I just got off the phone with Kirby. First the good news.
Our phone calls to advertisers appear to be helping. Kirby told me that Laura Kiel (Kiel Mortgage) has pulled her advertising from KVI and is unwilling to reconsider as long as Kirby is off the air. I'm sure other advertisers will follow. Kirby also mentioned that KVI has received more than 700 phone calls from listeners upset over the decision.
As for Jim Clayton's stated reasons behind Kirby's contract not being renewed, money and ratings, Kirby wants to tell his side of the story.
On November 6, Kirby and the rest of the station had their monthly meeting to discuss October's ratings. In that meeting Kirby was told that he was the highest rated show on KVI, that his show was outperforming the station as a whole, that his ratings had increased against and he was beating Glenn Beck by half a point in the 35-64 demographic and ratings in the 25-54 demographic, while not better than Beck's, were holding steady. Kirby also mentioned that not once in the past six months had management came to him or any of his staff to express concern over his ratings.
Kirby also doesn't believe his contract wasn't renewed because of money. He stated that three years ago the station gave him a 50% raise because they wanted to make sure he remained at KVI. He added that, six months ago, he approached management and offered to take a pay cut to help the station out financially and also agreed to forgo his scheduled raise this year.
Why was he let go? He's not sure although he had a sense it was coming since management hasn't been communicating with him or answering concerns for the past few months.
Overall, his spirits are high. He enjoyed sleeping in for the first time in 16 years and said that last Thursday was not that last you'll hear from him. He wouldn't provide details for obvious reasons but he did say that he's already received phone calls from a few other radio stations interested in him.
He added that he will miss his time with KVI and all the great work he was able to accomplish over the past sixteen years.
"Ranting about the governor is nice but the thing I loved most was helping local people, raising money for Operation Support Our Troops and Toys for Tots, getting people out to Tea Parties and rallying listeners to local causes, like raising money to pay for the Medal of Honor Memorial at the UW."
He thanks all of you who have sent him messages over the past few days. He's received so many he's not sure he'll be able to respond to each one individually but will try. He said he even received a call from Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.
"I love you all and I'm humbled by the response I've received on Facebook and via email."
We love you too, Kirby, and look forward to hearing your voice on the radio again soon.
Posted by MarkGriswold at November 16, 2009 08:20 AM | Email ThisThis morning Glenn Beck said that Obamacare is sure as 'heck' going to happen in spite of us. Last night Bill Cunningham and John Ziegler said that Obama's re-election is a slam dunk. In spite of our lock on talk radio. Think about it.
Posted by: yack radio on November 16, 2009 09:52 AMFrankly, I'm not much on either the two nasal New Yorkers who are on at that time. They tend to be rude and loud.
And to the troll at @3, if you're going to try to act like a conservative (as badly as you've tried) at least get a U.S. based email address. Yes, we know that Rush went to rehab. Wouldn't it be be great if they had a rehab program to help the major media kick their addiction to Obama brand koolaid?
Posted by: johnny on November 16, 2009 10:47 AMBeck does that even though I disagree with him often. Judge Napalano does that as well.
I wish Kirby well and think he was deceived by KVI's clueless management. If I were him, I'd hold out for a better offer and go the way of Bryan Suits.
Posted by: KDS on November 16, 2009 11:29 AMThe 570 kHz frequency on the AM band might be opening up soon.
Posted by: Unfit for the Internet on November 16, 2009 11:47 AMKirby was good, once upon a time, back when he was fresh and on nights. Back when KVI (KKKVI, said Jean Godden) was dangerous and vital. Now it's old and limp.
Several years ago P.J. O'Rourke wrote that talk radio, left and right, is at best a zero-sum game. It's not winning hearts and minds aside from the choirs it preaches to.
That was then. Now a good case can be made that right-wing talk radio is losing ground for the right and pushing the middle to the left. Conservative talk really hasn't had a score since 1994.
Maybe NY-23 will finally go our way (us trolls certainly hope so, johnny), but it still looks like another Rush-right FUBAR SNAFU ... sort of like johnny.
Posted by: Wil-burrrrrr on November 16, 2009 11:48 AMBut he's the only voice that matters about WA/Seattle totalitarian one-party rule.
The incredible shrinking Carlson, meanwhile, still hasn't learned how to share a bully pulpit with a bully, and Boze ... oh, well. He seems to mean well, when he's not doing his sissy-slap act with his producer.
The bottom line, as Carlson says over and over, is that radio has not necessarily advanced beyond Joe Pyne (go gargle with razor blades) even after Rush reinvented the medium.
Dori Monson-Tom Turner in 2012. Gotta be better than Palin-Goldstein.
Posted by: etc. on November 16, 2009 12:04 PMI remember Kirby when he was hanging around the Mike Sigl show on KVI back in the early Nineties and I was glad when he got a show of his own.
I always enjoyed listening to him even though we were on opposite sides of virtually every issue. He didn’t hesitate to host guests differing view points and ALWAYS treated them respectfully.
He was a gentleman then and remains one now. I wish him the best and am very confident he will land on his feet
I personally think that NY-23 was a wake up call to the GOP that the rank and file is sick of putting up "Democrat Light" candidates. The fact that a write-in candidate almost won shows the Rush and the rest of the conservative wing of the GOP are on the right track.
Yes, we may have lost it. (Maybe, the votes are still being counted.) But we'll get it back with the next election.
Posted by: johnny on November 16, 2009 12:33 PMKirby is THE MAIN MAN. And I know he knows we love him and cannot wait to hear from him again.
Posted by: Hank D on November 16, 2009 06:49 PMThink Sarah Palin would hesitate to expose BOTH Democratic and Republican corruption?
Posted by: Don on November 16, 2009 07:07 PMNo.
What makes you think she might?
Posted by: Rush Limbaugh Fan on November 16, 2009 07:12 PMReread my post. Ever hear of a rhetorical question?
Posted by: Don on November 16, 2009 07:25 PMRush Limbaugh Fan, Hmm, I don't know what makes Don think that. Maybe it's the fact that SHE ACTUALLY DID EXPOSE CORRUPTION WITHIN THE ALASKA STATE GOP! Maybe before you start shootin' your mouth off saying stupid things you should actually do some research. Nah, you're just a moronic liberal that thinks it's cute to throw around accusations with no facts to back them up.
Posted by: WFP on November 16, 2009 07:30 PMI gave him the proof and he didn't use it. I can also prove he got the information.
Problem is that if he exposed it, it would have also implicated Rob McKenna and even the more conservative justices on the WASC.
Email me and I can send you some of the info.
Posted by: WFP on November 16, 2009 07:37 PMBack on topic, Have Kirb post up where he's headed. I agree with Lysander's assessments, but I still like the guy and his show. Principle is always at the top of my list, politics somewhere near the bottom. Perhaps I am just idealistic?
Posted by: Boxxerace on November 16, 2009 08:07 PMKDS@9: Why the rude personal attack?
Boxxerace@41: I am glad to see others look for principle in their host as well.
I should mention I do like Kirby also, just not his show. I met him at a GOP picnic a summer or two ago and he gave a nice speech and complimented all the Ron Paul supporters at the picnic (which GOP leadership sure would be smart to take note of here in the state).
Posted by: Lysander on November 16, 2009 09:13 PMIt is just like Kirby to offer to take a hit for the team. Because he has really educated himself in history and civics, he will land on his feet.
Hang Tight, Kirb!
Posted by: Intermittent Listener on November 17, 2009 04:16 AMIt is just like Kirby to offer to take a hit for the team. Because he has really educated himself in history and civics, he will land on his feet.
Hang Tight, Kirb!
Posted by: Intermittent Listener on November 17, 2009 04:17 AMI think the FCC is the real driving factor here. Don't forget that radio stations are operating out of fear. The regulations being proposed by the malcontent Marxists will result in pushing popular conservative voices from the air. My sense of things is that the owners are beating the FCC to the punch.
It is just like Kirby to offer to take a hit for the team. Because he has really educated himself in history and civics, he will land on his feet.
Hang Tight, Kirb!
Posted by: Intermittent Listener on November 17, 2009 04:19 AMI personally think, johnny. Try it sometime.
It's remotely possible that conservatism wins by losing (maybe 1964 set the stage for 1980, although I think Carter failure made Reagan possible and inevitable) but how many more GOP districts do you want to donate to Botoxic Granny before we're total and permanent losers?
Today Rush cited CNN, Gallup, and Rasmussen to show that independents prefer conservatives to Obama. Maybe Rush is right for a change. Maybe we'll reclaim NY-23 in 2010 and regain the House.
But Rush tends to be wrong. After Katrina he assured as that polls proved that 'the people' loved Gorge Bush. After losing impeachment in 1998-1999, Rush compounded his loss to Clinton by starting a ten-year no-win war against John McCain. Now he asserts or implies that Obama's to blame for Paulson's TARP.
At least Glenn Beck knows how to get a scalp ... ACORN's or a red green czar's. But Rush? He's a master of disaster, and Kirby was in the mushy middle. No great loss since we've lost so much already.
Rush was good today about Holder's insane transfer of KSM to Manhattan, but Rush now diminishes every message he touches. He and radio (aside from Monson) are part of our problem, not our solution.
Posted by: sock-poppet troll on November 18, 2009 11:45 AMUm, Lysander, all you have to do is look at that line with the little green bars on your bottom tool bar- if you see one green bar, the rest will follow- . Why this is so difficult to navigate for some is baffling to me. And you call yourself a libertarian?
Posted by: Rick D. on November 18, 2009 08:24 PMI recently refinanced with Kiel Mortgage -- whom I learned about from KVI -- and was happy with the experience. But I have no reason to listen to KVI anymore. They have lost some quality hosts over the years: Kirby, Suits, Medved, Rush... But of course, the problem was with all these people, not KVI management.
Posted by: Doug King on November 18, 2009 08:35 PM"I wonder when KVI is going back to oldies?"
You know, If KVI went back to oldies from the late 1950s and early 1960s, I might actually go back to listening to them again. Even mid to late 60s.
Posted by: RBW on November 20, 2009 08:07 PMWhen I started listening to KVI Kirby had just moved from nights, then Rush, Mike Seagal, Carlson, Mike Reagan. I never changed channels except when they did UW womens basketball.
Stations change but KVI seemed to blunder often. I like Laura and will probably alternate between her and Beck. But it is KTTH up to when I change away from Savage.
Jay
Posted by: Jay in Kitsap on November 21, 2009 12:46 AMI will miss the local talk with Kirby but he's a good guy.. he will certainly show up somewhere new.
Posted by: Lauri on November 21, 2009 06:03 AMBye Bye KVI
KIRBY, HURRY BACK TO THE AIR!
Posted by: Edwina Johnston on November 22, 2009 12:06 AMKIRBY, HURRY BACK TO THE AIR!
Posted by: Edwina Johnston on November 22, 2009 12:07 AMKIRBY, HURRY BACK TO THE AIR!
Posted by: Edwina Johnston on November 22, 2009 12:07 AMKIRBY, HURRY BACK TO THE AIR!
Posted by: Edwina Johnston on November 22, 2009 12:07 AM