6/23/88-Bruce Williams brings ‘TalkNet’ common sense savvy to Seattle

VICTOR STREDICKE — June 23, 1988 — Bruce Williams is scurrying across the country. His program tonight originates from the honeymoon suite of a new hotel in Walt Disney World in Florida. Tomorrow he’ll be in Spokane. Saturday he’ll be in Seattle to appear on a special two-hour call-in program and give a free public lecture.
Williams is host of “TalkNet,” a nationwide call-in show, which KIRO airs at 10 on weeknights or immediately following Seattle Mariners games. On his No. 1-rated radio show Williams talks common sense, drawing on his own entrepreneurial ventures. They include founding a car-rental agency, a private school and an insurance agency. He continues to operate a wholesale florist business. “It’s not a financial show,” Williams explained by phone from his home in New Brunswick, N.J. “I know it’s described like that in sales brochures, but I regard it as about lifestyles. “We talk about anything you do in life, without sex and wine,” he said and then paused, as if ready to field another phone call.“I try to avoid those topics.”
Williams’ beverage of choice is Diet Pepsi. A can is with him throughout his show, as is a deck of cards. As he deals with listener calls, he’s generally playing solitaire.
From the wide assortment of calls he receives nationwide, Williams sees the country as being in good shape. “I see the next eight years as good as the last eight. Modest prime, building statistics, low inflation rate. . .” Impishly, he suggested a line in this column “that will throw the folks at KIRO in a tizzy.” Williams said, “Anybody who wants to come to my Saturday lecture, ticket or not, we’ll get you in.” Williams’ public appearance is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, at the Paramount Theater. KIRO is distributing the tickets. Williams will join Newsradio 71 host Donn Moyer for a local presentation of the “TalkNet” show, from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, on KIRO, 710 kHz..

Twisting the dial

— Jon Robbins left KISW to become operations manager at KGON, Portland. Robbins was at KISW for 17 months as the station attempted to boost its ratings. “Looking to the future, I chose Ackerley Communications,” Robbins said. A new KISW program director will be announced within a week, said Beau Phillips, general manager.

–Portland’s KGON has an album-oriented rock format and is being challenged by a station with classic rock.

— John Lake has been bumped at KRKO, replaced by Gene Henderson, who until March had worked at KRKO’s competitor, KWYZ. Lake had been at KRKO only a couple of months, previously he was at KLTX. Henderson said he was pleased with KRKO’s growth potential, and pointed out that the station has a six-person news department, including Alan Ray, Judith Larson and Bill O’Mara.