This just in…
Kansas City’s prominent sports personality the past 20-plus years – Kevin Kietzman – has settled his issues with Sports Radio WHB – the station he all but singlehandedly put on the map – and will announce his return to local broadcasting in the next two weeks.
Just not on the radio…
“I’m going to start a podcast in September,” Kietzman says. “I won’t give away the name yet, but I’ll let you know in a couple of weeks.”
Ready for the shocker?
“It’s going to be about sports, politics and life,” Kietzman says. “I’m going to do a daily podcast that I hope to upload every day at 10 am.”
Just in time to spare Chiefs fans and sports talk listeners the drudgery of mediocre midday radio.
Kietzman hopes to make the podcast available on Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, “I’ll be everywhere,” he says. “I called my past radio sponsors and they are all in – Buck Roofing, Joslin Jewelry, Smoke ‘n’ Fire. Five years ago 12 percent of the people on Spotify listened to a podcast every week. Now 39 percent of them do.”
And the prospect of Kietzman returning to the airwaves?
“I’d like to be back on the radio in Kansas City someday, absolutely,” he says. “If I was going anywhere else I’d be long gone by now. We love it here.”
Kietzman’s take on Coronavirus: waaaaay overblown by the media.
“I’ve been working at MAWD Pathology part time, a medical lab in Lenexa,” he says. “I’m what they call a stat driver. I drive and I pick up covid tests. I can’t think of anything in my life that’s been more rewarding.
“I go into these nursing homes and pick cup coronavirus tests, bring ’em back to the lab and they turn them around in 24 hours. Which is the fastest in the country unless you’re a sports team – but don’t get me started on that. There is no doubt that lives in this city have been saved by these people.”
Is Kietzman fearful at all for his health?
“Not really, I’m not afraid to get it,” he says. “I’m healthy as a horse. I’m 55 and that’s not young, but it’s not old. And most people that get it are asymptomatic – they don’t even know it – they have no symptoms and it’s gone in 24 hours.”
Trouble is the media – local and national – have overplayed it.
Oh my god, have they overplayed it,” Kietzman says. “They can’t wait to scare you. It’s unbelievable. To lock everything down was just insane. Looking back, we shouldn’t have locked everything down.”
It’s really about protecting seniors and folks with underlying conditions, Kietzman says.
“I haven’t hugged my mom in months,” he adds. “She’s 87, so I’m not going to hug her because I’m picking up covid tests.”
Speaking of Kietzman telling it like it is, teachers skip the politics and get back to work.
“Teachers are one of the most essential careers in the country,” he says. “Cops and fire fighters aren’t staying home, they’ve got to open the schools. Do teachers really want to say they’re not essential workers?”
Sports talk radio has sucked since KK was booted off the station that he made. There is not one show in town that is must listen to. Not one that is water cooler materal. Not one. A far cry from the days of the late ’90s and early ’00s.
There was a reason why when they went head-to-head Petro got his butt kicked by KK. He’s a boring, stat geek and a jock sniffer for the local teams. Say what you will about KK, he was water cooler or happy hour talk. No other show in town has that factor anymore.
I’m surprised he’s not on local air. But if his podcast is good, my guess is that he will be by 2021. Look for 710 to finally put someone up against the VERY mediocre Dana and Parks show. My bet is 710 moves Mundo show to 2-6 and KK can do the 6-10AM gig.
KK scoops 610 and 810 once again.
If I had to guess, I’d leave Mundo where he is going up against KMBZ’s lame news talk mis-mash and let Kietzman own the afternoon drive
Petro spews out numbers and stats, along with trivia. He usually works himself up throughout the show and gets pissed off at somebody not sure who. His side kick Kurtis just giggles and ass kisses on the side. Jason Anderson had got to be the worst. He must be paid by the word, never heard a guy speak so fast and say nothing. Border Patrol does a good job.
Get Kevin back on the air, with some excitement and stir the pot.
I’m pretty sure it’s a question of if rather than when KK hits the air again…
Too bad Greg Hall is not around to welcome him back but after all they’d been thru together, Greg pretty much was rooting for Kietzman to go for a dirt nap. Bet he’s rolling over in his grave now
Kietzman understood his role and he was great at it. I did sense a little burnout in his last year, but he still dominated 2-6. His monologues were always solid and thought provoking. On the podcast I hope he can pay a sidekick. I will definitely be a listener.
I think he’s tan, ready and rested after a year off, Rainbow…
Tell you what? I listener to moire podcasts than I do regular radio – uh, local radio – these days. And it’s so easy to do