SitD TC Radio Review

Mitch does a relatively balanced job in reviewing the state of Twin Cities talk radio. He gives some kudos to a few of the Lefty talkers, bags on some righties, and buries KFAN.

I like the 'FAN', but I am much more of a sports junkie then Mitch. I'll defer the Poli Talk reviews to him, but I'll expand on his KFAN krunching just a bit. Here is where Mitch starts off:

KFAN - Try as I might - and I have - I can not drum up the faintest scintilla of interest in sports radio. Seriously. I get more pleasure from watching paint peel. But nobody said Clear Channel was stupid. The Fan is a solid performer in its niche.

After the paint peel slam, he at least acknowledges a true performer. On to the shows:

KFAN - The Power Trip - Alleluiah - a sports show that sucks less than most other sports radio shows. I'll cop to it; I rarely follow sports, and it was an especial effort to listen to any of the Fan's shows. But it goes to show ya - after a decade of trying, at least something on the Fan is broadcast-quality.

*rolling eyes* The Power trip is the most juvenile morning show on the air. I don't listen to it much anymore, and when I do it is because I miss-hit my preset and they were playing a heavy metal lead in. I'll give kudos to the Superstars taste in music, but it ends there. Thank God my commute is short, there is really nothing on morning drive that has drawn my interest consistently.

KFAN - PA and Dubay - I know the guys have fans out there. I really do. And I can understand why they like them. But I have incredibly little patience for sports radio, and it shows whenever I try to listen to PA and Dubay. I can't make myself tolerate more than a couple of minutes. Like someone taking a rat tail file to my eyes.

Duckies and Bunnies (copyright Dan Cole) is a must listen for all sports junkies. The best analysis of local sports in the metro. It does have a homer tilt, obviously, but they don't pull any punches when the local clubs are whiffing. At least Mitch understands why us fans are fans, and I recognize that if you aren't knee deep into all the intricacies of the subject, you can find yourself lost at times.

# KFAN - Dan "The Common Man" Cole - I've tried. Oh, Lord, I've tried. But try as I may, I can't work up a reason to care about Cole's show. So I won't.

If radio is about entertaining, then Dan Cole is the answer. He is, by far, the most entertaining personality on the air. Sure his rants can get tiring, if you don't care for his schtick, but nothing is more engaging then a Common Man rant. Sorry, Mitch, try harder. There's some great stuff packed in the most enjoyable two hours of radio in the Twin Cities.

# KFAN - Chad Hartman - I've heard Hartman maybe three times. Each time, it felt like I was in a lecture on emergency medicine; I had no idea sports was such serious friggin' business..
# KFAN - Dan Barreiro - I started doing a review of Barreiro, and the biggest thing I noticed was...well, before I get to that, let me explain something about Dan Barreiro; he worked for many years as a sports columnist at...er, before I get to that, have you ever wondered why they call them "columnists"? Like, columns? Roman columns? Hey, before I forget, what about those generals who were knocking on the President? That's some food for...say, speaking of food, there's this new Polish place in Northeast Minneapolis that makes the best ham sandwich...and speaking of ham, did you check out Ben Affleck? What's up with that...hey, while we're on the subject, what about that Katie Holmes? Do you think she was actually pregnant? She's a scientologist, which means, no drugs...which is never a problem for the drug gangs in South Minneapolis. What's up with that? Did you catch the Seinfeld re-run last night? I'm so glad I got cable...speaking of cable, time to take a break!

We're on the same page here, Mitch. I like the paring when they were on together. At least they could keep each other in check. Now it is a just a Hartman rant session, followed by a disorganized mess. I couldn't handle it anymore.

So what do I listen to. Morning Drive is all but 10 minutes tops. I listened to Coleman when he was on, but now it is usually a CD. There just isn't anything on in the AM worth focusing on. During football season I make it a point to catch at least a couple segments of PA and Dubay. I try to catch the Common man as often as I can. Streaming at work if possible, and on in the garage during the Summer. I also enjoy Franken when there is a hot Political topic in the news cycle. He'll bump Common once in awhile.

But there is only one personality I try to listen to as often as possible, and that is Eddie Schultz. He is clearly the best political talk talent there is. Mitch doesn't care for his politics, but at least acknowledges his talent.

Finally, I do listen to the NARN. It is more difficult with their expanded double-shot, but I do try to catch their second shift. There are times it is top notch quality radio, especially on a fresh topic where they haven't been tarnished by the rhetoric from the Right. When they are talking from t he heart, they rival talkers who have been in the business much longer. I complimented Mitch last weekend when they were talking about the rumors of Hayden becoming the next CIA chief, and the baggage he would bring to the confirmation hearings. It was great radio.

So that's my listening pattern, and a better vibe for KFAN from someone who actually likes sports. What do YOU listen to?

Flashguy