KPTK to drop progressive talk, but KLAY saves the day

[LTR]

The rumors have been confirmed. KPTK (1090AM) will drop progressive talk in January to join CBS Sports Radio network, owned by CBS, the same company that owns KPTK. To get ready for the flip, the station's call letters are now KFNQ.

http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/79630/1090-kptk-seattle-gets-new-calls-to-join-cbs-sports-radio/

However....

Dial Global, which syndicates most of the progressive talk shows in syndication, has been calling around aggressively to find a replacement. A few stations have turned them down, but one, independently-owned KLAY in Lakewood, stepped in. That station will pick up Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz when 1090 flips. No word on any other shows that the station will pick up. The station's 1000 watt signal is miniscule compared to KPTK, but hey, at least progressive talk isn't going away.

http://www.everettpost.com/Liberal-Talk-Format-On-1090-AM-To-Be-Replaced-By-S/14749898
http://www.klay1180.com/

Actually, my money was on KVI picking it up.

[southernyankeebelle]

1. You always have rightwing talk shows saying people don't want to listen to leftwing shows.

Of course that isn't true.

[fredamae]

2. They just turned Oregon's ONLY

Progressive Talk into Fox Sports!
KPOJ-Now---Bain owns Clear Channel---Clear Channel Owns KPOJ-Who is it that has 51% of Bain?
This is starting to look "not so co-incidental"--there is "rumor" the Same thing is happening in Seatlle withtheir Progressive programming.

Hmmmm...Silence the left? Give no balance? Reduce our ability to get actual facts?

[LTR]

3. No, it's the fact that the sports format is turning radio upside down at the moment

CBS and NBC are both launching sports radio networks. CBS owns KPTK, and it was the only station in the market to put the network on. Clear Channel owns FOX Sports.

I don't think there's anything sinister. Radio is just a weird business.

[fredamae]

5. I hope you're correct

We'll certainly see as time passes how this plays out.

[alp227]

7. Astoria and Coos Bay in OR have progressive stations.

[LoisB]

4. Crap. 1090 KPTK is what I am listening to now.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

6. Unfortunatly I can't get 1190 AM in Everett

You can see from my avatar I'm a sports fan but for Christ sakes we already have two sports stations in the area.

[alp227]

8. KLAY's top of the hour news is from this crazy right wing "IRN USA"

As KLAY carries IRN USA's "Daybreak USA" in the mornings.

I noticed something odd when the stream URL for KPTK wasn't working. Then I realize KPTK has converted call letters to KFNQ. I understand "PTK" stands for "Progressive Talk", but what the hell does "FNQ" mean??

If anything, NOW is the time to start speaking out to CBS. Couldn't the CBS Sports Radio thing be sent to an HD Radio subchannel of one of CBS Seattle's FM music stations instead for now?

[LTR]

9. CBS needs a pure over-the-air presence in big markets

That's so Madison Ave. takes them seriously. And no, HD Radio ain't gonna cut it. Who owns an HD Radio anyways?

As for KLAY's weird news affiliation, that's probably the only one they could get. A little AM indie station in a market like that has no chance of getting a top-tier news affiliation like ABC or CBS. Essentially, all that's left are some crappy, obscure right-wing news feeds.

Finally, the new KFNQ call letters are for the new sports format, which will likely be dubbed "The Fan", like a few other CBS sports stations.

It should be interesting to see how KLAY does with liberal talk. Might even influence them to get rid of Dennis Miller and some of their other conservotalk retreads.

[rhett o rick]

10. I hope the reception on KLAY is better than KPTK. I can hardly get KPTK. nm

[upi402]

11. I can't get it

I can only get sports and RW radio now.

I had given up on NPR after years, now I see why again. Thom Hartmann and Democracy Now! are all I have -when I can get reception.