KTAR - Changes needed

[azenergyfan]

Okay lets talk about what we think KTAR should do in 2013. I have my thoughts but lets here yours too.

Take some calls so have a mix of the monologue format and calls.

Move Tim and Willy to mornings w/ still keeping news in the mix
Move Gaydos to early afternoons
Fire Mac for good!
Move Karie and Chuck to pm drive.
Move Ramsey to late nights.
Bring in Karel talk show for evenings

 

[indieradioguy]

Okay lets talk about what we think KTAR should do in 2013. I have my thoughts but lets here yours too.

Take some calls so have a mix of the monologue format and calls.

Bring back on-air listener calls once and for all and quit hiding behind Twitter. Not sure if anyone else noticed, but the ABC News "Year in Review" special that 92.3 played for New Year's was comprised entirely of on-air listener calls (often in markets where the news story in question *didn't* occur.) That's free publicity for the stations that were involved. Too bad 92.3 is still too proud to lower themselves to taking on-air calls from Aunt Edna. How 'bout it, Bonneville? Can you open up the phone lines for listeners so that ABC News will include you guys in their New Year's special for 2014? You didn't see class acts like Heywood and Westmoreland whine about having to take on-air calls -- "Oh, no, we can't take the calls from those knuckle-dragging troglodytes!" -- and then suddenly act surprised about the quality of people calling in -- "Wait, what? You mean no PhD's will ever be calling in?" Talk radio without on-air listener calls isn't talk radio.

 

[MarkAndrews]

Well it sure ain't music radio!!

 

[stevensonair]

Think about the type of person most likely to have the time and agenda to call a radio talk show..

and you'll quickly realize why KTAR probably wanted to go without them.

 

[KMGX]

Take some calls so have a mix of the monologue format and calls.

Agreed completely.

Move Gaydos to early afternoons

No. Too much shtick. He would be THE first to get a pink slip.

Fire Mac for good!

Mac was almost listenable when he was by himself, but I think a good house cleaning is in order so I will agree with you here as well.

Move Karie and Chuck to pm drive.

Lose Karie, keep Chuck. Chuck is a very talented broadcaster with a wide array of knowledge, he used to showcase his talents a great deal when he was on Sports Fan Radio Network, KZON, Xtra Sports and with Vince on both the Edge and podcasts. Chuck is a valuable asset and should be compensated as such. He is one of the few people from KTAR I would keep.

Move Ramsey to late nights.

How about Move Ramsey to the recycle bin and never air that snake oil salesman again. Awful radio with basic advice that even a fifth grader understands. Naturally, said advice is being given to rednecks with an obviously limited education.

Oh and...

Think about the type of person most likely to have the time and agenda to call a radio talk show..

and you'll quickly realize why KTAR probably wanted to go without them.

You mean someone like me with two college degrees that works from home? Yeah, you're probably right, we certainly wouldn't want people like THAT getting on the air. I would most likely out shine the "talent".

 

[stevensonair]

Perhaps.

My point - admittedly, said sarcastically - is that most callers that get onto the national talk shows strike me as either parroting for the host or trying to take the topic in an even more extreme or uninformed direction.

I'm not as interested in people's opinions for the sake of hearing an opinion or filling airtime. And I sense a lot of people who sit around trying to get thru to a talk show (especially a national one) often are more about axe grinding or blaming than actually making a compelling point.

If the screeners could find quality callers, I'd be more than happy to hear from them. But I also think most hosts screen more to benefit their own ego, so there's that.

 

[Legend City]

Get rid of Dave Ramsey, after all these years, if hillbillies can't figure out that paying back mortgage is more important than buying NASCAR tickets, then they never will.

Bruce is good, Mac & Cheeze is pretty bad, but better than Mike "I'm a friend of Glenn Beck" Broomhead and Hugh "Send money to the GOP" Hewitt.

But that is like saying being stabbed to death is better than being burned to death.

Cari and Chuck is just an inane show, pure cotton candy.

As for calls, some are good, most are just crazy nut cranks.

 

[indieradioguy]

Perhaps.

My point - admittedly, said sarcastically - is that most callers that get onto the national talk shows strike me as either parroting for the host or trying to take the topic in an even more extreme or uninformed direction.

I'm not as interested in people's opinions for the sake of hearing an opinion or filling airtime. And I sense a lot of people who sit around trying to get thru to a talk show (especially a national one) often are more about axe grinding or blaming than actually making a compelling point.

If the screeners could find quality callers, I'd be more than happy to hear from them. But I also think most hosts screen more to benefit their own ego, so there's that.

The question to be asking isn't, "Who has time to stay on hold 45min for 1-2min of call time?" The question to be asking is, "What sane broadcasting organization would pay 3-4 hosts to do what one good host can do with a good call screener and a delay button? Particularly when they still don't have the monthly PPM's to justify that additional expense?" Bonneville's programming decisions in 2012, and already in 2013, continue to boggle the mind. On-air listener calls have never been compelling or insightful or informative but they have always been entertaining. There is no conceivable way 92.3 in 2013 is remotely as entertaining as it was before they decided they were too good to take listener calls. Not entertaining at all.

 

[DistantAntenna]

Look, I've heard Bruce take listener calls and he's terrible. I remember back when he first started and took on-air calls when listeners with opposing thoughts would call up and easily get the better of him to the point that it was embarrassing to listen to. Frankly, the hosts at KTAR don't seem all that bright and lack the necessary depth to effectively discuss issues with callers who might challenge their half-witted opinions. It's awful when they take calls and awful when they don't. It's a bad station these days.

 

[landtuna]

Bonneville - PLEASE sell/barter/donate/exchange 620 to Clear Channel 1230 so "America's Best Music" can be heard outside South Phoenix.

As long as you're not doing anything important with 620 of course.

 

[Frequency Breakdown]

IMHO, the issues aren't with the hosts per se, but with the mediocre topics they choose to discuss. It almost feels like the PD or maybe even the talent themselves, are afraid of alienating their audience by covering controversial, hard-hitting topics and taking (perhaps) an "unpopular" opinion. The exception, of course, being the Lovable Jaybird.

 

[Billkex]

The thing that's laughable on KTAR is when hosts give child rearing advice, when they have very little or no experience at it. (Mac, Gaydos, Bruce, Chuck, Pamela, etc.) I ussually change the dial because it's so bad.

 

[Frequency Breakdown]

The thing that's laughable on KTAR is when hosts give child rearing advice, when they have very little or no experience at it. (Mac, Gaydos, Bruce, Chuck, Pamela, etc.) I ussually change the dial because it's so bad.

I'd take Pamela off that list… Don't forget about Baby Riley!

 

[indieradioguy]

Think about the type of person most likely to have the time and agenda to call a radio talk show..

and you'll quickly realize why KTAR probably wanted to go without them.

Dumb and Dumber occasionally go to "the source" (their still-not-entirely-hip euphemism for taking listener calls on-air), and it's not as asinine as you would think. I don't see why other local hosts can't follow suit. KTAR can't keep hiding behind Twitter forever and they will inevitably need to return to on-air listener calls once their We're-Not-Your-Grandpa's-Talk-Radio re-branding wears off. Don't tell the callers what the topic is - hit the calls bam, bam, bam in quick, immediate succession - and 92.3 retains its proper "talk radio" format without attracting the tin-foilers. Problem bandaged, if not solved.