Rock Station Dismisses Veteran Dj Gary Crow

Veteran DJ Gary Crow, one-half of the "Crow and West" morning show on Seattle rock station KXRX-FM, was dismissed last Friday.

"I was shocked," Crow said. "We were prepared to have talks when this happened. I thought everything was OK."

General manager Steve West said recent unsatisfactory ratings led to his decision not to renew Crow's contract. He said the station has not met its goals.

Crow joined KXRX in 1987 after working in the Tri-Cities and at KISW.

DJ Mike West (no relation to Steve West), Crow's morning show partner, remains on-air. Steve West said the station will announce a new lineup within the next 10 days.

West said the station kept Mike West because he was "more involved" in other areas of the station outside his morning shift. He also said the station has received "lots of phone calls" from listeners wanting to know why Crow was no longer on the air.

"Rock 'n' roll radio is pretty volatile," Crow said, adding that the ratings race between KXRX and other rock stations like KISW, KZOK and KNDD was "a dead even dog race."

Crow said no one told him the reason for his dismissal. "You're never let go for the big things, just the little things," he said. "I'm also outspoken and politically active. I think the radio station was poorly mismanaged."

"Gary and I go back to 1970," Steve West said. "We're longtime friends. This was not a personal decision. It was a business situation."

Crow has already had "a lot of lunches" with other radio stations, looking for a new job. "I look forward to the next challenge," he said. "I wish KXRX the best. They have a tough row ahead to hoe."