Tag Archives: KING 5

Saying Goodbye To The King

There was another shift in the Seattle landscape this past week. The wrecking ball began to erase what had been the home of KING Broadcasting–Channel 5, KING AM and KING FM.

We knew the day was coming.  We heard about the sale, witnessed The Home Team move into their new studios down by the stadiums, heard about several “Goodbye to the building” parties (I missed both of them) and even enjoyed a little behind-the-scenes tour from the recently retired Jean Enerson, who shared some of the building’s secrets.

And then, the demolition began.

KING 5

There are many, many people who have a lot more extensive stories from their days in that building. My time there covered just a school year. It was my senior year at the University of Washington and I was trying to get some real-life working experience in before heading out into the world of broadcasting. My first internship was under the direction of a woman named Diane Clark. She was short, had a curly mop of hair and the nickname, “Roadrunner.”  Under her direction, I helped with the Public Affairs programing at KING radio.  Then, the following quarter, I got a dream internship under one of the finest audio production guys you’ll ever meet, Steve Lawson. This was at the time when Steve was the station voice of KING 5, as well as the production director at KING Radio. (Strangely, that’s where I first met my future radio co-host Bruce Murdock, pretty much a decade before we were teamed up over at KLSY) 

I’d have to say that my experience under Steve really cemented my interest in audio production. KING had one of those cutting-edge 4-track recorders. While most of my time with Steve was spent observing, after he was done for the day, I was allowed to use the 4-track recorder to produce a comedy series “Return to Normalcy” for KCMU, the U.W.’s student-run station. (now, KEXP, after Paul Allen bought it and moved it to the Experience Music Project at the Seattle Center)

Besides the hands-on Public Affairs and Production experience, the internships also gave me exposure to other areas of interest in that building:

When it came time to graduate, I had hoped KING would offer me a job. Hey, they liked me, they let me keep coming back after the internships were over. They even hired me for several odd jobs:

  • Doing Music Research–that’s calling up numbers out of the phone book, asking people if they’d be willing to take part in a music survey and then play 50 or so 7-second clips of music and have them rate the songs.  I’m pretty sure “Afternoon Delight” was among ’em.
  • Driving Miss Dorothy–I tell you, they trusted me.  So much that when Frank, Dorothy Bullit’s regular driver went on vacation, I was asked to fill in for a couple of weeks.  I would come to KING, pick up the keys to her Volvo, then drive to her home and take her where ever she would like to go.
  • Answer Phones on the Request Line–Yep, people would call, and request the songs, I would forward the list along to the DJ.

Also, being in the building, I got to know a lot of radio people, some of whom I worked with later in my career.  Folks like Dana Horner, Alan Mason, Rob Conrad, Dan Foley, Andy Barber, Rick Scott, Joe Cooper and, of course, Mr. Murdock.

However, that job offer from KING never came. And, when I was passed over for a copywriter position and lost that job to a woman with two years’ experience at Planned Parenthood, I knew I had to get in somewhere and start doing. And that’s when I went east of the mountains and began my radio career in Yakima.

But that’s a story for another time.

One other connection to that facility. For those who were around in the 1990s, you may recall that a former KING sales person flipped out and decided to drive his car through the front window of the building. He ended up on top of the older brother of a high school friend, Mike Oling, who had been a channel 5 reporter.  Mike eventually got out of the broadcast biz and now sells insurance in downtown Seattle. KING, as well as KOMO took immediate steps and put in cement barriers to prevent any future such attacks.

So now, the KING building becomes a part of Seattle’s broadcasting past. I was there at a time where Seattle’s top music stations were battling it out on the AM dial. Can you even imagine? It was a different era and now, just one more radio memory that eventually will fade away.

But until then, I’ll remember every moment of my time there fondly.

Tim Hunter

KING LOGO

AND OUT THEY GO

KING 5 FOUR

The faces of TV news in Seattle are changing. A lot.

It’s been a long time coming. As an experienced observer of this market for 40 years, I’ve seen ‘em come and I’ve seen ‘em go. In fact, at one time, I was one of those who went.

The sudden “retirement” of the King 5 Four  (really, KING, one more and you could have had the perfect number) was a pretty obvious ploy to young-up their staff and hopefully, their audience. But, to me, that seems like flawed thinking.

You know what’s been going on in that industry.  Fewer and fewer people turn to TV for their news. Younger viewers aren’t getting home at night and flipping on the evening news. Geeze, watch the NBC national news at 6 and you’ll see every laxative, high blood pressure medication and skin rash treatment known to mankind.

So, by flushing out the long-time familiar faces in a bulk retirement, viewers will now have the option to scatter or catch up with the world and stop watching the evening news all together.  My wife and I are actually down to just occasional viewing, as there is so much negative news and killing that, by the time TV gets around to giving details, we already know them. Radio and online have already filled us in and we just don’t want to hear it all over again.

I’m positive this push out the door was a combination of long-term employee higher salaries and corporate pressure to trim the bottom line.  I believe all four will continue to live in the area. They love Seattle, which is what kept them here all those years. When you see them, be sure to say “hi” and thank them for all they did. 

I casually knew most, but like you, after inviting them into your home night after night for up to four decades, they feel like family. So now, the Home Team will actually be home.

A few words on each of the KING 5 Four: 

Linda Byron–As an investigative reporter, she did her job and did it well.  She was the driving force behind the investigation into Sono Bello years ago when S.B. was a client at the agency where I worked.  Linda was relentless. I didn’t know her personally, but one of my life goal’s is to see her smile. Just once.

Jeff Renner–My morning show co-host, Bruce Murdock, was buddies with Jeff from his days at KING Broadcasting and we’d occasionally have him on the air.  I talked with Jeff on the phone during those group conversations, but other than that, I didn’t really know him.  He was Mr. Weather Guy, took it all very seriously and was just always there.  It’ll be strange to not see him in the broadcasts anymore.

Dennis Bounds–I’ve met Dennis professionally, but we’ve chatted more via Facebook than in person.  The only face-to-face I had with him was the time he read “Twas the night before Christmas” at our final Murdock, Hunter & Alice Show.  He came all the way out to the Village Theater in Issaquah to read it on stage and for the live listening audience.  As soon as the show was over, the radio station G.M. came backstage and told us our KLSY days were over.  I never did get a chance to thank you, Dennis.  For those who would like to hear his reading, just click here.

Jean Enersen–I actually have worked with Jean more than any of the others and even then, they were pretty much brief encounters.  You’d have to go back to the KING radio days, when I was an intern from the University of Washington and she was the gorgeous blonde news anchor that was always dashing through the radio area. Later, I’m proud to say I got to co-host a couple of “Race for the Cure” events with her.  Then, when I met Victoria, our paths at least crossed once because Jean is married to a guy named Bruce, who was the big guy at Zymogenetics where Victoria worked.

This Friday is the group’s final day with the company. They’ll make the break and I hope they make the most of it.  If you guys need any tips, look up former KOMO news anchor Dan Lewis.  That guy is a role model for retirement. Since he walked away, Dan has been enjoying every single day to the fullest. Hiking, spending time with his sons, going on road trips.  I’ve seen him a couple of times since he called it good and he just beams.

Nothing more to say but thank you all for the tremendous effort and for setting such high standards for your successors.

Tim Hunter