I was talking to the program director of a very successful news/talk station in another state this week. We got talking about programming philosophy and what he looks for in the talk show hosts he hires. He said something that I've been thinking about for the last few days.
He said that the number one question he asks when hiring or analyzing a talk show host is do they sound like the city? In other words, how much does the talk show host reflect the city?
Now, someone can reflect a city and be incredibly boring or sound terrible on the radio. So, it's not THE question. It's A question. I have thought about this question as I've listened to our hosts on News 92.3 KTAR-FM over the last few days. In my mind, these people sound like the valley.
I don't have time to dig through each of our hosts and how I think they measure up in this area. I'll let you answer the question yourself. I'm confident our team reflects this area more than any other spoken word station. Sure, it helps to be local, but even the 2-3 local talk show hosts who exist in this market on other stations are on the radio because of their ability to fire up a particular niche audience. When you're on a station with the number of listeners that KTAR has, it's more important to engage a broader audience than it is to polarize. That's something I find that few on the sidelines understand.
Ankarlo,
I just wanted to say I really do appreciate your show. I appreciate that you allow anyone to say their piece and here is mine. I am a 36 year old Navy Reservist here in the valley, I served this great country on active duty from 1999 to DEC 2006. I have sacrificed and so have my military brethren. It saddens me to see that the rest of America does not or will not serve even if not in the Military. If you are unwilling to lead you are destined to follow. Following is not bad, blindly following is.
I feel we have gotten to a place in our history were we have no positive challenges no space race no or war effort (not that that is a positive) just nothing that has united us inspired US as one. Something positive that unites us all. Our great leaders have done this in the past. They have lead it did start in 2001 out of the ashes of 9/11, but the leader lost his way and we fell into a lull. We are infighting lost all our leadership is fighting to keep their cushy gold embossed offices. We cannot set term limits because no one in Congress will vote themselves out of a job. We have no faith in our leadership, yet we do nothing to fix our situation. We are too busy and too overworked, and besides that is why we pay the elected officials. So allow them to go unchecked.
Now I know they are good men and women for the most part fighting for what? We offer them no direction. We give them ambiguous direction like watch out for our interest. A majority of the nation doesn’t vote and of that majority they aren’t even aware of what or who they are voting for. We have no excuse in an era of the internet and unlimited information. We choose to stay ignorant and unenlightened. It seems while we were sleeping they were watching out for our interests and more so the interest of the few who have made it their job to get theirs or their clients agendas pushed through. So not only are we not defining our (the average Joe) interests and concerns, but we are not regulating and observing the elected officials.
Now absolute power corrupts absolutely, but it seems like we are the source of this Absolute Power we have handed this to these men and women. We handed this Power over unchecked to humans that are flawed like all of us and expect them to be honest; some are, to be fair some are, and to make sure this country is safe, competitive and united. This is a big task. We have maybe 1 percent of the Nation willing to volunteer to defend her and her interests in the armed forces and or Congress. You think this is a reflection of where the countries going?
We are growing as a Nation growing fat, lazy, and apathy is our growth curve. We are at a turning point the world is becoming more and more competitive and we need to be paying attention and realizing that if we want to be on top we need to work for it. We know this yet no one including our Representation is willing to disrupt their lifestyle and step out of their comfort zone to make sure we are.
Any economic model will show that production is the saving grace of our nation yet we have shipped most of our manufacturing off to other countries, we have exported our technical service jobs too. The education our average citizen is average at best. This is a recipe for financially and moral disaster, If we cant or wont compete how can we be the best and if we are unwilling to support or defend our democratic capitalist stance how will the rest of the world view us. More important how will we view ourselves. We cannot criticize and do nothing. I was taught if you do not have a desire or a suggestion to improve you have no right to demand. I also have observed that if you do not get involved or speak up you get what you get. Human’s alone are flawed yet when we work as one and strive for better or a cause we are as close to perfection than ever dreamed. We have realized that as a nation several times. How bad does it have to get for us to realize that we are all wrong right now? That if we don’t put aside our petty differences that divided we will fail. Failing is far worse than anything I can imagine, and we cannot afford that.
The world looks to us for guidance a model of freedom and the best of the compromise between human nature and humanity or as close to flawlessness as possible. They know what were are capable of what they and all of us could be when working together accepting one and other and our flaws and making concessions and compromises to defeat or conquer and over come our greatest Flaws. We fail then all hope for Humanity fails and we plunge into Darkness yet again, and how long does it take how many lives and dreams get trampled to get back what America has brought the world to see and know. Let us all think back on own on memories of what times and circumstances made us great. What were individually think will keep us there and what the price would be if we do not. I believe that would be all the inspiration any of us would need.
Posted by: Tony Velez | October 09, 2008 at 06:12 PM
Ankarlo,
I just wanted to say I really do appreciate your show. I appreciate that you allow anyone to say their piece and here is mine. I am a 36 year old Navy Reservist here in the valley, I served this great country on active duty from 1999 to DEC 2006. I have sacrificed and so have my military brethren. It saddens me to see that the rest of America does not or will not serve even if not in the Military. If you are unwilling to lead you are destined to follow. Following is not bad, blindly following is.
I feel we have gotten to a place in our history were we have no positive challenges no space race no or war effort (not that that is a positive) just nothing that has united us inspired US as one. Something positive that unites us all. Our great leaders have done this in the past. They have lead it did start in 2001 out of the ashes of 9/11, but the leader lost his way and we fell into a lull. We are infighting lost all our leadership is fighting to keep their cushy gold embossed offices. We cannot set term limits because no one in Congress will vote themselves out of a job. We have no faith in our leadership, yet we do nothing to fix our situation. We are too busy and too overworked, and besides that is why we pay the elected officials. So allow them to go unchecked.
Now I know they are good men and women for the most part fighting for what? We offer them no direction. We give them ambiguous direction like watch out for our interest. A majority of the nation doesn’t vote and of that majority they aren’t even aware of what or who they are voting for. We have no excuse in an era of the internet and unlimited information. We choose to stay ignorant and unenlightened. It seems while we were sleeping they were watching out for our interests and more so the interest of the few who have made it their job to get theirs or their clients agendas pushed through. So not only are we not defining our (the average Joe) interests and concerns, but we are not regulating and observing the elected officials.
Now absolute power corrupts absolutely, but it seems like we are the source of this Absolute Power we have handed this to these men and women. We handed this Power over unchecked to humans that are flawed like all of us and expect them to be honest; some are, to be fair some are, and to make sure this country is safe, competitive and united. This is a big task. We have maybe 1 percent of the Nation willing to volunteer to defend her and her interests in the armed forces and or Congress. You think this is a reflection of where the countries going?
We are growing as a Nation growing fat, lazy, and apathy is our growth curve. We are at a turning point the world is becoming more and more competitive and we need to be paying attention and realizing that if we want to be on top we need to work for it. We know this yet no one including our Representation is willing to disrupt their lifestyle and step out of their comfort zone to make sure we are.
Any economic model will show that production is the saving grace of our nation yet we have shipped most of our manufacturing off to other countries, we have exported our technical service jobs too. The education our average citizen is average at best. This is a recipe for financially and moral disaster, If we cant or wont compete how can we be the best and if we are unwilling to support or defend our democratic capitalist stance how will the rest of the world view us. More important how will we view ourselves. We cannot criticize and do nothing. I was taught if you do not have a desire or a suggestion to improve you have no right to demand. I also have observed that if you do not get involved or speak up you get what you get. Human’s alone are flawed yet when we work as one and strive for better or a cause we are as close to perfection than ever dreamed. We have realized that as a nation several times. How bad does it have to get for us to realize that we are all wrong right now? That if we don’t put aside our petty differences that divided we will fail. Failing is far worse than anything I can imagine, and we cannot afford that.
The world looks to us for guidance a model of freedom and the best of the compromise between human nature and humanity or as close to flawlessness as possible. They know what were are capable of what they and all of us could be when working together accepting one and other and our flaws and making concessions and compromises to defeat or conquer and over come our greatest Flaws. We fail then all hope for Humanity fails and we plunge into Darkness yet again, and how long does it take how many lives and dreams get trampled to get back what America has brought the world to see and know. Let us all think back on own on memories of what times and circumstances made us great. What were individually think will keep us there and what the price would be if we do not. I believe that would be all the inspiration any of us would need.
Posted by: Tony Velez | October 09, 2008 at 06:12 PM
people go along just to get along. They are afraid to express an honest opinion, because they might sound wrong, rather than exercising common sense!
Posted by: Juan | July 15, 2007 at 08:04 PM
Ankarlo is takin some heat on these comments....whew. I think Darrell is a breath of fresh air here in the valley. He fits well and is slowing becoming like Phoenix. Like some other issues these days I find what he has to say, even if I think he's nuts, His right to say it.
Pat is the old Phoenix and is a great host.
I wonder ? Is Pat Ankarlos Dad? Could be.
Posted by: Bob Walters | April 10, 2007 at 02:24 PM
You have fine morning and afternoon drive-time newscasts. Ned Foster, Connie Weber, Ted Simons and Heidi Foglesong are all very good at their jobs.
Ted Simons was a superior talk-show host, but you bumped him to news. I rarely agree with weekenders Tony Femino and Jay Lawrence, but at least they are interesting.
In my opinion Ankarlo is a right wing wacko. I gave him a month. Now I turn to KJZZ at exactly 8:30 a.m. It sounds like someone has given Pat McMahon orders to make a hard right turn, but he can still make an interesting subject boring. Leibowitz was better.
If these people sound like the city, I guess it is time to move.
HH
Posted by: "Hank" H | April 10, 2007 at 01:59 PM
Pat sure sounds like the city, as it was in 1974 when he was last interesting.
Ankarlo sounds like the city, Dallas, where he still thinks he lives.
The rest of KTAR sounds like a doctor's office waiting room, a dull, lifeless waste of time.
I do agree that Savage sucks, so I don't listen, but when Savage is on, what is KTAR's counter? An ex hip hop DJ doing bland opinion radio? And Gaydos? Gaydos?
Posted by: Captain Howdy | April 10, 2007 at 11:15 AM
Face it: Pat McMahon is the ONLY host on your station who truly sounds like Phoenix, heart and soul. If, as you claim, you don't want to polarize the audience, your current schedule (with the exception of weekday afternoons with Pat) sure as heck doesn't reflect it! Shame!
Posted by: Dr. Reality | April 06, 2007 at 05:42 AM
What the heck is going on!!!!!!!! I get in my car at about 8:45pm and a sports game comes on??!! I immediately started wondering how my radio ended up on 620AM.. but NO, I was indeed still on 92.3FM.
In order to try to get my fix of "what is going on" since I left my car three hours ago for a meeting. I was FORCED to turn to 550AM!! I haven't been there this ENTIRE YEAR!
What did I get? Michael Savage talking about some energy drink his son created, his trip to the barber to get his beard shaved off, and his previous experiences as a social anthropologist.
What a bleeding waste of time!
Please, please, PLEASE! I am begging you! Don't let this be a new policy. I like all your hosts, even when they make me hopping mad... don't do it again?
Posted by: Deedra Abboud | April 05, 2007 at 10:26 PM