RadioActive
When KMBZ replaced veteran radio talker Mike Shanin with former KCTV investigative reporter Dana Wright the strategy was obvious: Go after a younger demographic of listeners at the all-talk station with their edgy “RadioActive” afternoon (2-6 p.m.).
The focus of the show has shifted away from political talk and more toward the hot news topics of the day. Co-host Scott Parks has focused so much on his musical expertise that Wright recently referred to him as “Casey Kasem.”
The new team of Wright and Parks have certainly taken on the hot topics of the day, and Wright’s liberal leanings might be a shock to traditional listeners. Her views provide balance to the variety of conservative hosts on the Entercom KC station (Rush Limbaugh, Darla Jaye, Glenn Beck, etc.).
But a photo on the RadioActive Facebook may have crossed a line by prominently featuring the “F” word in a photo (no blue line across it). It is one thing to post that on a personal Facebook page. On a company-owned Facebook page that can be viewed by children it is another.
Thoughts?
It could be viewed by children but won’t, it’s not their demographic. It’s still bad taste and poor oversight.
I simply do not listen anymore. The new show is awful. I have an app that allows me to search and listen to shows across the countrry. First Merrill and now this change at KMBZ - awful.
I stopped listening,too. It’s too bad they took Mike Shanin off the the show. The old show had a nice balance of centrist conservatism and good humor. KMBZ should not be so quick to dump their older audience. How does anyone really know who listens?
What does your modified sign say? I can’t quite figure out what you scratched out….
Surely the “kids” who saw it wouldn’t have figured it out either.
People are talking, so I guess is worked!
I agree with others that this new “show” is a sad commentary on the direction our culture is headed. The few times I’ve listened, it’s sounded more like one of the crass morning shows that I also avoid listening to. The program director at BZ must be in the Twilight Zone.
Wright & Parks are a classic example of just trying too hard. You can sense how uncomfortable Parks is with how over the top Wright sometimes is. AND, they both have stooped to “potty mouthing” when it’s not necessary.
They are both pros at communicating and should understand that 4 letter words are much more effective when they are used for dramatic effect instead of the juvenile way they seem to fall into.
I find the show very sophomoric and unprofessional for the most part.
Who cares about the photo on Facebook? Shannin and Parks was painful, but this new show is off-the-charts terrible. The post above got it absolutely right — they’re trying too hard.
Yep. Stopped listening. Agree with Malcom, Dave, Lacy.
The new show is a complete joke. I listened briefly yesterday towards the end of the show as Wright introduced the topic of “ass injections”,that was followed when Parks, the alleged conservative showed his ignorance of current events when he agreed that Obama had indeed reduced American dependence on foreign oil.
What he left out, carried in virtually every newscast that carried the story that day, was the Republican response that the decline was caused by the reduction in demand owing to high gas prices during the Obama regime.
Whether or not you find the Republican argument convincing, or not is irrelevant. The so-called conservative on this show was completely ignorant of a fact that even a casual listener of radio news would have known.
In essence, the show has become a mediocre example of teenage crudity wrapped around the collective ignorance of both of the hosts.
Dumps these clowns, bring back Mike Shanin to do the show on his own.
i never really listened that much to shanin and parks, but if i was near a radio at 2, i’d tune in just to see how they would start the show. otherwise, not so much. i don’t even try to listen to the new version prefer instead:
four letters: k k f i. four more: j a z z
Shannin and Parks was bad. Dana and Parks is worse. I agree with most of the above remarks. But my main criticism of the new show is that, like the old show, the 2 hosts spend way too much time talking about each other!
They beg for calls, then rudely and harshly put down anyone who dares to disagree with their “obvious ‘common sense’.”
The show’s facebook page should not have featured the picture, for the very reason you stated. If someone were standing outside a grade school with signs with which Dana and Parks disagreed (e.g., “God hates fags”), then they would be calling for those people to be arrested!
Dana Wright is a do-do bird! Who knew?
I do agree that the photo above is inappropriate for a news organization. But I really like Dana Wright on KMBZ. I happened to catch the show for the very first time on Monday, when a little boy called in to discuss school bullying. It was a wonderful story!
I’m a 32 year old woman and now find this show appeals to me, and have recommended it to my friends. I think the two hosts have a nice balance politically. Previously, some of the content of KMBZ was offensive to me, not necessarily because of its ultraconservative attitude, but because of their nastiness.
Please bring bach Shanin. The new show is terriable. Parks never was that good but without Shanin, he’s terriable. Dana Wright should go into another line of work.
I was a loyal “Shanin and Parks” listener, but I can’t listen to this new show. There is no chemistry between Parks and Wright. They sound like bickering teenagers. I’ve tuned out and listen only to XM.
My wife and I listened to Shanin & Parks for five years. When RadioActive started, we listened for a few days and now we listen to Sean Hannity. So glad to hear that Shanin will be on 1660 from 11-1. Bye-bye RadioACtive.
Dana Wright makes my head ache and ears bleed.
Radioactive is possibly the worst radio show with a toss up being merrill. KMBZ has decided in its wisdom to target a younger audience thus leaving the older demographic without a home. Both of these programs have decided that you will succeed if you can shock and push the limit of good taste. Shanin & Parks was a show with class.Radioactive is a show that is crass…
Who thought bring Dana Wright on was a good idea? Does she kiss her children with that mouth? Has KMBZ
sunk to such a low level that they produce shows like Radioactive, which has lost an intelligent audience. If
they wanted to assemble a show with opposing views…that would work…but have someone with a modicum of
good taste and journalistic integrity…With Shanin, Parks rose to Mike’s level..with Dana, he has sunk to herlow. —A former listener
Radioactive is HORRIBLE. Don’t care for Scott Parks, REALLY don’t care for Dana Wright. I switch over to Hannity and then Mark Levin after Rush.
I have been gone for awhile and came back horrified to find Mike Shanin gone. Sorry, I won’t be listening any longer. Don’t like Dana Wright and poor Scott is nothing without Mike.
What were you thinking!!!
The only thing I can say is thank you…Until Radioactive, I had no idea that Hannity was on the same time slot on 71. Dana reminds me of the character “Maude” from the 70′s without the class. Parks doesn’t even make logical sense half the time. It’s like they have a job description that says “bait - and provoke” and the calls will create great radio… how’s it working for you kmbz?
I have listened to them for the last time this past Monday. Regarding that woman who forgot her 13 month old was in her car all day and tragically died. Dana and a few others who called in were trying to say “this could happen to anyone”….Really?…..Um, NO….this doesn’t just happen to anyone. Apparently in the past 2 decades its happened 613 times nationwide. So NO this just doesn’t happen to anyone! Locking your keys in the car “happens”……Forgetting to grab your wallet or purse when leaving the house “happens”……Forgetting to drop your child off a daycare leaving them in your car all day DOES NOT JUST HAPPEN TO ANYONE!!!! Then Dana is like “no one better call today and bash this woman, I am not in the mood”……Really? We can’t call and have an opinion? They just disagree to disagree and see what sticks.
In my opinion the last great talk show in the afternoon time slot was Jerry Agar. I loved that guy. I listened to Shanin and Parks on and (mostly) off for a few years but tired quickly of the faux conservatism that was displayed too often. I finally gave it up altogether. The Radioactive program is off the charts terrible - so bad that it has turned me almost completely away from KMBZ. I make an exception only for Rush. After more than 20 years we have even stopped listening to the morning news on KMBZ. A big upside to this is that we no longer have the irritation of the not so fair and balanced ABC News. An even bigger upside is that we have discovered Greg Knapp on 710 in the morning. That show is rich in information and interesting guest interviews.
I listened to Shanin and Parks occassionally.If they had something of local interest it was OK. usually I listen to Hannity and will probably do so more now. And Dana do not tell us on your advertising about trying on your old bikinis. Thats a visual I do not want in my head.
I think it’s obvious that KMBZ as well as the whole station cluster has been on a downward spiral for awhile now. Not surprised at all by the lack of attention to offensive postings on social media site, do they even have a website for the business talk station?? Unprofessional and crass
Can’t listen to this show any longer. Yuck! I tried. There is no chemistry at all between the wacky Dana and the supposed to be funny Scott…I don’t get it. I don’t like all the innuendo either. That cutesy, hushed, whispery voice that Dana falls into is really annoying.
KMBZ, Rush is the only show I can find value in.
STRONG THOUGHTS
KMBZ was clearly going in a different direction. Those of you that switched to Hannity shows you only want listen to your own veiws regurgitated over and over. How very boring . KMBZ knew they would lose you and they did not care. I for one love Dana and the new show . I do miss Mike wish he had a show as well.
Way to respond quickly. This story is months old!! I listen to “Dana and Parks” and enjoy the show very much and consider Mike Shanin a friend. I thought the photo crossed the line of civility (as did many others) and expressed my view on it.