When You’ve Got Nothing, That Says Something
Is tonight the untimely end of Dave Thompson? It just may be if his comments from last Friday night are any indication. During the course of his very listenable broadcast (which is a nice contrast to the unlistenable host he replaced in the 10PM slot - Sean Hannity), Dave twice mentioned that it might be his last show, since he hadn’t been told yet by management whether or not he needed to come back on Monday.
It seems unbelievably cold-hearted that KSTP would leave him hanging like this. He’s been around for at least 5 years years, holding down the weekend afternoon slots and competently filling-in wherever else they needed him. His willingness to be flexible earned him Reusse’s sobriquet “the Always Available Dave Thompson”. That may sound like (and have been intended as) a slight, but in truth it revealed DT’s dedication to his job and his loyalty to the station. His broadcast style is a little dry compared to the fireworks on the Jason Lewis program or the comfortably quirky pathologies of Soucheray. But in terms of providing articulate, conservative political analysis, Dave’s as good as either of them. He knows how to filter the news for interesting subject matter, how to structure an argument and communicate it effectively, how to lead a conversation even when the callers are typically boring, and how to conduct an interview. These are the core competencies that create flow. Having these skills alone don’t make for a great show, but not having these skills does make for an awful show.
Which brings us to the question of who KSTP would consider replacing DT with. If they do axe Thompson, I suppose they could bring in some fresh talent. And if this person is brilliant, well then, the move would be justified. But considering the low prestige time slot and limited prospects for advancement (Bob Davis and Soucheray look like long term locks for the drive time slots and big time national programs take up the other attractive day parts), it seems that hiring established brilliance is a long shot.
I fear that means KSTP is going to be looking to it’s bench for a replacement. Meaning Tom Marsland, Annette Meeks, or Sarah Janecek. Meaning I’d rather listen to emergency broadcast alerts from 10 - 12. Ugh. Each dramatically fails the core competencies outlined above. Plus, they’ve got other problems. Marlsland’s voice sounds like it weighs 400 pounds, and gets heavier with every Jabba the Hut-like air sucking sound he makes. Meeks sounds like a cross between an elementary school lunch lady and Ruth Koscielak, only more shrill. Worst of all is Janezak, whose voice is fine, but whose consistent position is an apologist for politicians and government institutions, probably because she’s a legislative lobbyist by trade, and she can’t afford to lose her clients any influence.
The sorry state of the talent level among KSTP’s reserves is another sign of that station’s decline in quality over the past 12 months. And if they get rid of DT and replace him with one of these drones during the 10 PM slot (a once glorious slot, held by Lileks himself), then I’ll just have to turn my dial to the Patriot.
Hmmm ... looks like they’re running Savage and Gallagher back to back over this time period. Upon further review, maybe I’ll just go to bed early.
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