News Nov 12, 2015 at 1:49 pm

KUOW Plans to Purchase KPLU and Make It an All Jazz Station. What Happens to Their Reporters?

Ansel Herz
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Comments

1
This is the worst thing I've heard in a little while. KPLU is my news station. KUOW somehow manages to be (almost) all news and still provide less information. KUOW's endless recycling and near total lack of local coverage is terrible, that crew taking over KPLU sounds like the death of radio news in Seattle.
dwightmoodyforgetsthings on November 12, 2015 at 1:53 PM Report this
2
That is bad news. I've enjoyed KPLU's local news coverage, and it was good to have another local public news outlet. I agree with @1 that KUOW local news isn't nearly as impressive.

The jazz music portions of KPLU is fine, though I don't find the jazz nearly as interesting as the morning jazz shows KBCS used to have.
Ebenezer on November 12, 2015 at 2:08 PM Report this
3
The jazz that KPLU provides is basically Carmen McCrae singing pop and jazz fusion/rock. So now we'll have a full-time crappy jazz station with no news (KPLU), and a news station with crappy news (KUOW). And a bunch of people losing their jobs. Bad all around.
sarah91 on November 12, 2015 at 2:14 PM Report this
4
There must be an argument that this conflicts with some sort of charter for providing local services. As above, I've largely switched to KPLU for ME and ATC: They run it more or less straight from national, and use the breaks for local news. KUOW uses the breaks to run snippets of other programs they'll run later, which is kind of useless. Even KUOW's one lonely local program, The Record, is usually at least 40% BBC or other national NPR programs.

At least there are podcasts. But this is just horrible, horrible news.

I trust the stranger's fine reporters can get the backstory for us.
moretent on November 12, 2015 at 2:17 PM Report this
5
@4 - Which ones are those? There's nothing but a few freelancers left, all the full-timers went to the Seattle Times.
Hutch on November 12, 2015 at 2:23 PM Report this
6
KUOW has sucked so hard for so long now it's hard to believe they somehow coughed up the cash to buyout the only good station on my dial. I'm going to be really bummed if they screw around with Ken Wiley's or John Kessler's shows, or for that matter if they go gunning for Cliff Mass.
sloegin on November 12, 2015 at 2:43 PM Report this
7
@5. Sydney and Heidi have been doing a bang-up job covering local issues lately. Disappointing to lose constant and holden, but Rich Smith has been a worthy replacement so far, and they've still got the estimable Eli.
moretent on November 12, 2015 at 2:48 PM Report this
8
Will the KUOW signal strength increase with this? Growing up 60-90 minutes north of Seattle, the way we got NPR was only through KPLU. KUOW didn't start coming in until around Everett, and even then it was spotty. I think a lot of people who grew up in the exurbs relied on KPLU!
albatross2 on November 12, 2015 at 3:12 PM Report this
9
KPLU is by far the more dynamic station. Leave it alone, and turn KUOW into a pure NPR/news station. No reason to mess with KPLU's winning formula and staff.
Lionel Hutz Esq. on November 12, 2015 at 3:13 PM Report this
10
@3 Very true about KPLU's jazz format. You should stream WBGO on the internets--Listener sponsored jazz station in NJ----Terrrrrriffic jazz music, as purist as it gets. Got into the habit since I couldn't stand the soft spoken right wing talking points of Morning Edition---Cokie Roberts! Mara Liasson of Fox News!

If KPLU/KUOW go all jazz, hopefully, they'll get smart and hire program directors that really know the genre and won't allow it to go to some limited format jazz pop.
neo-realist on November 12, 2015 at 3:17 PM Report this
11
I find it hard to believe there are enough people who listen to jazz anymore that it necessitates an entire broadcast station. Even the medical office waiting rooms have moved on from that shit.

Banna on November 12, 2015 at 3:18 PM Report this
12
Ugh, more jazz on public radio. What the fuck.

Fish, meet Bicycle.

Karlheinz Arschbomber on November 12, 2015 at 3:30 PM Report this
13
@6- KUOW is flush with cash thanks to constant fundraising and some really large donations from tech people (who wanted more business-style management.)

I suspect KUOW knows they're losing listeners to KPLU and made a very businesslike decision to acquire the competition.
dwightmoodyforgetsthings on November 12, 2015 at 4:14 PM Report this
14
@8 dear, it's not just the suburbs/exurbs. I used to listen to KUOW all the time, but gave up when I moved to Beacon Hill. It's a crappy signal here for some reason. I've tried on multiple radios, and the only one it works on is the car. South of Southcenter, it's hopless whereever you try to get it.

And KPLU is in Seattle? I always thought it was in Tacoma.

Catalina Vel-DuRay on November 12, 2015 at 4:18 PM Report this
15
Report for work to Get Fired. The new owner in not going to need 2 news teams.
Thrill Killer on November 12, 2015 at 4:21 PM Report this
16
Wow, KPLU has a very white staff.
seatackled on November 12, 2015 at 4:27 PM Report this
17
Wherein we find out that everybody preferred KPLU's news coverage to KUOW, but no one overly complained because it didn't seem imminent that either one would be going away anytime soon...
thricejamie on November 12, 2015 at 4:35 PM Report this
18
@16, Shocking for Seattle isn't it:/?
neo-realist on November 12, 2015 at 4:43 PM Report this
19
Where will Seattle get its weather forecasts from now?
Will in Seattle on November 12, 2015 at 4:47 PM Report this
22
If this was really on the up-and-up and "good for the Puget Sound Community", they wouldn't have felt the need to keep it secret until the very last minute, especially from the staff.

Love KPLU, not so much KUOW. Also, KUOW doesn't come in very well down in Tacoma.
MLM on November 12, 2015 at 5:53 PM Report this
23
@20

I never said they don't have the qualifications for the jobs. Are you saying that white people are the most qualified?
seatackled on November 12, 2015 at 6:12 PM Report this
24
It will be interesting when Cliff weighs in on this.
ejamadoodle on November 12, 2015 at 6:17 PM Report this
25
I find KUOW to have declined in quality these past few years, so when I get irritated at KUOW's constant promos, multiple ads, and tiny bits of news, I tune to KPLU. I don't consider either of them to be truly public, because there is no local accountability. You can become a member, and support them financially, but you have no say in how they are run. It would be interesting to know where KUOW got the funds to purchase KPLU. Too bad someone else couldn't come forward to purchase them.
GeoffreyB on November 12, 2015 at 7:00 PM Report this
26
It is a sad day for our region. We lost most of the PI, KCTS has given up its public affairs programs, KUOW dropped most local programming, the TV stations have reduced staff, and an independent group of journalists at KPLU will be let go. Our growing region, one of national importance, has a constantly reduced collection of reporters and independent media voices. Can the public save diversity and quality in public radio? There is a way: a massive refusal to support KUOW if the transfer goes through. No pledge support. But will enough listeners do that to save KPLU? Another issue is how this was done: without notification of listeners or KPLU staff. Secretively. The public was not informed of the termination of their public radio station.
cliffmass on November 12, 2015 at 8:01 PM Report this
27
With respect, Cliff, the thing to do is not wait for the sale to go through and then stiff KUOW's pledge drives in the hope they'll change their mind. They won't undo it once it's done. Any license transfer has to be approved by the FCC, and while it's never met a sale it hasn't liked, now is the time send those cards and letters to the Commission and tell it what this transfer would do to local news reporting, which is pretty scarce on the ground around here.
Toe Tag on November 12, 2015 at 8:33 PM Report this
28
Head's up: there's a good chance after a year or so, once the gnashing of teeth has died down, that KUOW content will migrate to the 88.5 frequency and they will sell the 94.9 frequency. The 88.5 part of the radio spectrum is reserved for public radio, community radio, and the like, while the 94.9 frequency is totally available for any kind of programming including commercial stations. There's a good chance this is just a financial move to eliminate the competition and we'll be left with just KUOW programming, only at 88.5. They'll be able to more than get there money back when they sell the 94.9 frequency to the highest bidder.
yo dawg on November 12, 2015 at 8:44 PM Report this
29
KUOW takes in huge amounts of money and then buys and runs chopped up pieces of other people's products. It's a public radio station the way that PCC is a food coop. Tune into KVTI, 90.9, Northwest Public Radio.
Stumphaven on November 12, 2015 at 8:53 PM Report this
30
Bad, bad move for PNW radio listeners. The diversity of News and Music (jazz AND Blues), is really wonderful, as is. Just say NO to homogeny! KPLU's "All Blues" programing with John Kessler on Sat. and Su. evenings (6pm -12am) is among the very best in the nation! I will eagerly oppose KUOW in this takeover, and the hostility will be clear!
David Cumming on November 12, 2015 at 9:03 PM Report this
31
These radio stations are not owned by the public. We have no say in what they do, nor are we owed any legal right to be told immediately (or ever) what they are going to do. That may not be how we want it, but it's reality.
sarah91 on November 12, 2015 at 9:15 PM Report this
32
Now I am glad I didn't donate to either. KPLU was a welcome alternative to KUOW's often bland programming. That's OK I've been enjoying Bellevue College KBCS more than either lately. Democracy Now! is much more informative than the NPR light and fluffy news.
hifiandrew on November 13, 2015 at 7:36 AM Report this
33
Also interesting both stations waited until AFTER their fall fund drive to announce this crap.
hifiandrew on November 13, 2015 at 7:41 AM Report this
34
I contributed money and pledge drive volunteer time to KUOW for many years. Although overall KUOW seemed to be changing for the worse, the seemingly minor thing that made me switch to KPLU is when KUOW made Bill Radke the morning host. That guy drives me absolutely nuts -- I used to love him on Rewind back in the day, but as morning host he was always dragging out sentences about really basic things, like weather or traffic, that don't need personal embellishments or cuteness and are fucking irritating when you're trying to make a quick decision about what to wear/what route to take with your 6am brain. I've been very happy with KPLU and am really bummed about this development. My sincere best wishes to the KPLU news room.
Dudley on November 13, 2015 at 9:05 AM Report this
35
I'm sure KUOW week in review will gather an all male panel to discuss this, filled with mostly right wing voices in a liberal city.
Will in Seattle on November 13, 2015 at 9:54 AM Report this
36
What @34 said. Listening to Bill Radke is like hearimg fingernails on a chalkboard. Derek Wang was way better.
kk in seattle on November 15, 2015 at 12:42 PM Report this

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