seattle

[roundaboutnews]

What's the 4-1-1 on the Seattle market? Opinions on the stations and quality of life are appreciated.

[Roy Hobbs]

A trip to Seattle isn't complete without a visit to the Pike Place Market!!

http://www.lummi-holidays.com/highlights/images/seattle_market01.jpg

[cinehead]

I lived there for a while, but was working in the film industry, not TV so I can't give you much information on the business.

But, the city is amazing. I would go back there in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity. Great neighborhoods, lots to do. The music scene is still great, it has a world class film festival a great downtown, terrific restaurants, two of the best pro sports stadiums around, and the weather isn't a bad as the reputation.

[WalMartNation]

Yes, yes... everyone goes on about how beautiful it here and so on... It is expensive to live here.. not as bad as LA of SF.. but expensive... so you live in the suburbs, they're expensive too... so you live further out.. then you drive in arguably the nations worst traffic area (people are just now starting to realize that we might need a rail system for the entire area)... because seattle is landlocked by water on two sides while the entire area is rapped up against the mountains. Sure, they widen highways... but with HOV lanes that are restricted 24/7.

It all makes for beauty, but the area as a whole is a pain in the ass these days. Traffic-wise, politically, and cost of living. Now to be fair, this is coming from someone who was born and raised here and remembers the "good old days" when things were somewhat normal. Post-1990 Califonians invaded the area to escape their high prices but drove up the costs here... the median price for a home in King County is $554,000 according to a recent story by KING 5 (couldn't find the link, sorry). I realize there are much more expensive places in the U.S., especially back east, but prices here continue to soar despite slowdowns in other areas of the country.

TV-wise, KIRO was strong for many years but after being bought and sold a few times, the budget has shrunk and now they try to skate by with skeleton staff (like most stations nowdays). KOMO has dumped a lot of money into their station and on-air product... both are good, their building might be the best in the country... last I saw they are a good #2 in the market. KING has been #1 for years... a good shop with a lot of veteran talent and good investigative reports. KCPQ (Fox) has sucked since Tribune bought it in the late 90's... they love drama queen news anchors who "foxify" the product. The morning show does very well in ratings... after that the joint should be nuked.

The population has grown here so much in the last 20 years that King County is home to roughly 1/3 of the state's population. the Seattle DMA can be won by a station that dominates King County only... therefore not much gets covered outside of it including politics down in the state capital of Olympia which is 2 counties south in Thurston County.

The population rise has helped to create the crowded highways... over-development has changed the environment too. More building and less farmland has given all the rain you hear about less area to soak into the ground... instead it ends up in the rivers as does the silt from land construction and eroding river banks... this, and the fact that most rivers can't be dredged because of Indian fishing rights or salmon spawning habitats, has turned most lowlands near rivers into almost guaranteed flood zones.

So come on into the Puget Sound area! Be another car on the highway, live in another house near or in a flood zone, and gaze at the beauty of Mt. Rainier. Just make sure you get out of the way when it erupts. You can even rent the place I'm living at now... with any luck it will be vacant soon. graemlins/face_banghead.gif

[Produce man]

Some teachers there love to teach young students the beauty of socialism by using Lego blocks.

[Gail sirens]

I would be disappointed if RH didn't post a picture every time someone asks about a market.
Someone please hire him so that he has less time on his hands!

[Pennywise]

I hear it rains a lot there.

[WalMartNation]

Originally posted by Pennywise:
I hear it rains a lot there.YES! It rains a lot.. nothing to see here.. please move along... *cough* take the socialist lego builders with you *cough*.

[The Mockingbird]

Seattle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NweRE8aeFKQ)

Don' like the look of this old town
What goes up must come down
Character is lost and found
On unfamiliar playing ground

Get out of my world
What in the world

Shoeboxed around the rifle range
Have all your functions rearranged
Your mind and body gagged and bound
On a new familiar playing ground
The ordinary will ignore
Whatever they canot explain
As if--nothing ever happened
And everything remained the same again

What in the world (3)
Get out of my world (3)

Get up, get out, get out of my world (repeat)
Open your mouth now

Secret signs and knowing looks
These sunny days will cook the books
Happy to take the misery
This mortal life can bring to me
Don't like the look of this old town
What goes up must come down
Character is lost and found
On unfamiliar playing ground

What in the world (3)
What in, get out, get out, get out of my world
What in the world
Palaces, barricades, threats meet promises

[ March 29, 2007, 06:35 AM: Message edited by: Mockingbird Peeps ]

[ncreporterdude]

As big cities go, it's pretty nice place to live. It doesn't rain so much as it mists a lot and is cloudy (NYC gets more rain, in inches, than Seattle).

The news product is pretty good - surprisingly good photography for a big market. If you like the outdoors and don't mind the cloudiness and mist, it's a great place.

I prefer Spokane ... but that's just me.

[Pregnant Reporter]

Hey Wal-Mart

part of your reply also describes Austin. Guess those damn Californians set out to ruin everybody with their Monopoly money driving up housing costs, and their sheer numbers jamming our already over-crowded roads.

[Hurricane]

Those darn California folks started migrating as early as the 70's. My dad called it the theory of continental tilt. The world tilted and all the nuts rolled in from California. smile.gif Sometimes I'm just here to amuse myself.

On the Seattle side. Don't move there unless you can really take all the gray skies. There is a Starbucks on every corner because they need the caffeine! I grew up there, but am very happy to call Florida home now. We may get Hurricanes, but at least we get sunshine too.

[WalMartNation]

Originally posted by Pregnant Reporter:
Hey Wal-Mart

part of your reply also describes Austin. Guess those damn Californians set out to ruin everybody with their Monopoly money driving up housing costs, and their sheer numbers jamming our already over-crowded roads.The Calis get blamed for a lot.. I guess I kind of see why some would leave Cal because of the cost of living, but at the same time the strain it puts on the area being migrated to is rough on locals.

The skies are very gray for roughly 7 or 8 months of the year.. no joke. It doesn't rain everyday but it does drizzle and mist a lot. Other folks here are right, NY and DC get more inches in annual rainfall... but also more sunshine, just like our friends in Florida.

[WalMartNation]

Originally posted by ncreporterdude:
I prefer Spokane ... but that's just me.As do I after going to school just 80 miles south in Pullman.. my wife is from Spokane and we both love it there.

Now if only the TV market there didn't suck.....