Point Counter-Point

  POINT COUNTER-POINT

*Point: Jon Miller: He's a HOF, MLB play-by-play broadcaster who is as good as it gets and beloved by all Giants' fans.

Counter-Point: Miller is vastly overrated and not universally beloved --his incessant stories are getting a little old too.

Point: Roberta Gonzales: You're overly critical of her, 415 Blog, she's managed to carve out a niche on KPIX and she's quite a hit by the guys and PTA women.

Counter-Point: She's become the local TV weatherwoman yenta; the "talk like Miss Mary-Ann" everyday is uber-annoying and tiresome. It's somewhat tolerable on TV but quite irritating and obnoxious on radio.

*Point: Stan Bunger: Stan is an accomplished KCBS newsman with quite a lot left and quite the anchor on local radio news.

Counter-Point: Bunger has become quite long in the tooth in his twilight years at all -news KCBS. His enabling with Roberta is a pain in the ass to listen to and his inanity with Susan Leigh Taylor has become irksome and troubling.

*Point: Jeffrey Schaub: A steady, if not spectacular radio news reporter who is dependable and consistent, a no-nonsense guy for KCBS.

Counter-Point: Schaub is terrible now. I don't know if he's being pedantic jerk, a real pompous ass, on purpose, or it's his nerves taking over. Whatever the case, Schaub is an instant tune-out factor on local AM radio.

*Point: Michael Krasny: Used to love the KQED Forum host and his interesting interviews and style.

Counter-Point: Krasny has turned into a insufferable bore with his holier-than-thou personality and on-air arrogance. Someone should remind him that he's not curing cancer when he's on the air even though it's KQED.

*Point: Jan Wahl: The KCBS film critic makes for interesting and funny, poignant movie reviews.

Counter-Point: Wahl is about as compelling as a Brisbane art display. She's an obnoxious attention whore better suited for the SF Zoo than contemporary radio. Whenever I hear her terrible voice I immediately want to regurgitate.

*Point: Southwest Airlines commercials: You gotta admit, quite entertaining and clever, those SWA ads with the singing flight attendants.

Counter-Point: I hate THOSE ads! Screw those ads. They annoy the hell out of me. I'll fly United now ...sick and tired of those obnoxious ads.

*Point: The "Outsiders" on NBC Sports Bay Area: Bold and new innovating programming with a local twist. How cool.

Counter-Point: Yeah, truly historic, what the hell are they (NBC BA) doing? An amateurish, BS show based on fan stupidity and booster club naivete --more Larry Baer crap meat.

*Point: J.R. Stone is a rising star for KRON.

Counter-Point: That's right, with an emphasis on KRON.

Sampler Size Tuesday PM 415 Media BS Meter; Oh Please Jon Miller; And a Few Others

SAMPLER SIZE  BS METER; CALLING OUT RANT; TUESDAY PM SPECIAL

*Jon Miller: Oh, please, Jon, show some deference and balls for heavens sake. We know you work for the Giants and you don't bite the hand that feeds you, but, come on, you're not going to say it's a nationally televised game? What?, is KNBR going to squeeze you and Larry Baer gonna beat you up? Holy shit! Whatever.

*NBC Sports Bay Area Programming Dept. Uh, seriously now, even the booster club isn't going to watch this latest "Outsiders" pile of shit. It's one thing to pile this garbage and sell it as a "talk-show", but it isn't. It's slightly more interesting than "Happy Hour" which is saying a lot. I'd rather watch Feldy and Fareed take a #1, actually. Bullshit.

*Brian Murphy: For three long days all we've heard on the Knibber audio toilet is that "Murph" is going to be a "balldude" Wednesday. Non-stop. Murph is about as exciting as a Modesto 7-11. Murph thinks everyone is ingratiated on his Pittsburgh trip. "I have 2 tickets behind the Giants dugout!" Heard that shit all day too. Murph is one of Baer's bitches and the Giants designated KNBR tokens. Murph is an A-grade Baer blower and BS enabler slightly more interesting than the accumulated turds at the Shell station toilet near the end of 101 on the last stop before the Bay Bridge. I got your "yeah, yeah, yeah" right here, Bullshit.

*"Paulie Mac": What a pathetic prick --how does this putz have a job? And who the fuck likes his stupid songs and parodies? Nobody I know. And the long-running bullshit that "I know Springsteen." Really. Like what, Powlie do you have a blow-up doll of The Boss? Your dumb songs are lousy. Awful, crappola, really POOOWLIE, the worse you are, the more play you get which comes right out of the KNBR manual where less-than-mediocre gets you attention.. You can't even interview morons for gawds sake, but keep up the great BS. Whatever. Dude!

*Reggie Aqui: Oh dear lord what a pile of manure --about as riveting as the bed check on a Monday night at Santa Rita. Good lord, KGO-TV why oh why? Reggie is what we're reduced too...the human bullhorn that shouts nothing and is about as genuine and authentic as French food in Yuba City. Whatever.

*Ball dudes: let's clear up the entire bullshit and cut right to the chase: You want to be a ball dude? Then write a $5000 check to Larry Baer and you can make a fucking fool of yourself unless you're a certain KNBR morning yahoo who would give his left testicle to being any kind of dude, but Baer and the Giants? Dude! Major bullshit.

*Dave Feldman: Ok, we know he got the gig because Harbaugh insisted. Now Harb is gone. Unfortunately, Feldman and his unfunny sidekick remain, God know why. Their commercials are frauds and a blatant ripoff of ESPN (which aren't funny either) and Feldman thinks his asides are groovy worthy and that people care. Assignment: Walk down Market Street and ask people on the street: "Ever heard of Dave Feldman?" Only one schmuck got it right: "Uh, oh yeah, I loved that Marty Feldman!" Whatever.

As Giants Go South So Do Broadcasters; Kuiper Bummed; New Larry Baer Propaganda Program Debuts on 'NBC Sports Bay Area'; Dana King/Pix Revival Kaput Mostly Due to Dana King; Tuesday Opening Menu

  I DIDN'T KNOW GIANTS BROADCASTER, JON MILLER was above reproach ...excuse me.

Here's something you won't read in the Chronicle and other assorted bleacher club postings...

Since the Giants have gone south there's a very noticeable change in the tone of their broadcasters voices, most notably, Duane Kuiper, who seems very depressed these days.

Kuiper is so bummed he often fails to give the score on a given telecast. It's sort of professional responsibility to give the score. And tune into a Giants broadcast on radio --just listen to the broadcasters voice and I'll bet you a turkey sandwich at Tommy's Joynt based on tone, who's winning the game. Kuiper sounds miserable. And that shouldn't be the case. Mike Krukow is still Krukow and Dave Flemming still manages to keep it together. Jon Miller, oh whatever.

*The Larry Baer /Giants Promotional gestapo machine has added a new propaganda program on "NBC Sports Bay Area", tantamount to a travel brochure someone throws in your face when you're not interested, here's a theory: Since the "Insider" has never really provided any Inside, maybe it's appropriate the new show is "Outsider" ...oh, good timing, guys, I'm certain the ratings will be off the chart.

*Had Dana King really wanted a gig back in TV ...at KPIX specifically and acted a little humble, more than likely, she would have been invited back because PIX needed/needs a bolt of lightning ...but Dana is apparently content with artist slave wages and yoga.

*First-Place award in the KGO/Cumulus Nepotism Dept: Brian Copeland.

*Hey, Bret Burkhart/KGO: you still have a gig there? God, you must have pictures.

*Chip Franklin is going to try to break a world record: 20 topics in 3 minutes.

Then Chip is going to tell us, "hey, you know I was a comedian."

Yeah, Chipster did a lot of the Dayton, Akron, Canton tours and killed.

*KGO Radio new slogan: "We're closed for business after 7 PM."

*At KGO Radio they preach the new 7 "F's": Uh, "fucked", "fabricated", "foibles", "fake", "far-fetched", fookey-wookie", "fa-fa fooey."

Jon Miller Really Blew It Last Friday Night

 

Last Friday night on the Giants TV broadcast, Jon Miller was plugging the next day's Giants' game and broadcast.

Well, sort of.

Miller did a major disservice to not only Giants fans but all fans alike. Unprofessional to the max.

It was a minor guffaw, my opinion (of course, it's my opinion!) but Miller made himself sound very, very small. He should know better too being a Hall of Fame announcer. In any event, it annoyed the hell out of me and I'm calling him out. You might think I'm fussing, whatever.

Miller, I'm paraphrasing, said that "the Giants would be playing at an unusual 4: 15 PM start"--he neither mentioned that the game on Saturday would be a regionally televised game nor that it was a "Fox Sports telecast"." Not a one.

Sinful.

Miller knew full well that the game was televised and that Fox's Saturday MLB package was the reason of the unusual start time of 4: 15. Again, he didn't mention anything of the sort. He merely stated it was unusual or something of that sort.

Let me state right away this is not me sticking up for Fox Sports. Miller not mentioning why the game was a 4: 15 start was both smarmy and small. Almost bordering on broadcast malpractice.

Miller didn't mention the TV reason because,  I guess, the game was on radio, KNBR, and maybe, I'm thinking, Miller wanted to make sure KNBR was taken care of only that's complete BS and Miller knows it.

In today's Internet world, everyone knows the time and place. Every baseball fan in the world, San Francisco included, knew that because of the unusual start, TV was the reason and that, of course, Fox would be televising the game.

Most people I know both listen to the game and tune in KNBR (even with a delay) so they can listen to the local announcers, especially the Giants' broadcasters, who for the most part are decent announcers. But that's not the point here.

Miller simply did an injustice to fans. Not a major injustice but something that on the face of it is a broadcast sin. It was small-market juvenile and not worthy of a professional announcer like Miller is and I'm saddened that he could stoop to that level.

Bill King wouldn't have done it. Same with Lon Simmons and Vin Scully. Any broadcaster who has a major league pedigree wouldn't have either. It sounds so trivial but it isn't. Miller simply let down the fans and his audience.

Miller is a talented pro; a Hall-of-Famer, but in that moment, royally screwed up.

415 Media Case Study: KPIX Reporter/Anchor, Christin Ayers; Pay Her, Dano

  ANOTHER FUTURE PIX Goner?

The individual: Christin Ayers

Home: KPIX reporter/anchor

Salary: $150K

Notes and Comments: She's one of KPIX's most prized assets; a tough, street-savvy reporter with tenacity and grit; beauty and grace too.

Objective: she's very happy in her current position --loves the Bay Area and Oakland/Uptown especially, which she covers on the beat.

Extras: just recently got married.

Summation: Pay the lady, Pix! She makes your evening content watchable and she's an invaluable asset to the news operation, a stunning and beautiful local news figure.

Don't blow this one, Dano.

415 Media Exclu: ABC Courts KGO-TV's Rising Star Jessica Castro

  ABC NEWS is heavily courting KGO-TV Morning "Live Desk" anchor/personality, Jessica Castro, 415 Media has learned.

Any why not?

Castro is a rising star. Her news acumen is stellar. Her screen presence is profound. Furthermore, in an industry that almost begs resentment and jealousy, Castro has avoided both. She's almost universally liked and respected in the newsroom.

ABC News execs are planning a "massive offer" --a 415 Media broadcast source says the alphabet network would like for Castro to anchor from its LA news studio.

So far, no formal offer is on the table but a package is being formalized and the ABC7 star could be looking at a presentation any day now. That doesn't mean Castro could bolt; she loves the Bay Area and has settled in to a nice situation at 900 Front, say close friends.

We'll be watching and waiting.

'Hot Head' Robin Winston Gets Into More Drama at KRON; Ronn Owens Makes Cal AG Read Mattress Ad; Roberta Gonzales Gushy-Gushy Again With KCBS' Bunger; KTVU About To Get Slashed; KPIX Malaise; ABC Execs Go Cheap on KGO-TV For Lunch; Giants Broadcasters Go Asleep on Sunday; 415 Media Monday

    "Miss Hot Head"--that's what a KRONvict calls her-- had a blowout last week with a production assistant...just the latest incident involving KRON morning traffic anchor/diva, Robin Winston.

There's some history here.

As Winston's profile gets bigger and bigger --she gets more fan mail and social media messages than Countess Darya--her ego has "gone out of control," says a senior staffer behind the scenes..

After the latest brouhaha with the PA, Winston went running to management about the altercation. There's no word yet on the status but suffice to say, Winston is turning into a drama queen and then some. She even proceeded to status update the deal on her Facebook. That's not something you do in the TV News biz. Seems Winston is ready for a Battle Royal --oh, by the way, Winston is still sending anonymous comments to 415 Media, pretty snarly too. Robin, I appreciate the accolades but if you're going to throw rocks at me, then at least be lady enough to ID yourself.

Ronnnnnnnnnnnnnn Owens 

*"Mr. Softie"--aka: Ronn Owens once again made an ass of himself on the KGO air last week. Owens had the California Attorney Gen. Xavier Becerra--get this!--READ A mattress ad! (Audio) This was once cute. Years ago. Now Owens act is embarrassing.

*Roberta Gonzales is out of control. Again. The KCBS--KPIX weather diva once again gushed over the radio airwaves last week. Gonzales threw out the first ball at the A's game and then, with gushing and prodding from news anchor, Stan Bunger, described her baseball encounter. Naturally, it was overly obnoxious and overblown but that's Roberta is a nutshell ...Stan Bunger, her enabler, should be embarrassed. 

*KTVU is embroiled in a very tense atmosphere inside the broadcast studios in Jack London Square. 

Here's why: Fox is considering a "MASSIVE" pay cut for its "very highly paid" anchors and reporters and its Bay Area (Oakland) O and O (owned and operated) is first on the CUTTING BLOCK!

They're not going to mess with Frank Somerville (yet) but Julie Haener, Mark Ibanez, Tom Vacar and Claudine Wong are all on the short list to get their salaries SLASHED ...Oh Nellie! 

*KPIX in a nutshell: just pure out and out "WE DON'T CARE" by the natives. They don't care because there's a distinct lack of leadership by the likes of managers who only care themselves about payday ...and nothing else. Meanwhile, KPIX is in a ratings freefall with less and less viewership morning, noon and night.

Here's a bigger PIX issue: one of its lone budding stars, Betty Yu, is being heavily courted by a local station that adores her disposition. Think across the street. 

*ABC News Execs, vacationing from NY, decided to stop by KGO recently and, get this, inundate 900 Front with a bunch of Subway sandwiches --ok, nice gesture, only the sandwiches were day-old and tasted like something you'd get off one of those "roach coaches." Yeah, when you're $500K a year execs it's that tasty Subway cuisine --like the schmucks couldn't have ordered a few tuna melts from Grumpy's?

*That extra-long, dull, bore-a-thon called the Giants game on Sunday was outdone by the local TV play-by-play broadcasters who decided to take an on-air nap during the fifth inning. Maybe they were on assignment. 

*415 Media Monday