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C

chaajoad

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Listening to Dave Ross the other day - something I can do most of the time without a rise in my blood pressure - I heard Marni Nixon (who?) for an entire hour and it struck me as highly irrelevant and completely elitist. I can hear a possible response: it can't all be rants about taxes, gas prices and transportation problems. Sure - I agree. But it is SO obvious that he does interviews like this to get free orchestra tickets to "My Fair Lady".

Anyone who listens at all knows that Ross fancies himself a singer. Seriously - he thinks he's good. I would cringe whenever he would (or maybe still does) play one of those hideous Weird Al parodies/karaoke things he does. He is also a vest pocket citizen of the Upper Crust. It's not unusual for him on a Monday to announce that over the weekend he went hiking, attended the opera, attended a fabulous celebrity dinner and watched some variation of "Atonement" at the Cinerama - very little of it actually costing him anything. And none of it has a damn thing to do with the average American citizen.

A few months back I believe the topic was using illegal immigrants for labor when he mentioned that he had spent the weekend installing a "water feature" at his Mercer Island home. Anyone using the term "water feature" on a talk show needs to be immediately bounced. He can work at NPR, but not at what is (hoped to be) a mass appeal talk-news format.

Like I said - I can tolerate the guy. But there are times the snobbism and self-serving is just too much.
 
Wow. A talk show host with an actual education. A host who doesn't believe it's a sin to be smart, and also believes that his audience might be smart. Someone who actually likes opera and classical music!
Obviously he must be stopped to make room for more hosts whose world view stretches all the way from Ballard to West Seattle. (Wait, that was the route of the monorail. Never mind).
 
Wish I had known about that show! I would think Marni Nixon has some fascinating stories to tell and I would ABSOLUTELY welcome a break from all the really really really really really dumb so-called "coverage" of topical issues.

Our economy almost drowned on the very first flush ... yet media still wants to focus on Obama's preacher and McCain's age. That stuff MAYBE fine if you're the "Daily Show", but sadly the Daily Show seems to do a better job of uncovering NEW material from the campaigns and those already in office on a consistent basis than the mainstream "real news" media.

Sorry, cj, but I didn't find your argument all that compelling about why that show should be a tune-out....
 
Rich/LBB - I knew these points would come up and they are well taken but as a long time radio industry guy, I would bet a lot that the hour Marni Nixon was on would show a big drop in listeners. I heard a lot of the interview and it was far from fascinating.

I have nothing against education but numbers don't lie and the support for the "arts" is a big minority. plus, there's the elitist thing and Barack has had that bite him. I'm well educated and learned and I don't want to hear more than a sentence on a news talk station about opera/plays/art openings, etc. Nor do I want a constant drone about the Viaduct, HOT lanes or any other pressing issues. I think you can be intelligent and informative while staying mainstream.

I will say this about Ross. As much as I think he has "Short Man Syndrome" he at least showed some gumption when he ran for Congress as opposed to Dore who is sounding more and more survivalist as he rants about the "gubmint" every day and does NOTHING but talk.

Does Carl Jeffers drive anyone as nuts as he does me? He can NOT be quiet. He's one of the few guys I actually have to shut off. On the other hand, I like movie critic Tom Tangney (sp?) - his voice, enthusiasm and delivery is cool and he's not so erudite as to push away a casual listener.
 
Sounds like it's time to sample the shows a bit. I'm rarely in my car...but will check it out this evening...imagine nighttime radio has changed a bunch since I last checked it out.

Too bad about the Nixon interview...would have been interesting (to me, at least) to learn about what it's like to do all those well-known songs on the condition no one will ever know YOU for doing the work!! It was a common practice (called ghosting, originally, I believe) .. and it would be kind of cool to hear what it's like to have played such a role when musicals were at their pinnacle. I wouldn't have sat through something about the arts, etc. either...I just heard you mention Marni and assumed it would have been focused on her career highlights (then again maybe SHE gets tired of rehashing that same territory). She lived here for years and moved off "the rock" a few years ago, I believe.
 
LBB -

There are plenty of things I hear on various stations that interest me that I can't imagine would interest too many other folks. Something Marni Nixon did in 1970 ain't one of them but maybe for you ... whatever floats your boat.

I've always listened to talk radio - as long as I can recall - even though I'm a music guy for a living. And of course talk shows cause good and bad comments. I just think KIRO has steadily been headed south for a few years and it's about as bad as I've ever heard it right now. I don't threaten not to listen - working in radio, I know how effective THAT tactic is - but I can spout off a bit about a signal I kind of like(d).
 
People may be tuning in to TBTL for the same reason they rubberneck while passing traffic accidents. Doesn't matter if the show's compelling or if it's the worst thing on the air - if people are tuning in, it's a success. Want proof? Look at the good numbers Ron & Don get with their inane style of talk radio.
 
SRP - You're right, of course. I'm glad I don't make those decisions because I'd really hate putting something on the air that I feel dumbs down everyone listening, is inane and amateurish and yet gets numbers. Do you or anyone else have night numbers for KIRO?
 
Too soon to tell if the night show works or not. 25-54 it is 24th. No change in 12+ or 25-54, some gain 18-34 to 11th place. To be fair you have to give a show a year or so.
 
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