Snohomish

By Yoshiaki Nohara
Everett Herald Writer
June 2
                                                            
SNOHOMISH -- Four powerful new AM radio towers are expected to start broadcasting this summer in the Snohomish River Valley despite residents' having fought the controversial project for years.

"We will have them on the air toward the end of July," said Andy Skotdal, whose family owns KRKO-AM 1380.

S-R Broadcasting Company Inc. received a construction permit for the towers from the Federal Communications Commission on Friday. The ruling disappoints opponents who believe that the towers will lower their property values and cause health problems.

"It's definitely going to have a long-term negative impact on the Snohomish River Valley," said Rick Reed, an opponent.

The company already had been preparing a 40-acre site south of Snohomish to add the towers after the project received approval from Snohomish County last year. Three towers are expected to be 199 feet tall, and the other 349 feet tall.

The new towers will increase KRKO's broadcasting power from 5,000 watts to 34,000 watts during the day and to 50,000 watts at night, Skotdal said. That means the station will be able to reach listeners all the way from Tacoma to Mount Vernon during the day.

Meanwhile, opponents still hope to stop the county from approving two other radio towers proposed near the four towers. The Skotdal family wants to build the two other towers to put a proposed new frequency at 1520 AM. The new signal is expected to reach all of Snohomish County during the day and some cities at night.

"For Everett, it's important to have multiple media voices," Skotdal said.

The two towers won't get a county permit until any potential health risks cited by opponents are addressed. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that electromagnetic energy from AM radio towers increases the likelihood of leukemia in those who live nearby, opponents say.

If the county rejects the two 199-foot-tall towers, opponents may try to appeal the federal permits for the four other towers, Reed said.

Reed leads a grass-roots group called the Stewards of the Land and Community that mailed brochures to thousands of Snohomish-area residents earlier this year to fight the radio towers. The group used the same method to fight growth plans for the Harvey Field airport in Snohomish.

"We feel betrayed by government officials we trust to protect the environment and public health," he said.

Federal regulators already took potential health risks into account when they issued permits for the four towers, Skotdal said. His family has made changes in the project to alleviate any concerns addressed by opponents.

The project has had more than 40 hearings since 2000, Skotdal said. Now, it's finally nearing an end.

"I am so appreciative for all the people who made this happen," he said.
]]> Mon, 2 Jun 2008 09:21:51 mikedup http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1212289031/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1212289031/#num1 Local TV is good for the kiddies


By CATHY SORBO
SeattlePI.com
May 31, 2008

When it comes to having a glut of wonderful things, life here offers a lot for children.

Libraries have modernized. Schools have computer labs -- some even have sports programs. There are playgrounds available in neighborhoods and any number of electronic gadgets to mess with. Kids can clean and sanitize their little hands with a simple squirt of alcohol-based goo.

But then there is television. There are cable channels that number into the triple digits that offer soft, pre-school content as well as Three Stooges-level of absurd action with cartoons such as "Ed, Edd and Eddy." There are several phantastical anime-style cartoons and great examples of sassy cynical discourse in "The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy" and "Totally Spies." There are shows like "Zoom" that employ the talents of kid-hosts and the over-hyperactivity of singing group, "Hi-5," an imported TV show from Australia.

All that and much, much more -- but no locally produced children's shows.

If you mention children's programming and Seattle, an overwhelming number of people will think of J.P. Patches, the lovable host-clown portrayed many years on the air by Chris Wedes. Turns out Chris and I have a mutual friend whom I shall call Bob (because his name is Bob). Bob was touched by Chris' stories of disenfranchised youths who, as adults, have been reaching out to Chris to thank him for providing comfort each afternoon when they came home to an empty house. Some had endured abusive situations within their home and it was the protective fun-bubble of "The J.P. Patches Show" that offered comfort and solace.

Why have our local TV stations been ignoring this type of programming? Are they so beaten down by cable that they've lost the urge to compete? It hasn't stopped them from producing adult-oriented shows. "Northwest Afternoon" on KOMO-TV is a great, well-run show, but Cindi Rinehart does nothing for my 9-year-old.

A quick call to a director of programming at KING-TV who said that the rules and regulations for broadcast TV make it a production nightmare to air shows designed for the 12-year-old and younger set. Stations are extremely limited by the Federal Communications Commission as to the content and amount of advertising used for those shows. I asked if stations could use gifts of money or sponsorship in lieu of or in addition to advertising dollars. Apparently that is possible but not without its own set of hurdles.

So, it's too much trouble to produce these shows.

I envision a kid's show that is uniquely Northwest, set within a 1940s bungalow that sits between two high-rise mixed-use condominiums. The co-hosts would be a twisty version of a perfect mom and dad, somewhat like June and Ward Cleaver except with real, fluctuating moods. Filmed before a live studio audience, the show would feature local celebrity guests, animation and music. In addition, it would offer humor, entertainment and useful information about economy, government, history, environment -- basics for today's world. This kids' show would cater to a sense of future and optimism with an emphasis on creativity and entrepreneurship. Local companies will gag for sponsorship. Sometimes when I watch my daughter on her iPod or editing a self-shot digital movie, I almost forget that there is a young soul of a 9-year-old girl in there between those earbuds. Kids are savvy, but even they have inner-children who need to be entertained as such.

Imagine how fun it would be for kids to be part of a live TV show. Production would provide a fresh crop of writers and actors with an artistically enriching experience. That's real economic stimulus.

When I was growing up, all the kids in the neighborhood went to the same elementary school. Not so much these days. Kids are dropped off or bused to schools from all over the place. After school they are picked up and whisked away. The shared admiration of a J.P. Patches is a fading element of child-centric entertainment sadly missing from our high-tech culture of Internet immersion, personal gadgets and cable television.

---------------------------------------

Cathy Sorbo is a Seattle-based comedian; cathysorbo.com.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/365364_sorbo31.html

.]]> Sat, 31 May 2008 22:57:11 AirWaves http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1211992404/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1211992404/#num1 Robert Mak to leave KING-TV
to work for mayor's office

By Jim Brunner
SeattleTimes.com
May 28, 2008


Robert Mak

Looking back, a pretty big clue was dropped by Robert Mak during last weekend's broadcast of his long-running public-affairs show "KING 5 News Up Front."

Mak, one of Seattle's best-known political reporters, celebrated his "favorite moments" from 344 segments he'd aired since 2001.

Not exactly a round number, Mak admitted, but added: "It's not as arbitrary as it might seem."

On Tuesday, Mak left KING-TV to become communications director for Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.

Mak said he hadn't been looking for another job when Nickels' office approached him a few weeks ago. But after 21 years as a television-news reporter, the last 16 at Seattle's NBC affiliate, he was tempted by a new challenge.

"It combines my background in communication with my interest in government," Mak said. "It's really about life experience. When you look back at your career, I want to be able to say I tried different things and learned different things."

The money won't be bad, either.

Mak, 41, will be paid $160,000 annually — making him one of the city's highest-paid employees, according to the mayor's office. His pay will be essentially equal to Nickels', which will be $159,439 this year, according to the mayor's office. The city's highest-paid employee remains City Light Superintendent Jorge Carrasco, at $225,057 this year.

Mak said salary was not his main motivator, noting he could probably have made more in the private sector.

Known as one of the few local television reporters to specialize in politics and government instead of the usual murder, disaster and weather stories, Mak tackled complex issues and interrogated politicians and newsmakers on his weekly "Up Front" segments. He won 10 regional Emmy awards for investigative reporting and news programs.

"I think he is the very best at what he does," said Pat Costello, vice president and general manager of KING. "He is unparalleled at taking a really complicated, seemingly boring issue and making it understandable."

Costello said he had no inkling Mak was quitting until Mak told him Tuesday morning. The decision was announced to station employees at an impromptu gathering.

"We're all sitting here in a state of stun," Costello said.

Mak said his decision had nothing to do with any changes at KING.

"KING-TV treated me very well all those years. I have nothing but good memories at KING," Mak said.

Costello said KING remains committed to political reporting and intends to continue "Up Front" with a different host, but said he is still scrambling to figure out who will run the show.

"These are big shoes to fill," he said.

Mak will start his new job June 9. He will also have the title of senior policy adviser to Nickels.

Mak replaces Marianne Bichsel, who left in October to become managing director of communications for Casey Family Programs.

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or jbrunner@seattletimes.com

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004442316_mak28m.html

.]]> Wed, 28 May 2008 12:33:24 voice over http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1210958009/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1210958009/#num1 The longtime KOMO anchor had her third surgery for a brain tumour 6 weeks ago, and yesterday posted this note on the station website.

May 15, 2008 Update:

To my KOMO friends and viewers,

I wanted you to know I'm doing really well on the road to recovery!

I'm getting my strength back, am going for some walks, am having fewer headaches and less soreness where they did the surgery. I am convinced that all the good thoughts, wishes, and prayers are making a huge difference.

The next step of treatment will involve a chemotherapy drug that will hopefully stop this tumor from growing once and for all. I will probably start on that next week.

I look forward to being back when I'm able, and thank you again for all the support. It has been such a help for me and my family.

Warm regards,
Kathi Goertzen
]]> Fri, 16 May 2008 13:13:29 ronrob http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1210702749/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1210702749/#num1 KJR cuts costs with most recognizable voice, Grosby
By JIM MOORE
SEATTLE P-I COLUMNIST
May 13th

IF YOU'RE A FAN, you've probably listened to Dave Grosby on Sports Radio KJR-AM/950 over the past 12 years.

"The Groz" has been part of KJR's midday routine, hosting his own show from 1 to 3 p.m. and joining Mike Gastineau on "Groz with Gas" from 3 to 5 p.m.

Then last week in a sudden move, Ian Furness replaced "The Groz" as host of the midday show, with Grosby remaining only as a co-host on "Groz with Gas."

This kind of stuff happens all the time in sports radio. Hosts are jerked around or fired or leave to take jobs elsewhere, but here it's strange -- in the past 10 years, KJR has rarely changed its lineup.

Then when "The Groz" is involved, it's odder yet because he is arguably the most recognizable voice and personality at KJR. Plus he's been there longer than anyone, joining the station in 1991 when it switched to an all-sports format. Grosby went to KIRO in '93 and returned to KJR in '96 and has been there since.

"He's kind of a godfather of radio for us," said Rich Moore, KJR's program director. "He's a true radio professional. It's one of the hardest things I've had to do or be a part of.

"Everyone understands the value of Groz. We came up with a creative solution to keep him here. It couldn't have been done if Groz wasn't as professional and open-minded as he was."

Moore said Grosby became the unfortunate victim because of budget tightening. His contract ended April 30, and KJR needed to cut costs. Reducing his pay would help the bottom line, and the other hosts still had long-term deals.

"It was a crummy time for his contract to come up," said Gastineau, whose deal runs through Dec. 31, 2009. "This could have been me if my contract was up."

Moore said he had to cut "contract labor," and Grosby was his only option. There weren't any other issues such as those rumored about Grosby's health -- he had quadruple-bypass surgery three years ago and said Monday, "I'm in the best shape of my life."

KJR already cut payroll with behind-the-scenes job trims late last year, but those weren't enough to appease the number crunchers in tough economic times.

It doesn't necessarily compute with Grosby. He's been fired before, but usually for justifiable reasons such as low ratings. His ratings at KJR have been consistently good for the target audience, males 25 to 54. He is seemingly a popular host.

"It's the hardest thing to get your arms around," Grosby said. "But they're looking at the bottom line, and I understand that entirely."

"The Groz" tries to be philosophical. Heart surgery helped to give him perspective. He thought about being righteously indignant and quitting, but what would that do?

"Then you've got to find a job, and it's not a time to be unemployed," he said.

So he's sucking it up and staying positive. KJR also will use him on its Web site, perhaps even giving him an online show that, for instance, might run against the station's broadcast of "Monday Night Football" games.

"He will also have a presence with audio and video blogs," Moore said. "There's so much upside and opportunity on the Web front. We're using him as the guinea pig or model for that."

Said Grosby: "With the Internet stuff, they're giving me free rein."

"The Groz" also will be the primary pinch hitter when other hosts take vacations.

Furness had been co-hosting the "Elise and Ian" show from 7 to 10 weeknights. His move to middays leaves Elise Woodward with her own show, too.

A Seattle native, Furness, 42, is an O'Dea High and WSU graduate who offers a Coug take on the Huskies' flagship station and a counter to the 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. host, U-Dub homer Dave Mahler.

"I'm the salt to his pepper, I guess," Furness said.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the other hosts' contracts run out because something smells fishy. Will they get the partial ax, too? Or will they magically remain? Furness' contract expires at the end of September, but he said negotiations are under way "to figure out how to extend or rework that."

Gastineau has been the afternoon drive-time host since 1996, yet he knows he's not immune.

"The thing that irritates me the most is that we're not people anymore, we're line items," Gastineau said. "It's, 'What's this guy making and can we get by without him?' "

Grosby has just decided not to worry about the future, saying: "What's the point of not having a good attitude? You only make yourself more miserable. You deal with it and move on."

P-I columnist Jim Moore can be reached at 206-448-8013 or jimmoore@seattlepi.com.]]> Tue, 13 May 2008 14:19:09 boredop http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1210453831/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1210453831/#num1 KUOW kicks commercial radio ass in seattle winter arbitron ratings
courtesy Michael Hood of
Seattle Radio Blog 'Blathrwatch'
                                            
In a huge lead the likes of which we've never seen, public radio's talker KUOW  smashed the commercial opposition in the Seattle market.

Dig it:

KUOW   6.1
KUBE     5.2
KRWM    4.8
KIRO      4.1
KOMO     3.8
KING-FM 3.1
KPLU      3.0
KTTH     2.6
KVI        2.3
KPTK      1.6

A six share in this market? Unheard of.

We've been critical of KUOW's programming, and we're working on PD Jeff Hansen to sit down and talk to us. We believe that KUOW, while doing a great job snagging the dominant radio demographic (45 years and older) is not doing much to attract younger listeners.

But that said, we think that NPR, and KUOW in particular has proven that smart, commercial-free programming sells in this and most markets.

We'd agree with our loyal reader Rev that "KUOW is benefiting as much from the poor performance of the commercial folks as from anything they're doing..."

With only one exception,(KIRO's TBTL) the commercial talkers are doing nothing new. Rev writes: With the possible exception of Dave Ross, there's really nobody fighting KUOW for the audience that wants something more than blather. Seems like a market opportunity for somebody...

We believe another huge deal that sends listeners to NPR, is the onerous spotload -- the seemingly endless commercials that dog commercial radio.

Television is dealing with that so much of their advertising is being jumped over with the use of TiVo, and DVRs. They're figuring out other ways to pay the freight: product placement, etc. (We haven't seen a teevee commercial since approximately 2002).

Radio, on the other hand,  has been bought up by Wall Street investors who want to squeeze every penny possible out of their investment without any reinvestment. These beancounters have insisted on a heavy concentration of advertising which has driven away listeners in droves.

It's not a sustainable model, the pie is shrinking and these investors are already divesting.

We're always asking -- and no one has been able to explain -- why a commercial station using the public radio business model (pledge drives withholding content, fundraising, underwriting, etc) couldn't be successful.

Rev asks:  "It would be interesting to know how much KUOW charges for their 'underwriting' commercials, as compared to what the commercial stations charge for a 30-second spot. And if there's any research on
the comparative effectiveness of ads on KUOW vs, say KIRO or KING-FM."

Most commercial stations are run by huge out-of town media conglomerates who by definition don't give a sh** about serving the local listeners. (Fisher Communciations, (KOMO, KVI,) is a locally owned exception but unfortunately it seems less concerned with saving the medium of radio than most). KPTK, owned by CBS, which is progressive talk, gives all manner of lip service to "community," but skips the most important community service they could make: investment in local programming.

Maybe the only hope for the revivification of radio, will be after Wall street pulls their collective dicks out of the stations and gone on to other things still redolent with cash.

Maybe then we can reinvent radio. It just seems like such a wasteful, roundabout way to do it.

Posted by michael hood on May 09, 2008 at 04:02 PM
]]> Sat, 10 May 2008 17:10:31 mikedup http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1209822880/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1209822880/#num1 Arbitron Ratings Data for Seattle-Tacoma - May 2, 2008
AQH Share for Persons 12+, Mon-Sun 6AM-Mid

Station    Format                                              SP07        SU07        FA07            WI08  
KUBE-FM  Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio     4.1          4.3          5.3             5.2
KRWM-FM  Soft Adult Contemporary               3.6          3.7          5.6             4.8
KIRO-AM  News Talk Information                    3.9          3.5          4.1             4.1
KMPS-FM  Country                                      4.6          4.9          4.9             4.1
KISW-FM  Active Rock                                 3.9          2.8          3.0             3.9
KOMO-AM  All News                                     4.6          4.5          4.1             3.8
KWJZ-FM  New AC (NAC)/Smooth Jazz            3.3          4.0          3.9             3.7
KCMS-FM  Contemporary Christian                  4.2          3.9          3.8             3.4
KZOK-FM  Classic Rock                                 4.0          3.7          3.5             3.2
KING-FM  Classical                                       3.2          2.9          3.3             3.1
KBKS-FM  Pop Contemporary Hit Radio             2.3          2.8          2.9             2.9
KQMV-FM  Rhythmic AC                                2.8          3.0          2.5             2.9
KKWF-FM  Country                                      4.1          3.0          3.3             2.7
KTTH-AM  Talk/Personality                            2.7          2.5          2.3             2.6
KBSG-FM  Classic Hits                                  3.2          3.0          2.5             2.5
KMTT-FM  Album Adult Alternative                  2.7          3.6          2.1             2.5
KVI-AM  Talk/Personality                               2.3          2.1          2.1             2.3
KJR-FM  Classic Hits                                     2.5          2.9          2.7             2.2
KJR-AM  All Sports                                       1.9          2.4          2.7             2.1
KPLZ-FM  Hot Adult Contemporary                  2.8          2.6          2.6             2.1
KJAQ-FM  Adult Hits                                     2.8          2.1          2.4             2.0
KNDD-FM  Alternative                                   2.1          2.4          2.1             1.9
KIXI-AM  Adult Standards/MOR                       2.3          2.2          1.7             1.8
KDDS-FM  Mexican Regional                           1.4          1.7          0.5             1.6
KPTK-AM  Talk/Personality                             1.5          1.8          2.1             1.6
KFNK-FM  Active Rock                                   1.0          1.0          0.8             1.1
KNBQ-FM  Country                                        0.5          1.0          0.6             1.1
KXXO-FM  Adult Contemporary                        0.5          0.5          0.5             0.9
KCIS-AM  Religious                                        0.4          0.6           *               0.5
KGNW-AM  Religious                                       *            0.6          0.5              0.4
KISM-FM  Classic Rock                                   *             *            0.6              0.4
KKMO-AM  Mexican Regional                            *            0.5          0.7              0.4
KTBK-AM  Mexican Regional                             *             *              *              0.4

* Data are not available for this station/survey. This happens primarily in two-survey-per-year  


]]> Sat, 3 May 2008 09:54:40 mikedup http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1209486428/ http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/forum/m-1209486428/#num1 Arbitrator Rules
CTV Winnipeg Can't Force Employees to Retire

courtesy of
broadcastermagazine.com
April 29, 2008

An arbitrator has ruled that CTV cannot force its Winnipeg employees to retire at age 65.

Arne Peltz said that CTV's mandatory retirement policy violates both the Canadian Human Rights Act and the collective agreement with the union that represents employees at its Winnipeg station.

The case involved Terry Kenny, who had worked at CTV Winnipeg and CKY for 27 years as a technician. He filed a grievance after CTV management told him in September 2006 he had to retire on his 65th birthday.

While there is no mandatory retirement under Manitoba labour laws, CTV is a federally regulated broadcasting company not subject to Manitoba legislation on this issue.

CTV argued it had the right to determine when employees should retire and said at the hearing that retirements are necessary to ensure turnover of staff.

Kenny, represented by Local 816 of the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union, argued that mandatory retirement violated the collective agreement and the Canadian Human Rights Act.

http://www.broadcastermagazine.com/issues/ISArticle.asp?id=83609&issue=04292008

.]]> Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:27:08 AirWaves