BlatherWatch

Whuddafug-happened-to-that-guy??? no. 189: allan prell

Remember the Allan Prell who briefly graced KIRO mid mornings in the mid-two thousandsies? In that case, you might (or might not) enjoy The Ballad of Allan Prell here. If you got through that dreck without vomitus interruptus, read about him in the new issue of Baltimore Magazine:

Allen prell's new novel is a book (and vice versa)

Our old friend and former KIRO blabbermeister, Allan Prell, now living in Virginia, has published his second book, this time a comic novel, Meth For Less.

Allan's literary credo is, "Never an adjective where two will do," and he rarely disappoints in keeping that ambitious, verbacious promise.

Old Seattle Radio Saturday: jaynie jones

Best known from a decade on KOMO AM1000 The Overnight Club with  Dillon, Jaynie Dillon was the first-ever woman announcer on KOMO in their 60+ years on the air.

She did every dang thing in radio from spinning country on "The Cowboy, KKBY-FM Seattle-Tacoma, opposite Ichabod Caine in morning drive to all manner of announcing, DJ-ing, news reading, reporting and public affairs direction. Women are still at a distinct minority in radio.

Jaynie told Spokane’s Philco Bill what it was like being a "little radio gal," in the 1960’s and ’70’s:

Maybe KINGFM's problem is ... classical music

Not-for-profit KINGFM is the only classical music radio in Seattle, but to the dismay of its ardent listeners, it "disappeared" in the ratings after the PPMs began providing more precise data about the listenership. It's tied up in the basement with KVI.

Dave Ross: will dino rossi ambush me... PLEASE?!

Last week Dori Monson was ambushed by Governor Gregoire that is, called him without prearrangement -- and he's been bragging/complaining ever since.

We loved the whole exchange, it was great radio, and wrote almost lovingly about Dori for once. (It showed that despite he has a girl's name, he is The King Of Seattle Talk Radio)

We realized that one of the things that bugs us about local talk radio now that it's been dry-cleaned, pressed and all the local weirdos removed, is the absence of the unexpected. With just Dori, Dave, The Commentators, Ron and "I would Be" Don, there's none (save maybe Kirby of KVI) of the pure, local, slightly strange, one-of-a-kind hosts that promote (not always intentionally) that tension of the unexpected and take you occasionally by surprise.

(That's some of why we're hooked on Too Beautiful to Live (KIRO m-f, 7-10p -- it's feeling that anything -- though perhaps trivial -- can happen at any time).

SuperMonday Oddems: simpsonization like syndication is cheap & easy; vomitus erroneous: a tower tour; urology on parade; allan prell wants to give you something; wall street cash cows gone dry

Simpsonized Dave Ross Show: Dave Ross, engineer Erynn Rose, and producer Libby Denkmann

~~ Allan Prell writes from Baltimore: "It would appear that live and local programming is on the wane. It's a process I don't fully understand. Syndication is cheap and easy, but it does require paying for the big names, several hundred thousand for the major talkers, and giving up a massive amount of inventory. Syndication is easy, station management can say "Hey we didn't say it, some guy in New York or Miami said it." Also it is evident that finding local talent is difficult especially in medium markets. It is so simple to just push the button..." Help may be hard to find because nobody wants to invest in creating it. Maybe radio wants to die-off like one of those no-fucking-allowed cults in organized religion's hey day. 

~~ Allan Prell might have been lubing us with the above information to get a plug (we never her from him unless he wants something) He pleads, "Do me a favor and let your readers know thay can receive a FREE COPY of my tell all Pulling the Plug on Talk Radio by requesting it at [email protected]." It's a fun read, and probably has your name in it -- but if you get a hold of it, we can't steal from it.

Another roadside oddems: hemorrhoid watch 2008; internecine KIRO; women masturbating horses; allan prell on the threes; bRyAn StYbLe is not racist, never has been racist; more billified hip-hopcracy; jen andrews exposed; one charming son of a bitch.

~ Like calling the aid car for a hemorrhoid? (or maybe vice-versa, in this case) did anyone besides us find KIRO's Monday night calling in the late Frank Shiers and going into full-on Storm Watch 2008 mode a little silly? While it was really nice to hear our close friend, Frank fill in for the syndicated Phil Hendrie who replaced him, (Frank's weather-talking mastery has earned him the nickname,"Shiver,") having all talk off the table except weather sent us to scurrying for Mike Malloy (KPTK m-f,7-10p). Besides, the weather wasn't all that daunting. Apparently, it was snowing on the Issaquah plateau, the mountain passes,north of the Snoho line, and in the wilds of Queen Anne Hill. The commute promised to be daunting, but WTF? Couldn't that have been well-handled on KIRO's many news breaks? Maybe it was to assuage KIRO's guilt for bringing in their first syndication in the weekdayparts and to assure us that they're still here to serve us live & locally. If the latter is true, it was gross overcompensation.

~ The new KIRO website will be all about "community" and shit; and will be up soon, according to everyone. They're lucky to have David Goldstein (Sat., Sun., 7-10p) already on their payroll. Goldy must have been a great resource since his claim to fame is that he's a NW blogger with national renown whose platform, Horsesass.org is one of the biggest online communities in the region. Nobody will talk to us yet, but with that kind of live and local experience on tap, maybe the site will go from the B- we gave it to an A. (Even KIRO's B- beat all the other talk stations' sites by a mile).

Is there life after seattle talk radio?

Where do you go after you're fired from talk radio job in Seattle? 

The answer, apparently, is Port Orchard if you want to stay anywhere near the Seattle market.

Those regularly scheduled Seattle newstalk spots are coveted ... seems you gotta leave town or get a gig selling cars.

It's the dilemma faced by the recently fired Bryan Suits, and Dan Sytman but also faced by such as Allan Prell, Mike Webb, Mike Siegel, New York Vinnie, Erin Hart, Lou Pate, Fred Ebert, Peter Weissbach, Brian Maloney, and Bryan Styble.

Allan Prell to appear on Horse's Ass radio

Former KIRO talker Allan Prell, will appear on The David Goldstein Show Tuesday, July 17, at 9p. (Goldy's filling-in for Frank Shiers that week).

Prell who took sudden retirement from KIRO in September, 2005 lives in Virginia. He's the author of the cheeky, less-selling collection of New Age  truths and plumbing tips by a gratefully little-known guru we suspect might be Prell himself.

It's Ka-ching: The Repository of Universal Wisdoms, printed grandly in a seemingly infinite collection of fonts and the reverence and spiritual dynamic Prellians have come to expect.

Reviewers are ecstatic:

"Types admirably." ~Rolling Stone
                     
"Mr. Prell's muse is unfettered by such mitigating factors as taste."   ~ The New York Times

"... a real pisser." ~The Wall Street Urinal
                        

Wednesday oddems: fear & loathing; leer & gloaming; beer & foaming; crustine gregoire; right-wing poodle doodle, burgess meridith as dick 'lon' cheney

~ The passing of PD Tom Clendening at KIRO and the eminent take-over of the station by Bonneville  International has bred fear, loathing and hope among staffers over at the East Lake big house.