What happened to ‘Dark Secret Place’ on KFI?
I’ve been getting emails asking about Bryan Suits and “The Dark Secret Place” program, which until recently aired on KFI (640 AM).
For those unfamiliar with
“Dark Secret Place,” it’s a militarythemed talk show hosted by Suits, who has both storytelling ability and military experience. He was an Army medic during Operation Desert Storm, served in the National Guard and was deployed as part of a NATO mission to Bosnia and as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and more. He was awarded a Bronze Star medal and was wounded in action several times, eventually being awarded a Purple Heart.
His background and radio skills give “Dark Secret Place” a special focus on politics and the military, and listeners are taken on a journey that feels like you’re part of a special military operation yourself. It truly is among the best shows on radio.
So what happened?
The quick version of the story: Suits is gone from KFI. “The Dark Secret Place” can be found online via subscription at TheDarkSecretPlace.com. It costs $5.95 per month and includes new shows as well as archived content.
The slightly longer version is posted by Suits on Facebook, where he wrote:
“Howdy all. I have decided that I own my content and it is now exclusively at TheDarkSecretPlace.com. My prior employer decided that I had no other value as a radio host and we agreed to separate our futures. That is all.”
KFI provided a statement that had been shared with staff.
“Bryan has unique insights on war, tactics and geopolitics and I’m sure this will make great content for an unfiltered format like podcasting,” read the statement. “We thank Bryan for his many years here at KFI and wish him the very best with his new venture.”
Whatever the reasons for the change, it’s a shame for radio listeners. “DSP” is a tremendously interesting program, and while $5.95 per month is not a huge amount on its own, things can quickly add up for listeners when you consider all the monthly subscriptions you already have.
But there are fans who will pay, and radio hosts who have gone this way. Tom Leykis and Phil Hendrie both do it. As do many more.
I’m trying to get more information on what happened, and I’ll let you know when I do. not $10,000 … $10. Includes the studio equipment and the transmitter but not the land the transmitter sits on, as it’s leased from a third party and a new agreement must be reached.
The station is WYTH (1250 AM), with an authorization to broadcast with 1,000 watts during the day and 79 watts at night. Locals say the station has been off the air for a number of years, but normally the FCC doesn’t allow a license to remain valid for a “dark” station that long. Regardless, $10 is not a bad deal for a station.