Fescoe Leaves

Summary: Bob Fescoe, 29, morning sports talk show host on the "Border Patrol" on WHB 810, recently told us he didn't care if the Royals returned his press credentials for 2007, which were revoked in last season. Now we know why...

Bob Fescoe, who joined WHB in June 2003 and co-hosted the popular "Border Patrol" sports talk show on AM 810 with Steven St. John, has departed for greener sports talk pastures at "The Fan," KFNS in St. Louis (http://www.kfns.com/Default-2.aspx)

Fescoe (see St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1/9) below. His last day at WHB was January 10.

KFNS makes change on Grind
By Dan Caesar
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Tuesday, Jan. 09 2007

KFNS is going from a cat to a dog.

Jim "The Cat'' Hayes is out and "Bulldog'' Bob Fescoe is in, the latest in a
series of shakeups at the sports-intensive radio station.

Hayes, a member of the popular "Morning Grind'' show, has been fired, leaving
Tim McKernan as the only original on-air member of the program, which began
airing in July 2004. Martin Kilcoyne left three months ago and two other
mainstays on other KFNS shows also have departed recently — Bryan Burwell's
contract wasn't renewed, and Mike Claiborne moved to KTRS (550 AM).

The "Grind" hasn't been for everyone, as it is crass and even crude at times.
Sometimes it has sounded more like the discussions one could expect at a
beer-drenched frat party than a detailed analysis of why the Rams failed to
convert a third-down situation the previous day.

But it did develop a following in its target demographic, men age 18-54, by
delving as much into offbeat non-sports matters — such as discussions about St.
Louis "hoosiers" — as it did with mainstream sports. Several athletes,
including Keith Tkachuk, Steve Kline and Jim Edmonds, not only became listeners
but participated in the show. And Kilcoyne's imitations of Tony La Russa even
got the Cards' manager to chuckle.

"I'm proud of what we did,'' Kilcoyne said. Hayes and McKernan declined to
comment.

Hayes is being replaced by Kansas City sports talk host Bob Fescoe, 29, who
received national attention last year when the Royals revoked his press
credential and that of another radio reporter after they grilled team owner
David Glass about management decisions.

The move was met with criticism from other media outlets.

"This is a big-league town that deserves a big-league sports station, and you
only get that with big league-talent,'' KFNS (590 AM, 100.7 FM) program
director Jason Barrett said Monday. "Bob Fescoe to me is big-league talent. I
view Tim McKernan the same way. Combining two top talents in morning drive is a
big deal.''

Fescoe "brings opinion, knowledge, attitude and entertainment,'' Barrett said.
"He's coming from a similar-type market, been on the air there for four years
and been dominating in morning drive. This guy was recruited by stations around
the country. I've had my eye on the guy for a while.''

Fescoe (along with Rhonda Moss at KCSP-610) were involved in a major journalistic issue last season after the Kansas City Royals yanked their press credentials for asking tough questions during a press conference. (See various links below)

The issue began locally, but then spiraled nationally as a variety of newspapers and press groups across the country spoke in opposition to the Royals' action. The Royals have not made a decision whether the credentials will be returned this year.

At the time (directly below) we ran an editorial noting that Fescoe's employer, WHB and Kevin Kietzman, showed limited support to him, while Moss's employer backed her 100%.

The revocation of press credentials by the Kansas City Royals of radio talkers Bob Fescoe of WHB-810 and Rhonda Moss of KCSP-610 for asking tough questions during a news conference is playing out the way many media watchers anticipated. Follow the money...

Fescoe, on his morning show (6/12), apologized for his actions and begged the Royals to rescind the action. He said maybe he didn't ask the questions correctly. Maybe he made poor decisions...

It was painfully obvious that Fescoe's employer WHB, the radio rights holder for the Royals broadcasts, and owner Kevin Kietzman blamed him for his actions. He sounded like a guy hoping to keep his job. (Later Kietzman said he assured Fescoe he will keep his job.)

Moss, who was a member of the tough sports media in Detroit before coming to KC, made it clear from the onset she considered the Royals action completely out of line. She refused to apologize for asking tough questions.

When she was contacted via phone that her credentials were being revoked (while sitting in the press box at Royals stadium prior to a game) she was stunned. Initially, Moss was worried that she might lose her job. However, Moss's employer, Entercom Communications, has stood behind her 100%.

Ironically, this has turned into more of a "follow the money" drama than one of journalism. WHB owner/talk show host Kevin Kietzman made it known that he considered the tough questions asked during the news conference inappropriate. His support of Fescoe has been tepid at best. Journalistic integrity be damned, this involves a broadcast partner and major money.

On his afternoon talk show (6/12) Kietzman said that he felt both Fescoe and Moss "crossed the line" in their questioning. He was particularly critical of Moss's questions and said they were really the reason Fescoe's credentials were taken since he simply followed her lead. His station is trying to get Fescoe's credentials reinstated.

Kietzman even reported that Moss was caught eavesdropping outside Glass's door listening in on conversations. He agreed with a caller that the Royals were probably concerned about pulling credentials from a single woman, and added Fescoe to look like they weren't picking on just a female.

"She is an edgy, rude and mean kind of person," he stated, and later added, "He (Fescoe) wasn't half as bad as her. We would like to see him get his credentials back."

This is the same Kietzman who severely criticized several KCSP staffers earlier this year for receiving money from supporters of a recent stadium renovation ballot issue. KCSP had supported the ballot issue, while WHB opposed it. Kietzman said it involved journalistic integrity, however, at the time, Kietzman had been an outspoken advocate for building a new stadium downtown.

The Kansas City Press Club has been asked to get involved in the issue. If a team can dictate who covers it, then what is to stop mayors from giving press credentials to reporters who ask tough questions? It's clearly a censorship issue.

There are gray areas in journalism as there are in every facet of life. However, there is no gray area when journalists are banned for asking tough questions and doing their job.

If real journalists don't take a stand on this issue then their credibility will have taken a major hit.