Bill Virgin's Radio Beat August 7, 2008

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

Bill Virgin's Radio Beat August 7, 2008

Postby radiofan » Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:36 pm

Rolling with changes, Ross marks 30 years at KIRO-AM
He shrugs off predictions of the industry's demise

By BILL VIRGIN
P-I REPORTER


Radio is dying? Dave Ross has heard that one before.

In fact, he heard it when he took his first job in radio out of college, as a police reporter for an Atlanta station. "Everyone talked about radio dying then," he recalls.

Radio is still around. So are the constant predictions of its demise.

And Ross is still around, recently marking his 30th year with KIRO-AM/710, as well as nearly 21 years as a talk host at the station.

His local talk show is heard 9 a.m.-noon weekdays.

"It doesn't actually seem like that long," he says. "Every day is as interesting as the first. Every day I try to figure out what works."

Ross moves into year 31 with KIRO, and toward year 22 as a KIRO talk host, at an interesting point for both the industry and the station.

KIRO recently recaptured the Seattle Mariners contract after a six-season absence. That should be a plus, because KIRO had some of its highest ratings as the Mariners flagship and because listeners who tune in for baseball might be inclined to stay with the station.

KIRO's parent, Bonneville International, also recently announced a plan to convert sister station KBSG-FM/97.3 to a simulcast of KIRO-AM, which should give more exposure to its talk shows.

But more than ever before, radio is facing questions about its future, in the face of so many competing information and entertainment outlets.

It, too, is trying to figure out every day what works to retain its audience.

Ross says that for him, the less important question is whether he's on AM, FM, online or some other distribution channel. "I'm frankly indifferent to what the medium is," he says. What he's more interested in is what has kept him around for so long – content and personality.

And not just content, but local content, which has served both KIRO and Ross well. Local news is "the one niche local radio has left," he says. Satellite radio, he adds, is not going to chronicle the latest misdeeds and mishaps of local politicians, but local radio will.

Ross has rolled with the changes before. When he began his tenure as a talk host, he was told that taking phone calls from listeners was a losing proposition, because "you're only as good as your worst caller." Now callers are a mainstay of the program and help shape its direction. "The topic you thought was boffo turns out to be a dud, but a caller gives you an idea for a topic for the next hour."

Ross also has demonstrated an ability to make use of multiple delivery options, from song parodies to commentaries for both KIRO and CBS and, more recently, a blog on the station's Web site.

Ross, 56, still finds radio invigorating. "I talk to people in other occupations," he says. "I haven't come across one occupation that throws as much new stuff at you every day as radio." And if there's ever the threat of the doldrums, "there's nothing about this job that a little breaking news can't help."

Although he made one brief sojourn into politics (an experience that at present he doesn't plan to repeat), Ross plans to stick with radio as long as KIRO and the listeners will have him. "I have no interest keeping on beyond the point people find it interesting," he says.

That could be awhile. As Ross himself notes, "I have exhibited a remarkable inability to get fired."

In other radio notes:

Country station KMPS-FM/ 94.1 reclaimed the top spot in the Seattle-Tacoma market in the spring ratings book compiled by The Arbitron Co. Public radio station KUOW-FM/94.9 was second, followed by KZOK-FM/ 102.5 and KUBE-FM/93.3, which tied for third. KBSG-FM, which converts next week from its classic-hits music format to the KIRO simulcast, actually had a decent quarter, finishing in a three-way tie for 11th (excluding non-commercial stations like KUOW); in the winter ratings book, it had been tied for 15th.

One KUOW-FM alumnus moves up, another moves out at American Public Media's "Weekend America," heard locally, fittingly enough, on KUOW-FM at noon Saturday. John Moe, who had been a host of the business and technology program "The Works," left last year to join "Weekend America" as a reporter. He's now been named host of the program. Bill Radke, who had hosted "Rewind" on KUOW before joining "Weekend America" in 2004 as host, is leaving the program. "Weekend America" is carried on more than 140 stations.

KIRO-AM has launched "Seahawks Huddle," heard at 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Dec. 31. Sports anchor Bill Swartz is the host, joined by former Seahawk Robbie Tobeck.

KING-FM/98.1 airs the Seattle Opera production of Verdi's "Aida" at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Sunday edition of Jim French's "Imagination Theatre," heard at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on KIXI-AM/880, includes a new "Harry Nile" adventure, the 200th in the series.

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

Bill Virgin's Radio Beat, Thursdays in the Seattle P-I
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.
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