Sports 620 KTAR in 2011

EricStein · Jan 25, 2011

A few observations:

They've cut back their flagship local show, Gambo & Ash, an hour (from five to four, unless a Suns or D-backs game starts early) to give "Sports Interactive" more exposure. They dropped local Saturday morning talk with Jon Bloom. Yet, they keep Doug & Wolf on from 5 to 9 (even 1060 has a better morning show, and C&V pay for their airtime).

What's happening to "Arizona's first major-league sports station?"

KMGX · Jan 25, 2011

Eric Stein said:
(even 1060 has a better morning show, and C&V pay for their airtime).

They do? How do you know that for sure?

Meanwhile, KTAR is pretty bad in terms of being a listenable sports station. Sure they have the play-by-play and the legendary Al McCoy, otherwise their shows are awful. Doug and Wolf: Terrible, no phone calls, same shtick, repeated topics every hour, light on analysis and Wolf is a bad radio personality. Colin Cowherd: Nothing like a pompous ESPN personality to actually tell me what I think or what I am supposed to think and reminding us all how he's wealthy and better than all of us. Sports Interactive: Ironic that a show that advertises itself on being interactive takes absolutely NO PHONE CALLS... Although they occasionally read a twitter or facebook comment, particularly the ones that bolster their own points. Gambo & Ash are about the only even reasonable show on the station and even that has been cut down quite a bit... and it is toaster-sports talk unfortunately, with topic based segments, blah.

Meanwhile, Chuck and Vince are a vastly superior show, Bob Kemp is excellent--albeit perhaps a bit rigid and stuffy--he does a great sports show where lots of research and solid analysis. The rest of the 1060 lineup (aside from the Czabe) is pretty lackluster, but still better than KTAR.

buster2 · Jan 25, 2011

Doug and Wolf are OK at best. Wolf is a good guy, but he can be tough on the ears. I have started listening to Chuck and Vince in the AM on 1060. Funny is good and they are funny.

I kinda like Cowherd, and I was prepared not to. But he has some interesting takes sometimes.

Gambo and Ash are very good, in my opinion. They would be better if they were less programmed (MUST we have Football at 50...er, 53, er, 54 or whatever? It's especially inexplicable to hear the hosts talking about football, and then... Football at 50! where we'll talk about MORE football. I love football, but...huh?) But KT'R has always been about throwing too many programmed elements into the mix. That's been true for decades.

KeithE4 · Jan 25, 2011

buster2 said:
Doug and Wolf are OK at best. Wolf is a good guy, but he can be tough on the ears.

Wolf's "overmacho football guy" persona has already run its course - in fact, it did about 10 years ago. He treats all sports with the perspective of a football player. Sorry, Wolf, it just don't work that way. Doug is replaceable, and rather generic.

I have started listening to Chuck and Vince in the AM on 1060. Funny is good and they are funny.

I've never been a huge Chuck Powell fan, going back to his days on pre-XTRA 550, but I've always liked Vince. They could do something with their audio, though, although I think it's a KDUS-wide problem. Bob Kemp's audio is a bit muffled, too.

I kinda like Cowherd, and I was prepared not to. But he has some interesting takes sometimes.

So you're the guy. ;D

Seriously, this guy is a loser - in fact only stuck-in-the-'90s Jim Rome is worse. Colin "I love big stars in big markets - Flyover Country is irrelevant" Cowherd is a front-runner and a bandwagon-jumper, not a credible sports guy. He is the personification of all the stereotypes (real and imagined) that have developed about ESPN.

Gambo and Ash are very good, in my opinion. They would be better if they were less programmed (MUST we have Football at 50...er, 53, er, 54 or whatever? It's especially inexplicable to hear the hosts talking about football, and then... Football at 50! where we'll talk about MORE football. I love football, but...huh?) But KT'R has always been about throwing too many programmed elements into the mix. That's been true for decades.

Phoenix is a football market first; everything else is second. Even the Suns are #2 to football. If there's football to talk about, even in May and June when there's nothing going on and they should be talking about the D'backs and (hopefully) the Suns, football will be KTAR's main subject. The other stations (especially Bickley & Jurecki on XTRA) are no better. I love football too, but the season's over except for discussion of the Super Bowl Big Game At The End Of The Season. No need to talk football until draft time in late April. And even then, it shouldn't be the major subject.

Russ Bliss · Jan 25, 2011

Say it ain't so! There are some who would really rather hear about other sports?

Guess it's a good thing I'm not on during the off-season!

KMGX · Jan 25, 2011

Russ Bliss said:
Say it ain't so! There are some who would really rather hear about other sports?

Guess it's a good thing I'm not on during the off-season!

I'd listen to the Red-Zone in the off-season... I actually miss your old sports show Russ, when I was in college you were on in the afternoon at KDUS. Russ was another guy that did a great show without the shtick and actually had a conversation with callers, but still offered an opinion... very refreshing.

Sammi Brie · Jan 26, 2011

KeithE4 said:
Seriously, this guy is a loser - in fact only stuck-in-the-'90s Jim Rome is worse. Colin "I love big stars in big markets - Flyover Country is irrelevant" Cowherd is a front-runner and a bandwagon-jumper, not a credible sports guy. He is the personification of all the stereotypes (real and imagined) that have developed about ESPN.

Yet Cowherd himself started out in the edge of flyover country...KVBC Las Vegas.

KeithE4 · Jan 26, 2011

Russ Bliss said:
Say it ain't so! There are some who would really rather hear about other sports?

Guess it's a good thing I'm not on during the off-season!

Russ, I wish you were on during the off-season.

EricStein · Jan 26, 2011

Raymie said:
Yet Cowherd himself started out in the edge of flyover country...KVBC Las Vegas.

Yes. Las Vegas, where local sports radio considers the Yankees and Cowboys the "home teams!" ;D

Russ Bliss · Jan 28, 2011

Wish I was on still myself, but this is a shrinking industry in terms of the amount of people it employs. I appreciate the kind words and I always tried to have a conversation with the listeners when I was doing the regular sports show instead of just talking at them. My opinions have always been just that: my opinions; and whether they are better or worse than another's is up to the listener to decide. And I always reserved the right to change it when an intelligent argument was made that gave me cause to reconsider. One thing I definitely miss was the fun I had goading E-Dog. Evan was as knowledged as anyone I've ever known but he was very serious about most things.