Is this bit of radio media going the way of the phone booth? In an area where the traffic is generally toast 24/7 do we need shrieking young women giving us 10 high speed seconds of traffic news then 20 plus more of sponsor/station promotion..all on the 10's? Does it really pay the bills?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Traffic Girls..
- Thread starter Wonderfulwino
- Start date
For certain the quality of traffic reports in this market is sliding downhill rapidly. While Metro still has some great reporters - Anna D, Harmon Shay, and Shane Kobane, they have some awful ones too.
Kimmie Klein as the airborne reporter for KIRO is a head scratcher. She's awful - she really is awful. Any attempt by KIRO's Morning News to be considered relevant is sunk by her presence.
Kimmie Klein as the airborne reporter for KIRO is a head scratcher. She's awful - she really is awful. Any attempt by KIRO's Morning News to be considered relevant is sunk by her presence.
Re: Kimmie
That is unnecessarily unkind and derogatory. You know how tenuous every position is now and how unstable this business is.
Why don't you make a positive comment instead? Offer some constructive critique.
However, the topic of traffic girls does raise the question: Isn't it time to think out of the box and have better, more comprehensive traffic reports?
- Driver who made his flight at Sea-Tac last week with only 4 minutes to spare.
That is unnecessarily unkind and derogatory. You know how tenuous every position is now and how unstable this business is.
Why don't you make a positive comment instead? Offer some constructive critique.
However, the topic of traffic girls does raise the question: Isn't it time to think out of the box and have better, more comprehensive traffic reports?
- Driver who made his flight at Sea-Tac last week with only 4 minutes to spare.
No one was being "unkind or derogatory". There is no personal attack here. None at all..They are no doubt very pleasant people after they punch out from their shift.... It's called constructive criticizem from the outside looking in. If one, who is in the radio industry can't accept that they are members of show biz's bottom feeders, of which I've been a member, then they are truly in need of a career shift. There is no make up artist, fancy set or creative lighting to divert the listeners attention. It's all audio with only beeps, buzzers and other digital noises to be a bed for the front of the stage people.
K.K. and one of the other ones (I dont remember her name..Ashley something-or-other) both deliver a shrill and at times shrieking delivery and, quite honestly makes you want to put your hands over your ears, especially in the morning drive.. I know that its a needed sponsor and the ad revenue it generates is desperately needed but frankly, the snippet of content that comes out at a machine gun rate is generally useless. Shane K. as an example, has the right tone, delivery and folksy sound that gets the message to those that want it. I know that it's very difficult to do during 30 seconds, but if the girls would loosen it up just a little and once in a while yuk it up a tad little with the hosts it might make for a more fluid and listenable...."experience".. I'm sure that personality and information can be partners..even in the traffic department.
K.K. and one of the other ones (I dont remember her name..Ashley something-or-other) both deliver a shrill and at times shrieking delivery and, quite honestly makes you want to put your hands over your ears, especially in the morning drive.. I know that its a needed sponsor and the ad revenue it generates is desperately needed but frankly, the snippet of content that comes out at a machine gun rate is generally useless. Shane K. as an example, has the right tone, delivery and folksy sound that gets the message to those that want it. I know that it's very difficult to do during 30 seconds, but if the girls would loosen it up just a little and once in a while yuk it up a tad little with the hosts it might make for a more fluid and listenable...."experience".. I'm sure that personality and information can be partners..even in the traffic department.
My above post was not a "derogatory" attack on Kimmie Klein. Talent is discussed openly on this board. I've been posting here for nearly ten years - and I don't work in the industry.
I don't like her traffic reports. Its not about her being a female traffic reporter. She just isn't very good.
KIRO used to have the best traffic reports in Seattle - with Steve Sanders in a helicopter and Shane Kobane backing him up in a plane. I know Kobane was always a Metro employee - but was Steve a KIRO employee? Anyways, they dumped Steve, replaced him with Shane, and they were still credible. But Kimmie is awful.
I don't like her traffic reports. Its not about her being a female traffic reporter. She just isn't very good.
KIRO used to have the best traffic reports in Seattle - with Steve Sanders in a helicopter and Shane Kobane backing him up in a plane. I know Kobane was always a Metro employee - but was Steve a KIRO employee? Anyways, they dumped Steve, replaced him with Shane, and they were still credible. But Kimmie is awful.
This isn't just about KIRO etal, but I understand clearly why a station, particularly a news/info/talk outlet would do some cost cutting in the traffic department among others. It's been done before, not just during recession. Survival mode.The results of snipping away at areas that appear small and largely insignificant to some during the average broadcast hour, seem to have larger consequences to the whole station sound.
Another example is when, years ago when Enercom began busting up the KIRO party, they went to the Acu-weather package. It wasn't a KIRO product and it absolutely sounded like it. A canned, dry and basically rip-and-read forecast with no reflection of the personality of the station. Much like we hear now with the traffic info.Paul Brendall was a great traffic guy-in-the-sky during his contract/tenure with KIRO even if he was a bit of a head case. Entertaining, comprehensive and a good package. He fit the sound.
When auditors and accountants take over ANY business during times of economic crises, it depersonalizes the operation and takes it down to a level of just delivering the most basic and raw fundamentals at the lowest possible cost incurred. That can be the front end of a death spiral in the broadcast industry. I'm not implying by any means a return to the good ol' days. Its the 21st century after all. Although much of the material that's going to the transmitter each minute seems to come from professionals that are in another field.
Another example is when, years ago when Enercom began busting up the KIRO party, they went to the Acu-weather package. It wasn't a KIRO product and it absolutely sounded like it. A canned, dry and basically rip-and-read forecast with no reflection of the personality of the station. Much like we hear now with the traffic info.Paul Brendall was a great traffic guy-in-the-sky during his contract/tenure with KIRO even if he was a bit of a head case. Entertaining, comprehensive and a good package. He fit the sound.
When auditors and accountants take over ANY business during times of economic crises, it depersonalizes the operation and takes it down to a level of just delivering the most basic and raw fundamentals at the lowest possible cost incurred. That can be the front end of a death spiral in the broadcast industry. I'm not implying by any means a return to the good ol' days. Its the 21st century after all. Although much of the material that's going to the transmitter each minute seems to come from professionals that are in another field.
As mentioned above, it is most likely a cost thing...
Related to accountants and bankers running the business instead of people who understand that this is SHOW business.
Traffic reporters are now possibly the lowest paid on air "talent" in radio.
A prime example of the industry getting exactly what it's paying for.
Related to accountants and bankers running the business instead of people who understand that this is SHOW business.
Traffic reporters are now possibly the lowest paid on air "talent" in radio.
A prime example of the industry getting exactly what it's paying for.
Remind me again how KIRO's ratings have been trending? Oh yeah-- up. Way up. Sounds to me like their personnel are serving them just fine.
- Status
- This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.