Exit Lanpher
Via Michelle Malkin - Cacklin' Katherine "Six Martini" Lanpher is leaving the "Drug-free" Al Franken show.
The official statement from FrankenNet is a veritable feast of between-the-lines reading:
It is with great regret that we write to let you know that Katherine Lanpher will be leaving "The Al Franken Show." Katherine has received a book deal from a new imprint at Time Warner to write a memoir of her move to New York. [But of course! Everyone leaves a prime gig at a national network to write...a travelogue - Ed.]...
Her deadline in mid-January is unusually aggressive and necessitates an almost immediate departure so that she can begin procrastinating in earnest. [Huh. I wonder why that is? Half of the talk-radio industry is writing books, including Chad "The Elder", although you didn't hear it here, while they do their shows. In fact, it begs the question - why not? I mean, don't let anyone tell you that doing talk radio is an especially demanding gig, at least in terms of time invested. Promotional and production exigencies aside, a six hour day is not at all unusual - and for a piece of crap like the Al Franken show, with a luxuriantly-padded production staff and millions thousands of moonbat callers slavering away to help kill time, it had to be even moreso for Franken and Lanpher. So - even with the tight book deadline, why NOT keep the Air America gig and have a steady paycheck during the writing process? Unless...could it be the paycheck just isn't all that steady? - Ed.]Katherine has been very generous in agreeing to work for another two weeks while we prepare as best we can for our Post-Katherine Era.
I'm going to read between the lines again, and posit this scenario. Knock it off my shoulder, I dare ya:
- FrankenNet has no money to pay Lanpher.
- They need to let her go.
- However, they also need to keep up good appearances, while Sheldon Drobny is out trying to raise more capital to
move into small markets pay the bills. So... - Lanpher and FrankenNet agree to a two-week "very gracious" two week notice to keep up appearances
- Meanwhile, to give it all the appearance of plausibility, the network's management scare up a parachute deal for Lanpher, to give the whole thing the appearance of credibility. I emphasize, "appearance". I mean - a book about moving from a posh gig in the Twin Cities to a posh gig in New York? That sure makes me pucker with anticipation. How about you?
Other theories?
Posted by Mitch at
September 29, 2005 12:53 PM
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This post is so filled with Err Amerika BS spin.
Katy Lanpher has been a failure in every facet of her radio career. She failed at KSTP. She failed at MPR (hard to believe, huh?). Now failing at Err Amerika. And, as the laughable sidekick...how much "prep" time does that really take? How much time does it really exhaust, being Weird Al's bobblehead yes-chick?
Her voice is like listening to sandpaper on a pine board....she has no independent thoughts in her head....I'm amazed she's lasted THIS long.
Posted by: Dave at September 29, 2005 02:16 PMI think she's homesick, and will return to Minnesota. I can't imagine it's been fun.
Posted by: Lileks at September 29, 2005 05:30 PMIf she is homesick, that's not the reason. The show is moving to the Twin Cities (no word when but at most within a year). She actually does quite a good job on the show, and balances out Franken - without her the show has a tendency to become a trainwreck and rather boring.
The book deal is an obvious dodge. From what I've heard, Franken is a difficult person to work with so I suspect it's more a parting of the ways.
I think she's OK as talk show talent, but isn't all that creative. I suspect it could be money, or maybe CNN offered her a late night announcer gig.
Scenario 2: She was hired to train Franken on what can and cannot be said on the air to keep the lawyers away, and now he's got it down to the point where he doesn't need a "minder". In this case, she got canned or her contract ran out.
Scenario 3: Franken has privately told her he will be running for the Senate seat, meaning his show will be going off the air soon.
Posted by: Bill Haverberg at September 29, 2005 08:17 PMI know this is heresy, but I've always kind of liked Lanpher. Her laugh made me laugh as well and I did not find her that political. (This is from her MPR days. I never listened to her with Franken.) I hope she lands back at MPR.
As for her drinking, what's wrong that? (I know she then drove, and that's wrong.) She seems not to be the usual joyless liberal.
Posted by: chris at September 29, 2005 08:24 PM"She seems not to be the usual joyless liberal."
I'm sure the NARN wouldn't mind a little grab-ass with her in the back of a Volvo...:)
Posted by: Tim at September 29, 2005 08:46 PMI agree with Chris. Drinking is good.
Posted by: Atomizer at September 29, 2005 09:57 PMThe Elder is writing a book!!?
Man, That's gonna use up a lot of crayon.
Posted by: Matthew Navarre at September 30, 2005 12:27 AMAlso, I agree with Atomizer. Drinking is good.
Posted by: matthew Navarre at September 30, 2005 12:29 AMKatherine is a bigger loss to Air America than Al would be. She is always there to cut off Franken's incessant stammering and get in an out of breaks much more smoothly. I think she has a great voice for radio, and is definitely not a joyless liberal like Judy Woodruff. Still, she is a liberal and when she starts the carping, your stimulant-induced fantasies collapse into just another hangover.
Posted by: R-Five at September 30, 2005 06:43 AMScenario 4: Lanpher's coming back for a new gig with am1500's local lineup in January, or fm107's painful lineup (exception: Kevyn Burger).
Scenario 5: She starts her own business doing voice-mail operator recordings ("Press 6 for martinis").
Posted by: Nancy at September 30, 2005 11:25 AMMaybe Lanpher has sold her soul completely and is returning to be part of 100.3's new, supposedly local, lineup. Agreed that she is boring as well as Franken but she is damn good at 'polishing' the show and keeping it on the road. 1500 is another possibility. As for drinking and driving, she's not the only one who has done it.
Posted by: fred at September 30, 2005 02:26 PM