Sal Castaneda Wants To Get Paid; KTVU Morning Traffic Ace Might Play Hard Ball; But Penny-Pinching Fox Might Have Other Ideas; 'PIX/KNTV Might Be Players

SAL CASTANEDA: KTVU's MORNING ACE Traffic Reporter ...a 20-year vet and one of the station's most popular personalities (he gets more mail then even Gasia Mikaelian) WANTS TO GET PAID!

Now.

Castaneda has been busy talking with media agents about a "significant" pay increase from his current north of $250K annual salary. My sources say good old Salvatore wants "at least 375-400G" --is he worth it? A Battle Royale looms.

Castaneda has built up a solid, loyal, following, especially, among women. Yes, women, particularly the married, 25-54 crowd. Or as one Insider tells me: "The happy housewife in Pleasant Hill that goes to PTA meetings LOVES SAL."

The question is: Does FOX love Sal? The FOX people that are known to loathe pay people lots of money, even star players like Castaneda.

Right now, there's no tension but stay tuned this is going to end up being a doozy, just a hunch.

I know a few stations nearby that would LOVE to snatch El Salvatore! Think PIX (they need a boost) or KNTV (a longshot but they too need a spark)

Stay tuned.

KRON Expands News; Hallelujah; Now If Only They Could Rid Schmucko Pero Loose; Wednesday Cocktail Open

I'm Supposed to do Multiple High Fives because KRON is expanding its newscasts --which would be great in theory but as long as the Napoleon ND, Aaron Pero, is in charge, I have NO faith in KRON. Moreover, as commendable as a commitment to local news is, KRON hasn't hired any significant news personnel (a token NY anchor hire) and in fact, laid off a significant person in its personnel division.

Programming Director, Jim Swanson, was canned along with two of KRON's local/commercial producers. Swanson was responsible for local commercials, live events, and special programming,such as The Backstory, July 4th Live, New Year's Live and Fleet Week. 

Pero is a bully. Still. He continues to lead by intimidation, by fear, and by making the newsroom a virtual hothouse. I don't like assholes like Pero who possess little-man complex, treat underlings like crap and make people cry --so while it's cool that KRON is expanding news (maybe two less patio commercials) I'll continue to be wary of the news operation being run by the little weasel boor. Quote me.

Married, KPIX Exec Plays Footsie With Reporter; Giants' Broadcasters Take Season Off Too; Ronn Owens 100G Mattress Deal; Scott Reiss/CNN Update; Tuesday Morsels

THAT HIGH-LEVEL, MARRIED KPIX EXEC who was co-giggling over a bottle of Merlot at Kokkari at the end of the bar the other night should know his female friend --a reporter at a local station (not Pix) can be something of a "Play Misty For Me." --I know, from experience. When I was running high and mighty a few years back. First it was definitely worth it--later on? Uh, not so much. mattress

*As the Giants tank this season, so do their broadcasters. Duane Kuiper hosts more dead air lately than a Colma mortuary --LOTS OF DEAD AIR. Kuiper is especially bad at the end of innings when he routinely DOES NOT GIVE THE SCORE OF GAME! "Giants coming up." Hey Kuip, there's people out there who are sight-impaired --hello! Jon Miller doesn't believe in giving the score --ever. In last night's gruesome blowout with the Pirates, there was over 10 seconds of DEAD AIR late in the game on KNBR --which given the circumstances, actually sounded better then virtually all of KNBR's content. Miller has become horrid lately. Overrated too.

And Miller's incessant plugs of the web site that tells the MPH of the hit off the bat is pretty pathetic. I don't think Miller is getting a kickback but he mentions it almost every batter and it's BORING and repetitious.

*If you wonder why Ronn Owens makes some of his guests read the tacky mattress ad commercial on KGO radio, it might be because Ronn makes about an extra 100 Grand for being mattress pitchman. That's rather Temperpedic, dude!

*KPIX new reporters: The Fresno Greyhound terminal is a busy place these days.

*KRON new NY TV News hire: God, I thought I was desperate.

*KQED Gets Hacked: Yeah, I saw the story. Big fuckin' deal the whole world is getting hacked, next story.

*REAL Giants' TORTURE: Listening to Giants Replay, slightly worse than root canal.

*KGO-TV and KTVU: Maybe a few more weather people.

*Although if Scott Reiss splits Oakland for CNN, then one less bell to answer. By the way, Reiss is better anchoring news which is one reason why CNN is interested.

*Listen to the amount of "uhs" that Miller says on a radio broadcast--mind boggling.

*The phony , brown-nose redneck that complained on a video about the slave wages on KNBR hosts a 5 AM show that can best be described as something slightly more nauseating than Giants' replay. Hint: eat some pecans.

*Gotta go, I'm on assignment. I'll just keep it a mystery.

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KGO Mashed Potato Mushie Motor Mouth Chip Franklin Five Minutes of Shit on PM Drive

MASHED-POTATO MUSHIE MOTORMOUTH --Chip Franklin on KGO Radio 5: 15 yapping about nothing --jams in five minutes of useless topics and nothing-burger radio...most unintentionally funny: mush-mouth Franklin sends out nitwit chick, "Heather" for MOS interview: "What do you like about radio?" Not one of the dozen morons on street said, "KGO", but KPOO got five-second commercial.

El Crappo De Dayo En Fuego.

It's War Between KCBS' Bunger and Bristow; No Dinner Mates; 415 Media Afternoon Coffee

Stan Bunger

DON'T INVITE STAN BUNGER and JON BRISTOW to dinner. The two KCBS anchors are at war, and we do mean, war, a 1-2 egofest that seems to be getting more heated by the day.

We told you that the veteran Bunger and ex-KGO tonsil, Bristow were already at odds not so long ago. Notice that both have never co- anchored together and there's evidence that the pair nearly came to blows at a back office not too long ago. Why? Territoriality, for one.

Jon Bristow with Jennifer Jones-Lee at KGO

Bunger recently signed a contract extension (about three years) and is adamant that he's not retiring anytime soon. Bristow, a favorite of ex-big suit, Jack Swanson, and who has been filling in all over the KCBS airwaves is an odds-on favorite to take Bunger's spot once the Alameda resident retires. That has Bunger royally pissed off. He apparently, says a local broadcast source, is peeved over Bristow's growing influence at KCBS and open yearning for a Morning Drive gig once Bunger leaves.

"Stan is upset for what he believes is some BS behavior by Bristow. He knows he's 'Jack's guy but he's got a job to do and that Bristow is spreading his wings too fast and furious," said the source.

Furthermore, Bunger is said to be wary of the impending Entercom takeover of CBS Radio (including KCBS) with rumored layoffs and cuts to staff are looming.

Hey Bristow: my advice, stay away from Bunger.

Kim Wonderley Out Three Months; Veteran KCBS Traffic Anchor Has Hand Surgery; Monday Open

Kim Wonderley and Stan Bunger

  SEVERAL OF YOU have asked me the status of longtime and popular KCBS Morning Traffic Anchor, Kim Wonderley, who has been absent from the all-news station for nearly a month.

Wonderley had minor surgery on her hand and thumb--seems the repetitive stress from years and years of "mousing" caused her arthritis at the base of her thumb. Wonderley, the wife of sports anchor, Kevin "The Rat" Radich, is expected to be out three months. We wish her all the best.

Oh KGO Radio Was So Much Bigger Than Just a Radio Station; Ronn Owens Larger Than Life; The Good Old Days; 415 Media Flashback

IN THE SUMMER OF 1976...my family went on a day trip to Santa Rosa--the Oakland Raiders were inviting their fans to "Family Day" at training camp and KGO Radio was the sponsor. At the time, little known Ronn Owens, who had started his stint at KGO in November of the previous year, was the emcee. It was a big day for me because as a 13 year-old bright-eyed kid from Oakland, I very badly wanted to meet Ronn. I dressed in my jeans and "Rock Rich" t-shirt and finally met my idol. He was cool, nice, funny and a gentleman. I'll never forget that day.

As Ronn became entrenched in the Bay Area radio scene, I got to know him well. He took me into his life. I was friends with him when he met his future wife, Jan Black. He had me on the radio at KGO as "Rock Rich" when he did his popular "Rock Trivia" on Friday night. I had an open invitation to visit and "kibbitz", schmooze, if you will, with Ronn at the old KGO studios on Golden Gate Avenue and later on, the Embarcadero. Ronn invited me to his apartment in Cow Hollow and we frequently ate lunch on Union Street. We went to Giants and A's games. I was smitten.

I loved Ronn like a father that I never had; he was gracious with his time and made me a part of his life. I often marveled at his innate ability to be a great radio talk-show host and put KGO on the map as a destination cultural force it became. KGO was more than a radio station and Ronn was more than just a mere host. Both were larger then life. That's what made KGO such a huge institution --a major Bay Area tour de force.

Today, I lament the fact that I have lost a friend, Ronn , and KGO too. I'm often asked why my hatred for Ronn--was it personal, was there some sort of incident or fallout. Why the vendetta? I'll try to answer.

I'm saddened by Ronn's demise. I long and yearn for the "old Ronn", my buddy, my radio heart and soul. I regret getting too personal but all of it is based on frustration and anger. Anger and resentment on what I consider Ronn's sellout and actions immediately after the initial KGO massacre back in December of 2011. Ronn went on the air the day after the whole shebang and was very short and passive about what had taken place the night before. I RESENTED it. I was angry and upset and embarrassed for Ronn because I thought he could have done a whole lot better. Not just for himself but his fallen colleagues and friends. I was royally pissed. Mind you it wasn't me that was given the heave-ho but all the talk show hosts; people like the late Gene Burns; Ray Taliaferro; John Rothmann; Bill Wattenburg; all the people that made KGO the special place. Radio station? Oh good god, bigger than that.

So today, I harken back to the good old days. When KGO was the place to go to when an earthquake hit the Bay Area; a town hall on the radio where people could talk, schmooze, commiserate, or like Ronn would say, "vent" and open up. God know we needed it so badly on 9/11 and during the particularly dreary days of Jonestown and the Moscone-Milk Murders. KGO, you helped get all of us through those dark and murky days. On the night of December 10, 1980, I was driving home from the Stevie Wonder concert in Oakland listening to, yeah, KGO and Russ Coughlin talk about John Lennon who was murdered just hours earlier at his home in New York. Thank God, again, for KGO.

I miss the old Ronn and old KGO. I miss Dunbar and Wygant cracking jokes during the Morning News. I miss Bill Wattenburg telling a Cal graduate "to get off your ass and quit smoking dope" rant. I miss Dr. Dean Edell and Ed Baxter and Rosie Allen. Man, we all had it so good until we didn't have it.

Damn.



*PLEASE DONATE TO 415 MEDIA: Please, we're in dire straits. Help keep the Bay Area's only 24/7 Independent/reader-supported media blog fully sustainable by DONATING to this site...Click on the Pay Pal icon on the right side of the blog and DONATE NOW. All transactions are confidential and you do not have to have a Pay Pal Account to Contribute. Plus, I will personally call and/or e-mail you thanking you for your contribution.