Seattle radio duo set to shake up the nation with show expansion

Seven months after the Seattle-area debut of "Shaken, Not Stirred," the comedy program has signed up two stations, in Portland and Chicago, to carry it.

Another 10 or so could be signed up for this fall, say the program's originators, Scotty Crane and Johnny Seattle.

And what did it take to break into the syndication market?

"Tenacity, totally," says Johnny Seattle (his radio name; he prefers not to reveal his real-life handle).

"Because our show is so unique, for the first 700 rejections it worked against us," he adds.

The show is unique, at least compared with what else is available. Longtime radio listeners will recognize the format as a throwback to the early free-form days of FM programming; "Shaken, Not Stirred" features comedy routines, sketches and parodies (with, it should be noted, an R rating for subject matter) by Crane, Seattle and other local performers, interspersed with a highly eclectic musical buffet (one program ranges from Louis Prima to Ozzy Osbourne).

Crane and Seattle are banking on the FM-talk format as a natural home for their program (the Portland station that's carrying the program is actually on AM, but it's using the FM-talk model).

The show's "quirkiness appeals to people who are tired of being force-fed uniformity," Seattle says.

Since the two stations that have picked their program up are part of the Infinity/CBS chain, they're hoping to leverage that into introductions to other outlets around the country.

That help would come as a relief to Crane and Seattle, who not only write and produce the show but have handled affiliate relations, publicity and advertising sales.

Locally the program is carried on KQBZ-FM (100.7) at 9 p.m. Saturdays.

Other notes

KUOW-FM (94.9) is rolling out new weeknight programming. At 7 p.m. Wednesdays in August, "All Things Considered" host Patricia Murphy will host an hourlong call-in program to discuss the day's major news topics.

At 9:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, KUOW will feature "NPR Playhouse" and locally produced literary programming. "New Letters on the Air" will be broadcast at 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Alternative medicine is the subject of "Mind-Body Matters" at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays, and an early airing of Bill Radke's "Rewind" will air at 9:30 p.m. Fridays.

In the 10 p.m. weekday slot, KUOW-FM is adding a children's literature program hosted by Tom Bodett on Mondays; "Selected Shorts" on Tuesdays; "The Splendid Table" Wednesdays; "The Satellite Sisters" Thursday; and the best of local and national special broadcasts on Fridays.

At 11 p.m. KUOW will carry "The Connection," hosted by Christopher Lydon.

Here's more information on evening programs at KBCS-FM (91.3). "Crossborder Music" with Jon Gierlich 7:30 p.m. Monday is a look at world music. "Folksounds" at 7 p.m. Tuesday looks at American folk music. "Womanotes" at 7 p.m. Wednesday plays music by women artists. "Music of Africa," hosted by Doug Patterson and Tobin Steers, is at 7 p.m. Thursday, while "The Melting Pot," hosted by Dave Gardner and Steers, airs at 7 p.m. Friday.

KOMO-AM (1000) has expanded the Peter Weissbach program to 7-10 p.m. weekdays. Mitch Albom's program moves to 2-4 a.m.

Juliette Zentelis, the host of KPLU-FM's "All Blues" programs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, has moved to KZOK-FM (102.5), where she's a weekend host. Joey Cohn, KPLU's program director, said the station will continue the blues program and is looking for a replacement host as well as hosts for "Weekend Edition" and fill-in jazz host slots.

Seattle Opera's Speight Jenkins previews two Wagner productions, "Das Rheingold" and "Die Walkuere," at 8 p.m. tomorrow on KING-FM (98.1).

The band Welcome performs on "The Live Room" at 8 p.m. Saturday on KCMU-FM (90.3).

"Soundtrack Cinema" at 10 p.m. Saturday on KING-FM features new releases including "What Lies Beneath" and "Shaft."

"The Organ Loft," 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Sunday on KING-FM, features highlights of a 1999 symposium at Pacific Lutheran University on "The Organ in the New Millennia."

Don Riggs' guests on "Introspect Northwest" at 6:30 a.m. Sunday on KMPS-FM (94.1) and KYCW-AM (1090) include Ted Tanase on the dot-com company he founded to help people find the right care facilities for family members; April Smith, author of "Be The One," a thriller about a female baseball scout; and drag racer Brad Hanson.

Lizz Sommar's guests on "Conversations," heard at 7 a.m. Sunday on KBSG-FM (97.3) and KISW-FM (99.9), include Hale Dwoskin, discussing self-defeating behaviors, and NPR essayist Tim Brookes discussing cross-country hitchhiking trips made 25 years apart.

Ichabod Caine interviews Clay Davidson on "Honky Tonk Sundays" at 7 a.m. Sunday on KMPS-FM.

KING-FM presents a Seattle Chamber Music Festival concert at 8 p.m. Monday.

Mayor Paul Schell appears on KUOW-FM's "Weekday" at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

P-I reporter Bill Virgin can be reached at 206-448-8319 or billvirgin@seattle-pi.com