I’ve Been Working…
By Mitch Berg
…on an update to my annual “State of Twin Cities Talk Radio” series…
…but I’m going to do some digging, first, since this bit here just might have a huge effect on it:
Thursday’s development does not mean Barreiro is leaving his employer of the past 15 years. The scuttlebutt is that KFAN has an opportunity to match any offer made by a competitor. Another factor could be the issue of a noncompete clause, something standard in radio and television contracts. Those usually run six months or one year, meaning Barreiro might have to go on hiatus if he does switch.
“We’re letting the process play out, I’ll just leave it at that,” Barreiro said.
As I noted in an earlier comment (in which Flash brought the story to my attention), it’d be an interesting move for the Evil Talk Empire. They desperately need a morning show that doesn’t come with a warning not to operate around heavy equipment; and while I love my old friend and neighbor Tom Mischke’s “Broadcast” (one of the tiny list of things on which I agree with Garrison Keillor), Soucheray could use a little stronger lead-in and KSTP could stand a stronger counterprogram to Limbaugh (although, as always, I hope Mischke’s program survives and thrives).
It’ll be an interesting couple of months.
November 9th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Mischke and daylight don’t mix. I want him back in the evening, but not too late. I know the Twins’ schedule forced the move, but I can barely remember that Mischke is on at noon, even when I’m in my car.
November 9th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Peter’s exactly right. Mischke is perfect for a 8p-11p shift.
Here’s an idea: Have Tommy simal-cast on ChickTalk 107.1 and 1500…so when the Twins are on…you can flip to FM.
November 9th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Barreiro has proven that he is knowledgable in far more areas than sports.
And he always has top-notch guests (Sports and non-Sports). I think AM 1500 would be a perfect spot for him.
November 9th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
I like Dave’s idea. Mischke is perfect companion for puttering around the workshop. Or driving in the dark.
November 10th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Up until the past year or so, I’d always found Barreiro to be trite, predictable, mouthing the talking head line far more often than not – nearly always in fact – yet plenty ready to point fingers when anyone who followed conventional wisdom (the wisdom he embraced too) failed. He wanted to eat his cake and yet still have it. His analysis was deeper than veneer, but hardly brilliant or even insightful.
This year, things are better, I don’t know what changed, but he’s now palletable – even sometimes insightful, though he still yammers for about 20 minutes without taking a breath.. ah well.
‘Talk’ radio, should be called Opine radio, it’s not really about interaction with callers. It’s about expressing ideas without any real merit or fact, apparently because, for a time, it’s what we wanted, it’s what sold. However, that genre is fading, the public has figured out that it really doesn’t work to have people tell you what to think, whom to blame. In the end, blaming others only leads to eventually having to realize, whatever your life is, it’s mostly your fault/choice/opportunity. Having some gasbag say hate this rightwinger or leftwinger, they’re the root of it all, well, it feels good, but it’s empty, vapid, and ultimately useless.
If Barreiro leaves KFAN, I won’t cry, but unlike how I felt 2 years ago, or 10, I won’t throw a party either. My only remaining admonition for him, if he really has that much contempt for his listenership, the people who pay his paycheck, then he OUGHT to move, he should, to quote Reagan, “Vote with his feet” and move on.