Talk Radio

Less Sports, More Boobs: Guy Talk and the De-Evolution of Sports Talk Radio

I'm a native Houstonian. I grew up a fan of Houston sports teams, and I spent a lot of time as a kid listening to sports talk radio. There were no sports-only stations in the 1970s and 1980s. Multiple stations aired games (am I the only person who remembers the Astos games once being on 104 KRBE). A ... More >>

Five Reasons The Rockets Playoff Run Isn't Generating More Buzz

I listen to a lot of sports radio and talk to people online and off about sports on a regular basis. Despite the fact that the Rockets are in the playoffs for the first time in three years, there just isn't the buzz about the team Houston has seen in years past. There are fewer calls about them on s ... More >>

Comedy is NOT Pretty: Dismissed from 1560, Comic John Wessling's Heart Still Belongs to Radio

Chris Rock once said of the music business, "Here today, gone today." The same might be said of radio, particularly sports radio where hosts and shows change about as often as the baseball seasons. A few weeks ago, the latest change came at 1560 when Adam Clanton (now back on air at 790) and John We ... More >>

Sexual Orientation Questions at NFL Combine Spark Sports Radio Discussion, Create Welcome Distraction

I listen to a lot of sports talk radio. I listen to as much of the various hosts as possible across the five different stations that offer all-sports formats -- yes, five, it's insane. There are some shows and on-air talent I like better than others. We're all like that I would guess. For me, I tend ... More >>

NBA All Star Weekend: 5 Observations And A Plea For More Barkley

In the spirit of full disclosure, I feel like I should tell you that I chose not to stick around Houston for the NBA All Star Game and it's peripheral festivities (up to and including the transformation of the Galleria into some kind of three-story clown car on Saturday) this past weekend. As a br ... More >>

Five Sports Radio Calls That Should Be Banned from the Airwaves

I have always listened to a lot of sports talk radio. I've written about it over the last few years here as well. On the whole, I find it to be interesting, informative and rather entertaining. My fiancée will sometimes ask on a Sunday afternoon when the car radio gets switched to a sports station, ... More >>

Historic Local Station KCOH Sold to Catholic Radio Network

Radio is generally in a constant state of upheaval. Witness the line-up changes throughout sports radio and the rise of News92 FM from the ashes of formerly all news KTRH. There are two FM music stations playing the exact same stuff every day because one was sold and not reformatted. The plug was pu ... More >>

1560 The Game Goes Local With Clanton, Wessling in the Afternoons

Since 1560 The Game's parent company Gow Communications purchased Sporting News Radio and eventually partnered with Yahoo to form Yahoo Sporting News Radio, which was, incidentally, not long after our cover story on the rebel independent, a lot of changes were made at the station and we will fully a ... More >>

Know Your Local Media: Adam Wexler of Sportstalk 790's the Big Show Dishes on Bad Callers, On-Air Chemistry

It's been a long time coming for Adam Wexler, co-host of the Big Show mornings on 790 AM. Always one of the smartest guys in Houston sports talk, he bounced around to various stations and time slots, from morning to evening and back again. But, the magical on-air chemistry he had with Matt Jackson e ... More >>

Know Your Local Media: KUHF's Paul Pendergraft on Engines of Our Ingenuity, Talking Pigs and Steely Dan

If you pay attention to local radio, you know Paul Pendergraft, but despite his receiving numerous accolades including an Edward R. Murrow award and appearing virtually every day on the radio in Houston for over 20 years, you might miss him. Pendergraft is an affable, soft-voiced senior producer for ... More >>

Ranking Houston's Sports Radio Personalities

The Houston sports talk landscape is complicated and fascinating. We are blessed with four full-time sports stations, several other sports-themed shows scattered along the dial and one national sports network headquartered right here in the Bayou City. When I ranked the best sports talk shows in Hou ... More >>

Know Your Local Media: Adam Clanton, the Jim Rome-Impersonating Sports Guy from Channel 2

Each week, we will profile an esteemed member of the local media and ask them five questions, for better or worse. Name: Adam Clanton Employer: KPRC-TV Channel 2 Title: Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter/Producer With so many local sports personalities hailing from up north -- we have more than our fa ... More >>

Jim Rome Smack-Off 2012: The Party's Over

In entertainment, everything has a logical arc. Whether we're talking about a television series, a radio show or a particular personality, they all have a shelf life as to how long they can remain compelling, a shelf life with a beginning, a middle and an end. The end is rarely pretty, and perhap ... More >>

Ranking The Local Sports Radio Shows From Worst To First

I've been listening to sports radio in the city of Houston a very long time. Too long, probably. While I don't remember much about Edmonds and Martini, I do remember when the only sports radio show in Houston was Sports Beat, which ran evenings on KTRH. Amazing to think that we've gone from one four ... More >>

4 Warnings -- Your Guide to Listening to Super Bowl Week Talk Radio

Super Bowl hype week is underway, and I know that many of you will be consuming sports talk radio this week in an effort to get ready for the big game. (I know many of you won't be, and I understand that as well. I hate me some me sometimes, too. It's okay.) The general public service announcement ... More >>

Having A Hall & Oates Emergency? Callin' Oates Is Here To Help

​We've all been there. Stuck in traffic after a long day at work, at your iPod just isn't cutting it, you're sick of AM talk radio, the birthday scams are getting stale, FM radio is just Maroon 5 and LMFAO, and you don't feel like calling your grandmother to say "I love you." You dear friend, ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Rush Limbaugh Violates the Constitution

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involving wit ... More >>

Forced to Listen to Rush Limbaugh: Five Reasons This Woman Should Be Thankful

As first reported in the Houston Chronicle, Bridgett Nickerson Boyd is suing Harris County and a county sheriff's deputy for, among other things, forcing her to listen to Rush Limbaugh after an arrest. Now, among the "other things" is that she was arrested for driving on the shoulder of the road, c ... More >>

Houston Texan Winston to Host Online Monday Night Football Show

Could Eric Winston's new online MNF simulcast be MST3K for sports fans?​Houston Texans offensive tackle Eric Winston is a funny and insightful guy who is a regular on local and national sports talk shows as well as a very good follow on Twitter. Tonight, he launches a Monday Night Football com ... More >>

Sports-Talk 1560 Loses Another Veteran: Lance Zierlein Calls It Quits at The Game

Photo by Jeff BalkeZierlein (left) with his now former co-host John Granato.​In what feels like the dismantling of KGOW 1560 The Game, long-time morning show co-host Lance Zierlein announced via his Houston Chronicle blog that he would be turning in his microphone and leaving the station eff ... More >>

Do NOT Call This Announcer A Homer (w/ Hilarious Video)

Beau Bock probably has a VERY liberal definition of "dynamic"​Texans play-by-play guy Marc Vandermeer gets accused sometimes of being a "homer" for the Texans. True or not, it doesn't really matter to me. I consider Marc a friend and one of the nicest people in our business. The "homer" thi ... More >>

Changing Stations: KGOW's Creative Team Packs Up, Pendergast Goes National

KGOW's now former creative team of Frank Bullington (left) and Chance McClain (right)​If you have listened at all to KGOW 1560 the Game over the last month or two, you may have noticed some changes taking place that represent a distinct shift in the overall vibe of the station. Gone are the od ... More >>

Changes at 1560: Is KGOW Losing Its KAPOW?

Our April 6 cover on KGOW.​In April, our cover story featured the irreverent, independent nature of local sports radio station KGOW 1560 The Game. It appears both of those characteristics may be on their way out as changes at the station inch them closer to the mainstream. Longtime program di ... More >>

NFL Draft Liveblogging, Starring Sean Pendergast

Rick Smith, you shall be judged immediately​The topic that has dominated sports talk radio lately -- at least in a city such as Houston that is experiencing a severe drought in anything worthwhile to talk about for its current franchises -- is the NFL Draft. It has turned into an off-season L ... More >>

KGOW'S KAPOW KAPOW

1560AM weaves pop culture, locker-room humor and irreverence into sports-talk radio.

One Night with Glenn Beck: A Twitter Diary

Photo by Craig HlavatyThey lined up to hear Glenn Beck.​Glenn Beck was in Houston on Friday for a stop on his current speaking tour, dubbed the "Glenn Beck Live On Stage!" tour; it was everything I hoped it would be, with a few twists and turns. As an observer of most things Tea Party and cons ... More >>

Hottest Houston Media Women Tourney Boasts Cuties and Some Controversy

www.hothits957.radio.comKelly Kelly: Apparently not hot enough.​Dear, Kelly Kelly, How does it feel to only be the 17th hottest woman in Houston media? During yesterday's J&R show on Sports Radio 610 AM, the two hosts, Josh Innes and Rich Lord, unveiled the winner of the "play-in game" in the ... More >>

My March Madness Selections (And Lots Of Helpful Links)

It's bracket-ology BABY!​I made this public service announcement on my radio show this week, but seeing as many of you are scrambling to fill in your brackets at the last minute, I feel compelled to print it here and remind all of you of the following: If Sports talk radio hosts (like myself) ... More >>

Glenn Beck Bringing the Circus, Pain to Town March 25

Glenn Beck will be conspiratorially maudlin for you​On the night of March 25, Houston now has three choices. Do you go see Devo, the pioneering punk and New Wave group at Warehouse Live, or legendary folk offspring Arlo Guthrie at the House Of Blues, or spend an evening with powerhouse conserv ... More >>

The Nine Most Annoying Types of Sports Radio Callers

Send in the Clones.​Hair Balls likes to listen to sports radio. We aren't exactly sure why, but we do. We've got a bunch of stations to choose from in Houston, which gives us lots of opportunities to hear interviews, analysis and banter, some good, some bad, about all things sports. As syndic ... More >>

Odd Pair: KILT Tries Lord, Innes Together

Rich Lord is still looking for a co-host.​The sports radio landscape in Houston used to be simple. For years, there was one show: Sports Beat on KTRH. The evening sports show was all Houston sports fans had when it came to sports talk. With the rise of sports talk nationwide, Houston followed ... More >>

Hot or Not: Sexy Traffic on 610 Not So Sexy

Reynolds is pretty hot off the air, not so much on.​There is a lowest common denominator that people involved in sports radio marketing try to achieve in their advertising. They realize that the average guy who listens to sports radio probably needs ads for DUI attorneys, no-brainer jewelry st ... More >>

Game Time: Jim Rome Smack-Off 2010, A Five-Time Champ Weighs In

The Rome show may have mellowed, but the Smack-Off still delivers​If you're a sports fan in the Year 2010, you probably know who Jim Rome is. If you read my blog posts each day, you almost definitely know who Jim Rome is.For those who don't, I'll be brief with the history lesson -- Rome is a syndi ... More >>

Megadeth

Game Time: Thanksgiving Leftovers -- Longhorns Vs, Aggies, Sports-Talk Shuffle, Best Bets

​I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I want to belatedly thank everyone who listens to my show (3-7 weekdays on 1560 The Game, just in case), thank everyone who takes the time to read my posts here on Hair Balls, and thank all of the athletes, coaches, and fellow broadcasters who continu ... More >>

The DWI Bride and Houston's Love for Rush

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

Houston Is Loving Its Rush Limbaugh Again

Photo through wikimedia commonsHouston has always been a big Rush Limbaugh town -- it was one of the first to sign on to his show, when a small Tomball station run by Dan Patrick picked it up. (Patrick rode that rocket to KPRC and eventually a state-senator gig, much to the chagrin of people who don ... More >>

Things We Don't Get: Walton & Johnson

Why Do the "Car Talk" Guys Have a Cartoon and I Don’t?

Getting into The Game with Chance McClain

KGOWTF: Poker on the Radio?

Mail Call

Just for Sports

Sports talk radio stations fight for listeners in Houston

Jock Talk

A Rush to Judge Fox

Letters to the Editor

Holiday Spirit

A real-life Christmas move in Kemah

Right-Wing Revolt

Local conservative talk radio lives to rant again

God's Plan

At Dan Patrick's KPRC talk-radio station, it's politics with a capital G

The Insider

Echo Chamber

Talk radio talks to itself for argument's sake