There’s a version of this story where a Seattle-area radio host stays in Seattle. Jason Rantz isn’t living that version. The Seattle Red 770 host has quietly built one of the more remarkable cable news footprints in local radio, logging more than 1,000 appearances on Fox News since 2019 and showing up regularly on CNN, NewsNation, and Fox Business.
He doesn’t treat the television circuit as a distraction from his day job. Instead, he treats it as an extension of it — and the numbers bear that out.
The hustle isn’t incidental. Rantz actively courts the chaos that comes with constant travel, rapid-fire topic changes, and stepping into debates with people he’s never met hours before airtime. Yet, he says none of it feels like a grind.
“It’s always fun,” said Rantz. “It’s busy, there’s no doubt. But I don’t normally view it as busy work, if that makes sense. I enjoy doing the TV debates. I enjoy travel. And I enjoy talking about issues that I actually care about. So I get a lot of excitement out of it.”
Built for the Format
Not everyone thrives under the conditions cable news imposes. Panels move fast. Hosts change topics mid-thought. Bookers hand you a subject two hours before you go live. Rantz doesn’t just survive those conditions — he’s built for them. Growing up in Los Angeles and now planting his flag in one of the country’s most liberal cities has, paradoxically, prepared him well.
“I’ve never really felt uncomfortable in that situation,” Rantz stated. “I think that’s mostly because I grew up in Los Angeles and now live in Seattle. I’m surrounded by people who disagree with me on pretty much everything, so I’m always in that same position where I have to defend a view I hold. You’re either naturally comfortable or you’re not. And I’m lucky that I’m naturally comfortable in those positions. I’m open to it. Not everyone has the personality that wants to defend their positions, and it’s certainly easier to monologue than it is to debate, but I enjoy it. I legitimately enjoy talking to people I disagree with.”
That comfort translates directly into how he navigates multi-guest panels, where time is scarce and discipline matters. He’s learned to let the host run the show — something he says isn’t always easy for people who are used to controlling their own airspace.
“On the TV side specifically, if I’m on a panel and not leading a segment, I don’t control the interview, nor do I try to control it,” the Seattle Red 770 host shared. “I want the host to control it the same way I would want to control the conversation if I were the host. So I go with the flow. I don’t make up positions. If I don’t have a strong position, you’re not going to hear me fight passionately on behalf of something. But as someone in talk radio, I usually have a position on everything and a lot to say about everything.”
More Than a Media Hit
There’s a business case behind every cable hit, and Rantz makes no effort to hide it. Each appearance on CNN, Fox News, or NewsNation reaches audiences who’ve never heard of Seattle Red 770 — audiences he can convert into podcast subscribers and readers of Seattlered.com, his Pacific Northwest news outlet launched last year.
“You get in front of people who either haven’t heard the perspective or have no idea who you are,” Rantz said. “My show is local to Western Washington, but it’s available on podcast platforms, and we talk a lot about issues that matter to national audiences. It continues to grow, presumably because I’m doing these kinds of appearances. Someone finds out who I am in Texas or Oklahoma or New York and becomes a podcast subscriber. Beyond that, I do a lot of work in the digital space. We launched Seattlered.com last year, and that covers more than just Seattle — it covers the Pacific Northwest. There’s certainly value in getting in front of national audiences who don’t even realize I have a radio show.”
Then comes the feedback loop. A Fox News hit on Tuesday becomes content fuel for Wednesday’s radio show. The two platforms don’t compete with each other — they feed each other.
“When you host a solo show, you’re reacting a lot,” stated Rantz. “If I do a segment on CNN the night before or with Laura Ingraham on Fox News, which I just did yesterday, I can come onto the show the next day and talk more about some of those issues. Regardless of what show you do, there’s only so much time dedicated to a topic. You can expand and make points you weren’t able to make on television or build on points you already made.”
Rantz shows up on Fox and Fox Business two to three times weekly, CNN every other week, and does a regular slot on NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich Tonight. He credits his continued bookings to a simple approach: stay honest, argue in good faith, and don’t hog the mic.
“I think it has a lot to do with whether or not you’re approaching things in good faith,” Rantz said. “If you are honest in your takes, people can disagree with you, but there are basic sets of facts. If you’re going to make stuff up, I imagine people aren’t going to want to book you or hear you. I think there’s more respect for people who engage in fact-based opinions. You start with facts and analyze from there. As long as you’re able to do that, and the audience, bookers, producers, and hosts respond positively, they’ll ask you back.”
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
