Courtesy Seattle Sports Examiner

(April 30, 2009) It says something about the state of journalism and old/new technology that just a few weeks after a 160-year-old newspaper, the Seattle PI, ended its print edition, a new sports talk radio station started operation in Seattle.

The printed word - at least on paper - is dying. Our news is delivered not so much at the doorstep anymore but over the air, radio and TV, and through cyberspace. As a former newspaperman, that's a change I'm still grappling with. News isn't news as it used to be.

Faced with this reality, it is a good thing that at least we do have a choice of sports talk stations, as KIRO 710 ESPN entered the market a month ago and goes directly against well established KJR. Competition is good, although I wish I could say that for the city's newspapers as well.

My sports talk show exposure is limited. Like most of us, it is restricted to drive time, never in the house. And since I don't commute as much as I did previously I don't listen as much. And, truth be told, I find dial resting on AM1090 much of the time.

But I have listened to all the KIRO on-air talent over the past few weeks. I have to say, it needs work. It'll take a while to get up to speed.

The day begins with a national show, Colin Cowherd, with "The Herd.'' On the surface you wouldn't think that would hold up against the local guy on KJR, Mitch Levy. Cowherd has to appeal to a much wider audience. He can touch on Seattle issues and athletes only briefly whereas Levy's show has a much higher percentage of local stuff.

Listeners want local news. They want discussions, debates and perspective on what the local teams did the previous night, especially in the morning when it's still fresh in their minds. Cowherd can't provide that.

However, Cowherd has the tremendous ESPN resources and reputation. He can get guests on his show on germane national stories. KJR can't, for the most part. Cowherd can get guests KJR can't. As an example, one day last week I tuned in and Cowherd was interviewing Derek Jeter. I'm guessing Jeter had never done a phoner on Levy's show. At the same time, Levy was conducting voting on the Bigger Dance, pitting women against each othe in a male-fantasy contest that leads to not much of anything.

I think Cowherd will cut into Levy's show for those who want a national perspective but the majority who want the local news will stick with KJR.

Cowherd is followed by Mike Salk and former Husky QB Brock Huard. I haven't reached a comfort level with these two. It's tough for a new guy like Salk to come to a new city and establish credibility. He hasn't been here to experience all the we've seen over the last couple decades. So when he ventures into that area, he thins out. I think he understands that. He has to put in the time before he can become a local 'source.'

Huard clearly has the local ties and reputation. He's a respected voice, although it's still not one that rings familiar with me. My problem with Huard is the fact that he may be an expert in football, but is he credible when addressing the Mariners? Can he talk with authority about baseball? That's his dilemma. He has to prove that.

Over time, I think these guys will take listeners away from KJR's Dave Mahler, who is established but has the reputation, irritating at times, as a UW's pom-pom man. And they will definitely cut into KJR's afternoon guy, Ian Furness, who is still searching for an audience.

Salk and Huard also have more resources as KIRO is the station for the Mariners, Seahawks and Sounder FC. KJR has UW. WIth ESPN, KIRO also can broadcast such events as NBA playoffs games, NFL games, etc., events that KJR used to provide.

In addition, KIRO will have homegrown radio star John Clayton as a regular. Clayton started his radio career at KJR and it led to his ESPN radio/TV/magazine gigs. But ESPN bosses have told him he can no longer do any KJR broadcasts. He had a huge following both here and nationally so he become a major asset for KIRO.

KJR's two best personalities are Dave Grosby and Mike Gastineau during drive time, switching off between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. They do a good job, they've been here for a while and they built an audience. KIRO's counters with broadcast legend Kevin Calabro. the former voice of the Sonics.

For me, Calabro has the toughest challenge, primarily because of credibility questions. I think he may be the best basketball play-by-play guy in the country. He does a nice job with soccer as well and the few times he has subbed on the Mariners broadcast he seems quite natural. In fact, when and if Dave Niehaus ever retires, I would think that Calabro should be his heir apparent.

Having said that, like Huard, I think Calabro needs to show his expertise beyond basketball. He has to establish a solid perspective on football and particularly baseball. During one show last week, he started with criticism of Yuniesky Betancourt and whether he miss the bunt sign on a botched suicide squeeze play. He went on and on about it but the problem was it was mostly speculation as it wasn't clear that Betancourt had missed the sign and the fact that it didn't really matter. The Mariners have won the game anyway, 4-2, so it was an insignificant play. It wasn't worth the faux controversy.

Calabro is not good with those kinds of issues. He's an upbeat guy, always looking for the joke and light touches, so when he dips into more serious debates he rings hollow.

At night, it's rough all around because people don't listen to the radio at night - unless there's a Mariners game on. KIRO has the Mariners so KJR's Elise Woodward needs all the help she can get.

It might be a sign of the times that KJR fired three longtime employees today, host Dick Fain and engineer/producers Brian Lambert and Andy Bunker.

KIRO needs to sort things out. A year from now the lineup might be quite different but the station has the resources and assets to put a major dent into KJR's audience.