MediaMaven

Who knew that KING5 sports anchor Chris Egan could officiate at a wedding?  He's helping former anchor colleague Madison Wade get hitched Saturday, featuring Weather Wizard Leah Pezzetti as a bridesmaid.  Wade is relocating to be with her husband.  Mr. Egan posts this is his first ceremony:  "Beyond honored and also a little nervous as the @KING5Seattle weekend team reunites this Saturday!!! @madisoncwade getting married, @leahpezzetti is one of the bridesmaids, and I'm officiating the wedding!!! My first wedding, any advice ???"  Speaking of relocation, one of our loyal readers sent along this picture of married couple and former KING reporters Maddie White and Drew Andre, who now work at KPIX, the CBS O&O in San Francisco.

This news courtesy of ex-colleague Kim Holcomb at KING 5. Angela Poe Russell was once a main evening anchor at KIRO, later co-hosted a failed 4pm show at KING for awhile, ended up on Evening at K5 for a spell and now sometimes fills in on 97.3 radio.  Her new play has debuted!  Kudos.  "Is there any better than watching someone you adore achieve a dream? ✨ When Angela Poe Russell sets her mind to something, amazing things happen. Three years ago she told me she was going to write a musical. It’s now playing at Seattle Public Theater - and tickets are selling out! If you want to feel inspired, laugh, cry, and dance in your seat, go see Aviatrix." 

97.3 KIRO FM becomes an ABC affiliate Friday. You heard it here first.   Bye bye to the Eye. 

Small history lesson: The beginning of trouble at KING started with the buyouts in April 2016 when the great, longtime leaders of the station decided to take the money and escape Tegna when they could. One talent called it a terrible company, even though being run by a previous KING GM and ND. Bounds, Brill, Byron, Renner and other top players took the buyouts.. Jean Enersen had already been pushed out prior but the then GM. The sale of the Dexter property ran parallel to the buyouts as Tegna wanted to cash in on the location and move to a Sodo rental with the Tegna-ordered, faddish, trendy high-ceiling newsroom for everyone and one tiny studio. Then, the initial talent replacements didn't work at all, and I don't believe they've ever fully recovered. Another GM was running the show back then and running interference for Tegna brass. The King ND and I both left (our calls) before the buyouts, seeing the trouble ahead.   In Response to a comment by Unknown King churned thru...

An interview visit by Mayor Katie Wilson on that hard hitting bastion of journalism, KING's New Day Northwest.  Wilson's been under fire for dodging questions and being protected by lower tier PR handlers, so what better way to curry favor by appearing on a lifestyle show.  She was introduced by host Hanson as "a person who's a pretty big deal around here, and we wanted to get to know her a little bit more." Sheesh. 

KING morning anchors turned to the magic window where a reporter was about to break some exclusive video on a story, when, lo and behold, a studio camera was wayyy in the way.  He then actually could be seen walking behind it to get into full position.   Well, it was at 6:02 so no one was awake anyway, right?   It continues to be an odd week at K5. Weather wizard Ashley Ruiz took on traffic this morning, BTW.   Also, on the Dusty Baker fabricated social post and his subsequent CYA post, hearing that the internal fallout is mostly just 'bad first impression.'.  I did not see him in studio on the new sports show this morning after his debut Weds., a show with The 700 Club as its lead-in.

Sebastian Robertson of KING 5 reporting on a child murder wearing a crew neck something or other on the story.  Just absurd.  Really classy, rookie. Now, back to our regularly scheduled program, Leave it to Beaver. Robertson isn't really a rookie, I should correct,  having worked in Austin and Dallas and 7 years here, so his apparel is even more surprising for a story like this.    

Not buying it bud, you're not Seattle Sports material. "My first mistake was made early! I was informed the current building was actually moved into in 2016, so naturally my memory might be a little mixed up with a more recent visit (worked in Seattle that year, so that checks out).  Regardless, have been well aware of this powerhouse station since I was young and am grateful to be at a place I’ve wanted to be at for a long time!"  Not a fake post, but appreciate the insight! I’ve been back and forth from Seattle and I do recall the KING logo, but very well could have been an ad or something alike instead. Probably confused it with another visit to this city, they were certainly spaced out! Learned the building was here in 2016, checks out since I made a trip to Safeco that year! But always had a dream of broadcasting and knew of KING when I was much younger, even without living here. Super excited to be here, and thanks for pointing out my mista

April radio ratings are in for Seattle and KIRO 710 jumps almost two share points at 6.4 to stand second (had to be the Mariners and NFL draft), way behind the usual leader, KUOW-FM at 10.6, a jump of more  than two share points.  Music stations rounded out the top five.   The other sports talker, KJR-FM registered only a 1.5. 97.3 KIRO-FM slipped .3 to a 3.5 and drops a touch farther out of the top 10.   Main competitor KNWN 97.7 had a .2 boost to a 3.3, so its a tight race for the newsies. KVI and KTTH both dropped. https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb039 Small radio tidbit: Former KCPQ talent Ellen Tailor, if you remember her, has joined the WOLF in Seattle to co-host a morning show with Aaron Crawford.

Noticed that the new Ultimate Sports Show on KONG at 10 am weekdays has The 700 Club as its lead in.  Good programming flow there, don't you think?   Yikes!    Well, it's essentially a religious infomercial so KING gets money for it.    It proves that USS is primarily a streaming product because no linear sports hour should ever follow religious programming in any time period.   Odd stuff from K5.   

One of my alert readers pointed out that Dusty Baker, KING's new sports guy who debuted Weds, posted on social about how he fell in love with the city when he was young: When I was in elementary school, my parents took me to a Mariners game in Seattle. I fell in love with Seattle for the passion the city has for its teams and the beauty of Safeco Field. I remember looking across from the ballpark, seeing the KING 5 logo, and thinking how incredible it would be to work at a place like that. Well, when he was a school boy, KING was not across from the ballpark.  333 Dexter until 2016.  Ten years ago.   Does not compute.   Exaggerate to ingratiate???     Looks like he's busted before his first at bat.    Stand for Truth, eh?    Screenshot:

We reported here in February that Louisville TV sportscaster Dusty Baker would be heading to Seattle to be with his bride-to-be, reporter/anchor Maddie Carter of KING 5.   We speculated he might help fill the void at sportsless KIRO7, but KING beat 'em to it.   It has come to pass, and Ms. Carter helped break the story on X: "So unbelievably proud of my best friend, future husband, and now co-worker! Welcome to the iconic @KING5SEATTLE, and the most exciting chapter in our lives and careers.  After almost a year of long distance and waiting for all the answers, God delivered." Not sure if he is fulltime or freelance, but the addition is much needed with so much sports ahead, plus the new morning show for the next several months, at least.    Lots of work-life balance in play at K5.  This couple supplants a married Seattle TV couple who just left for SFO (Maddie White and Drew Andre), Madison Wade and Leah Pezzetti are getting married soon and two ...

Bridget Chavez anchors KING news after a huge playoff game on NBC Monday night.   Good reporter, but not nearly ready for a newscast that would be sampled with that big sports lead-in.  Not going to comment on the outfit while anchoring sports, too.  Staffing is thin.   At least Greg Copeland was back at 10.    One other note:  The Ultimate Sports Show was now advertised at 8pm streaming on K5+.   Not timely at all for late Mariners.  It's all over the place. Wednesday promo-ed for 9 pm after NBC game.    K5 a little upside down right now.  

With vacations, maternity and staff departures galore, KING had weekend morning anchor Farah Jadran taking on the daunting assignment of traffic anchor Monday morning and weekday morning anchor Jake Whittenberg was in for vacationing Paul Silvi as the Ultimate Sports Substitute.  And the May sweeps dont  end until Wednesday.    

Chris Warren, ex of NWCN in Seattle and The Weather Channel, has a new gig with CNN after doing some fill-in on air work.  https://www.linkedin.com/posts/chriswwarren_proud-to-be-part-of-the-launch-of-the-new-share-7460025738243604480-gtJE?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAFWTKaUBTwc4NGLVz4TARZHYT8qQaNhaM2Euthttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/chriswwarren_proud-to-be-part-of-the-launch-of-the-new-share-7460025738243604480-gtJE?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAFWTKaUBTwc4NGLVz4TARZHYT8qQaNhaM2Eutm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAFWTKaUBTwc4NGLVz4TARZHYT8qQaNhaM2E

Sources confirm KING5 weekend evening anchor Madison Wade is leaving after a four-yearr un.  She's getting married soon and relocating with the groom.   She joined the station in June 2022 and has specialized in a series a stories on unsolved crimes in the PNW.    This adds to the reporter shortage at K5 with Maddie White and hubby Drew Andre to SFO, as reported here previously.    Farah Jadran could move up from weekend mornings, but I also wonder if Christine Pae would give up KONG weekday mornings and KING noons on weekdays to get a solo weekend, higher viewed, evening newscast.  Another reporter, Savannah Welch, could also move to the desk, which would remove her from the field for two more days.  Getting tight over there!             World Cup coming, Seahawks training camp, too.  Silvi a nd Egan tied up in a new morning live/streaming experiment show, lots of big news stories looming in what has a...

With the NFL sked our, KING will have.pre-season telecasts on Aug. 15 vs Dallas at Lumen and 28th vs KC on the road.   We will see if the team and hawks bring back Kate Scott, Michael Robinson and Michael Bennett back to announce.

KOMO Sports Director Niko Tamurian threw out an idea today.  "Can I just put the petition out there now? PLEASE (to both the Seahawks and Patriots) Wear the throwbacks for the season opener!" Yesssssss. Maybe Chris Daniels could wear a throwback KING yellow jacket during coverage to get his nose in.  Lol

I posted the other day about a KOMO promo for a Storm Watch segment at 6pm Wednesday as if it were something special.  Well, It wasn't special, it was only a paltry 1:00 highlight segment??  What a joke. Embarrassing. I guess I fell for it, but I was expecting a long segment, something in-depth or even a full block  about the team based on the promo, but was fooled into waiting until the show was almost over at 55:00 after the hour for nothing.  Shameful bait and switch.  I won't be fooled again.  Tell me that promo slide is not misleading.  When a viewer sees a promo for the first time, there are expectations.  Not a throwaway.

I have had some comments about a beef I have with Brandi Kruse. Here's the truth. When she started The Divide on Fox 13 in 2019, I heavily criticized the first show about Fake News. Her guests were her compadre/buddy Jason Rantz (pictured), who spreads such news himself on the low rated KTTH, and two familiar Fox 13 colleagues who were also clueless. No expert, and there was one available had she asked, Kate Starbird of UW, who might have joined if invited. She railed strongly against my critique, which included a urge to smile on show promos, to welcome viewers, instead of being grim, which I advised male anchors to do for years, including Seattle talent.  She was able to, as usual, dish it out, but not take it, and I sarcastically called her 'Miss Fragile' to chide her, calling out her self-marketed 'iron' persona, which I did, BTW, on my personal email.  My opinion.  She proceeded to doxx me with an employer, which was totally ridiculous given the context, even ...

...Connected to TikTok.  Wonderful for one and all, right?  TikTok, that bastion of factual, clear, attributed information and, more often, news anchors dancing in their studios. Desperate station, trying to be what it's not. 

Former King 5 Evening co-host jim Dever gives us a FREE, yes FREE, parking nugget for downtown Seattle visitors.     It's a bit of an Amazon building secret unveiled for nights and weekends. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1G82tMqe8b/

Looks like the Seahawks and Patriots will meet in a Super Bowl rematch for opening Day in September.  It will draw media from everywhere, including TMZ, and the ratings will be huge because of the Vrabel-Russini affair story likely to bubble up yet again at that point.  NFL takes advantage of the hype if this happens.   Gonna be a wild Wednesday.   Full schedule out tomorrow.  

  Brandi Kruse, who left Fox 13 in a huff citing corporate media oversight despite her own failed news show 'Divided,' gets allegedly caught in a scheme to be a hidden political donor from her podcast site, 'Undivided.'   Not a fan.   From The Seattle Times "A campaign finance watchdog has filed a complaint against Let’s Go Washington, alleging the conservative political committee failed to properly disclose political advertising tied to two statewide initiative campaigns. The 24-page complaint, filed by Washingtonians for Ethical Government, alleges that Let’s Go Washington failed to report the financial value of more than 150 individual instances of promotional political advertising that the group identified by conservative podcaster and former TV journalist Brandi Kruse, as well as other in-kind, noncash contributions the organization allegedly received. Failing to disclose advertising and contributions breaks state law on reporting campaign expenditures, sai...

  Price to watch stream the Mariners drops to 90 bucks.  Wasn't it $120 a while back?  Hmm.  Sub numbers not good?  Here's the ad: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DPEzQhdPb/

***Recorded the 6pm KOMO Wed.  NO No Storm Watch.  Not sure if this is a new show or a partial reprise from last season, but it's on 6pm Wednesday on KOMO with Niko Tamurian hosting as the Seattle Storm season takes hold.  It has a sponsor, too.  And there's this, too.  Pretty cool.  https://x.com/i/status/2054351527322788084 🌩️Storm pride is going up at KOMO Plaza. 🌩️ The @seattlestorm logo is being installed on the Space Needle side, and we’re proud to be the team’s broadcast partner. Catch "Before the Storm" Sunday at 2:30 p.m., then watch the Storm take on the Indiana Fever right here on KOMO.

Noticed a social media post Monday that said KING's The Ultimate Sports Show will specifically stream on KING5+ at 630, the same time as Fox 13's Washington Sports Wrap.  Stoking some competition?   The KING show airs on KONG at 10 am and streams on KING5+, but this is a counter move pushing a specific evening time slot to attract streamers.   It might have been happening since the April debut, but my first time noticing any pre-emptive strike.  UPDATE  this move was because KING had an NBA on NBC game and no early news Monday.  So, likely  sampling opportunity but a smart idea to push it against Fox13's show for sports streamers. 

Despite the powerhouse station in Washington DC (WTOP) switching to ABC Radio News from the imminent CBS network closure, no decision yet that I have seen from 97.3 KIRO on hooking up with a new national/world news provider.  Management apparently still mulling options.   

Chris Daniels of KOMO says his detoured Q&A with Seattle Mayor Wilson by a ballcapped PR bozo has kicked up a bit of a national ruckus.  Good. Seattle mayor's verbal missteps prompt national and viral attention, leadership questions https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-mayors-verbal-missteps-prompt-national-and-viral-attention-leadership-questions-katie-wilson-democratic-socialist-election-policy-shooting-homeless-drugs-mental-health-cost-of-living-public-safety-starbucks-staffer-press-mistake-economy  

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18jvHTGNLm/ 425 Magazine has awarded KING morning anchor Jake Whittenberg as Best TV personality, something every journalist hopes for, uh huh.  "Congratulations @jakewhittenberg! @425magazine readers voted him Best TV personality! Check out the latest “Best of 425” issue."    Should drive subscriptions, right? 425 mag probably has fewer readers than the eyeglass end cap stand at Walgreens.  For those who have barely heard of the magazine, join the club.     In other words, meh.  What was the line?  "Damned by faint praise."  https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18jvHTGNLm/ He's ok, I guess, but what's next for him.   Not sure.   

Monday's The Ultimate Sports Show featured a long interview with the sports producer of Brock and Salk from KIRO 710.   Who?   So far the program is using mostly media folks for interviews and a radio producer is not a draw on any platform.    Would you stream a show to watch someone who is basically anonymous?   I also think the lighting on Silvi and Egan is awful. The zoom guest was brighter.    I love the producer of the program joining the show live, but the backward ball cap is worse than Barstool on FS1.   Lots of work to do.   Seems to be struggling to find feet so far.   Debate is needed between the hosts.   Take some positions on NIL, sports betting restrictions in WA, expanded CFP, tanking, etc., involve viewer feedback. 

Found this interesting tidbit here in the post-Jones era. You may remember PJ Randhawa, who was a Race and Equity reporter for KING 5 for about 18 months before moving to Chi-town in June 23.  I wish she could have done a series like that here, on why it is so hard to get a doctor's appointment:        "WMAQ, NBC 5 Chicago, the NBC-owned station, is airing a weeklong, five-part NBC 5 Responds: Doctor Deficit series led by PJ Randhawa, WMAQ’s consumer investigative reporter." I think there's been a void in strong, showcased, consisten consumer reporting in Seattle since Jesse Jones was cut from KIRO, although the station still uses various reporters to tell occasional stories.    KOMO is pushing Waste Watch and KING has its Investigators Team but not in the same genre.  Not sure what 13 does, so fill me in.

She has a Masters from USC, has taught at Seattle U, but seems lost on ARC Seattle, just a reader with no depth.   She couldn't offer a knowledgeable, tangible thought about the gun violence issue in Seattle the other morning.  I previously posted about it .  I expect much more journalistic and anchor skills.  I observe lots of bragging about accolades and glam pics on website. Build traffic reports into a transpo beat? Offer some stories you broke, or any substantive coverage.  Where's the cred? https://www.tyrahmajors.com/

I have often criticized KOMO's Chris Daniels here for overstepping on sports news, but this video when he was trying to do a hard news interview Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is worth a watch. A PR guy is a ball cap is a joke for intervening and then Wilson ducking.  Kudos Chris. Poised and polite and credible. https://youtu.be/8HZZWdV2O48?si=vQ0bY9esD_OdJa3d   https://x.com/komonews/status/2050294684988428299

"KOMO's 'Inside the Arena' wins a second place National Headliner Award.    Sports Podcast Category: Second Place “Inside the Arena: A Seattle Sports Podcast” Chris Daniels, Niko Tamurian, Bill Fesh, Wayne White and Darrin Tegman KOMO TV As an aside, IMHO, Niko, Stella Sun and George Waldenberger are strong, versatile talents for KOMO

I thought I would peek in at Fox 13's Washington Sports Wrap Thursday night, in light of the debut of KING5's new morning hour, The Ultimate Seattle Sports Show. I wa s immediately surprised to see Alyssa Charlston-Smith hosting.  I thought she had left to be the new analyst for Seattle Storm TV. Strong opening graphic and video billboard of multiple stories.  Teased an exclusive interview with Ben Horney, the Front Office Sports journalist who reported that two major media moguls were bidding for the Seahawks.    It was sound from the Fox 13 Live Desk story from earlier in the day.  Good breaking news, discussed his sourcing, etc.  It was later refuted another reporter and Meta on social media Ethan McReynolds with a standard press conference package on Hawks' draft choice Jadarian Price. Quick voiceover on the female Kraken asst. coach who's leaving in hopes of a head coaching job elsewhere. First block rounds out with brief stories about Storm and Marine...