MediaMaven

The latest Seattle radio ratings are in for the March period and alternative KEXP-FM was the big story, jumping 1.6 share points into second place, trailing only the usual leadrer, KUOW, although that station did see a numbers drop whilc maintaining the top slot. 97.3 KIRO-FM did not make the top 10 and had its lowest share of the year so far.  The full tote board here: https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb039

Lori Matsukawa, retired longtime anchor at KING has written a new book about her life, work and heritage. "Can’t wait for Thursday’s reveal of my book at Town Hall Seattle! “Being There: Memoir of an Asian American Journalist” describes a life of challenge and change at a time when there were few role models for women of color in TV News. Best of all, my dear friend Mimi Gan will be doing the interview! And yes, there will be books for sale!"  Thursday 4/23 at 7:30 pm.

Gregg Bell is back on the air at 93.3 KJR-FM in the 10-noon time slot as the station revamps it's morning lineup.  He's apparently replacing the ousted Mark James and will team with Christopher Kidd. Bell is the Seahawks and NFL writer for The News Tribune. He is a two-time Washington state sportswriter of the year, as voted by the National Sports Media Association. 

Took a quick peek at Day 2 of the Ultimate Seattle Sports Show on KONG. Guest was Brad Adam from Marinets TV, so for the second day in a row, a media counterpart for interviews.   He spent a half hour with SIlvi and Egan and they compared the top five player interviews over the years from the Mariners.  People love lists, I guess.   Still looking for some guest star power here.  Matt Hasselbeck was out there on Seattle radio yesterday, so he would be a real asset pre-draft.  Can't Walter Jones come on with Paul, his 'Fifth Quarter' partner?    The show did pump up some fresh video Tuesday with press conference sound from Mariners manager Dan Wilson, Hawks GM Schneider, Hawks coach MacDonald and the newest Storm acquisition Flau' Jae Johnson.   Added a segment called 'King of the Bet,' featuring an on-screen parlay dreamed up by the hosts.for viewers to bet "at one of our fine NW casinos," said Egan.   Bettors beware. ...

. Robert Malkamaki joins KIRO as a news producer, coming from the barely-viewed News Nation in Chicago where he was a line producer and AP.  Also a Loyola of Chicago grad.   He appears to be a big Cubs and Bears fan, too.   KIRO has no sports dept.   Robert, you're on your own.

Morning anchors Jake Whittenberg and Mimi Jung apparently don't have enough to do at their jobs. Sad to see this pair using a studio door backdrop in their KING 5 workplace to post a dance video with a Bruno Mars ditty.  Why there?   What's the point?    So I guess the epidemic has spread from SLU/Fox 13 to Sodo.    https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1cpKUdbmFJ/

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge has blocked a $6.2 billion merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna until an antitrust lawsuit is resolved. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley made the ruling late Friday afternoon, finding that eight attorneys general and DirecTV were likely to prevail in their legal bid to stop the merger.

ABC World News Tonight on KOMO reported Friday that a woman got a $300k settlement from Carnival Cruise Lines for being OVER SERVED with 15 tequila shots over several hours on a trip and KOMO is hyping the start of the cruise season on Seattle as a big feature item on its news.   Laughable.   Left hand, right hand.   

I thought Fox 13 weather wizard Abby Acone might be through with foolish, juvenile sexually oriented posts from her station's studio, including mocking true breaking news.  But, no.  She pins the stupid giddy meter every time.   Grow up.  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXIMfDxElIn/?igsh=c3Z6NjE5bjNhemN2

I have posted about this before on April 7, but thought I would add a little clarity. Chief meterologist Thomas Patrick's contract was not renewed, so he sought a new opportunity in Waco, TX. Jeremy Lagoo did quit, apparently over a late breaking surprise contract controversy/dispute and left the business for a better schedule, pay, and work/life balance. His position has not been posted yet apparently because of the ongoing TEGNA/NEXSTAR quagmire. No hubbing going on from a sister Tegna station at this point.  But the staff is wayyyy short.

Angie Mentink has been recovering from a debilitating stroke but has returned to the broadcast booth after a tough rehab.  She was called out by a Twitter poster for asking AI help to get some post game interview questions.  She did respond with her own post, chuckling a bit.  Scroll for full story. "Currently asking AI how to handle going viral for using AI. 😅 In all seriousness, I'm late to the AI party. Earlier this season I experimented with AI to see if it had any questions to add to my list for my postgame coverage. We've come a long way from pen and paper when I started in 1997. Always learning."  Here's the X post that started the trouble from a Jim Root.  Who?   Hmmm: "Seattle Mariners broadcaster Angie Mentink was caught asking AI for “Good questions after a tough loss in baseball”…"   She's getting lots of support for sure on social.    Colleague Brad Adam responded: Here’s my response, and I asked AI for help because I ...

  KING5 reporters Drew Andre and Maddie White are leaving the station and apparently heading for the same San Francisco newsroom.  Both came to Seattle by way of Las Vegas TV.     More defections in the midst of the Tegna/Nexstar quagmire.   These moves follow the departure of reporter Connor Board.   Three major staffing shortages at the big K5.    Not good with ratings sweeps starting Thursday and World Cup looming with Iran coming to Lumen.  Protests galore in the offing.

Mark James is gone from KJR-FM's talk lineup after just 14 months.  He got pretty well beat up on social media for some comments, in particular, about Ryan Rowland-Smith's accent on Mariners baseball broadcasts.    More at the link: https://barrettmedia.com/2026/04/15/marc-james-departs-kjr-as-iheartmedia-continues-ongoing-layoffs/

After doing some digging, I can report that this is a six-month trial run and will be done from a virtual set, with the primary emphasis being streaming weekday mornings on KING5+. KING5 Sports Director Paul Silvi and Chris Egan will debut the weekday Ultimate Seattle Sports Show starting next Monday the 20th at 10-11 am on KONG and streaming on K5+.   They are promising big name guests, too, on promos.    Strange time slot for a linear sports show on KONG, of course, and interesting timing as the May sweeps start on Thursday April 23rd, but that gives advertisers a linear play as well as streaming, which I'm told is strong in the mid-morning.   Management says no one is watching sports on the late news anyway, so a.m. streaming is the play.   With the Nexstar deal still in judicial limbo, you would have to figure this entire experiment was pre-approved. It positions KING for the new Storm WNBA season, the World Cup in June, OTAs and training camp...

Ana Cabrera, whose weekday show was recently ended by MSNow, waent ack to WSU to receive a special achievement award and took the opportunity to boost and request support for the Murrow College there, where she got her early experience. Her video is at this link: https://x.com/i/status/2044464389906915342

Well, it looks like the vilified ex-KIRO7 News Director is off to Berlin, Germany.  She has announced on linkedin.com that she has been selected to return as an ALUM of the RIAS Berlin Kommission Journalism Fellowship.  We reported here that she was recently escorted out of the station after a three year-stint, followed by some harsh social media posts by colleagues.   Anyway, this makes me wonder if she saw the end coming and worked quickly to get back to this group.  Interesting timing.  What a difference 10 days make. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/laura-j-evans_honored-to-be-selected-to-return-to-berlin-share-7450201639455547393-QSQ5?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAFWTKaUBTwc4NGLVz4TARZHYT8qQaNhaM2E

Learfield works with both UW and WSU on their radio broadcasts and hundreds more universities. Now its being taken over by a private equity firm.  The deal is for around $2B "Exciting news at Learfield today! We have agreed to be acquired by TPG, one of the most experienced private equity investors in media, entertainment, and sports. Partnering with TPG will accelerate growth and innovation and will help Learfield and our partners to build an extraordinary future together."  NIL action up ahead: bit.ly/3Og9Ik6

'Let them eat cake' at KIRO 7 after News Director Laura Evans was walked out of the station a week ago. Ouch!  That's a lot.  Looks fake to me.  Cannot verify.  However, one of my insider sources and former KIRO employee put it this way:  "I worked for some bad managers and horrible people. Only one was both." Pic courtesy: ftvlive.com. (Somebody sent it to them)!   

Tegna's KING AND KGW are NBC NewsChannel affils.  KREM takes Newspath.   Cut rate news from the moribund News Nation. Nexstar has ended its deal with NBC to use NBC NewsChannel material, and plans to do the same with affiliate feeds from ABC and CBS.  This Reuters story  says Nexstar stations are being told to use material from Nexstar's NewsNation cable network. That would seem to be a big financial hit for NewsChannel, CBS's Newspath, and ABC's Newsone News Nation is a bungled effort, so don't expect much.  Not comparable resources. 

No commercials, no nothing but a 1:25 static shot of an empty arena after the Kraken game in KHN.  Symbolic somehow.  Hmmm. 

Went to watch The Masters at 11 am Saturday on KIRO only to see the station sit in black for three minutes before joining late?  Hmmmmm.   Wondering if it was a network problem switching from the Paramount Plus stream to full network. 

Connor Board has announced that she is leaving KING5, hearing reportedly for family reasons.   She arrived from the Tegna station in Austin in October of 2022, so not quite four years.   Bio said she was a native of Snohomish.    Her most recent assignment was covrring Tacoma and Pierce County.   No word on what's next.   Thanks to a a loyal reader who provided this information.

Ron Francis is stepping down as Kraken President with the team well out of the playoffs again, and simply not moving the needle for anyone but hardcore fans, IMO.  KHN hasn't exactly lit up the meters with its tepid, team-controlled coverage. The Kraken remain a minimally successful expansion team.  It is not working, and it's a coaching carousel already. So what will happen when and if the Sonics come back with a collection of castoffs, finish with the likes of the Wizards, Jazz and Nets, the needle doesn't move and the ticket prices skyrocket.   Look at the tanking already going on in the NBA.  Seattle now has a plethora of marginal teams in various leagues and the money pie is getting sliced ever thinner.    I know the return of the team will bring civic pride and fan mayhem.  But when they are 12 and 70?    Is the Kraken experience teaching us that mediocrity in our new sports teams is a warning sign after the next money grab, merch ...

KREM's chief weather man Jeremy Lagoo says his time is over at the rapidly disintegrating KREM in Spokane. Met Thomas Patrick just bailed as well. "Never stop fighting for what is right. I loved my job. My career was a dream.  I am heartbroken. If you watched it live, the tears were real. The pain is real.  For a long time, I was a vagabond. I didn’t belong. Somewhere along the way, sharing my love of weather not only got me paid, but gave me purpose. I cannot express my gratitude for you accepting me and trusting me. It means the world to me. Thank you. I will be staying in Spokane. The Inland Northwest is my home. The outdoors drew me in, the people kept me.  My love for weather will never fade. I will always love talking the forecast or even some weird clouds you saw last week. Nicole and I will be getting married at the end of May. I feel blessed to have found my soulmate. I promise to never take that for granted and to cherish every moment together. I will always car...

  I am told she might still be part time at Fox despite the new gig.     After Elise Woodward jumped from doing Seattle Storm TV game analysis to become the play-by-play voice of the new Portland Fire of the WNBA today, we now know her replacement here: Alyssa Charlston-Smith of Fox 13. She will work with KJR-FM's Dick Fain as lead analyst. 

Bucky Jacobson is taking a break from KJR's 'Chuck and Buck' show for some health issues. Stay tuned

Seattle Storm TV broadcaster Elise Woodward is joining the expansion WNBA Portland Fire's broadcast team as its lead play-by-play announcer  After working as an analyst with partner Dick Fain here, her new partner will be Aja Ellison. Ellison has worked WNBA games for several outlets.  Geat move for Elise.

Strong source tells me that these changes are ahead but it may be a distance off, so stay tuned: GOOD DAY LIVE (new) will eventually stream 1130-1 weekdays. SEATTLE NEWS TODAY (new) eventually streaming 1-4  Matt Smith would stay as host weekdays Live Desk, while new host will apparently do weekends (that job advertised in a previous post here). Looks like Bill WIxey and Erin Mayovsky may be involved in the 1130-1 gig and Rose and Hana 1-4, so Matt Smith can catch a breath. Meanwhile, csn confirm that Tyler Slauson has reportedly taken the streaming EP job that was posted.  

KIRO7 News Director Laura Evans is out, reportedly escorted from the building Monday after a three year run.  Staff was told the department is 'going in a different direction.'  Came here from the Cox station in Dayton and previously ran the KING newsroom as an interim ND for a time   One insider put it this way,  "She burned the place down."  If memory serves, she left KING when Pete Saires got the vacant ND job, moved to Dayton in  late '21 and then came to KIRO in spring '23.  KIRO just moved its long-running noon news to 11 a.m and just a week later she is gone.    I wonder if she lost a battle between her and the GM over switching time slots with a soap opera.  Hmmmm.    Final straw? As I reported in a previous post, Fox 13 has two positions open, morning EP and Digital Editor Lead, so maybe she could immediately l and on her feet, complete the Seattle TV superfecta (she worked at KOMO according to a Cox bio) and give...

Here's a story about a consignment store that has been open on the troubled Aurora Ave corridor.  The IG video has reportedly gotten 2 million Instagram views, but the story is hopelessly weak, talks with no customers, no neighboring business owners, no neighborhood council oversight types and no word if it is at all profitable.   Though not mentioned, the store is in the 10001 block of Aurora, three blocks from a dilaptatated seedy strip joint and five from a troubled Arco gas station that has seen violence, a few doors down from a massage parlor on Northgate Way.     I find it journalistically insipid and worse, it was repeated on Sunday news with the contextual reporter open and close removed with a fake sig out.  In other words gutted.  2:20 originally, 1:28 edited down.  Not to mention it used IG video provided by the store.   Owner should have bought an ad, but didn't have to with this PR puffery.    I applaud the ef...

Chris Swanson, who was sports producer at Seattle's KIRO 7 until the sports department was axed, is now an associate news producer at Fox 13, I am told.   He did on-air freelance work during the Mariners playoff run last season for the station and was a sports host on the old NWCN.  So his presence offers versatility as World Cup approaches.  On a another late note, hearing that reporter/weather lady Nikki Torres is no longer at the station.

Fox 13 Seattle lost its morning news excutive producer back on March 20. and there is no replaement yet.  Another posted job is streaming host and producer, perhaps related to additions to the live desk team, which is characterized as 'a growing stream team' in the posting.   Digital Editorial Lead is also open.  Will keep and eye out for new folks.

Despite my disdain for the NW Emmys (and Emmy, in general), I wanted to post an excerpt from one of my readers here.  It think it speaks dimunition of quality to the acquisition of more gold just because of the glut of categories and nominations.  In other words 'Just win, baby.'  The comment is available in full in the comments section for this post.   But I think it is well worth additionally posting here.   I don't know the identity of the poster, so it could be a competitor, but here goes:    "The Northwest chapter of NATAS is edging into borderline corruption territory. By my count, there are 86 categories—an already bloated number—but what’s worse is how many of those categories are overloaded with nominees. Nineteen of the 86 categories have six or more nominees, and one category—Branded Content, Short Form—has a staggering ten. Then there’s the dominance of certain stations, which raises even more questions. KING is running rampant, w...

  Chris Egan leaves home in Puyallup to tell us how long it takes to get to a solo In-N-Out burger location in Ridgefield, WA.   Another public service from the Media Maven. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1EACddzS7R/

  Interestingly, married competitors Niko Tamurian of KOMO and his wife Farah Jadran of KING were both nominated.    No KING lead news anchors got a nod FWIW.   KIRO had 2, KOMO 1.    Somewhat surprised that KOMO's major franchise 'Crime and Justice,' was not nominated in that category given the push it gets.    Maybe not entered?    No word about who will emcee the awards show, but Chris Cashman, who annually hosts, works for KING now rather than freelance, so not sure that will work.    Also not sure who is replacing Jesse Jones as emcee for the Gold/Silver Circle event.   Full list here, let the ticket selling begin for the dinners in late May..   Oh, the money spent.      https://natasnw.org/emmy-awards/nominees/

So, Sinclair has decimated its station in Yakima.  And Tulsa, too. The Seattle News Director writes me and wonders why I am angry at him intruding on Mary Nam's goodbye reel, when he has known her for all of 15 months.   I am not angry, I am dumbfounded and sad that anyone would want to be a manager for Sinclair.  Sure, you need a job.   I get that, but to pretend KOMO is doing well is wishful thinking, IMHO.  I have seen some ratings shared by an insider, but it only signifies a lead in a dying race, so knock yourselves out, while the mass exodus continues.   I wonder who's next?    I am told that inside KOMO is a family.  Really?  It's pollyanna denial.   I watch as one of their reporters makes crime the lead single day, homeless crime stories to boot.  So much for holding the powerful accountable.   Just a comedy.   Keep mailing it in, guys.    And now, Yakima.  Another ...

Jade Elliott, who left Fox 13 Seattle weekends after a small cup a' coffee, has now resigned from her Apple Valley News gig.   Frankly, she has been a shortimer and common denominator in these job departures.  Talks a good game then vamooses.   Seems disgruntled.   More excapes than Houdini. Plus the markets in Central WA are total mess after Sinclair shutters KIMA in Yakima. More here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HDCfNy4xd

Kim Holcomb and Jim Dever, who teamed for years on KING's Evening lifestyle show and who now partner on a social media show, do some radio host subbing. "We Upper Lefters filled in on KIRO Newsradio and it was mildly unhinged and a whole lot of fun! 🎙️ If you’d like, you can watch here": https://www.youtube.com/live/MSRxCWTXrmg?si=Iqf1G1IMHayhPjW4

Word that the evil empire Sinclair has shut down KIMA with news to be provided in the future by its owned station in Pasco, KEPR.  KIMA has a 70-year legacy, I'm told.   This is a developing story, per FTVLIVE behind a paywall, so stay tuned.  This has happened in Tulsa as well and it all started there with the news director predecessor at KOMO who perhaps set the stage for the eventual demise of KTUL there and was maybe rewarded with the job at KOMO. This stuff creeps slowly toward Channel 4 here. Tick, tick, tick.