OAKLAND Will Make Pitch to A'S Owner Lew Wolff On New Stadium

OAKLAND City officials have formally contacted Athletics' owner Lew Wolff to propose a stadium deal that would keep the A's in the Eastbay's largest city, according to a source familiar with civic leaders.

The A's owner told city officials, including Mayor Ron Dellums, that he would listen to any new proposal, but wanted a 30-day sabbatical on the matter.

The A's had been negotiating a deal with Fremont leaders over a proposed stadium off Interstate 880, tentatively called "Cisco Field", since 2006, before pulling out of the city formally last week, due to opposition from residents over traffic and infrastructure issues.

It's believed that Oakland will attempt to convince Wolff and co-owner John Fisher that the city's availability of land and built-in infrastructure, would be the best option if the ownership is interested in keeping the franchise in the Bay Area.

Wolff, who has several real estate projects in the south bay, has also spoke to San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed about the possibility of building a privately-financed stadium in San Jose, on a site near the HP Pavilion in downtown. That proposal would inevitably draw opposition from the SF Giants, who have an agreement with MLB over territorial rights. In addition, several San Jose citizen groups have openly protested any new construction in the area, citing increased traffic and noise pollution.

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and City council President Ignacio DeLaFuente are expected to offer the A's any one of three sites available for consideration, including Jack London Square, the Laney College area adjacent to the Nimitz freeway, and the existing Coliseum north parking lot, which has the advantage of nearby BART and mass transit.

Last year, Wolff insisted that the franchise, which has been in the East bay for 41 years, would not play in Oakland and insinuated that if no viable stadium site could be developed, that the team might have to look outside the state of California or consider selling the team.

02-26-'09
12: 58 PM PST

OBAMA'S Speech to A Joint Session of Congress

WASHINGTON DC

02-24-'09

6: 46: 56 PM PST

President Barack Obama spoke to a joint session of Congress tonight, outlining his $787 Billion Economic Stimulus Program.

Facebook Members and others, rate the President's speech tonight....both in performance and policy approval.

Leave Comments at end of this post and/or simply register your approval or disapproval. Results will be tabulated and published later on Face Book.

RICH LIEBERMAN

RICH LIEBERMAN REPORT

KRON4's SPORTS Weekend Run Day-Old 'Highlights' and VERN GLENN Update, plus, KAREL is Back

VERN GLENN UPDATE & KRON4's "Sports Weekend"

Staffer: "You can't be serious!"...

"KRON4", KRON-TV, San Francisco's venerable independent station at storied 1001 Van Ness, whose parent company, YOUNG Broadcasting filed bankruptcy a few weeks back has indeed made headlines in local media circles, but not the type I'm sure their management would like.

First off, weekend sports anchor, Vern Glenn is still employed at the station, but was stripped of his anchoring duties, and is now a midweek "VJ" journalist. Glenn told me "I have a 34 waist and now I'm trying to live in a 30-inch world". Glenn has been working without a contract since October of 2008. He's been at KRON for 19 years.

I watched KRON's weekend sports last week and couldn't believe what I was seeing. First off, on Saturday, they ran a CNN 'headline sports summary from FRIDAY's! sports stories, and on Sunday, ran a NATIONAL 90-second sports capsule with Saturday stories. NO local material, nothing about the Sharks, the Warriors. A canned, innocuous, and thoroughly embarrassing sports report, anchor less, using day-old highlights.

The events were so out of wacky, a KRON producer reportedly threw their hands up in the air and blurted out loud, "You can't be serious". At least the weather segment was current and the 30-something "news" anchor managed to get through a half-hour trying her very best not to mispronounce every other name.

Just another sad day at KRON4.

*******************************************************************************

KAREL Update:

KAREL, the openly-gay radio talk-host who was fired from KGO Radio during the election for wishing 'Joe the plumber' "would die", not knowing his mike was on, has apparently been hired at ENERGY, (92.7 FM) and is set to begin a new show March 2 from 9-midnight. Watch this site for more details.

KGO RADIO's King Still On Top After 33 Years; Ronn Owens, "Mr SF Morning Radio"

After 33 years of dominating the San Francisco radio
landscape, you'd think there'd be a little let-up
in the morning phenomena known as the "Ronn
Owens show" on top-rated KGO "News talk" 810,
yet just listening to whom many consider to be
the quintessential "Mr. Morning of SF culture", there's no holding back Owens, who has been at the City by the Bay's talkie since 1975.

Owens strength has been outlined by several media analysts, including his innate ability to success by being "squarely in the middle", from politics to his choice of restaurants.

While the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, and Mark Levin have put their political mark firmly on the right-wing meter, Owens blend of middle-of-the-road, moderately-advocated takes on various issues have been met with a huge amount of approval by the Bay Area's sophisticated, nationally-renowned reputation of cosmopolitan culture and left-of-center political niche.

There are those, (like me) who've often privately grumbled that the KGO titan should be more hard-nosed and partisan on certain issues, but Owens, who voted for Barack Obama, thinks otherwise. And the ratings prove his point; since taking over the prestigious morning seat from the late, great talk-host Owen Spann in 1984, Owens has consistently been #1 in overall ratings from Arbitron, and annually beats both Rush Limbaugh (opposite him on neighboring KSFO) and Gary Radnich on all-sports KNBR.

Owens program is a mixture of national news, politics, (his chief favorite) local subjects, with caller-driven reaction and commentary that spice up his popular program. He is generally regarded as one of the best interviewers in the business, as evidenced by his hard-nosed grilling of former President Jimmy Carter last week. While Carter's comments on Israel have drawn international criticism as being biased against the Jewish state, his interviewees have rarely tried to be even remotely critical of the 39Th President; Owens was anything but congenial toward Mr. Carter, challenging him on almost all his Middle East offerings, and making Carter appear to be mostly on the defensive and what made for great radio listening.

Owens recently won the prestigious "Marconi award" for best talk-show host in the country and has received numerous national and local broadcasting awards. While many of his competitors have either tried syndication, did well, or perhaps did not; while many have relied on "shouting" and/or creating 'shock-jock' radio antics, Owens mix of local flavor and congenial attitude toward his radio audience has been received with critical praise and intimate approval.

Owens is one of the few radio performers that treats his loyal audience to sincere, straight-up talk and conversation; no crazy antics, no bizarre, phony phone-call shenanigans--simply an honest, compelling, daily three hours of topical news talk, hot guests, (Owens scored Barack Obama early in his campaign) and even local favorites as to the Bay Area's best restaurants, movies, and places to go. For Owens, that may be across the bay in nearby Albany, CA, the site of Golden Gate Fields, one of Northern Calif.'s premier horse-racing tracks. Owens is a huge fan of the ponies and can be seen at the turf club on any given Friday scouring the races.

There are the famous cable cars and Fisherman's wharf, the celebrated Golden Gate Bridge and Chinatown and hills of San Francisco, but when it comes to morning radio culture, from 9-Noon weekdays, it seems everyone in their car or at home is tuned to KGO listening to the King of the airwaves, Ronn Owens.

KRON-TV 4 FILES BANKRUPTCY: BREAKING NEWS

KRON-TV, "KRON4", Young Broadcasting, has formally filed Bankruptcy ...Details on personnel and talent situations developing...

Watch this site for details.

Breakings News.

1260/KYA--SF Oldie Is Back in 'City by the Bay--KFRC Too.'

San Francisco's #1 Memory station has returned with all your "Golden Gate Greats". The "Boss of the Bay" is back, broadcasting your favorites over the world wide web. Go to www.kyaradio.com

______________________________

KFRC, back at 1550 AM

More nostalgia: the old KFRC-AM, (CBS/Infinity) is back to playing the hits of the 60's, 70's, and 80's at 1550 AM. KFRC was a classic AM 70's station with such radio luminaries as the late, great "Dr. Don Rose", Dave, "Your Duke", Sholin, Bobby Ocean, Bill Lee, and Don. St. John. It's memory row as a good dose of "Love machine" from the Sylvers, (1976) and "Disco Duck" from Rick Dees, ('76) is once again playing the airways. All we need is Rose's famous sound drops, "Sacra-tomato", and yes, of course, "San Raquel!" temperatures. And let us not forget news, weather, and sports with Mike Colgan, (now at KCBS-AM), Ken Bastida, (CBS5 anchor), and Vicki Liviakis, (KRON-TV weekend anchorwoman) Those were the days, my friend.

_________________________________________________________________

CNN's Anderson Cooper was relegated to extra duty early this morning, as the cablet and Cooper were the first net to report and cover the tragic Continental Airline crash in suburban Buffalo, NY.

A CUMULUS "Dickey" in SF; T.O. And the Raiders? Pebble Golf Media Blues

SAN FRANCISCO--2-12'09

Fresh off cutting millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs, via it's radio stations in the mid-west and south, Atlanta-based CUMULUS CEO, Lew Dickey, is in San Francisco looking over the company's radio outlet's here, (KNBR, KFOG, 107.7, "The Bone") among other things, scouring the various talent, producers, salespeople, promotion people and their salaries'.

Anybody making over $100,000, including management positions, are reportedly being heavily scrutinized as the Cumulus stock fell to 87 cents, and many industry analysts expect that the company will conduct a "Clear Channel operation", referring to CC's $400 million across-the-board, budgetary cuts.

Wonder if Dickey's compensation will be subject to the possible ax-wielding: he made almost $11 million in 2007.

*******************************

T.O. to the Raiders?

Dallas Cowboys star wide-out Terrell Owens is out of owner Jerry Jones plans this year, according to SI/NBC's Peter King, fueling rumors of a possible move by the Oakland Raiders to acquire the controversial, but talented 35 year-old. The Raiders need a wide receiver, but would they be willing to pay the $9 million Owen's contract for '09? And will the Cowboys cut their star receiver or try to trade him? We know that Al Davis has long coveted Owens, and has a cordial relationship with Jones. Stay tuned.

*********************************

PEBBLE BEACH

Just got off the phone with famed golf and NFL football writer Art Spander who told me that the press center at the AT& T golf tourney in Pebble Beach was half-empty, another indication that news outlet's, mainly newspapers, have decided to cut back sending writers to even famous golf tournaments like this one...Spander also relayed that KTVU's Fred Inglis was present, but without a cameraman, and that there is word that KRON's weekend sports anchor Vernon Glenn will soon be "dispatched". I called KRON to get a comment; was directed to Glenn's voicemail, so for now, "Mr. Involvement" remains at the troubled YOUNG broadcasting indie. UPDATE: Word is now out that indeed, Glenn has been laid off at KRON-TV.

*********************************

QUESTION: How can KGO radio be taken seriously when they use insipid, excruciatingly irritating and 'bizarro talk hostess Pat Thurston? The grating Thurston, who once used her bra size as a hiring point on an application to a radio station a few years back, is one of KGO's revolving hosts on the station's 10 PM--1 AM time slot.

Presumably, GM Mickey Luckoff and PD Jack Swanson will get to their senses and '86 Thurston asap. She's about as entertaining and compelling as watching a CNBC infomercial on Saturday night.

***********************************

Larry Shannon is the King of radio trades and his "RDN Central" at http://www.radiodailynews.com/ is must reading for everyone in the biz . Take a look.

STERN/SIRIUS Status...Lots Of Noise, But Nothing Yet...

There have been recent rumors that Howard Stern, the self-proclaimed "King of all Media" and SIRIUS Satellite Radio mega-performer, and one of the most highly-paid talents in the biz, may be headed back to terrestrial radio, maybe even CBS.

No one is talking on the record, but given Sirius' current financial state, (it has nearly $3.4 billion of debt, and although it was bought out by EchoStar, it still faces some significant payments in the future, according to the WSJournal) the idea of a Stern comeback to commercial radio could make sense, and there's been rumblings that CBS would make a significant offer to lure one of it's prized radio assets back to Blackrock.

Stern has been with Sirius since late 2006. He reportedly earned an $83 million stock dividend as a result of signing up nearly 6 million subscribers to the fledgling service in January 2007. Since that time, the state of satellite radio's financial position has been dramatically down-sized due to the sagging economy.

There's no guarantee that CBS would make a formal offer to Stern, nor is it set in stone that he'd leave his satellite radio program for now, but given current economic market conditions, anything's possible.

It should be pointed out that Stern is still under contract with Sirius, but has buyout clauses in the contract.

*******

UPDATE: According to a late report from the NY Times, Sirius XM is preparing a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing, sometime within the next 11 days.

Stay tuned.

A-Rod's Admission Gives Sports Talk Radio-TV/Blogs A Busy Monday

SAN FRANCISCO 02-09-09 4: 36 PM PST

A-ROD's 'Mea Culpa' Draws Plenty of Talk-Show/Internet Fodder...

The story broke early Saturday on SI.com: One of Baseball's most feared hitters, NY Yankees Slugger, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for using steroids in 2003.

Today, he confirmed the report, admitting to using the banned substances from 2001 until 2003, in an exclusive interview with ESPN's Peter Gammons.

Ho-hum. No surprise, big deal, was the general initial reaction amongst the sporting media from radio talk shows to Internet blogs to, yes, ESPN itself.

Compelling TV too, as Rodriguez' one-on-one December 2007 interview with "60 Minutes" Katie Couric was replayed over and over; an interview in which the 34 year-old MVP denied using, acquiring, or even testing for steroids use. (Couric's coup, a double-whopper; yesterday she got an exclu with the US Airways Pilot, Sully Sullenberger)

The "A-Rod" story drew a healthy dose of ammo for sports-talk radio, as both callers and hosts debated yet again, among other things, another bleak day for MLB and whether or not the latest revelation would affect the slugger's eventual election into the Hall of Fame, (yes) or whether or not anyone in the sports biz was even surprised, (no).

The best takes locally, was from KNBR's afternoon drive duo of the "Razor and Mr. T", (Ralph Barbieri and Tom Tolbert 3-7 PM) Tolbert, an ex-NBA player who has co-hosted the show for 12 years, had one of the best responses: "Why don't they all, ( 2003 players) just come out and come clean and 'get it over with? Just stop the lying." Most callers had the same feelings, and to no one's surprise, a general malaise was the overall feeling.

Barbieri had a funny line about A-Rod's comeuppance: "At least he can say that instead of lying before Congress or a Grand jury, he only lied to Katie Couric."

Another funny moment in the broadcast came at the start of the show when the duo interviewed a writer and book author from "ESPN, The Magazine", whose beat involves the steroids controversy, "looks as if I'm going to be employed for a bit longer".

In addition to Gammon's interviews, ESPN's entire franchise, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News and ESPN.com devoted their entire Monday presentations to the Rodriguez story. It also drew heavy play on almost all the radio/TV/cable networks, and even in spite of President Obama's prime-time news conference, the A-Rod/steroids story dominated the day's media content. CNN.com, Drudge Report, Yahoo and all Internet sites drew record hits on their respective cyber arenas. (The President, himself, was asked at the news conference for reaction to the A-Rod story)

The story drew heavy action on SFGATE.com, the Internet wing of the SF Chronicle, a paper whose reporters, Lance Williams and Mark Fainru-Wada, were the initial correspondents who broke the BALCO story that dealt with professional and amateur athletes use of steroids and other banned substances.

Rich Lieberman

As Media Landscape Gets Depleted, Local Names and Faces Disappear

SANFRANCISCO

02-08-'09

Rich Lieberman

Familiar faces and voices of the SF Bay Area Media landscape leave and disappear-as massive cuts, layoffs take shape...KGO-TV/ABC7, KTVU/FOX2, KPIX/CBS5, NBC11 Fight for Local Identity.

Radio/Newspapers looking to survive as worsening economy forces new faces and voices.

SAN FRANCISCO

As the economy and fiscal state of the nation continues to worsen, and as the media landscape is further depleted by the corporations that own our radio, TV, and newspaper product here in the Bay Area, the most telling and obvious aspect of this situation can be seen and heard most especially right on our airwaves.

There's a significantly higher amount of new, (read: cheaper) anchormen and women delivering our nightly news and sports and weather; reporters out on the street covering stories in city's that they're not geographically aware of, and a slew of correspondents interviewing various local people, politicians, sports figures that look as if they just landed square into the nation's 4Th largest TV/radio market.

As one observer that watches a heavy dose of local TV news, and listens intensely to local radio news, entertainment, and sports stations, the familiar names and faces, the by-lines in the biggest paper in the area, the SF Chronicle are noticeably, increasingly absent.

San Francisco is a city of geographical landmarks; most obvious, the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, Fisherman's Wharf, and the Transamerica Pyramid. Cable cars, hills, and the Embarcadero too. To a lesser degree, there's also Mt. Sutro tower, the massive antenna that stands about 800 ft. over the city that drives the area's TV station's with it's power.

Locally, it's referred to as "Sutro Tower"; imagine the disgust the other day, when a very young, obviously newly-hired, female reporter referred to it as "Sutro Mountain Tower". Nothing earth-shattering, but any local TV resident most likely either shrugged their shoulders in disgust or simply gagged out loud like this observer.

During a news radio traffic report on KCBS radio, a metro-traffic lady reported of an accident on the "Bas-COM" avenue exit off a highway in San Jose. Anyone who has lived in the area knows the correct pronunciation is "Bas-CUM" avenue; it's fairly clear this woman has no knowledge of streets and freeways because she also referred to the approach to the GG Bridge as Doyle "avenue", when any local person knows it's actually "Doyal Drive".

Just a quick glance of the reporters and anchor folks reveals that the layoffs and new personnel that have arrived here as a result of the economic purge, is that your familiar favorite faces have either left and taken new jobs, retired, or have simply been let go.

The newspapers are not immune either, obviously, as a quick look at the SF Chronicle and/or the Oakland Tribune and San Jose Mercury News feature newer bylines and old standby columnists, the few that are still around, have begun to blog as papers try to find a way to reinvent themselves in these challenging times.

The new talent in the radio/TV local industry is of course not simply occurring in SF; the same audio/visual phenomena is also quite the stark reality in mostly all markets; as budgets are slashed and the cost of keeping quality reporters and anchors and newspaper writers shrink, owners are looking for cheaper workers and have quite a steady pool of sports anchors, news reporter/talent, who are quite willing to leave a smaller market for an alluring TV/radio arena like San Francisco.

Those anchors and/or news/sports readers that have been here for more than a decade continues to shrink. Gary Radnich, arguably the biggest, most well-known Bay Area media personality, (KRON4/KNBR Radio) has been in SF for 23 years; KGO radio's Ronn Owens has held forth the 'mike at the famed talkie for 34 years and rules morning radio; ditto morning news anchor Ed Baxter and afternoon-drives Rosie Allen. At all- news AM 740, reporter Bob Melrose has been on the streets of SF for 35 years for KCBS and Stan Bunger has read the morning news for over 20 years. Mark Ibanez just celebrated his 30th Anni. at KTVU/FOX 2 as Sports Director. KQED-FM Radio's Michael Krasny, host of "Forum" has been on the Bay Area radio airwaves for over three decades. These individuals are exception to the rule.

They are the dwindling talent as the entire SF-Oakland-San Jose media canvass is changing day-by-day. One can only hope the purge doesn't get worse.

ADDENDUM: Noted Bay Area Media columnist Bill Mann reminds me some notable local anchors I forgot to note, who have been here many decades, including, KGO-TV/ABC7 capable anchorwoman, Cheryl Jennings, and Don Sanchez, a reporter, sports anchor who began at KGO in the early 70's...Ken Bastida has been anchoring at KPIX/CBS5 for almost a decade, but started at KFRC radio in the mid 70's, ditto street-reporter, Mike Colgan. I'm sure I have left someone else out; if so, please leave a note and sign in.

With Obama in White House, Fox News Scores Higher Ratings

SAN FRANCISCO
The RL Report
02-06-'09 1: 51 PM PST

FNC Ratings Soar as Obama Admin. Settles In...



A few weeks ago, in this space, I wondered aloud why the conservative media masses were 'screaming and yelling' about the new Obama administration. Most notably, even thier King, the esteemed one himself, Rush Limbaugh, who managed to 'kvetch enough anti-Obama vitriol, the new President mentioned his name, and made for Limbaugh's clout to become even more powerful.








Now we hear that FOX NEWS CHANNEL, part of Rupert Murdoch's NEWS CORP., has seen it's ratings go through the roof. Surprise. To put it more bluntly, had John McCain won the election, he would have most likely been labeled a pinhead by Bill O'Reilly.





So far, during prime time, (through Wednesday's ratings) FNC is averaging 2,495,000 Total viewers; well ahead of CNN's 1,254,000 and MSNBC's 984,000 combined. In the highly-coveted Adult-25-54 Demo, FNC is solidly #1 with 539,000, compared to CNN's 388,000 and MSNBC's 357,000. Overall viewership at FOX is up 23% from the same time a year ago.





Just this week alone, FNC's major cabler, Sean Hannity, has led off his show at 9 eastern with segments on the Obama stimulus program and the controversy surrounding the resignation of two key Obama cabinet officials regarding their income tax non-payment issues, notably ex-Senator Tom Daschle.





Little wonder that behind the scenes there is universal joy that only three weeks into the new Obama administration, FNC execs have de-facto programming segments already on the shelf and every Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Bill O'Reilly associate are practically giddy.





Makes you almost think that Keith Olbermann's celebrated "worst person in the world" could someday be the President himself.

The BONDS Story; Mixed 'Bag From SF Media; KNBR, 'Semi-Soft

SAN FRANCISCO

As the BARRY BONDS story commences full-throttle mode in the City-by-the-Bay, it's generally conceded that the ex-Giants slugger has received far more critical coverage from the city's daily newspaper, the SF Chronicle, than from the Bay Area's radio-TV contingent, notably, all-sports talk-station, KNBR, which happens to be the Giants flagship outlet, and owns 5% of the team.

Bonds name has surfaced again as he formally plead not guilty for the third time before a federal magistrate as his perjury trial is set to begin early next month.

It was the Chronicle's Lance Williams and Mark Fainru-Wada who broke the initial BALCO story nearly six years ago that led to Bonds testimony before a federal grand jury in December 2003; a hearing in which the career home run record-holder testified that he didn't knowingly take steroids. The govt. said he lied.

Sports columnists here have generally been critical; KNBR's hosts have been relatively tepid. Just today, mid-morning host, Gary Radnich, also sports anchor at KRON-TV, was mostly supportive of Bonds and semi-lampooned callers who said that Bonds deserved all the legal wrath and impending fate, perhaps, coming his way.

During one call today, when a male caller pointed out that "even a President was impeached" over lying to a grand jury, Radnich quickly cut him off and suggested to the caller that Bonds was a baseball player and that the only harm he may have committed was to his body.

Solid point, but when another observant caller pointed out that Bonds may have to go to jail for a period of time should he be convicted, Radnich laughed it off, obviously forgetting the most recent case of Martha Stewart, who was found guilty on four counts of obstruction of justice, and served four months of jail time.

KNBR's night-time host Damon Bruce and afternoon duo, Ralph Barbieri and Tom Tolbert, (The "Razor and Mr. T) have been far more pointed and critical of Bonds; in fact, Barbieri and producer Brian Smith committed to several interviews of Williams and Fainru-Wada and last year had a fairly intriguing and informative interview of Bond's mistress, Kimberly Bell, who figures to be a prime witness for the prosecution's case against the 45 year-old Bonds.

Developing Story...

2-5-'09 5:57 PM PST

Donald Trump On CNN's "Larry King Live"--Uses "D" Word

One of America's leading Real Estate Tycoon's, and celebrity deal-maker, Donald Trump, appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" Wednesday night, and called the current economic situation in the US a "Depression".

Trump, appearing on the show via telephone, expressed support for President Obama's nearly $900 billion stimulus program and urged lawmakers in Washington to pass the package, or echoing the President's remark earlier, the current conditions would turn into a "catastrophe".

The Senate is to vote on the program later in the week, and late Wednesday, Mr. Obama expressed confidence that he has the votes to pass the stimulus bill. The House passed an origin of the bill last week.

Mr. Trump's use of the word "depression" to describe the state of the nation's economy is startling, given his own personal portfolio; Trump himself is having trouble securing loans from a Chicago bank to build a major real-estate venture in the windy city. Trump told King that he was confident that the development will proceed.

KNBR's Damon Bruce; Cuts At KQED TV And Radio

Funny Line from KNBR's Damon Bruce, (680 AM) on the Golden State Warriors: "This team has more losing habits than any team in sports. They don't just 'get beat--they lose games every night. The next time Stephen Jackson is looking to get a call from the refs, instead of a bucket at the end of a game, he should go to the 'frickin' rim!





Bruce, the under-rated, often hilarious and insightful night-time host on "Sportsphone 680", (7-10 PM) is the Cumulus-owned KNBR's star tonsil; he is easily one of the all-sports outlet's prized commodities and one day will get a contract from station brass before another SF talkie lures him away...Props also to reporter/traffic anchor, Dan Dibley, part of KNBR's Morning show and "Gary Radnich show" for his irreverent comments and peppered lines, some of the funniest in SF radio.





**KQED, SF's Public Broadcasting outlet, has announced a 13% budget cut, affecting personnel at the top-rated radio and TV station. No reporters at both the radio and TV station, (KQED-TV, Channel 9) will be affected.






9: 26: 45 AM PST
The Rich Lieberman Report
Rich Lieberman

SUPER RATING For NBC; Highest-Rated SUPER BOWL in 22 Years

NBC and the NFL got huge numbers as the Super Bowl over-night ratings have been released.

Sunday's game got a 43.9 Nielsen rating with a 65 share, from 28 overnight markets, an 8.6 percent increase over the 40.4 rating for last year's game on CBS. The telecast received the highest overnight rating since CBS's 1987 Giants-Broncos Super Bowl which had a 47.9 rating/68 share. Over 100 million viewers watched some or part of the game.

Late Saturday, NBC sold all it's remaining ad-time for the NFL finale at a record $3 million a minute. FOX will broadcast next year's Super Bowl

Rich Lieberman
The Rich Lieberman Report
2-2-'09 2: 28 EST

SUPER BOWL 43; NBC Scores Big; A Game For The Ages

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals in SUPER BOWL 43, 27-23; NBC brass in Manhattan may be just as happy as the Steelers, as the NFL'S hallmark finale was a game for the ages.

The ratings are not out yet, but the peacock network can expect a huge number given the twists and turns of the game, which came down to the very last minute.

NBC'S production was terrific, with great slow-mo shots of certain plays, including the game winner. Al Michaels and John Madden, broadcasting their second Super Bowl together, were also very solid, as was sideline reporter Andrea Kramer.

Michael's had the best line of the game; commenting on a scene of Larry Fitzgerald's stoic-looking father, a Minnesota Sports writer, in the press box, after his son scored what was then the go-ahead touchdown, Michael's uttered, "That's Dad being the 'ultimate journalist--'no cheering in the press box!"

Rich Lieberman

The Rich Lieberman Report

2-1-'09 11: 05 EST

SUPER BOWL Media Update; NBC Sells Out Time, Finally

TAMPA, Florida Raymond James Stadium

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY. 2-1-'09

NBC has sold all it's available ad-time for Today's Big game. A $206 million payoff for the peacock network in a challenging economic climate. Three months ago, NBC had only sold 85% of the spots for the NFL'S elite signiture finale.

How symbolic that one of the last-minute buys is a company called "Cash for Gold", featuring MC Hammer and Ed McMahon. For the first time in Super Bowl TV history, none of the Big three auto makers has a commercial, and Fed Ex has opted out of this year's game.

Kickoff from Tampa: 6: 34 EST

Broadcast: NBC: Al Michaels, John Madden, and Andrea Kramer

Weather: Clear skies, temperature in the high 50's.

Rich Lieberman

The Rich Lieberman Report

2-1-'09 3: 28 EST