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Ron and Don Out?

I

ilovebeer

There's a rumor floating around that Bonneville higher ups don't think that the Ron and Don show on KIRO is a fit for the "future" KIRO. They could be out in just a few months. Wonder what other changes will be going on over on Eastlake. Any thoughts?
 
Usually I don't reply to rumors, but here's my exception. I just so happened to be listening to these two characters the past few days and KIRO's management would be doing all the listeners a great service by dumping these two.

This show is a mess and the talent is horrible.

The bottom line is simple: This terrible afternoon talk radio should not be on the air anywhere and especially not on a good station like this. There must be something in the coffee that's kept these guys on the air at Eastlake.
 
Former PD Clendening believed they were great; it was another misguided decision of his programming "skills" (i.e. lack of), especially playing favorites with staff and totally ignoring other, more-talented people in the station.

I cannot stand listening to the puker Ron (or Don, whichever they are). They sound like a B grade morning show completely out of their league being on KIRO. The puker insists on calling people who call from Tacoma, "T-Town"...and calls Tont Minor "Big Tony".... plus he broadbrushes the issues and it's obvious they do little or no prep. Yesterday I heard the puker whining about not enough people liking him compared to their producer who really should just keep her mouth shut and do her job, booking guests instead of being a sidekick. But when R&D have no callers, theyhave to resort talking to her.
 
--and they milked the whole "hurricane Katrina destroyed my life" thing way too much, trying to exploit a tragedy for ratings. It was sickening and I wasn't sympathetic as obviously they had landed on their feet. Don even cried on the air too. :'(
 
Ron and Don are the best thing KIRO.
They've only been on the air for 10 months and they already have triple the ratings of Dave Ross and Ron Reagan.
 
So what is important in radio today?

From some of the messages on this board it is ratings.

Seems to me there are four people so far on this thread that are whining about a show that doesn't meet their personal taste.

Only one even mentioned the ratings.

But then to some in our society facts do not matter. Only feelings matter!

I am not a radio pro and do not have access to the ratings so I enjoy reaping factual information. Opinion and feelings do not count.

Lay it out djdan. Are Ron and Don getting good ad buys?
 
These fools get fired more often than Billy Martin - and for good reason. The disingenuous personality changes only allow you to chase your tail for so long until you eventually come back to the chasm. What's next, boys? Polish Cooking with Dumb and Dumber? Bass Fishin' on Lake Washington with Bud and Biff? Next stop Sandpoint...
 
The real story on Ron and Don. From a ratings point of view they are doing pretty well. They are ahead of Dave Ross and Ron Reagan on KIRO, but not triple by any means. Morning drive leads KIRO in 12+ and 25-54 ratings. Ron and Don are second on the station and mid-days third. The last three trends have been particularly strong for Ron and Don. January had Ron and Don fourth in the market overall and top ten 25-54. KIRO continues to sell well based on morning and afternoon numbers for 35-64 buys and adult business. KOMO and KIRO are neck and neck in mornings and afternoons. KOMO wins with Mariners at night. KTTH wins the mid-day battle on AM.

That is, of course, the sales and ratings point of view. I tune in from time to time and found the show very compelling during the storms that hit this winter. Ron and Don added perspective with their experience in New Orleans. At other times the show wanders. Probably depends on what is in the news for that day.

Will they stay? My guess is it depends on the approach Bonneville wants to take with KIRO. If they lean to a more news image, Ron and Don will probably go. If they continue with news and talk, they will probably stay. Over the last three of four months their numbers lead all other talk shows on KIRO. On the sales front, KIRO account reps say they are staying with the show and buys are being placed with that in mind.
 
My comments were based on the ten month rolling average for afternoons, compared to the ten months of mid-days. Afternoons leads, but not by a whole bunch. A single trend means little, though, as I pointed out, over the last four trends Ron and Don have surpassed Ross.

I am always fascinated about this board's focus on single trends. Look at three or four and you have a pattern, media buyers like to look over an entire year. Ross is a solid talent and in late summer had some unusually high trends that are being balanced out. Ross, next to Rush Limbaugh, is the top performer in mid-days on AM over the last ten months.
 
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