This morning, a man I've never met before wrote a column in one of the tabloid sections distributed by the Arizona Republic in some neighborhoods in central Phoenix. I did not see it, until someone emailed me to point it out.
The column carries a note saying it is by a man who makes his living in public relations, I believe. (I don't have it in front of me at the moment.) He laments the state of Phoenix radio and longs for yesteryear.
In his column he bashes one of KTAR's competitors as full of hate. He calls the station I work at "a quasi news" product, saying it isn't what it used to be. And, he goes on to yearn for the days that disc jockeys used to play fewer songs on Phoenix radio and talk longer about local things and places.
I can relate.
I am an Army brat. Never in my life did our family live anywhere longer than three years. We experienced the whiplash that comes from moving from places like Alabama to Germany to Oklahoma. The cultures were a little different.
Life changed. Friends stayed. And, we left.
As I've gotten older and had my own family I've sometimes thought about some of the places we used to live when I was a child. I've reflected on how life used to be. It's interesting how the past truly becomes "golden." The rear view mirror can make things look so good.
But there's a reason automakers give about 8 square inches to the rear view mirror and a whole heck of a lot more space to seeing what lies ahead. Focus on the past too much and you're likely to break your neck.
I've never understood anyone's desire (other than widows) to live in yesteryear or turn back the clock. And, I'm a history fanatic. I am a student of the past in business, politics, culture, and religion. But, maybe because of my age I am obsessed with the future.
Stuck with a decision between Hillary and Obama, I choose the latter.
The present is so exciting. The future holds so much promise. I value the past, and look forward to tomorrow.
Someone taught me long ago that perception is reality.
It's a lesson for which I've always been grateful.
Where's Deputy Dan?
Posted by: oldiesfan6479 | October 01, 2008 at 07:01 PM
Hey Russ,
Don't let the haters win. Come back and keep writing.
Stacy
Posted by: SC | August 02, 2008 at 08:37 PM
9 months since the last blog?
Are you still alive Russ?
What a joke, now you got Ankarlo sucking up taxpayers money for his book?
Sad
Posted by: Dr. Evil | July 30, 2008 at 09:49 AM
One of the reasons KTAR will always be an 8th or 9th rate station is because they constitute a "government-media complex," (Michael Savage term).
In other words, one of the first things that Ankarlo did upon coming to Phoenix was to meet with the mayor (wink wink, nod nod).
Now the time has come to recall our useless mayor, Phil Gordon, because he's attacking our good Sheriff Joe Arpaio, for arresting illegal aliens while doing nothing himself, as Mayor, to protect the citizens of Phoenix from the invading hordes.
Yet, what do we hear on KTAR? Ankarlo has withdrawn his actions to recall the Mayor for his negligence, in acting to protect the Phoenix taxpaying citizens from illegal aliens.
Why, Ankarlo? Have some b-lls and quit being a phoney, yippy skippy actor talk host. People want authenticity. People want reality, not affected speech and faux career media conservatism.
At least KFYI has the guts to take on the issue of illegal aliens like true conservatives, while KTAR is losing street cred. And that's why it will never get past 8th or 9th rate status in the ratings.
And please keep that rabid-liberal-rat- octogenarian-gibbering-fool Pat McMahon off the air. The man is not a legend (nobody's ever heard of him), but an anti-conservative fear monger who's tacit approval of the illegal alien invasion has helped to break the local economy, as well as the economic backs of legitmate tax-paying citizens of Arizona (of all races, colors and creeds by the way).
Please put Pat McMahon out in Sun City in a retirement home so he can knit some socks or something, with Old Mother Hubbard and any left over hipppy ass 60s commies from Berkely that may reside there.
And give me the damn microphone, I'll square sh-t away.
--Joe Jacari
Posted by: Joe Jacari | May 11, 2008 at 07:56 AM
Good point, Russ.
I like the front windshield vs. the backward-looking mirror analogy very much.
I just want to say something before I continue: Skiebo! Ha, ha! Oh, yeah!
I am SOO glad that Liebowitz-style, do nothing, liberal gibberish is off KTAR except for the occasional rantings of a weekend warrior lib kook host or two.
Pat MacMahon's 70's style, survey liberal nonesense rarely tortures the airwaves, except to rehash the old days with verve-less vanilla musings devoid of any socio-political relevance or elan.
Pat who?
Preston Westmorland is thankfully selling real estate, where he belongs.
Strauss, Woods, et al are mercifully, utterly forgotten, except for the occasional pinings of one lone nut lib soldier (could it be the ghost of David Leibosheist?) still p-ssed off that the honorable, conservatives emanating from that evil old Utah threw his keyster out on the pavement where he belongs.
Leibo presided over rational discussions and debates?
No, he was bland, lib, middle-of the road, pro abortion nonsense who's time has come and gone, such that he now knocks out words at a dollar a pop, that nobody, except a few tattered, card-carrying hippy a--socialists even care to read.
We need more indulgence and apt name calling--of the liberal scum and illegal alien invading hordes--and general attitude of nastiness that characterizes a people willing to stand up to the liberal rats and take their country back from the forces of liberal darkness and obscuratism.
Of course, personified by delusional hack power mad left-wingers like Hillary Clinton and Barack Abomination.
I just lament the fact that I never got a shot at doing a show on KTAR so I could wave the American flag high and proud!
About the only reason to listen to the libs who bash KTAR conservative talk is to know you are reading the demonic lamentations of a fallen radio angel who was cast into the outer darkness of a liberal gibberish "public relations" career, where the little Skiebo belongs, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
Go Russ, go!
Disco inferno!
Posted by: Joe Jacari | April 02, 2008 at 07:27 PM
Agree with almost all the comments above. It is obvious KTAR became a follower, much like the Democratic Party they trash all day.
"If you can't beat 'em, act more like them." Just like the DLC, KTAR has found the imitation version is never as popular as an original.
I agree with Russ; why look to the past? The great radio KTAR had when I moved to the valley is long gone and best forgotten.
Posted by: Dale in Mesa | January 18, 2008 at 12:37 AM
I have to agree to that. KTAR is not the same. I remember when they had Bruck Kirk on or even Jim Sharpe back in 2003. I really liked the news show in the morning.
I am disappointed that the news show ends at 830 in the morning. What the hell is with that...is there a lunch period or something involved with Ankarlo?
The one thing that really put me off with Ankarlo (speaking of) when a station has to announce that a certain someone has been voted the "best of" whatever it tells me that the station is tooting their own horn.
If you have a guy on just say who it is and what is going on with the show. To add a flag to that seems pretentious.
Secondly, the show Nightside? Has the station gone completly juvenile? The guys that that are on there think they are clever and funny...ehh..I beg to differ.
Bring KTAR back to where it was. A mature, knowledgeable station that cares about what is going on here in Phoenix and quit trying to be the "showboat" of the city. If I wanted that sort of thing I can move to Los Angeles for that kind of crap.
Posted by: carson | January 17, 2008 at 04:19 PM
I have to agree to that. KTAR is not the same. I remember when they had Bruck Kirk on or even Jim Sharpe back in 2003. I really liked the news show in the morning.
I am disappointed that the news show ends at 830 in the morning. What the hell is with that...is there a lunch period or something involved with Ankarlo?
The one thing that really put me off with Ankarlo (speaking of) when a station has to announce that a certain someone has been voted the "best of" whatever it tells me that the station is tooting their own horn.
If you have a guy on just say who it is and what is going on with the show. To add a flag to that seems pretentious.
Secondly, the show Nightside? Has the station gone completly juvenile? The guys that that are on there think they are clever and funny...ehh..I beg to differ.
Bring KTAR back to where it was. A mature, knowledgeable station that cares about what is going on here in Phoenix and quit trying to be the "showboat" of the city. If I wanted that sort of thing I can move to Los Angeles for that kind of crap.
Posted by: carson | January 17, 2008 at 04:17 PM
And now they have cut back the Jim Bohannon show to one hour to let those Gaydos types take over the night time for a couple of hours and from Salt Lake City of all places. Must me cheaper for KTAR to use a sister station program than to pay for quality radio.
Posted by: Marilyn Williams | January 15, 2008 at 11:24 AM
Larry,
Get real buddy. You miss Bill Strauss? Those are the guys who started to kill KTAR because they were boring. I love Ankarlo and Mack.
Posted by: Bob W. | January 13, 2008 at 08:21 PM
The columnist was absolutely right. For most of the fifty years I have lived here KTAR was the dominant radio station in the market. When it went to an all news talk format it had hosts such as Pat MacMahon, Pat Murphy, Preston Westmorland, Bill Straus and even Grant Woods who presided over rational discussions and debates rather than indulge in the name calling and general nastiness that dominates most of talk radio. Over the past few years as these veterans have left and been replaced by younger, louder and nastier hosts KTAR's ratings have dropped for good reason. Now that KTAR is totally dominated by sarcastic, obnoxious and sometimes near vulgar personalities, it is no surprise that the station has dropped to tenth in the ratings.
About the only reason to listen to KTAR talk during the week, as now constituted, is Jim Bohannon in the middle of the night.
Posted by: Larry Waldman | January 12, 2008 at 11:31 PM