Bill Virgin's Radio Beat - May 10, 2007

Includes archive of Bill Virgin's columns fromJ une 2006 - March 2009

Postby radiofan » Thu May 10, 2007 11:01 pm

On Radio: Lots of chatter surrounds talk radio
By BILL VIRGIN
P-I REPORTER


Talk radio is rarely a placid segment of the business, but the past few months have been especially tumultuous for the format.

Consider the parade of recent stories: Nationally syndicated host Don Imus' firing for his comments about a team of women basketball players, and a succession of incidents involving remarks by local hosts in markets around the country that were deemed over the line; the Washington Supreme Court ruling that comments by hosts on Seattle's KVI-AM in support of anti-gas-tax Initiative 912 didn't constitute an in-kind contribution to the campaign; and the call by some Democratic members of Congress to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine and mandate time for responses to viewpoints expressed on the air.

What's going on here? Are these events unto themselves, or reflective of (or even driving) broader changes in talk radio?

To some in the business, there is a broad linking issue: "It's freedom of speech," says BJ Shea, morning host at KISW-FM (99.9). "What bothers me is we're regulating speech beyond what people find obscene."

Which is yet another issue for talk radio; Shea says the Federal Communications Commission's definition of what violates "community standards" is out of touch with current attitudes and needs to be updated.

The current controversies aren't surprising to Shea. "Throughout history you can see many examples where there have been certain groups who want to control what can be said," he says.

Even if such groups don't achieve their aims through law or regulation, the pressure they bring can have an effect on what people say, Shea adds. As the Imus incident illustrated, even a willingness to accept an apology and forgive on the part of those directly offended and insulted "may not be enough anymore," he says.

"There is a heightened awareness of what's said on the radio," says Paul Duckworth, operations manager at WMAL-AM in Washington, D.C., and former program director at KVI-AM and KOMO-AM in Seattle. Again, as the Imus incident illustrated, he says, "When we say things, it doesn't evaporate."

KVI-AM (570) morning host Kirby Wilbur says the issues behind the state Supreme Court decision involving him and John Carlson aren't isolated to Washington. He's heard from hosts in California, Wisconsin and Tennessee who have faced similar issues about political commentary.

He's less bothered about the implications of the Imus case: "I've never been impressed by him. What he said was uncalled for."

The Fairness Doctrine could have a big impact on talk radio if it's returned as some, most recently U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), have advocated.

The industry is skeptical of its benefits. In an editorial earlier this year, the trade publication Broadcasting & Cable said the original doctrine led to bland content: "Station editorials opposed kicking kittens and minced no words urging the city to fix those potholes. Indeed, managers were so careful to be non-controversial that, when it came to real issues, they opted to be -- fairly -- boring."

Critics of reinstating the doctrine say the motivation is political: Democrats are unhappy about the preponderance of conservative hosts in the format. Wilbur says he expects a veto by President Bush should Congress pass legislation, adding "there's no shortage of liberal hosts on the air."

Duckworth warns that reinstating the Fairness Doctrine "would be a mistake, but it's nursing an illusion to believe it won't come up big time."

But Steve Ramsey, general manager at KBCS-FM (91.3), says he'd welcome the return of the doctrine and doesn't see it impinging on his station's operations. "We've always allowed folks with differing views to come to the station and record rebuttals on issues," Ramsey says via e-mail. "It's just that most people don't go to the trouble of following through; they'd much rather complain and usually do that anonymously."

What the controversies don't signal, Wilbur and Duckworth say, is a decline in talk radio. "We're a healthy industry," Wilbur says.

Talk radio will continue to be a "mobile town hall" however it's heard, Duckworth says. "We're not in the talk-radio business any more, we're in the content business. I could wake up tomorrow and be told we're distributing via toasters." The format itself, he adds, "is a very viable medium"

In other radio notes:

Former U.S. Attorneys John McKay and David Iglesias are the guests on "Weekday" at 9 a.m. Thursday on KUOW-FM (94.9).

KING-FM (98.1) presents a live performance by Seattle Opera of Puccini's "La Boheme" at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Das Vibenbass performs on "Sonarchy" at midnight Saturday on KEXP-FM (90.3)

Lizz Sommars' guests on "Conversations" at 6 a.m. Sunday on KBSG-FM (97.3), KISW-FM (99.9) and KKWF-FM (100.7) include Ellen Currey-Wilson, founder of TV Turnoff Week.

Don Riggs' guests on "Introspect Northwest" at 7 a.m. Sunday on KMPS-FM (94.1) and 9 a.m. Sunday on KPTK-AM (1090) include Greg Bear, author of "Quantico."

Tami Kosch interviews Charles Fishman, author of "The Wal-Mart Effect," on "Community Matters Weekend Edition" at 8 a.m. Sunday on KPTK-AM.

Jim Wilke's "Jazz Northwest" at 1 p.m. Sunday on KPLU-FM (88.5) features performances by the Garfield, Newport, Shorewood, Roosevelt, Edmonds-Woodway, Kentridge, Mercer Island and Mountlake Terrace high-school jazz bands.

P-I reporter Bill Virgin can be reached at 206-448-8319 or billvirgin@seattlepi.com.

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