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Seattle TV senior news reporter keeps trying to be a sports guy.





KOMO Senior news reporter Chris Daniels reports on a two-day old story from the NBA about potential Seattle expansion in his never-ending struggle to be the future media director for a new team here.  It's become more than embarrassing. It's blatant lobbying and KJR enabled it, too, today via Dick Fain.  He's a lobbyist for himself.   He's hasn't broken anything yet, that I can see.

https://x.com/i/status/2023568120317915332

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2026 at 6:46 AM

    Did Chris hurt you somehow? This feels more personal that your usual complaints.

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  2. Wayne LFebruary 17, 2026 at 8:41 AM

    Not at all, but he has built himself a self-appointed empire/cottage industry reporting the same Sonics stuff over and over and goes on a radio show with one reporter interviewing another reporter. How illuminating. Maybe Aaron Levine should start covering City Hall? Or send Silvi to Olympia. That could work, right? Just my opinion.

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    Replies
    1. Rhett WorkmanFebruary 17, 2026 at 11:31 AM

      Duly noted Wayne but I will point out that the "cottage industry" he built with this has existed for Daniels since his days at KING 5 covering this story. When the NHL was discussing expansion, Daniels would, while covering the story for KING, often times be a guest on sports radio in Canada. He appeared on shows over that period of time in quite a few cities (Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Winnipeg were a few that I can remember) and as a result his coverage generated a lot of national - and international - attention. When this whole thing is over, would have to strongly guess he's going to write a book about it and make a ton of money doing it.

      Delete
  3. Wayne LFebruary 17, 2026 at 3:10 PM

    Yes, I certainly remember him working the Kraken story, but was not aware of his radio interviews in Canada or broader attention. He seems to want a piece of all the local sports with the podcast and 'Inside the Arena' TV show. He talks every team, but doesn't cover them. I guess I prefer that he pick the news lane and stay in it. There wouldn't be such a show if Niko was the host. It was likely his idea to give him more space to be be on the air with a bigger platform that just interviewing Bruce Harrell (who called him by his first name at pressers - yikes).

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    Replies
    1. IDC9February 18, 2026 at 5:53 AM

      I wasn't aware of the radio interviews in Canada either. I don't fault the Canadian radio stations for seeking out a Seattle perspective, and Daniels was arguably one of the most knowledgeable reporters on the story at the time, so interviewing him was logical.

      Delete
    2. Rhett WorkmanFebruary 18, 2026 at 12:15 PM

      And it was. He out of a lot of that became the "go-to" for a lot of people all over North America following that subject and Seattle's role in it

      Delete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2026 at 3:23 PM

    Doubt he is lobbying to be the media relations director. Those positions pay little and demand a different skill set like digital expertise. But is he lobbying for the studio host job?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wayne LFebruary 17, 2026 at 3:54 PM

    I am thinking of him being a VP communications at during launch period. I often wondered if he had stayed at KING, would he be host of KHN instead of Ian and still be a senior reporter there.

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    Replies
    1. IDC9February 18, 2026 at 5:50 AM

      I reckon he would be KING's chief reporter, a title I believe Natalie Swaby currently holds. However, I'm not sure he would be a KHN host. KING did have him cover a lot of political stories and host the short lived "drinks with Daniels" segment. If he had stayed at KING, I figure more of his time would still be taken up by these duties. If anything, he might be hosting a current affairs show similar to the long defunct "KING 5 News Upfront" for KING 5 Plus.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousFebruary 18, 2026 at 12:27 PM

      I think you have to know something about the actual sport to be a host for the sport. ROOT had a British guy and Tom Glascow who knew zip about the game. I think Furnace has a long background in minor league hockey and honestly has seemed to pull a lot of personality out of Allison. Sonics job(s) have to go someone who has some actual experience covering a sport.

      Delete
  6. Wayne LFebruary 17, 2026 at 8:28 PM

    Credit where credit is due. Good breaker by Chris Daniels Tuesday on drone violations at Hawks parade. That's reporting!

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    Replies
    1. IDC9February 18, 2026 at 5:46 AM

      Indeed it was! Kudos to Daniels for breaking that story! Its stories like this that make the concept of hybrid news/sports reporters, which Daniels effectively is, work.

      Delete
  7. SteveFebruary 18, 2026 at 8:56 AM

    Chris is still jealous of Peter Alexander's success at NBC after they worked at Chanel 13 together.

    ReplyDelete

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