Speed Gibson

KQRS, that is, 92.5 FM, featuring Tom Barnard, Terri Trane, and the rest of the KQ Morning Crew. This is the number one morning show in the Twin Cities with a solid lock on that 18-35 demographic advertisers crave. First, the time breakdown:

Hosts               56%

Commercials         26%

Music               11%

Sports               4%

Traffic              1%

Comedy Skits         1%

Weather              1%

Given it's success, it seems odd how loose the format is here. The only thing you can really count on is that you'll hear about six "classic rock" standards at regular intervals. At less predictable times, you'll hear 5-6 minute commercial blocks, the rest being one minute here and there. Hey, they don't carry network news at the top of the hour, so they have to get their bathroom breaks in somewhere.

The content also goes in streaks, often 15 minutes or more. American Idol garnered the most time, playing some of the contestants who didn't make it. This is perfect for Barnard, who regularly conjugates "to suck": he sucks, she sucks, this sucks, that sucks, and to be sure, those "singers" did indeed suck. But this got tiresome after a couple of minutes.

The murderers who planned to open a coffee shop in Amsterdam triggered a lengthy discussion of Amsterdam itself. Again, this was perfect for this show, with the libertine attitudes there toward drugs and sex. This, too, is tiresome after a few minutes, at least for someone my age. But a raw edge with a lot sexual banter is a staple, maybe the staple of this show. I, in fact, quit listening to this show when I was in that 18-35 demographic for that very reason, as it was much more raw then. Yes, it has mellowed with age, and I'm happy to hear that Terri no longer works in a "hostile" working environment.

Other subjects included the Chaska murder itself, the pediatrician acquitted, the Golden Globes awards, the "Chocolate City" remark, and the "Fifth Duke" of Cleveland. I was impressed with a couple of unlikely segments with a representative of "America's Test Kitchen" and a webmaster who runs a travel feedback site. I don't expect a hard news format here, and the fluff factor was indeed 62 percent.

You've heard Tom Barnard more than you know in narrations and commercials everywhere. Still, his vocal quality grates on me a little, with that slight rasp. It's like the "velvet fog" without the velvet; yes, this is not Mel Torme. He also hurries a bit much, often trying to see how close he can cut to a break after saying "KQ". That said, he's still very good at what he does.

Terri Trane, well, I have better memories of her way back when I used to listen. She's really not that good. She basically now just reads the traffic reports and contributes little else, all delivered in a flat vocal style. I picture her staring out the window, not at all focused on the show. I'm not familiar with the rest of the current Morning Crew, but they did well.

I won't argue with success, and if I were them, I wouldn't change a thing. OK, yes I would and I'd mess it up, no doubt. But as I said, I'm no longer in that KQ demographic, so while I wish them continued success, I'll take KTLK.

Next up: Wendy Wilde, heard 6-9 AM on Air America 950 AM.