107.7 The End

[dtuba]

Agreed, musically The End has every reason to be playing "It's Tricky" by Run-DMC, or De La Soul or Boogie Down Productions or P.E. in moderation with their other gold cuts. Run-DMC certainly catered in part to the same audience as the Beastie Boys, and were certainly an early rap act which had a lot of crossover into the largely white alternative audience of today, or at least of Gen X.

If The End was able to balance the music and personality instead of making their dayparts one or the other, that would be a start to getting back to what the station is all about.

As far as the grumblings that there isn't good music out there or in the alternative genre, those are weak arguments. There is good music out there, you just need to roll up your sleeves, find it, get behind it, and play it, balancing the new with a well-platooned library.

Hear hear! I for one have found the alt format somewhat racist and hypocritical in this respect. For that matter, there are many fine "alternative" rap artists that could easily fit into the alt format- The Roots, K-OS, Blackalicious, and our very own Blue Scholars, to name a few.

 

[mimo]

I never could figure out how K-OS got lumped into the rap category, The Alt-rock station here in Ottawa regularly plays his music, and I've never heard him rap once, he sings, it's a live band in the back ground, it's like any other song on alt radio, except he's black (like that even makes a difference) He writes go0d catchy pop tunes. There is a college station in central Pennsylvania that has been playing him for years. Bob Marley is another fave of Canadian Alternative stations. K-OS has as much in common with rap as the Dead Kennedys.

 

[machinehead]

There's not any kind of deliberate attempt to not play vintage, groundbreaking hip-hop on alternative stations once in a while, and I'll be the first to say you have to pay attention as to the how, where, and why you might drop a hip-hop selection in for an audience that's tuning in to hear Weezer. What I'm saying is, it's not out of place if it's the right track or artist.

How do you determine what's the right track or artist? Know your audience, use some research, respect, and care, and make it a matter of execution instead of guessing. Just put the right tracks forward for consideration in the first place, like any gold selection. It's just a matter of reasonable expectation.

An alternative audience isn't necessarily tuning in to hear B.D.P. or A Tribe Called Quest, but they're already familiar with it. You just have to play the right thing. I'd probably leave Snoop Dogg on the shelf in favor of something from Tribe, and again, it's not something you'd want to do all the time, I'm talking about once or twice a week. It just gives your station that extra cool cred of the unexpected surprise with the Weezer, Rage, etc. That's why it was smart for The End to throw on "It's Tricky." You don't have to make a big deal out of it, but it's a good song which the audience already knows and is familiar with, even if they didn't hear it on The End. It's the right kind of surprise song. How many days ago was this and we're still talking about it?

The same thing happened with album rock in the 70's, when black artists like Ike and Tina or Chuck Berry who were heavy influences on some of the rock of the era fell by the wayside when it came to long-term radio play. I think James Brown has every reason next to be Led Zep on a classic rock station; he certainly has more in common with Led Zep and more business there, if you ask me, than something like Kansas. But that's where my music snobbery gets me in a bit of trouble.

 

[Mamaknowsbreast]

That's why it was smart for The End to throw on "It's Tricky." You don't have to make a big deal out of it, but it's a good song which the audience already knows and is familiar with, even if they didn't hear it on The End. It's the right kind of surprise song. How many days ago was this and we're still talking about it?

You brought it up the other day and 2 people responded, I wouldn't say it's a hot topic of discussion. Besides "It's Tricky" has been played on the End numerous times over the years, so I don't think we can crown Lazlo a programming genius for tossing this "surprise song" on.

 

[Rock 100.7]

Lazlo is a smart dude.. He did GREAT things at KRBZ in Kansas City.. . the problem is he's NOT from SEATTLE.

Nuff said.

 

[Shark]

Lazlo is a smart dude.. He did GREAT things at KRBZ in Kansas City.. . the problem is he's NOT from SEATTLE.

Nuff said.

Neither are Bob Rivers or Rob "T-Man" Tepper. We're not THAT provincial.

 

[KYYX_fan]

Lazlo is a smart dude.. He did GREAT things at KRBZ in Kansas City.. . the problem is he's NOT from SEATTLE. Nuff said.

You're NOT saying a lot about Kansas City and KC radio, you know...

Lazlo is NOT a "smart dude." The real problem is that Lazlo is the loser kid in high school who could only make himself feel better when he picked on the nerdy kids (like his radio sidekick). If you had never heard his voice and just read a transcript of his shows, you'd think it was some half-assed school paper of what immature kids think radio should sound like. NOT ONCE does he talk about the music. In fact, I doubt he knows anything about it and I even more greatly doubt that he could hold his own in a band interview.

At least that new gal talks about the music during her shows. It was SO refreshing to hear her(?) last Friday night interviewing a band, knowing something about them and then knowing what they were playing acoustically in the studio. She may be a newbie, but she is 100x the host that Lazlo is. Adam Carolla at least knows something about bands and music. He may not talk about 'em much on his show, but when he has a guest, he doesn't sound like a complete idiot reading from notes. Heck, even the "Radio Impulse" computer knows 100x more about music than Lazlo.

 

[AQH]

Lazlo is a smart dude.. He did GREAT things at KRBZ in Kansas City.. . the problem is he's NOT from SEATTLE.

Nuff said.

Then please explain Kevin Stapleford, Rick Lambert and Phil Manning.

 

[Rock 100.7]

ALLOW ME TO REPHRASE... Lazlo doesn't 'GET' Seattle...

Lazlo is a smart dude.. He did GREAT things at KRBZ in Kansas City.. . the problem is he's NOT from SEATTLE. Nuff said.

The real problem is that Lazlo is the loser kid in high school who could only make himself feel better when he picked on the nerdy kids (like his radio sidekick). If you had never heard his voice and just read a transcript of his shows, you'd think it was some half-assed school paper of what immature kids think radio should sound like. NOT ONCE does he talk about the music.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN LAZLO??? He WAS the nerdy kid in High School. Him and Slim Fast prolly got their asses kicked EVERY DAY! There's no WAY they could have made it out at Foster HS in Tukwila with the lil badasses I went to school with!

And for the record. I guarantee I have HEARD his show. he knows` the music......

 

[AQH]

ALLOW ME TO REPHRASE... Lazlo doesn't 'GET' Seattle...

The End's problem has very little to do with "getting" Seattle. Just like KC, he's the only game in this town with this format. Successful programming philosophies is what he doesn't "get." I'd toss in some ego, as well.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN LAZLO??? He WAS the nerdy kid in High School. Him and Slim Fast prolly got their asses kicked EVERY DAY! There's no WAY they could have made it out at Foster HS in Tukwila with the lil badasses I went to school with!

Oh geez, you really think physical appearances have anything to do with ability to create a successful radio station?

And for the record. I guarantee I have HEARD his show. he knows` the music......

If that's true, he should start using his noodle and re-focus The End.

 

[Rock 100.7]

ALLOW ME TO REPHRASE... Lazlo doesn't 'GET' Seattle...

The End's problem has very little to do with "getting" Seattle. Just like KC, he's the only game in this town with this format. Successful programming philosophies is what he doesn't "get." I'd toss in some ego, as well.


A: It absolutely does. ya think Lazlo can carry on a short conversation about Dick's (Drive In)? Or about the Hydros? Chip Hanauer? Does he UNDERSTAND Seafair? Come on man... Give me a little credit here..

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN LAZLO??? He WAS the nerdy kid in High School. Him and Slim Fast prolly got their asses kicked EVERY DAY! There's no WAY they could have made it out at Foster HS in Tukwila with the lil badasses I went to school with!

Oh geez, you really think physical appearances have anything to do with ability to create a successful radio station?

A: No.. But it WOULDA got his ass kicked in high school out in the South End.. I'm just sayin'.. He's a NERD.. so is Afentra and Slim Fast.. they work well together...

And for the record. I guarantee I have HEARD his show. he knows` the music......

If that's true, he should start using his noodle and re-focus The End.-- Maybe that is a true statement.. I'm just saying I loved his show on the Buzz in KC..

 

[slickkicker]

You can't Rawk and have your record spun on 107.7. I was listening to an old BTO tune on the Oldies station the other day and when "Let it Ride" hit the eardrums I turned it way up. Just freakin' awesome. Homer Simpson was right! You can't beat the riffs that Zep, Grand Funk or Thin Lizzy sported back in the 70's.

A side note here. BTO couldn't play that good, looked awful and there lead singer sucked. The End plays worse artists surrounded by even worse personalities. Go figure.

Try getting edgy, provocative and stylish over there. Start with "Psycho Killer". Listen to that record over and over and examine how it applies to you, the audience and the lifestyle.

 

[Rock 100.7]

I've been eluding to this...

Entercom isn't stupid. Neither is Lazlo.

KNDD is simply a flanker to KISW. Think about how they are selling it, or should be using it as a sales tool.

"Mr Smith, if you think you only have listeners that listen to KISW, let me expand your mind and teach you about SHARED LISTENING"

I am sure there is a ton of it.

It's really simple people.

 

[djdan]

This is actually correct. KISW and KNDD are combo buys and are able to command a greater share of the male business by doing so. KZOK and JACK are also a combo that competes with them. KNDD and JACK are flanker stations, which is common from a sales perspective. By having a weaker FM in a similar format you create a combo buy regionally and nationally. You also protect KISW and KZOK from attack. If KNDD were to go away there would be a nice hole in the market for an active rock with a younger lean aimed right at KISW. If JACK were to go away KJR-FM would become a real competitor for KZOK.

In a weak economy this makes sense. When the economy gets stronger and advertising demand increases it is the time to flip formats and make each station a winner on its own.

I get the thinking from a sales perspective, not sure it is the long-range best use of the 107.7 signal.

 

[Mike Fright]

I've been eluding to this...

Entercom isn't stupid. Neither is Lazlo.

KNDD is simply a flanker to KISW. Think about how they are selling it, or should be using it as a sales tool.

It's really simple people.

Entercom isn't stupid? Aren't these the guys who bought KISW, fired Steve Young, pronounced Def Leppard the single greatest performers in rock history, and cut the playlist to 200 or so lame-and-burnt songs repeated in such mind-numbing repetition that the station went from decent ratings to dead last? Bob Rivers was smart enough to distance himself from their watching-paint-dry musical excitement and went talk, but they drove him to KZOK by trying to fire most of his cast. So they replaced him with....Rob, Arnie , and Dawn?! Oh no, that's not stupid, it's.....it's...well actually it is pretty f$&ing stupid. I know a lot of good people, talented people, whose careers were ruined while the "not stupid" Entercom Einstiens ran around like the Keystone Kops on acid. At that point, KISW was "simply a flanker" to KNDD! Then came Dave "Richards" to distance the station from bad musical programming by relegating the bad musical programming to brief midday and evening spurts between long talk segments...and making KNDD the "Flanker" station.

Lazlo not stupid? I think one only needs to look at the ratings or turn to 107.7 on the FM dial to shoot that theory full of holes. Musically the station seems to focus 12+ with a special emphasis on 12 year olds: a never-ending parade of instantly forgettable emo-kid groups and 4th and 5th generation Pearl Jam clones. As a sharp contrast to his musical genius, Lazlo's afternoon show is inane, boring, and prone to flat-out not making sense at times.

 

[dan_greenberg1500]

Someone in an earlier post mentioned that Lazlo and his crew don't get "Seattle". Even though they were brought in from KC, at the very least they should have done their research on this fine city to make it appear like they've lived here their whole life. Instead I just got done listening to an interview Lazlo's sidekick did at a concert. Here is an excerpt:

Artist- Well actually the last time I was in Seattle I got arrested for protesting at the WTO riots

Slimfast- When was that?

Might not seem like a big deal but IMHO if you want to be accepted in a city, get to know its history a little. It really isn't that difficult.

 

[nwoidaho]

Change is coming...

Kaplan Trades Mardi Gras For Starbucks

Mike Kaplan is packing for his big transfer from Entercom/New Orleans, where he's PD of top 40 WEZB (B97) and classic hits WKBU (the Bayou), up to Seattle to program heritage alternative KNDD (107-7 the End).

 

[rw]

I think this is a great move.

Mike Kaplan and Lazlo have a history from KC. They have worked together and respect each other. It lets Lazlo focus on his show and Mike can deal with the PD stuff.

Sounds like a perfect move to me.

Brilliant move.

 

[manicmechanic]

What's brilliant?

Wasn't there already a skilled APD at KNDD who knew the station, knew the city, and knew the audience and the station's heritage better than anyone? Wasn't this APD already basically handling all the PD functions at KNDD anyway while Lazlo focused on his show?

So then the APD was sacked, presumably to save money and save a salary...and now Entercom has added another salary, and probably a more pricey salary than what the previous APD-in-name-only was making. Unless Mr. Kaplan's salary is coming out of Entercom's central HQ budget, I don't see where this is even approaching brilliant. Seems like it's actually a replacement part for the sacked APD-in-name-only, albeit a more expensive and less-informed one than before, but with the full PD stripes. But where's the difference in tasks?

This is about as brilliant as not knowing what the WTO was. But do you really think Slimfast cares? Just another way to pass off ignorance as trying to appear cool and aloof, I guess, who knows. I shouldn't bother reading too much into it; this crew certainly doesn't. Why bother learning something about the city you're in, right?

This station has become chronically disappointing, but not knowing WTO in Seattle is like not knowing the Boston Massacre in Boston or the L.A. riots in L.A. Again, do we think the host involved cares? Speaks volumes about the interest level.

 

[Mike Fright]

What's brilliant?

Wasn't there already a skilled APD at KNDD who knew the station, knew the city, and knew the audience and the station's heritage better than anyone?

I've NEVER understood why they didn't let that APD run the show there, his weekend "ressurection jukebox" was the musical highlight of the station....and really I don't see how the numbers could be any worse. Except maybe among 12 year olds, which seems to be Entercom's focus with the End.

Let Lazlo "focus on his show"? Seriously, how is that going to help? This is what passes for radio in Seattle these days?