It’s wet on Whidbey this morning.
I am listening to Cliff Mass on KNKX talk about our soggy weekend weather.
Brings to mind events of nine years ago. Mass had a much valued Friday morning weather gig on KUOW’s 10 AM talk show.
He was abruptly “released” for having ventured off weather, criticizing the poor state of science education in America. There was a backlash, with more than 4,000 people signing a Bring-Back-Mass petition.
KUOW didn’t budge. I wrote a column urging Mass’ reinstatement, and they should let him talk on state of science education.
Until 5/2011, I had been frequent participant in KUOW’s Friday morning journalist roundtable. In nine years, they’ve had me back once, along with invite on morning of Seattle snowfall.
Surprisingly, all this has worked for the best.
- Cliff found a new gig at 9 a.m. Friday with Bellamy Pailthorp on KPLU;
- Pacific Lutheran University announced sale of KPLU to UW, which would have ended local jazz programming and given KUOW an NPR monopoly;
- A citizen movement to buy KPLU emerged. I devoted much time to copious, enthusiastic coverage of same;
- Cliff Mass had coffee with UW President Ana Mari Cauce, who was agreeable to letting Save KPLU folk buy station if they raised $7 million;
- Cliff Mass and Bellamy Pailthorp drew more than 1,000 people to a save-the-station fundraiser.
- The campaign worked. KPLU became KNKX. The news staff has flourished, along with local music;
- KUOW would later launch a campaign to burnish its image, which was in need of same.
I can tune in KNKX on Friday morning to hear Art Thiel talk sports, and Mass predict when frontal system will trundle ashore. We disagree on pace of climate change, but he’s spot on when it comes to Northwest weather.
Usually, I turn off the radio and go to work.
My days as talking head are pretty much over, unless I can concoct some slander on Seattle and be welcomed onto Fox News. Maybe a book tour will bring me back to KUOW some day, unless they object to “content.”
Still, happy at how all this worked out.
If you cook your goose, it helps when the result is a delicious meal.
