Last week I wrote a post about the ratings problems talk show host Joel Heitkamp is facing. Today my colleague, former Heitkamp employee Mike McFeely, has a column suggesting I got it all wrong. “His thesis was that despite Joel’s sister being a statewide story every day as she ran a U.S. Senate campaign to…
My Daily Radio Show Ends This Week
Today I can announce (much as much colleague Mike McFeely has done) that my 12-2pm radio show on WDAY will be ending. My last regular broadcast will be Friday. I love the talk radio format. Interviewing guests and mixing it up with callers are some of my favorite parts of this job. Plus, the folks…
The Heitkamp Political Machine Will Attack Anyone Questioning the Narrative
It’s ironic that when Senator Heidi Heitkamp’s talk radio host brother really wants to reach an audience he turns to my employers at the Forum Communications Company. Joel Heitkamp had a letter to the editor in the Fargo Forum over the weekend in which he accuses Fargo-based television station Valley News Live of political bias against his sister.…
Podcast: NDFB President Daryl Lies, GOP National Press Secreatry Cassie Smedile
Below is today’s podcast from the radio show. Daryl Lies, President of the North Dakota Farm Bureau, called in from Tennessee where he’s on hand for the national Farm Bureau convention. He spoke about President Trump’s address to the convention yesterday. Cassie Smedile, National Press Secretary for the GOP, also called in to talk about…
Taking Over the Noon Hour on WDAY
I’m delighted to announced that, starting on September 27, I’ll be taking over the noon show on WDAY AM970 and 93.1 FM. Current host Sandy Buttweiler is leaving us, sadly. Here’s the new lineup going forward: AM Fargo-Moorhead with Mike Kapel 7:30 – 9 The Mike McFeely Show 9am to Noon The Rob (re)Port Noon to 2pm The Jay…
Subscribe to the Rob (Re)Port Podcast
I’ve been hosting a radio show on WDAY AM970 for several weeks now, but many of you readers are outside of the broadcast territory for the station or unable to listen from 1-2pm when the show is live. You’ve been asking for a podcast. While I’ve been pretty consistently bringing the audio from interviews here…
Audio: Senator John Hoeven Says Standing Rock Tribe Was Consulted on Dakota Access Pipeline
One of the most consistent talking points deployed by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and its environmental activist allies is that they weren’t sufficiently consulted about the Dakota Access Pipeline. In fact, that claim was the justification the Obama administration used to halt construction of the pipeline under the Missouri River/Lake Oahe reservoir, saying that…
Starting Next Week: The Rob (Re)Port on WDAY AM970
I’m delighted to announce that starting next week I’ll be hosting an hour of radio every afternoon on WDAY AM970 in Fargo. We’re calling the show the Rob (Re)Port, a pun you can blame WDAY program director Mike Kapel for. All joking aside, I’m very thankful to Mike and the folks at WDAY for the opportunity. It will…
Liberal Talker Joel Heitkamp Continues Ratings Slide
The new ratings book is out for the Fargo/Moorhead market, so it’s time for an update on how the region’s talkers are doing. And if you’re left-wing talker Joel Heitkamp – brother to U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp – things aren’t doing so good. According to publicly available ratings for the 12-years-old and up demographic, KFGO…
Fargo Police Chief David Todd: Treat Medicinal Marijuana "As Medicine"
This year North Dakotans may be asked to vote on not one but two ballot measures legalizing marijuana (and, ironically, one measure to implement tobacco price prohibition). One marijuana measure being circulated seeks to legalize medicinal marijuana. Another seeks to legalize all types of marijuana use. Interestingly, Fargo Police Chief David Todd seems open to…