Luke Burpbank - KIRO

[chaajoad]

Honestly, I tried listening again tonight. After the Mariners game (what happened to Huytler and crew? Who was THAT guy after the game?) I switched over to KIRO and could only take a few minutes as Luke and his Giggle Girl babbled on about overweight dogs.

Is this honestly the best that a heritage station like KIRO can come up with? This guy was some kind of big deal at NPR? And that gawd-awful valley girl on with him - do these people not have anything more interesting in their lives and do they truly believe listeners enjoy hearing them talk about ... THEMSELVES all damn night?

If anyone gets numbers that prove me wrong, please post them and I'll be happy to be schooled. Until then - what in the world is KIRO's thinking?

It is truly unlistenable.

 

[Wrench]

I disagree. I listen to TBTL all the time.

Slick it ain't. But it's a testiment to the power of live, local voices. They're friendly. They're warm. It's not demanding at the end of the day. They draw you in with repeating shtick like "Awesome/Not Awesome".

Sometimes it is unlistenable. Last week I turned it off saying "Why am I listening to this crap"?

But often it's just light-hearted banter with your radio pals at the end of the day. It has a certain charm.

At least give KIRO credit for trying to develop something new.

I'm tired of the political shit. I've heard it all. The war drags on. Yes, the politicos are well-informed, passionate, etc. I want something different. This is different. For now.

Here's my take: If it were the slickest, best-produced show in the world, it would still get the same numbers it gets now. There's just not that many radioheads to tune in at those hours for that kind of offering.

Is Luke a good interviewer? No.
Is there anything at all compelling about the show? No.
Does each segment ramble unnecessarily and lose focus? Yes.
Is it ever "appointment radio"? No.
Is it over-indulgent with Luke's personal sphere and white-guy world experience? Yes.
Does he mispronounce a lot of words or appear ignorant on a variety of subjects? Yes.
Does he misuse drops, and make excessive use of "inside jokes" exclusive to that show? Yes.

I think Luke Burbank WILL be a good, seasoned radio host in 25+ years. Until then, he's learning. It's live, it's local, it's fun, ... it's TBTL...

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Out of curiosity ... how do Luke & John Tesh stack up against each other? Seems they are both end-of-day "feel good" shows ...??

 

[djdan]

Give the guy a break. This is his first trend and I would hope KIRO would let any show have at least a year to get it's legs. In February Tesh had about double KIRO's night numbers. Interesting over the last several months KVI has the big winner at night. In Spring and Summer it will be hard to get a read on any AM radio evening show because the Mariners will own nights.

For Ron and Don fans they were number one in February in just about every demographic. The show seems to have been given the time to gain strength. BJ Shea was also number one for February in just about every adult and male demo. For END fans, Adam Carolla has literally four times the number of any other station daypart in the Jan and Feb trending.

 

[CorporateSuit]

Luke Burbank and TBTL is the future of talk radio and it will be a ratings and marketing success story very soon. And Ron and Don will continue with their success. They were given a year to make the show a ratings and revenue winner and they did it in half the time.

Personally, I can't stand either show. However, I have to admit that "the game has past me by." I have trained hundreds of young people in radio, giving them their foot in the door and most of them have continued their careers. I have taught more people that I care to think of in "Talk Radio 101"....transforming someone with a little expertise off the street into a talk show host---a skill they can use for the rest of their lives. And I have been able to train "DJs" of the music format to be successful talk show hosts---and all of them discover that it is very easy to fill the time that the music used to fill....to the point that they wish they had MORE time to talk.

But what passes for great radio, I cannot judge anymore accurately. Fortunately, I don't work in radio any more after 20 years and work in a much more viable industry. I can say that the Seattle market has no big "on the edge" breakout talent that I make an appointment with to listen to. (I'm speaking in terms of talk radio, not music). But I'm probably wrong about that....

 

[chaajoad]

Corporate Suit -

While all the posts are reasoned and reasonable, I will disagree with you. While I freely admit to being "non-young" I am still working in radio and feel I have a pretty good handle on what's up. I've always been an early adopter and have never succeeded in acting my age.

To begin with, even giving the show a title seems both old and too coy. I think a truly hip talk radio show shouldn't have a name beyond the host. TBTL smacks of nerds exchanging mix tapes, arguing over "Darth Vader or Darth Maul?"

Secondly - who cares if he's a good interviewer? He doesn't really want any guests anyway.

Third - can anyone ANYONE really think that the mini-Robin Quivers he giggles with all night
could be called someone who does "good radio"? I truly tried to listen to her while Burbank was gone and it was, without a doubt, one of the more painful experiences I can recall. I was actually embarrassed. It sounded like she's literally walked off the street from her barista gig, they handed her headphones and she was on KIRO. Incredible.

There is no way this will be the future of talk radio, let alone the future of nights on KIRO. No. Way. Ever. I will bet my decades of experience on it. If, as one poster suggests, it will take 25 years for Luke to become a good host, might I suggest a tour of duty in, oh ... say Cedar Rapids? Do you really think guys like Dori or Dave take great pleasure in knowing they share air with this banal crap? Look at what KIRO has done to that night slot over the last few years. I can't remember all the losers but there was that Fred the Professor guy who looked like a homeless guy and tried to come off as a Brainiac but only sounded like a maniac. There was Tony Ventrella - a good guy with a personable delivery but not much more effective than Burbank. At least Tony wasn't/isn't full of himself or trying to play footsies with listeners. There was Alan Prell (daytime, I know) and whose bright idea was that? Again, embarrassing.

I really like Mike Webb. Yes, he was at times maniacal. And he could go off on tangents like playing old Top 40 songs. But at least he was about something. Burbank is about nothing other than circle jerks (to use the crude phrase) and pls don't play the Seinfeld card because there is no comparison.

Maybe this is what HD should be used for. In the olllld days, KJRB and KREM in Spokane were where future KJR and KING jocks honed their skills. With those days gone, we now have MySpace or YouTube where goofs like Burbank post self-absorbed prattle for an audience of 11 and feel they're ready for market #14.

I'm not sure about Ron & Don - but despite #'s, I'd say their longevity will be suspect as well. Again - they're not about anything. Just yapping, trying to stir the pot and endless pots about all of Don's "good friends" - just pure BS. Like Dori (I don't) and Dave (I do - mostly or not, they are about something. And I don't care if KIRO wants to suck up to 14 yr olds (who don't care about radio anyway) or 84 year olds, having shows about something is a good, good thing. We'll see how it shakes out but if Burbank and his hand puppet friend is the future of talk radio, I predict a big run on the library and a renewed interest in reading.

 

[SpeedyEd]

I am not in the radio business. I am just a 50-year-old listener.

Except for a few minutes of Mitch In The Morning on KJR while waking up in the morning, TBTL is the only radio I listen to. I listen to the whole show. And if I miss the show, I listen to the podcast. Why? Because it is entertaining. Which Dave is not, which Dori is not, which Ron and Don are not.

Yes, producer Jen is annoying, in both her everything-that-is-bad-about-Seattle attitudes and her voice, so I could do without her. But Burbank needs a foil, and she'll do for now.

I especially like that Luke and Jen are natives. I like to listen local. I mean, local local -- people who are from here.

 

[CorporateSuit]

Hey Chaajoad,

Thanks for your post. It cheered me up. I agree with your post. Maybe I do know what's good and what is not....but I think what I find the most frustrating is that management gets behind these clowns and backs them up. Burbank has built his career on bulldozing PDs into hiring him to do things that he has no interest in doing----or until something better comes up. He is the posterchild of the slacker "Me Generation."

Oh, and I agree SO much with your mention of Don and Ron's "good friends" when they do their pitches. I was listening (yes, I'm sorry, but I was poking around the dial) as they had in some chef giving them free food. First, it is such BAD radio to hear about food and listening to the jocks eat it....and I just know that R&D had some free meals at the chef's place. I mean, it's payola, pure and simple. How many other such deals does Ron Arquette know about?

And I know this sounds crass, but I could never understand why they picked some elderly lady in New Orleans to build a house for, when we have so many transplated New Orleans-folk in our community that need help. At least there would be some kind of Northwest connection as opposed to picking out somone who can't even LISTEN to KIRO. And....well, wouldn't it be poetic if the old lady got into her house and died in her sleep the next day? Why not help a family, single mother with kids----or someone who lost everying in NO and is trying to make a start here in the NW?

 

[chaajoad]

Suit -

I don't enjoy being mean spirited but I work in radio every day and hate to see great stations flounder around like start-ups. I had no idea Burbank has a rep for what you mentioned but listening to KIRO nights now it is definitely all about him. I fail to see how even a coveted 30 yr old listener would find a few hours of hearing him jabber about his tattoos, his weight, his trip to a bowling alley anything other than sleep-inducing. If KIRO really wants younger listeners, get rid of Dave and Dori as well and whose bright idea was it adding Phil Hendrie? Every single fake voice is absolutely easy to hear as him. So from 7PM-1AM KIRO has a slacker rambling about himself and an elderly gent who talks to himself.

Nice. Real nice.

And here's another though that might get angry posts ...

I've done my share of on-air endorsements and received sponor product for them. But rarely in a large market will you hear a shill so shamelessly whore himself out as does Dori. For awhile there - I guess when he was having a house built - I think every single break day after day contained his high-pitched voice going on about siding, roofing, flooring, windows, HVAC and onandon. I'm thinking seriously about using something Dori hates - the government - to ask that all these endorsement ades be identified that the endorser has received product in turn for the spot. Not just cash, but received 10 installed windows or 1,000 sq feet of flooring. I want to know if the host is doing the spot because the station sold it or because he was given something. Do you think if Dori were offered free flooring he would truly investigate the company, talk to former customers and be certain his name (or voice) is backing something worthy? I doubt it ...

I'm serious about it.

And one last rant to KIRO: GET RID OF THE CAR HORN FOR YOUR TRAFFIC UPDATES! Every single time I hear that damn thing I jump. My guess if an accident can be traced to a driver reacting to that horn beep, KIRO will start writing checks.

Whew! I feel better now ...

 

[FMSteve]

Oh BABY! This thread is gooooooood!

I really like the intelligent discussion here. KIRO is the primary EBS station in the market, the best signal, and the best dial position. I guess us baby boomers don't count anymore. So it's off to court the Gen Y's, I suppose.

Anyway, thanks for the thought-provoking thread. Once in a while it happens.

 

[dunno]

What a great show. Original, quirky, different, enlightning. I listen every chance I get.
This board seems to be about putting down rather than lifting up new major talent like Monti and now Luke. I'm sure that you are the same people that long for the old days and live in the past.
But what do I know?
Dunno

 

[chaajoad]

Dear Dunn -

This is what always happens - if someone like me doesn't like a self-absorbed slacker like Burbank than I must want old stuff, everything the same. Well, if it makes you happy you just keep thinking that. I felt the same way about that professor guy Fred someone who looked like a homeless dude (and he's old) and I felt the same way about the maniacal Alan Prell - also much older than Luke.

You don't need to reinvent radio to get young listeners interested. To begin with, young listeners are leaving radio in droves and Burbank ain't gonna get a sudden surge of 18-34 listening nights to a talk show. I think there a few better ways to look at the problem an AM talker has getting young viewers.

One - forget about 'em. Be happy with a very loyal, concentrated 2 or 3 share in the target demo. Super-serve them and sell the heck out of it. You will never be all things to all people and because older folks have ALWAYS been the staple of talk, you might want to consider drawing more of them rather than driving them away. Two - just do good radio and younger listeners might check it out anyway. But when a station starts such an obvious move to suddenly become "hip" it usually backfires. Look at Tony Bennett or Don Rickles - they're just themselves and a whole new audience has rediscovered them. They don't cater to ANY demo and neither should KIRO. Just put the best radio you can find on the air and stand back. But even that won't work unless you do Three - promote the living hell out of it. Huge print ads, billboards, TV, bus sides, guerilla/viral marketing. Do something that might actually bring new customers in the store.

Lift up a "major new talent?" Puh-leeeeease.

I guess the numbers will eventually decide. But if I were Luke, I'd be socking it away right now and saving cardboard boxes.

 

[SeattleRadioPro]

This board seems to be about putting down rather than lifting up new major talent like Monti and now Luke. I'm sure that you are the same people that long for the old days and live in the past.
But what do I know?
Dunno

If Monti and Borebank are "major talent" - then we all just better pull the plug now and bury radio 'cause "major talent" like those two will kill what little is left of this business.

 

[dunno]

Good for a quick laugh!! I thought I could pull more suckers out of the woodwork than this!!

 

[ronrob]

I think there a few better ways to look at the problem an AM talker has getting young viewers.

You know things are tough when a dedicated member of a RADIO board refers to radio's end users as VIEWERS.

 

[chaajoad]

RonRob - The "viewer" thing is an understandable stumble in a late post after a long day. I don't know what great truth you seem to thing it reveals. If anything, radio IS looking for viewers; recent stats show that for the first time online revenue edged out radio revenue. Station web sites, YouTube posts, MySpace pages - these are clearly affecting radio AND print AND TV. The lines have blurred big-time.

I remain convinced that KIRO has stumbled in a major way with their nighttime programming. Anyone remember the short-lived "Truckin'" experiment awhile back? I literally could not believe my ears. A programmer I worked for years back had one theory that I've always remembered and believe to be true. A station can only change so much, only be "all new" or "we play more music" or "we're now hip at night" so many times before no one listens anymore. Credibility is shot. A station might as well go dark or be resigned to third tier status. To be quite honest, I see this happening at 710. I'm no radio guru but I am a radio vet who likes talk radio. It's one thing to argue about what hosts say - it's another thing entirely to question whether that host should even be on the air.

 

[ronrob]

The "viewer" thing is an understandable stumble in a late post after a long day. ..... If anything, radio IS looking for viewers; recent stats show that for the first time online revenue edged out radio revenue. Station web sites, YouTube posts, MySpace pages - these are clearly affecting radio AND print AND TV. The lines have blurred big-time.

"Understandable stumble"? That would carry a little more weight if it wasn't the offender forgiving himself! LOL!

I appreciate the rest of your point re new media, or rather your justification. But radio will always be a medium for "listeners." Those are consumers who do their "viewing" in the all powerful Theatre of the Mind.

 

[chaajoad]

RonRob -

So now I'm an "offender", huh? Dang - you have an interesting use of the language. And I hardly forgave myself as no trespass was commited.

As for radio ...

Of course theater of the mind remains the primary ingredient. But please don't tell me you really believe radio hasn't morphed incredibly in the last decade. The business of radio is much, much different.

As for interesting - it IS interesting how these threads twist and turn. If it's your intention to somehow make the misuse of a term you find bothersome the focus, let's start another thread. I'd like to keep this one focused on the inexplicable addition of Burbank and his Magic Band of Slackers to the once mighty KIRO lineup. I can only imagine what Dave Ross must think when (or if he ever) he listens after 4PM.

 

[GenXRadio]

Ya know what? Entercom had a show just like this that TBTL wishes it could be - The Vocal Minority with Nick & Steve".
Was on the Buzz on Saturday nights 6-10 PM, it was funny, they had some guests every so often, alwayshad phone lines jammed full of callers and had their regular callers that you could always count on for a laugh.
Entercom had it and now they have a second rate versio of it no make it a third rate version.
As th announcer guy would say on the VM "Turn your telephone into a Microphone"

 

[chaajoad]

GenX - I never heard the show, sorry to say. In all honesty I'm busy with my own radio gig and don't get to listen nearly as much as I should. The last few months I've listened to very little night radio but I'll make a point of checking out a few hours of Burbank to stay current. Ya never know - it might actually turn into something.

My guess is the suits at KIRO were all pumped up by the letters "NPR" in Burbank's resume and were wowed by his stream-of-conciousness Little League rambles as something that would entertain those crazy younger demos. But even if the show was scintillating, how can any new listeners know about it? I've seen zero promotion for the show.