KDKA legacy of concern to listeners and employees

As KDKA Radio closes in on 100 years of service to Pittsburgh later this year, some listeners and even employees of the station are concerned the Entercom’s current programming approach will tarnish the station’s legacy. The Pittsburgh City Paper has an article today in which current and former employees of the station (all whom have spoken under the condition of anonymity) give their feedback about the goings on at Foster Plaza.

With long-time host Marty Griffin seemingly pushing the envelope more than he has in recent years; the addition of Wendy Bell and Kevin Battle would give the average listener the idea that the station is leaning more conservative than it has in the past (not that it didn’t before, but more so now). The unnamed employee told the paper they noticed a shift into embracing the fringe conservative rhetoric and losing the community news reporting for which KDKA has long been recognized.

Meanwhile, a former station host told the paper, “They have been throwing a lot of shit to the wall. Some things have stuck, and some things haven’t.” The past host acknowledged that the station’s ratings began to slide on par with the news format on public entity WESA (90.5) at 9th or 10th place in the market. The move to “reactionary politics” – the former host’s words – seemed to be the way to bring the ratings up… on an AM station… which has typically been followed by an older demographic.

Meanwhile, one local expert told the paper that John Shumway didn’t exit the morning show by his own choice but because management saw him as being “too nice” and not at all combative. Shumway continues his reporting at the former sister station, KDKA-TV. Kevin Battle, who is considered more conservative in viewpoint, joined Larry Richert in the mornings earlier this year. In between Shumway’s departure and Battle’s arrival, Richert was joined by a bevy of guests – including former morning host Jack Bogut, former TV reporter Courtney Brennan, and others.

Meanwhile, John McIntire is no longer a regular host at the station.

Eddy Crow continues to post “Crowtopia on KDKA Radio is on hiatus” notices on his social media. (We’re thinking the hiatus there may be permanent.)

Last week, Robert Mangino joined Lynne Hayes-Freeland on the Noon to 3:00 p.m. shift.

The article briefly refers to the social media posts by the current hosts each day. Something of which this editor has taken notice. In particular, Griffin and Bell both post daily – usually before their programs – seemingly to generate a buzz among their followers. Right now, most of the stories focus on the COVID-19 pandemic – which both appear to downplay. With the reactions and comments that come from the followers, it appears they are preaching to their choir.

If you haven’t clicked already, the City Paper article is here.

If you still haven’t clicked on it, I suggest you do. While to me it seems that KDKA Radio is trying to do what stations typically do when their ratings are down. 2020 is a Presidential election year which happens to be compounded with a worldwide pandemic causing a lot of conspiracy theories. Ratings gold if you can get the right people on the air and pander to the right people. Still though, the election will eventually be over, and someday the pandemic will be over too. What will the KDKA hosts do then? Burn both topics out as the years go by?

Is this a good look for a station celebrating a century of service on November 2? I’m not inclined to think so, and I am not alone in that thought.