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Best Mid-day Show in Seattle

T

TakeItFromMe

This may be the most under appreciated shift in radio. You work in the middle of the day and it takes a special talent to entertain while people work. Mornings, your audience is engaged in their cars or home, same for afternoons and nights. Mid-days it is a whole different game. My top shows:

1. Rush Limbaugh
Love him or hate him he is engaging with the mid-day crowd and his ratings show it.

2. JACK
Well programmed mix. Strong mid-day numbers

3. WOLF
Well programmed mix with just the right amount of commercials and talk.
Generally beats KMPS mid-days (loaded with commercials and talk)

4. KPLZ
The 80's lunch deal has appeal. I am not a fan of the station, but like this show. Number one mid-days 25-54 in the latest trend, so ya gotta include em.

5. KUBE
The old-school lunch thing is kinda fun.
Number one mid-days 12+ so they are they ratings king right now.
There are my votes. Let's honor mid-days instead of posting about airtalent leaving and where plastic banners are. Who are the best and what makes a good mid-day talent in talk or music radio. I find that I listen to different stations mid-days than I do in the afternoons or mornings.
 
I think in this daypart (ALMOST more than any other) longevity is key. This is usually goal of stations to build TSL in this daypart -- especially those coveting "people at work"; so just like the real deal you don't want to share a cube/office with someone you don't like (and to a lesser degree, someone you don't know all that well).

So I'd put nearly all the long-time midday people in that "highly respected" category because they simply wouldn't be there this long if not performing. Includes Heidi May (KJR), Mark Christopher (KBSG), Jill Taylor (STAR), Dave Ross (KIRO), Stubbs (KMPS) among others. Stations I assume would also fit in the category (but unfortunately I'm not as familiar with their talent) KZOK, KCMS, KJR-A; and to some degree KOMO-A midday news (though non-talk/all-news middays generally aren't strong performers in any market). Rush as talent seems to overshadow his hosting station in middays, proving he's got traction ... and of course KUBE has been consistent middays for years. Others (newcomers, especially) can get there; but talent and imaging both still in that "getting to know you phase". I left WARM out intentionally ... only to emphasize the point that I perceive them as a music service not as a talent showcase. Probably huge middays in places like dental offices and what-not (and very likely patients don't know the talent as well as the practicioners!!!); but like JACK, I attribute their midday strength to music selection more than anything else.


(GOOD TOPIC...love having chances to bat around observations with folks instead of just reading a bunch of people-bashing and immature pissing contests about who is right, etc. -- I'd like to think people on this board really are better than that)
 
Interesting topic. No question from a longevity and ratings point of view on the AM band it is Dave Ross and Rush Limbaugh. On the FM side of the dial I'd agree with LLB. Glancing at the last trend, your 12+ leader is KUBE and Shelly Hart has great longevity in this market. 25-54 your winner was Jill Taylor on KPLZ, she also has great longevity in this market. Stubbs (KMPS), Heidi May (KJR) and Mark Christopher (KBSG) are strong too. KWJZ does a fine job mid-days as well, though I would put them in the category with KRWM and JACK as background stations driven ONLY by music. The other shows mentioned have features that drive work audiences to listen and personalities that blend well with the music. The ratings agree.

I knew longevity played a big part in morning drive which is why Bob Rivers, Ichabod, Kent and Alan and T-Man owned most of the key demos in the last book and trend. What is surprising is that personality does seem to play a part in mid-days too, traditionally thought of as a background type air shift.
Good topic and congratulations to the strong mid-day numbers for the above talent.
 
Forgot to mention KZOK mid-days! Strong station, good talent. It is amazing that this board seems to agree on the top mid-day shows, while we all disagree on just about everything else. The weakest stations mid-days are obvious: KBKS has real trouble here with very poor music and talent. Coming off horrid morning numbers doesn't help either. It is an afternoon/night station only. Same goes for MOVIN, KISW, KNDD. On the talk side your winners are Rush on KTTH and Dave Ross on KIRO, no question. KVI and KOMO virtually disappear from the ratings mid-days. The Country battle mid-days is a toss up. Stubbs sounds automated (like KRWM and KWJZ). WOLF wins that battle in ratings and especially in younger demos.
 
No question the best mid-day show is at WARM. Daryl Summers is a Seattle pro with longevity and on the four book is at the top or near it most of the time with women and in 25-54 adults. KWJZ also does well. These are not background stations, but very active. The trick with softer formats is to be active in the community and off the air. On the air, you blend with the music and key in on your community appeal. It is a real talent.

Dave Ross is the king on the AM dial, but KPTK is doing quite well now beating KOMO-AM and KVI-AM middays regularly. Only Rush and Dave are ahead of KPTK and they are declining.

What is the big deal about Rivers, Ichabod, Kent and Alan and T-Man in mornings? Rivers and T-Man are now syndicated and their shows are sounding less local and tired. Speaking of tired, Ichabod and Kent and Alan are nice guys, but come on. These are not "big personality" shows. They do the basics, so what makes them so "talented?" Just cause they've been here so long? Longevity is admirable, but it doesn't mean you are brilliant, could just mean you can't get hired elsewhere or you work cheap.
 
Mamma, the subject of the old guys of radio (Ichabod, K & A) comes up quite a bit on the board. It seems listeners like the consistency of the teams and don't question whether there's something more interesting to listen to. K & A are nice but bland, and that fits their station and audience of Eastside mini-van moms perfectly. They'll be there as long as they want to be.

Infinity/CBS keeps Ichabod because he's cheap, working far below the market average for morning guys. He's surrounded by inexpensive "talent" in the morning that consists of people who couldn't get jobs elsewhere and kiss his a** Those of us who've been in this market long enough know that when he left to go to some south sound station KMPS ratings were fine without him, and the station he went to did nothing. I agree with you there that Ichabod's show sounds very tired, but again most audiences don't like change. He's consistently tired and he'll be there as long as he wants to be.
 
We need to define terms here. "Best" because of personality or best in ratings performance.

Stations that sell music by the ton like KRWM and KWJZ are a hit because of their listen-at-work killer TSL.
Certainly not because of their great personalities. Nothing against Darryl at Warm (who has a great voice) but it's really back announce/liner/promo...start the automation again, weather...start the automation...see you in 40 minutes!

Dave Ross is genius at reading the day, Stubbs always relates to the tunes and her audience lifestyle. Love or hate him, but Rush remains a great showman and still draws a crowd, even on that weak 770 signal...BTW how many complaints will Entercom draw from irate Sonics fans over KTTH's signal, especially at night when most Sonics games are played!?

Why are we so quick to slam Ichabod, Kent & Allen and Rivers. They show up show prepped and ready year after year and have earned their props.
 
TowerLamp said:
Why are we so quick to slam Ichabod, Kent & Allen and Rivers. They show up show prepped and ready year after year and have earned their props.
Click to expand...

Because they're steady. Consistent. Reliable. And these days many think that's boring. But like anything else - money talks. And the amount these guys earn (and bill) speak volumes.
 
WRONG

No Rob -

Cash talks...and YOU WALK....

..are BORING - and do NOT speak at any VOLUME...
 
I can't belive that you would even bring Daryl Summers into this debate! How do you spell boring...Daryl Summers. A monkey could produce the same ratings for WARM during that time slot. Daryl is a liner card reader, and anytime she tries to talk outside of the liner card she stumbles. NO PERSONALITY!!!! Anyone can backsell, read the card, and do the weather. Definatly overpaid for what she actually does. Sandusky could save alot of $ by automating that shift. Try going jockless, doubt listeners would notice.
 
djradiogal,

Slow down...no one said Daryl was a great jock...BUT she has great numbers. The question was raised how do we define "best midday show"...by the numbers or the more subjective metric, our opinions?

I agree that beyond the morning show there is scant evidence of personality on KRWM.
 
I'd have to agree. Crowski is the best damn mid day personality in Seattle.
 
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