Update: Marty Riemer returns to The Mountain

10:26 PM SUNDAY: Though the official on-air announcement isn’t due till 7 am tomorrow (Monday) morning on 103.7 The Mountain radio, Nicole Brodeur at the Seattle Times (WSB partner) is the latest to report that West Seattleite Marty Riemer is definitely returning to the station that axed him 16 months ago. (We noted the video hints here on Friday; Seattle Weekly confirmed his return later that day.) He’ll be on the shift that was his original claim to fame, afternoons. And that means he gets to keep doing his morning podcast. (Which apparently is taking the day off tomorrow.) Photo: May 2010, WSB photo of Marty Riemer before he emceed the West Seattle 5K.

7:04 AM MONDAY: They’ve just officially announced on-air that he’s returning to the station, on the afternoon shift. “I’m ba-a-ck,” Riemer said, appearing on-air with John Fisher (who’s on mornings from here on out) and Shawn Stewart (middays). “It was like a bad soap-opera cliffhanger,” he added, of his time away. “We keep saying,” Stewart noted, “that Marty is truly back due to popular demand,” referring to the uproar after his September 2009 firing. (His then-co-host Jodi Brothers also has a new job; she’ll be part of the Bob Rivers Show when it hits the air at 95.7 FM this spring.) [added] At quarter past 7, Governor Gregoire called in on the air, and laughed when Riemer told her she was no longer responsible for paying him unemployment benefits. He starts on the afternoon shift next Monday.

LyndaB January 16, 2011 (10:43 pm)

YayayaayayayayayayY!!!!!

Kate K January 16, 2011 (11:21 pm)

Double yay! That’s great news for all of us who have listened to Marty for years. Welcome back!

flowerpetal January 17, 2011 (8:01 am)

I’ve been tuning Marty out for years. Never liked his style. KNTT is so canned. There are several stations across the country owned by the same parent company and they play the same line-up song by song for much of the day.
Oh well, I’m happy for Marty or anyone who’s back to work, so good for him and lots of listeners.

T-Rex January 17, 2011 (8:24 am)

Enercom is responsible for many radio greats being run off the radio, Robin and Maynard being the biggest loss as far as I am concerned.

I do not listen to The Mountain, but good for Marty, hope he got a BIG FAT RAISE!!!!!!!!!!!

Rick Steel January 17, 2011 (8:35 am)

Now, can some local radio station find it in their heart to bring back Dick Rossetti?

EvonneB January 17, 2011 (8:39 am)

Yay Marty!!

Erik Walum January 17, 2011 (8:46 am)

Congrats Marty!

sun*e January 17, 2011 (9:26 am)

If it really makes Marty happy to be back then I’m glad he’s back. I sent a personal email/complaint to the program manager when they fired him and Jodi and I suppose they finally listened to what the listeners really want. However, it’s too late for me. I’m tired of radio stations (first 107.7 and then 103.7) firing my favorite on-air personalities that I connect with and enjoy listening to in the morning so I’ve moved on. Since I was forced to lose those entertaining personalities and just listen to music I’ve found my “music only” listening pleasure through Pandora One. I love it – no advertisements, no D.J. (or loss of D.J.) and I get to create the perfect radio station for me.
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Good luck Marty! I hope it’s “lesson learned” for them and they treat you better this time around.

blumer January 17, 2011 (9:31 am)

Like a double tall mocha, sitting next to a fire, watching the SeaHawks lose…it’s comforting to know a wrong is being corrected. Just like old times. It was gratifying to hear John in the morning again. Mr. Emry was not a good fit. Looking forward to the changes.

lucky chick January 17, 2011 (9:58 am)

I’m with sun*2 100 percent. KMTT went downhill so horribly after that terrible, DUMB move, and I won’t listen anymore because A) they stink now (I heard enough Stevie Nicks in the 70s, thank you), and B) they don’t deserve my business since that stupid firing. Congrats, Marty. Too bad you couldn’t tell them to shove it. Hope you got a fat raise.

WSB January 17, 2011 (10:24 am)

LC, for what it’s worth, while listening this morning to make notes on the Riemer return, I heard them make a point of noting a lot of people griped that they played too much old music and not enough new music, so they’re returning to a focus on the latter. I don’t listen much to over-the-air radio at all so I’ve got no dog in this hunt, but since you mention it, there’s the fyi. – TR

emcat8 January 17, 2011 (10:39 am)

This situation last year reminded me of when KING fired Jeff Renner — and look how that turned out for them. I kept hoping that the same thing would happen to the Mountain — I tend to not listen to people talking on the radio, but Marty was one of the few I could listen to, and when I sent an email once asking about an old 5:20 funny, he not only told me the name of it, he sent me the MP3. I think he’s a prince of a guy and I’m glad to see him vindicated.

lucky chick January 17, 2011 (12:08 pm)

Thanks, TR. Still don’t know if I can overcome my resentment :).

I also met/talked to Marty a couple times and he seems like a champ. Glad for him.

B-squared January 17, 2011 (1:42 pm)

Well, i’m glad he got the job back (that he apparently wanted) but it won’t change my listening habits. i found him kind of annoying and their playlist extremely limited. when they broadened it by adding way more “classics”, they really lost me there. lots of other stations to get fossil rock when i need it.

Vanessa January 17, 2011 (2:55 pm)

Ok, so I’ve been listening since 2oclock, it’s now 55 minutes later. Did Marty forget how to push the buttons or what? If this is some trick to get me to listen to the music (which I do already) and all of the commercials (which I have no choice) BUT WHERE IS MARTY? I came to listen and no Marty. reimer….REIMER!

WSB January 17, 2011 (2:56 pm)

He’s starting NEXT Monday, but guested on the morning show today.

Vanessa January 17, 2011 (3:10 pm)

With egg on my face, I thank you !!

Vegas January 18, 2011 (1:45 pm)

When I just heard from a co-worker that Marty was coming back, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. I was always a Mountain listener from day one. My alarm would go off in the morning and I would usually just lay there for 20 minutes, listening and laughing with Marty and Jodi. Then the change came and I couldn’t slam that 70’s show off fast enough!
Welcome back Marty!

Susan Walls January 19, 2011 (8:42 am)

I am sooooo happy to know you’ll be back on The Mountain Marty. I stopped listening to the station the week after you were gone and just caught the headline in Monday’s Times that YOU’RE BACK!!! You turned me on to the Bodeans and I’ll always love you for that!

Jean January 20, 2011 (10:42 am)

Thank you!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!

I stopped listening a few weeks after he left. Didn’t like the new guy or the format going to oldies. I will give one more try. Hoping the station will go back to newer adult alternative music instead of the oldies but goodies – can can that crap on any station.

Diana Toledo January 25, 2011 (12:20 am)

Congrats Marty!
Not only is Marty funny and entertaining, but he truely has a great heart for people. I’m so pleased to hear the mountain finally realized what they were missing.

Sorry, comment time is over.