Monday Minutiae; Tolbert on KNBR AM Show; Interesting KGO Promo

**Tom Tolbert is not a morning guy, by his own admissions, (loves constant hibernation,) so it was somewhat startling to hear him Monday AM on KNBR. I'll assume he was subbing for the frat boys and this was merely temporary, Dude!

In any event, Tolbert, who is occasionally funny and can be creative, scored a few laughs that didn't need any sound drops. What a concept, knibber.

**8: 14 AM Monday on KGO--promo: "who wants to hear a bunch of angry 'white guys?--smart is cool..." Really? All of KGO's prime time hosts are ALL white guys.

**"Chronicle Live"on Comcast Sportsnet note: It's a good show, but it can be better. I'd like to watch and hear some more hard-biting issues and substance than mere innocuous banter on, say, whether or not Pablo Sandoval is getting rid of his fat and the Giants' chances.

Sure, stick with the routine material, but every now and then try to go deep down the line, you hearing me?

Sunday Liners

**A lot of paranoia at KPIX, where more and more noted air talent are splitting, "retiring", and being shown the door. Those that remain are on edge as the news boss and GM mull future moves, including a possible money sack on two very prominent anchors that figures to become quite messy.

**Yeah, I know Sherry Hu is the latest to leave PIX and spend more time with the family.

**KGO Radio had its annual "All-Stars" "debate" the other night at the Marines Memorial Theatre. I did not listen because if those on the dais are considered "All-Stars", then I'm Aaron Rodgers.

**I mentioned it and now suddenly other people notice: KCBS' relentless story repeats on the weekend is overbearing. Granted, when there's little news to report, it becomes difficult to air fresh content. But the same story you hear at 9, 10, and noon, then again, at 2, 4 and 6 can be tedious, at best. Throw me a little more Dave Ross or Star Date, an extra dose of Rewind and you'll make me and others happy.

**Oh, KGO? More Peter B. Collins, less Ray Taliaferro. Taliaferro's comedy show has become an instant tune-out factor. Never thought I'd be listening to Coast-to-Coast to fall asleep.

**Carter B. Smith, Joyce Shank: sad week for SF broadcast biz.

**KUSF fuss: I never listened to the station, but if all the people who scream and yell that USF shut down the operation had actually LISTENED, maybe they'd still be on the air.

**Bruce Jenkins going ga-ga over Jaymee Sire of Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area as a "great locker-room reporter." Yeah, Bruce, I'm surprised Sire hasn't earned a Peabody. (That would really be "disturbing")

**There goes my "Chronicle Live" appearance. Then again, Comcast, which just bought NBC, is apparently against the idea of raw content. Paging Keith Olbermann.

**Ann Killion, SI writer based here recently tweeted, "Ben Roethlisberger, Rapist." I'm not a Big Ben guy myself, but Killion's tweet was out of line. Just my opinion.

**No, I have no idea who will fill the 7-10 PM slot on KNBR, but whomever it is, will have to pass the Lee Hammer/Larry Baer smell test and that can't be too good. Besides, I don't listen to those shows anymore because if I did, I really would slit my wrists, and I know there's a lot of you who say, "please, make our day!"

**Last Thursday and Friday, this "little blog" got over 15,000 page views. In today's world, that's not a lot, barely a sliver, but about 14,400 more than on the same day a year ago. Go figure.

**It was inevitable dept: The local TV schleps going out to interview the SF protesters in sympathy with the people of Egypt. Taking the "local angle" to the extreme. Yeah, when I see burning cars in Cairo, I automatically think of Powell and Market.

**The "Bay-to-Breakers": Talk about "jumped the shark."

**Initial reaction upon glancing at "Mornings on Two, Weekend:" More field reporters, please. But overall, a good start.

*Follow me on Twitter

Piers Morgan idle thought

David Frost light.

Radio ratings

The latest numbers look like this.

Take a hard look at KGO, KNBR, and KQED in particular.

RL 415 Exclusive: KGO-TV Remote Crew get Mugged; Roughed up covering story in Oakland

A KGO-TV remote crew, (reporter Tomas Roman and photographer, Stan Wong,) were mugged while covering a story Thursday night in Oakland.

Wong was pistol-whipped and his mini-camera was stolen. He was taken to a local hospital and released. Roman was unhurt.

This marks the second time in less than a year one of KGO's crews was physically assaulted. Two crews came under attack and one was robbed during the Mehserle verdict riots, also in Oakland last July.

It should be noted while other stations hired security for the Mehserle rioting, KGO did not. They reportedly now hire security at events where trouble may occur.

Amburg and Shank make for a Surreal Day

On Thursday I posted a story about KGO anchor Van Amburg. Hadn't seen him for years and wondered aloud where he'd been.

Later that night, I received notice from a friend that longtime KGO-TV reporter, Joyce Shank, (she'd worked at the SF station from 1976 through 1988 as a GA reporter,) had passed away suddenly from a heart attack.

Needless to say, I was shocked. I mean, here I was, posting an innocuous Amburg story and out of the blue comes word that Shank, who worked along side Van, had died.

Surreal.

Absolutely puts everything in perspective as it should.

And if ever the phrase, "Truth is stranger than fiction" was apt, Thursday's news confirmed it.

Longtime KGO-TV/Channel 7 reporter, Joyce Shank, Dead at 66

Longtime KGO-TV reporter, Joyce Shank, has died at the age of 66. Shank suffered an apparent heart attack.

She worked at KGO in the late 70's as a General Assignment reporter and spent over fifteen years at the SF ABC o and o.

In this 1984 video, Shank is introduced by the late KGO anchor, Pete Wilson, who died in July, 2007.

Wolf Blitzer, NBA fanatic

Meet Wolf Blitzer, NBA fan.

Peter B. Collins substitutes on KGO Radio

A breath of fresh air.

Peter B. Collins has been substituting on KGO Radio this week. You may remember Collins in his days at the old KNBR and later stints on Air America and Green 960.

He's remarkably fresh and a terrific interviewer; it would be great if KGO would give him a fulltime gig.

RL 415 Exclusive: Simon Perez leaving KPIX-TV; Another Name Talent exits 855 Battery

KPIX(CBS5)'s Simon Perez, a widely-respected General Assignment reporter for the CBS o and o, has resigned and will be leaving the station to begin a teaching position, according to a reliable broadcast source.

Perez, who joined KPIX in 2002, is the latest high-profile name to leave the outlet, although the source indicated that Perez' departure is not in any way "acrimonious."

In 1993, Perez began his television career at the NBC News Channel in Charlotte, NC as a writer and producer for Canal de Noticias, a 24-hour newscast in Spanish, broadcast to Central and South America and Spain.

*Follow me on Twitter

*TIPS/E-MAIL: Rich.Lieberman@GMAIL.COM  (All confidentiality assured)

KGO's Amburg and Jonestown Bulletin, 1978

This was a particularly haunting time in Bay Area News: the Jonestown Massacre.

Here was Van Amburg, (along side co-anchor, Marcia Brandwynne,) with the bulletin in November of 1978.

What ever happened to Van Amburg?; KGO-TV Anchor was huge in 70's/80's

He was the face of San Francisco TV news during most of the 70's and early 80's. And the highest paid too, (an estimated $800,000 annual salary at one point.) He also was the prime anchor on one of the most successful news shows in not only the city, but the entire nation. A show that was the origin of the industry terms, "Happy Talk" and more infamously, "If it bleeds, it leads."

He's Van Amburg, who for seventeen years anchored the news for KGO-TV and in December, 1986 was abruptly fired and hasn't been seen since, at least not in any interviews on the tube, the radio, or in print.

He lived in El Cerrito and is apparently still there, but attempts to reach him were unsuccessful. Numerous folks in the biz haven't a clue what he's been up to. This much is clear: he's still alive.

Amburg, (real name: Fred Van Amburg) was a part of SF broadcast lore, for better or worse. He worked with the late Jerry Jensen, (who died in 1984 due to complications from pancreatic cancer,) Pete Giddings, (weather) and John O'Reilly, (sports.)

All were part of "Channel 7 'NewsScene'. It evolved out of the late 60's and became a local TV staple in the 70's with centerpiece stories like the Patty Hearst kidnapping, the notorious Zebra murders, and both the Jonestown, Guyana massacre and Moscone/Milk assassinations.

Amburg's presence and prominence was so ingrained at KGO, management often sent him on numerous high-profile out-of-town assignments. His on-air demeanor was immensely popular, but off-camera, he was reportedly very difficult to work with. At least that's what the word was at the time.

At its peak in the 70's, KGO's news division was known for its penchant to show graphic images from crime scenes and fires and disasters, thus the "if it 'bleeds, it leads'" label. That formula, combined with splashy news footage and free-for-all chit chit made for Channel 7 dominance for much of the decade.

Amburg won a ton of awards and was featured in many of KGO's promos highlighting the show.

*Follow me on Twitter

Tom Tolbert Tries Very Hard to Rip Comcast/Sire Lincecum Special...Sort of

KNBR's relatively credible, Tom Tolbert, (ex-Warrior player, ESPN tonsil--part of the "Razor and Mr. T" with Ralph Barbieri, 3-7 PM,) opened Wednesday's show with a mild-smack down of the Comcast SportsNet Bay Area special on Tim Lincecum.

At least he tried to.

"I don't want to rip it, but after 10 minutes there was nothing there for me, " said Tolbert of the special that explored the day in the life at Lincecum's pad. The show was hosted by that noted sporting journalist, Jaymee Sire. (I didn't see the show because I'm not into crib shows and don't have any interests there.)

Barbieri admitted, belatedly, that he saw a portion of the show but fell asleep after awhile. In between you could hear a lot of nervous laughter.

What Tolbert was trying to say, what he really wanted to say, but had to hesitate, was the obvious: the show sucked for the most part, ba ding! He didn't actually say that, I did, but if you listened, you know the deal.

The hesitation alley part was pretty transparent because although Comcast doesn't own KNBR and vice-versa, they're both integral parts of a very well-oiled media machine that is called the SF Giants. And you don't want to mess with that company. Kind of hand-in-hand.

I'll give Barbieri some credit for this line: "Hey, Comcast has a ton of money and they need programming, right?" Tolbert: "Sure do."

'Nuff said.

KGO Radio uses Facebook as focus of its News Blocks; Carter B Smith and the marginalization of knbr and ksfo; Wednesday Rundown

*In their overtly transparent plan to get younger, by any means necessary, KGO Radio, once, a hallmark, dominant outlet with teeth, has now hit a new low: The news-talkie has begun an earnest, straightforward push toward the use of Facebook as a driving force behind its various news blocks, but most noticeably in the "Morning News" with Ed Baxter and the insufferable Jennifer Jones Lee.

Even more embarrassing, KGO has even resorted to using the social-networking site in its hourly news ID, "This is KGO...SF, San Jose, Oakland, 'Facebook", I swear to god I heard it several times just the other day.

Wow.

First off, a little analysis.

KGO, via new jingles, promos, guests, contests, 14,000 hours of traffic and TMZ crap, is desperately trying to go young. Terrific. Great. Go for it. Never mind the fact that when KGO was killing everyone in the market, (including KCBS,) for over three decades, they were still perceived as "old", yet their broader audience was so huge and expansive they still were immensely profitable and didn't care.

Now that they have fallen back, complete with new GM and management philosophy, anchored by a horrid corporate owner, (Citadel,) that pinches pennies, they have succumbed to gimmicky ideas to try to bolster new listeners, but have, in effect, alienated their loyal, hard-core audience.

The Facebook card is nothing new. And yes, nobody disputes the power of it as a promotional tool, hell, every TV, radio, PR, person on the planet has embraced Facebook.

But when a major SF radio station utilizes it as part of its brand, there's something wrong there. It's tacky. It reeks of desperation and false intentions. You really think KGO's "friends" are that much more cherished, say, by my friends? I mean, give me a break!

KGO can get a boatload of something better than mere false "friends", maybe, god forbid, listeners, by going back to basics. Like cutting out the insidious chirpy, condescending, and disingenuous chatter. Like giving us more NEWS!, more information; like hiring more spirited and compelling talk-show hosts with hard-nosed opinions and topical cachet. That might move the meter and increase listeners and get a higher cume, hello!

Instead, KGO is going down the slippery slope road of irrelevance. I don't mean to beat a dead horse, I listen to KGO and was an ardent fan and admirer. I wish KGO went back to try to be KGO. Seems the new GM and her minions in programming and news thinks that splashy, goofy new jingles, cackling anchors, incoherent talk-show hosts and Facebook will spike the numbers. Uh, I don't think so.

*I grew up in the 70's and every now and then listened to Carter B. Smith. He wasn't one of my favorites, I was more a Dr. Don Rose, Jim Dunbar, Bobby Ocean kinda guy. But Smith was relavent, at times, very funny, charming, interesting and yes, unique in a 70's sort-of-way. I didn't hear him when he worked with Sherwood, but I remember him as part of the old KNBR with the likes of Frank, (Dill) and Mike, (Cleary), CJ Bronson, and Hank Greenwald hosting "Sportsphone 68", (How 70's.)

I mention this because Smith died Monday afternoon after battling a cancerous brain tumor for many months.

He wasn't as huge as Sherwood or Al Collins, but he was big enough to warrant many comments and remarks from those in the industry all the way from LA, NY, and here in the city.

Ronn Owens, on his KGO show, made mention of Carter B, and KCBS was all over his passing on their morning news. Ditto Ed Baxter on KGO.

I didn't hear, but KNBR's morning team did a phono with Frank Dill and offered a tribute. The 9-Noon guy didn't say a word. Not a word. For all I know, maybe he didn't know Smith--who knows?, but he never uttered a word. Not even a two-second acknowledgement. Nothing. How shallow. Talk about "reading the room", the 9-Noon guy likes to use that line, but apparently doesn't practice what he preaches.

On KSFO, (I don't listen anymore) apparently someone uttered a few words.

A point: Smith's passing wasn't a gargantuan news item. There's a gazillion folks, including those in the biz who've never heard of him. That's not the point. He wasn't a giant, but he wasn't puny either. He was part of a generation of giants that used to take this business seriously and were some of the most talented individuals around.

My late dad used to tell me stories about the likes of Don Sherwood's antics and how Lon Simmons did his sports reports from the Fairmont Hotel where the old KSFO was ensconced. Those were the days, I was told.

My point is that I think it was wrong that the 9-Noon guy didn't at least mention the passing of Carter B. Maybe he was too busy chortling with his insipid sidekick and other human morsel. Kind of emblematic of what is today's knbr and what the old KNBR meant in this town. Same thing for ksfo and yesterday's KSFO, you know, the "Sounds of the City", yes, THAT KSFO.

I think I made my point.

And to the friends and family of Carter B. Smith, my condolences.











*Follow me on Twitter

Radnich ignores Carter B. Smith passing

One of KNBR's greats, Carter B. Smith, has passed away.

Not a word from Gary Radnich.

Am I surprised? Yes. No

We're hopeful someone over there will get the word out. 

UPDATE: Word is that the "Morning Show" mentioned him.

Carter B. Smith Dies; Longtime Bay Area Radio Personality had stints at KNBR/KSFO

Longtime Bay Area radio personality, Carter B. Smith, has died, due to complications from cancer.

Born in San Francisco, he had popular DJ shows on KNBR in the '70s and, after that, on KFRC (when it was Magic 61) and KABL. But in the '60s, he was known as KSFO morning man Don Sherwood's sidekick and filled in for "Donnie Babe."

Smith won numerous radio awards and was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2007.

BREAKING NEWS ALERT....

KNBR Should Hire Townsend For 'Sportsphone' 7-10 PM Gig

God knows KNBR and me are like fire and ice, but what the hell, I'm going to give them and Lee Hammer some good free advice because I'm in the giving mood.

The "Sports Leader" has an opening at 7-10 PM and I have the ideal candidate to replace the recently departed FP Santangelo and his name is familiar in these parts: Chris Townsend.

Townsend currently has an assortment of gigs, most notably the pre and post-game host on A's broadcasts and the nightly tonsil on "Sports Overnight America", (part of the Sports Byline Network.)

Most people here remember Townsend from his KNBR days in the late 90's. He spent nine years playing sidekick to Gary Radnich in the morning. Townsend also hosted pre and post game shows for the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors on top of producing and creating pre-game segments during Giants broadcasts.

Townsend is adept at the position of post-game shows, quickly becoming a favorite for A's fans with his spirited takes and passionate opines following games. More importantly, he was overtly critical when he had to be, yet booster too so he developed legitimate credibility. In other words, he cheers, yes, but will boo when he sees fit.

Whether or not that's good enough for Hammer and the Giants higher-ups, (namely, Larry Baer,) remains to be seen, but given the fact that, apparently, front-runner Eric Byrnes is suddenly out of the loop, and Marty Lurie, reportedly, is not interested, Townsend should be given consideration.

He's paid his dues. He knows his craft and he can step into the booth and do a quality show. Here's hoping Hammer gives him a shot.

*Follow me on Twitter

LaLanne's Bay Area Ties; Was born in SF and had KGO-TV Show in the 70's

A quick Jack LaLanne story. (LaLanne passed away Sunday at the age of 96.)

He was born in SF, (raised in Oakland,) and much of his media work began in the Bay Area in the 70's at the old KGO-TV studios at 277 Golden Gate Ave. in the Tenderloin section of San Francisco.

As a kid who grew up in the Bay Area, I remember he regularly used to swim to Alcatraz, one time with a tugboat tied to his legs.

I never met LaLanne but my late father told me stories that all the exercise shtick was NOT a routine nor a gimmick. Sure, LaLanne parlayed it into a regular gig and managed to pull numerous appearances on the Tonight Show, Regis, Jay Leno, and Letterman. But it was all genuine and part of LaLanne's appeal to the common man and woman.

He was, above all, a real character. Frankly, I thought he was bullet-proof and would live well past the century mark. Just goes to show nobody's immortal.

Dang shame.

The End of Civilization: Keith Olbermann is no more at MSNBC

The World will never be the same.

Shock and sadness in NY. An eerie stillness in LA. Mayhem at Scotland Yard. The Red Sea has parted.

Keith Olbermann is no more at MSNBC.

All that was missing was a phone call from Obama from the Oval Office. Wait. In today's environment, it could happen. Stay tuned.

Don't get me wrong, I think Olbermann is good and everything else, but I'm pretty sure we're going to survive this one. That is, those of us not on Facebook or Twitter musing the latest nothingness from the depths of Cyberville.

My God, even Walter Cronkite didn't get 1/10th the coverage of the Olbermann affair.

I do know this: Olbermann will survive. He's going to get about $7-8 million here or there to leave. He won't starve and he's 100% going to land another gig somewhere, be it one of the other cablers or outlets who will fork over millions for his services.

We should all be so lucky to suffer like Keith Olbermann.

*Follow me on Twitter

NY Times details planned Cumulus takeover of Citadel; Sunday Short

How incompetent is Citadel, run by a gaboo named Farid Suleman? The NY Times spells it out here.

And the idea of Cumulus corporate schmo's overseeing KGO, (a Citadel property) would be worthy of the circus. Bring out the clowns.

And the KNBR-KGO connection? OMG. The business is crazy.

*Follow me on Twitter

Carter B. Smith 'gravely ill'; Longtime Bay Area Radio Personality; Stints at KNBR/KSFO

Legendary Bay Area radio personality Carter B. Smith is gravely ill and may have only days to live, according to a media source friendly with him.

Born in San Francisco, he had popular DJ shows on KNBR in the '70s and, after that, on KFRC (when it was Magic 61) and KABL. But in the '60s, he was known as KSFO morning man Don Sherwood's sidekick and filled in for "Donnie Babe."

Smith has won numerous radio awards and was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2007.

Yes, I Rip People, But I Praise Too; Saturday Media Pulse

First off, yes I do rip people. That's sort of the premise here. I praise too, which gets buried in the big picture. And yes, too, more people tend to like the ripping posts as opposed to the "I love you" items.

I don't rip to rip. It's all from the heart for better or worse. There's people who I can't stand personally but do good work and I've said as much. Conversely there's an awful lot of people who are really nice whose work I don't like. Talk about a catch-22.

Friday was a prime example.

Mychael Urban got canned from KNBR. I'm not a huge Urban fan and those of you who read me know what I think of KNBR.

So in this instance, I played reporter and analysis guy. Commentary took a back seat to an actual sports media item. It wasn't the biggest news of the day, but in the local sports scene, it was enough to generate some traction via the blogs, (for the record, thanks in large part to a link from SFGate, I got over 10,000 views.)

Urban will recover from this and besides, he's better on TV, (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area,) than he is on radio anyway.

By the way, I'm not a big Lee Hammer guy either, but I don't have anything against him personally. We've bumped into each other at a 49ers and Sharks game and he said hi and so did I. Like I've always said, it's not personal.

That's not to suggest I'm that way with others. Hey, we're all human. We have our issues and I'm not naive enough to know at times, hell yes, it's personal! I get my share of troll e-mail and comments here. I also know that, in dishing it out, I have to expect to be able to take it myself. On that note too, yes, bring it, by all means, but have the balls to ID yourself if you're going to lob some shots.

I do.

*Follow me on Twitter

Lurie Odds-On Favorite to Replace Urban; More KNBR/Cumulus Minutia

Marty Lurie has a very unique compensation package at KNBR which enables him to do his show and collect revenue. It's a system that more and more radio talent are utilizing and in Lurie's case, do massive extra hours on the weekends without hurting the bottom line and even helping it.

That system, more than anything else, helps explain the decision Friday to pull the plug on Mychael Urban. No knock on Urban, but the budget people at corporate figure why pay out when you already have someone who can do the same thing and maybe even get bigger numbers.

Yes, its all about the money.

This was not so much a move by KNBR GM, Lee Hammer. More so probably a financial suit aimed at trimming some "light, discretionary" dollars. A thousand here, a thousand there...well, you get the picture.

7-10 PM: There's nothing official yet on the Santangelo replacement. I'm hearing Eric Byrnes a lot if he will work for the money they've offered him and its not that great...Personally, I don't think much of Byrnes who can be OK, but can also be a bit over the top, and that's not always kosher after 7PM.

And while I like Marty quite a bit, I don't think his style lends itself to BOTH the pre and post-game shows. HIS show, his style, his many, many hours of the extra cut was more conducive to Lurie's format. I think he found a niche there.

Marty 5-7 nights a week, controlled, I'm not so sure. Ditto, the weekend outdoor show.

We shall see.

Woodson on KNBR Last Night

From a reader:

"Ray Woodson (on last night) had a bitter tone to his show, criticism of Lee Hammer and saying that he wants the sportsphone gig (post fp,) but that Hammer has other ideas and would go 'on the cheap'.  After probably his third snark remark,(re: hammer) he joked, in an effort to soften his criticism, that "this might be my last show on the station"

Urban ouster at KNBR won't be the last; Analysis

So, Mychael Urban is gone from KNBR weekends. Not that all surprising given the economic state of the biz.

KNBR has been making money with the Giants success, but the bottom line remains the "bottom line" when your corporate parent, Cumulus, is run by a bean counter like Lew Dickey.

I doubt Urban will be the last to leave 55 Hawthorne. Urban was not making the kind of coin that alerts corporate to do a bit of financial cleansing, but just enough to cut because discretionary spending is highly scoped at the Dickey empire.

I was asked by an industry guy "who's next?" Don't know, but don't be surprised if another "prominent" air talent gets the heave-ho. A news guy substituting for a guy who left sounded a bit cranky last night and joked, "maybe I just worked my last show at KNBR." (Be careful what you wish for)

My immediate guess is that Marty Lurie would replace Urban, but I don't know if the modest Lurie can hunker down for extended weekends. There's other names being floated.

Stay tuned.

Sports Media Flash: Urban OUT at KNBR

Mychael Urban has been shown the door at KNBR.

Urban tweeted that KNBR GM, Lee Hammer, didn't like his weekend show. While I have had my differences with some of Urban's shtick, (notably the Barry Zito personal connection,) I thought he was mildly interesting.

He will continue his cable gig at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area where he serves as a Giants "Insider."

Marty Lurie. Early speculation as a replacement for Urban:

NBC Bay Area's New Weather Lady Christina Loren Is Hot, But...

She takes her gig seriously. She grew up watching the Weather Channel and looking feverishly for high and low pressure systems. (She does have a life, as you can see)

OK, so Christina Loren, the new weather forecaster at NBC Bay Area, has a few other attributes too. She's a hottie and she knows it. Unlike some of the other female guessers in town, she's got a personality and knows her gig isn't about changing the world.

I like looking at her, (who wouldn't,) but she's not your typical airhead hottie. Quite the contrary--she earned a B.A. in Economics and minored in Communications at CSU Chico  and completed a year of Graduate work in the field of Operational Meteorology. In 2009, Loren finished  a three year program at Mississippi State University , achieving official Meteorological Certification.

I've watched Loren, and in addition to her glorious outside, she's got a nice personality. Looks as if she has a future here. If not, she can call me and I'll call my inside guys and see if we can work it out.

That's great high pressure if you know what I mean.

*Follow me on Twitter

Who's In Line to Get a SF Giants World Series Ring

There's quite a potential storm brewing when its revealed, in addition to Giant's players, employee's and team staff, who will get the coveted 2010 World Series rings.

You won't believe those who will get one and those who expect one.

Developing story...


RL 415 Media on Twitter

Bay Area Media Notes; Byrnes Front-Runner as SP host; Young Snubs 'Razor&Mr. T'; Jobs/Apple Get More Free Pub

*Eric Byrnes is the front-runner for the KNBR "Sportsphone" host, (7-10PM) vacated by FP Santangelo, who has taken a job as color analyst for the Washington Nationals.

One other candidate who might be considered: Damon Bruce. Although I'd doubt Larry Baer would ok that, and Bruce seems to have settled in quite nicely at 1050 during the day.

*Speaking of Knibber, Steve Young, ex-Niner and current ESPN football analyst, who does a weekly twenty-minute show on "The Razor and Mr. T", (Ralph Barbieri and Tom Tolbert,) mysteriously missed the show on Wednesday.

Tolbert stated on the air that "Steve Young has 'defered' to appear on the air until tomorrow." To which Barbieri retorted, "Maybe he was listening to the radio show." Maybe Barbieri was right.

*Apple and its peripatetic CEO/co-fer, Steve Jobs got another ton of free pub this week from national and local media outlets. Jobs took another mysterious medical leave and speculation has already begun in earnest in the tabloids and beyond.

*I didn't know KUSF was that important--KFOX too. Now KDFC? Enough shock waves to jolt the Volvo crowd here.

*Follow me on Twitter

OK, Bill Martin, KTVU Weather Guru Tells Us Why Its So Damn Nice Outside

Dang, its nice outside! I love the sunshine, the blue skies and since we damn near sank with all that December rain, cold and mayhem, I do believe this is a treat from Ma Nature.

OK, so it being nice and beautiful, I called KTVU weather guy, the esteemed Bill Martin for an explanation. You, Billo, what's going on, (Martin loves to surf, by the way, and he even sent me the picture of the famed Mavericks surf taken Tuesday)

Take it away, Mr Martin, (we spoke by phone) "After a very active Oct, Nov, Dec,  the weather pattern has turned stagnant.    We have gone nearly 20 days without a significant winter storm.  The good thing is that most cities are still at above average rainfall for this time of year and  in the Sierra the snow fall is over 150% of average.  Long range models are not very optimistic for rain with some suggesting our next shot for showers will be in early February. Lots could change, but for now more sunshine and 60s."

Wow, don't tell me we're headed for a drought: Nah, said Bill, in fact there's a good chance winter weather could return soon.

"The surf has been hammering the coast the past month an indication that there is still plenty of winter energy left out in the pacific.  With a new long period swell arriving in the next few days there is a chance they could get the Mavericks competition in Sunday."

Where else do you get weather reports like this? Thanks Bill, surfs up, dude!

*Follow me on Twitter

KNBR Makes Fun of Al Davis, but Forgets DeBartolo Mess

Predictably, the "Sports Leader"/KNBR and some of its assorted tonsils made fun of the Al Davis Show Tuesday. No surprise.

Keep in mind KNBR is the flagship station of the 49ers so there's a bit of a rhyme and reason here.

Ralph Barbieri and Tom Tolbert spent the better part of their four-hour show mocking Davis and continued the pattern with phonos with Scott Ostler, Ann Killion and Tim Kawakami.

Barbieri has never liked Davis which is his right. He derided him and went on and on...we have heard this countless times.

Regardless of what you think about Davis, (and there's a lot to make fun of, laugh, pity, whatever) seems he's still standing. Maybe at this stage of his life he doesn't care what anybody thinks about him.

To the point, the Knibber tonsils, all the while tearing apart the statements of an 81 year-old man, fail to mention the many noted blunders of the team across the bay in SF.

Jed York is riding high now with the Jim Harbaugh hire. Good for him.

*Did Barbieri forget York's uncle, Eddie DeBartolo's infamous involvement with the corrupt ex-Louisiana Gov., Edwin Edwards and his eventual ratting out of his gambling buddy?

*Did he forget about Debartolo's tacky "he's gone", (referring to ex-OC, Marc Trestman,) at the Steve Marriucci presser?

*Did he forget about some unsavory rumors of a DeBartolo alleged incident involving a Peninsula waitress in the mid 1990's?

I wonder why Ralph never seems to mention the latter when he so frequently rips into Mr. Davis?

This pattern is nothing new with KNBR. It has always annoyed many Eastbay listeners with its, at best, indifference with the 510/925 side of the bay, and at worst, its complete non-coverage of the A's and Raiders.

Then again, it's KNBR. Should we all be that surprised? And frankly, should we care?

*Follow me on Twitter

KUSF Goes South; KDFC is sold and will become Non-Profit; Late Tuesday PM post

A few radio notes:

KUSF, the radio outlet operated by USF, has been shut down. Frankly, I don't listen much, but here's the full story.

KDFC has been sold to a non-profit. I don't have all the details, but word is they're switching dial positions and the new position makes it harder to hear. We'll make some calls.

Al Davis Solo on Comcast makes for Boffo PM TV; Raiders Chief Pirate Overshadows Jackson Presser

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area provided the forum and we all watched. At least I did. You'd kick yourself if you missed it.

The Raiders ostensibly called an afternoon press conference to introduce new coach, Hue Jackson, to the Bay Area media.

The obligatory q-and-a commenced while Jackson and Al Davis held court. Thank God for Al Davis.

Davis, looking haggard and beaten, physically, was nevertheless quite candid and pointed, talking about his ex-coach, Tom Cable, and his and the team's legal issues, (Randy Hansen, Cable's alleged domestic issues with some women on an ESPN program)

Davis was Davis being Davis.

At one point, he even uttered an f-bomb to a Raiders PR person off mike, (but audible)--keep in mind that Hue Jackson, the new coach, was sitting up on the dais listening to all of this. Awkward? You betcha. On the other hand, it made for some damn good melodrama on Bay Area cable.

No doubt the nearly two-hour spectacle will provide for another series of potent quotables.

Thank you, "Mr. Davis", and thanks Ted Griggs, Comcast GM.

*Follow me on Twitter

'Who Do You Like?' Bay Area TV Media Types Who Make the Cut; Tuesday Dish

"So, who do you like?", a reader asked. Fair question. And I oblige.

To wit: (not necessarily in order)

*Frank Somerville, KTVU: There were many naysayers who insisted that Somerville was no Dennis Richmond and that Channel 2's news franchise would suffer. It hasn't. Yeah, Somerville isn't Richmond, but he's managed to keep things intact as KTVU's lead anchor. Like Richmond, Somerville gives a steady diet of no-nonsense delivery devoid of any unnecessary chit-chat. Solid and reliable. (Nice dresser too)

*Dana King: KPIX: Graceful, steady pro with a nice delivery and yes, sue me, she's gorgeous. Hard to believe that King has tenured at the CBS o and o for well over a decade. She brings class to the PIX news desk and is a respected industry leader. One of the best.

*Tom Sinkovitz, NBC Bay Area/KNTV: I'm still a bit befuddled why the upper news people in the SouthBay have lessened Sinkovitz' role. He's as good as ever. The numbers don't back that up and thus, the Raj Mathai shake-up took place, but I'm convinced Sinkovitz has a home here, maybe not necessarily at KNTV.

*Raj Mathai, NBC Bay Area: It isn't Mathai's fault that he looks like a GQ model. Take the exterior pretty-boy appearance away and what you get is a hard-working, spirited, passionate, and very good news anchor that is a great interviewer to boot. How do I know? Because I watch and I know.

Rita Williams, KTVU: Hands down, the BEST TV reporter in the Bay Area. End of story. Williams is relentless, tough-minded, passionate and yes, fair. She's also been her forever which helps and has the utmost respect and admiration from her peers. In today's TV business climate, that's remarkable. So is Rita Williams.

*Lawrence Karnow, KPIX Weather: One of the most underrated talents in the Bay Area. Karnow's weather guessing is sincere, focused, steady and yes, entertaining. And his delivery, with a little smidgen of humor helps too.

*Roberta Gonzales, KPIX Weather: I know there's a ton of people in the biz who are going to skewer me for haveing the nerve to say I like PIX's high priestess of weather, but here's the deal: Gonzales isn't a PBS news commentator, she predicts weather. She isn't curing cancer. And she's hot and looks and sounds as if she's having a ball. Get it? I do.

*Pam Moore, KRON: Moore is one of the only reasons why I catch KRON every now and then. Having to perform under less than admirable conditions, Moore's continued class is a credit to her. Catherine Heenan too.

*Stanley Roberts, KRON: His "People Behaving Badly" bit is still one of the funniest routines on local TV news. Roberts, we should note, was attacked recently by some lunatic, (he's OK) so his camera/vj position can attract some potential goofballs. I like Roberts shtick voice persona as he navigates the Bay Area roads, freeways and exits searching for traffic gadflys all the while with a twinkle in his eye. Funny and quirky? You bet.

*Dan Ashley, KGO-TV: For years, Ashley has been a solid performer with good, concise delivery points--I really like the guy. Just wish he'd stop the hair thing and understand that we don't care he might have a wig. (Yo, Ash, it's OK. Stick with the current doo, it'll do.)

*Mark Ibanez, KTVU Sports: Always get a lot of flack here for my admiration of Ibanez. Truth is, Mark is good because he writes his own copy. Among other things, he also managed to earn his stripes working with the late Gary Park, which wasn't too easy. Mark is not for everybody with his signature "That's the 'Sporting Life" line but for me, he works. And 33 years at one station means he's doing something right.

*Ken Wayne, KTVU: A solid, straight-forward performer on the weekend that is underrated with a capital "U".

*Carolyn Johnson, KGO-TV: She's enormously hard-working, good, tenacious and tough-- a top-notch news reader, and again, I'm sorry, no offense, but is spectacularly beautiful. I asked one of her KGO colleagues if she was as nice off camera as it appears and he said yes, a real cool person in the newsroom.

*Wayne Freedman, KGO-TV: Freedman has about 6000 Emmys and here's why: funny, great reporter, terrific interviewer, and has immense Bay Area roots all the way from his KRON days.

*Diane Dwyer, NBC Bay Area: Classy, well-liked and solid to the core, Dwyer gives an honest, steady read day in and day out.



*Follow me on Twitter

Reports: Hue Jackson is your new Raiders Coach

Multiple reports state Hue Jackson has officially been named the newest coach of the Oakland Raiders.

Radnich and MLK Holiday Remarks Draw Caller Ire on KNBR

Gary Radnich made a comment about it "not feeling like a 'holiday today'" on his KNBR show. Of course, Radnich was referring to the fact that today is Martin Luther King, Jr day, a national holiday. Many media people are working and the stores are open, but the banks and schools are closed, noted Radnich.

Fair enough.

But then a caller, (a regular, who happened to be black,) chastised Radnich and his cohorts for making light of the remarks. Radnich, predictably, mocked the caller and promptly cut the call.

I don't think Radnich intentionally tried to de-ligitimize the MLK holiday. In fact, he's married to an African-American woman.

But he clearly crossed the line by making fun of the caller's legitimate questions. It could have been the caller may not have appreciated Radnich' ill-timed blather. Certainly, if Radnich was that ferklempt, it would have been far more professional to let the guy have his say and go from there.

Instead, what ensued was perhaps one of the main reasons why Radnich' shtick rubs many people the wrong way.

Bay Area Media Sunday Message; SF Bay Area Ain't No NY

Friday's rant on some of my least favorite media peeps and things was over the top which I intended. What? You want PBS or nicey-nice? This ain't the spot. In fact, this is tame compared to NY.

San Francisco is the most smug and provincial city on the planet. Even Herb Caen wrote as much in his sunset years, with the idea that the city was still golden in spite of its cultural and identity issues. And yeah, that's why we're here, I get it, the restaurants, the hills, the fog, yada, yada, yada.

Our media minions are weak. Criticism is meek and mild. The Chronicle, like all the other papers, is lost and has been for years searching for an idea and trying to find the magic formula and missing mightily. Thank God for Jon Carroll and Scott Ostler. That's about it over there at 5th and Mission.

The  rest of the pack is miserable, save for an occasional op-ed piece in the San Jose Merc. Lowell Cohn and Tim Kawakami manage to fire up the sports blogosphere, and Ronn Owens on KGO and Michael Krasny on KQED are still relevant. Everyone else, best case, is simply ordinary.

The "medium" here is mediocre. That's the message. Of course, its that way in many other metropolitan areas, but more pronounced here for an area that prides itself on being sophisticated and mojo-cosmopolitan. Ha!

And the broadcasting business has gone to hell in a hand basket, being thoroughly "clearchanneled" and "citadeled" to death with an emphatic stomp. Nobody is close to being a star. They're all dead or merely trying hard to survive in the "American Idol/Ryan Seacrest" world.

Hope you have a lovely Sunday.

ADVERTISE ON RICH LIEBERMAN 415 MEDIA!

*Follow me on Twitter

'MO2 Weekend' Solidifies KTVU News Dominance in Bay Area; Saturday Short

KTVU News has had a few hiccups here and there since top anchor Dennis Richmond retired in May of 2008, but by and large, they continue to dominate the Bay Area news ratings in several blocks, morning, noon and night.

Beginning a week from today, they will expand their successful AM news franchise, with a Weekend "Mornings on Two", (with anchors Mike Mibach and Claudine Wong--Meteorologist Rosemary Orozco has been hired from KTXL Fox 40 in Sacramento to do the weather.)

KTVU has a simple formula: keep it straight and simple. They rely on mostly uniform reporting and anchoring and its that model that has kept them on top for well over a decade. The transition from Richmond's departure, (and Randy Shandobil too to an extent,) has been remarkably smooth and effortless.

While a few notable names have split and a some hands have uttered some angst toward a relatively new news director, the station as a whole remains first rate and infinitely profitable for its Cox broadcast owner.

*Follow me on Twitter

KTVU Announces New 'MO2' Weekend Anchors; Mibach, Wong debut Jan. 22

KTVU Channel 2 announced Friday that Mike Mibach and Claudine Wong have been named anchors of Mornings on 2 Weekend Edition which will launch on Saturday, January 22^nd and will air 7-9am each weekend morning.  Meteorologist Rosemary Orozco joins the new weekend morning team in the KTVU studios for the newscast debut.

415 Media As You Like It

Raw, unedited, real and honest, just like you like it.

A Few Bay Area Media Hemorrhoids, (And How's Your Friday Going?)

Because I'm not beholden to anybody, although I do try to be fair and accurate, occasionally I like to comment on some of the best and worst human mutants in this town. There's plenty to dish out on the table. Here's a few, not necessarily in order, and not necessarily people either.

*KNBR: They just can't help themselves. And because they live in a bubble and don't know how truly bad they are, and therefore, in denial. Simply unlistenable and now their ratings, post-Giants are tumbling. Time for more interns and coffee boys.

Darya Folsom, KRON: Gleeful, insufferable, and an embarrassment. There's only two reasons why they keep her on...and that uber-giddy "performance" co-anchoring the BART riots in Oakland was tantamount to watching a high school kid go goo-goo ga-ga over the airwaves.

Jennifer Jones-Lee, KGO: The incessant giggles, the endless chirping, the frenetic references to Facebook, TMZ and American Idol is enough to manufacture a human vomit machine.

Steven Moskowitz: He bought all the time on the various Bay Area media markets which means we have to listen to this schmuck, oh wait, you do, I don't. Moskowitz or an audit? I'd rather be audited.

Brian Copeland, KGO-TV/Radio: I tried feverishly to get on "7Live" to promote myself and 415 Media. The fact that no one watches the show speaks volumes about "Copey", who talks a lot and nobody cares.

Jan Wahl, KCBS: Hatwoman's movie reviews are instant tune-outs. Wahl has all the audio gleam of a Fresno Walmart.

Amy G, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area: Again, why?

Jaymee Sire, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area: See above.

Kim Coyle, KPIX: Enough nothingness to make you want to scream for about an hour. Real loud too. Coyle's add-libs are enough to warrant a "Bring Back Milt Kahn" rally in front of 855 Battery.

Ken Dito: The human test pattern at a radio station on life support. "Working" gratis.

Carl Steward, BANG Papers: You know, there is at least one good thing about newspapers dying. Steward is an insufferable lout with zero personality and dumb as a door knob. You'll never see this putz on Jeopardy.

Bruce Jenkins, SF Chronicle: Jenkins thinks his shit doesn't stink. And that Juan Uribe signing with the Dodgers was "disturbing." Bruce, you're almost as disturbing as I am.

Susan Slusser, SF Chronicle: Slusser is the beat writer for the A's on the Chronicle. Funny, from her scribblings, I thought she was a member of the booster club. About time too, for another heart-warming Eric Chavez story.

Steve Bitker, KCBS: God's gift to the world. "Good Morning Stan, Good morning Susan, Good Morning Jason, Good Morning John, ...." Good night, Steve.

KNBR "Morning Show": Maybe suicide is painless.

Ray Taliaferro, KGO: He must have pictures.

Bill Wattenburg, KGO: Interrupts people more than I do; is incredibly arrogant for no apparent reason and uses the term "eco-frauds" about 100x per show. On a good night, he's only slightly annoying. On a bad night, you want to slit your wrists listening to this moron.

FP Santangelo, KNBR: Good riddance. Lee Hammer says "Yes!!"

Barbara Simpson, KSFO: Was Simpson really that news anchor that used to report for KTVU? Yes, at the time, Simpson was normal and not the right-wing nutcase she's turned into.

Bob Fitzgerald, KNBR: Warriors house shill, KNBR's "Rudy" chock full of giggles, stupid, disingenuous chatter who thinks he knows more about everything than anyone on the planet and will tell you that every day. Fitz? Shut up and stick a solar panel in your big mouth.

Karel, Green 960: Gay, straight, whatever, you're boring as all hell.

Me: Yes, I'm a sincere pain in the ass who has issues and is more insecure than Woody Allen was in Annie Hall but for some reason, you read this shit so you're just as disturbed as I am. Have a really nice day.

*Follow me on Twitter

You Bay Area Fox News Horndogs

The only thing missing is apple pie.

KGO grooming Thurston to replace ailing Gene Burns

Pat Thurston is being groomed to replace Gene Burns on KGO Radio's 7-10 PM weeknight slot.

Nothing is official, and Burns may return soon, but clearly the handwriting is on the wall.

The move may be imminent as Burns, who has been at KGO since 1995, has been besieged by a series of health problems that has kept him off the airwaves several times in the past year. (He broke his back in early December and most recently suffered a fall which resulted in broken ribs.)

The move to Thurston may be imminent. How so? KGO lists her on their website as a 7-10 PM hostess, in addition to her regular gig on the weekend early-morning shift. (Sat./Sunday 1-5 AM)

It has been rumored for some time that Burns may have been contemplating retirement anyway as many of KGO's veteran air talent have taken buyouts or early retirements.

It also helps that Thurston would become the station's only full time woman talk host. KGO has been criticized for its prime-time weekly "all-white middle-aged men" talk hosts.

Thurston has been at KGO since 2007. She has had previous stints at KSRO in Santa Rosa and the late KPIX-FM in the mid 90's.

*Follow me on Twitter

SFGATE/Chron continues its Willie Brown Fetish; Conflict of Interest?

Truly, this is becoming a perfect case of conflict-of-interest, or am I missing something?

The Chron and SF Gate are at it again with a piece on the state budget, complete with an on-line chat with Willie Brown. As in "Willie Brown, columnist, SF Chronicle?" Or private citizen Willie Brown?

Anybody home? On a journalistic side, Brown's association should, at the least, be spelled out to readers. What if Brown were the subject of an investigation? An audit? How would the Chron cover it?

Then there's his supposed gravitas.

Does not the editors of SFGate and the paper get it? As I mentioned long ago, Brown's appeal runs largely in the Pacific Heights/Nob Hill corridor. His attraction in the suburbs is lifeless, not to mention an instant tune-out or turnoff, (hello Comcast SportsNet.)

Brown is enough of a name to still garner attention, but his cachet is not what it was years ago. Is the Chron that desperate? Guess so.

Bay Area Radio is Dead

  Bay Area radio is dead.

It succumbed many moons ago but officially it passed away today. Funeral services are pending.

KGO is a certifiable joke, except for Ronn Owens and a few mutants. The "news" dept. long ago faded away in place of 14,000 traffic reporters. (Nice that "Dining Around" was going on while the Arizona shootings broke out. Great non-coverage. What else is new?)

KCBS, the all-news, 24/7 outlet will never remind one of 1010 WINS in NY. While I enjoy KCBS for its mostly first-rate coverage, the constant re-issue of stories, particularly on weekends is both tiresome and irksome. Thank God for Bob Melrose and Barbara Taylor.

KNBR, the most useless waste of 50,000 watts long ago passed away. What does it tell you about an alleged radio station that uses interns to do updates. And if KNBR didn't have the SF Giants? Well, you know the rest of the story.

KSFO: audio test-pattern. A shame too considering its legacy in Bay Area broadcasting. Nobody I know ever even mentions it, let alone listens.

KFRC: 24/7 Jesus. Next.

KTRB: Brain-dead with barely a pulse.

KFOG: Used to be a real relevant FM music outlet, but since Dave Morey departed, I don't listen. Sorry, "fog-heads."

KQED: Michael Krasny is too smart to be on radio. I listen and marvel that a Phillip Roth and Robert Redford will call into Krasny's "Forum", but after that and the mostly nauseating NPR drivel, I flip over to KCSM.

Speaking of KCSM, I still don't know how you do it but God bless you all. Sonny Buxton too.

107.7 "The Bone": Uh, THIS is why satellite radio exists and terrestrial radio is six feet under--take that, "ta-ta" boys.

K-101: You know how bad it is? I miss Jim Gabbert.

KALW: Yawn

KOIT: Elevator music not fit for even an elevator

KDFC: OK, love classical, but seriously, just a smidgen of human voices?

KBLX: Soulless without soul. Used to love it. Times change.

*Follow me on Twitter

The Bay Area's TV Energizer Bunny: KGO-TV's Sanchez Keeps Going and Going

Don Sanchez is in his 38th year at KGO-TV/ABC7. We take him for granted. He just keeps going and going.

Sanchez can tell you stories about Van Amburg, the late Jerry Jensen, John O'Reilly, Pete Giddings and yes, Rigo Chacon. That's how long he's been at the venerable ABC SF TV station. Remember the Patty Hearst story? The Zebra killings? Sanchez covered both as "NewsScene" crime reporter in the 70's, (with the added "circle 7" lapel on his jacket.)

In 2000, Sanchez was inducted into the TV Academy's Silver Circle for recognition of more than 25 years on the air in the Bay Area. He's won numerous Emmys. You may have forgot he did sports too.

Here's a quick salute to the Bay Area TV's Energizer bunny.

KGO's Burns falls; broken ribs, will not be on tonight

KGO Radio's 7-10 PM host, Gene Burns, who in December had a seizure which resulted in a broken back, fell and broke a couple of ribs over the weekend.

Burns will not work his shift tonight, and perhaps tomorrow too, (Pat Thurston will fill in.) His immediate condition is not known.

Burns has missed considerable time off his show of late and rumors continue to circulate that he may be retiring soon. He has had some significant health issues in the recent past.

Burns has been at KGO since 1995.
Follow me on Twitter

Monday Media Round-Up; What's up with KGO's Burns(UPDATE); KNBR's Murphy flubs Name/Gender of Arizona Congresswoman

*I'm getting a lot of e-mail inquiring about the health of KGO Radio's 7-10 PM week night host, Gene Burns. Burns has been noticeably absent from his show of late, but he did do his "Dining Around" show on Saturday. One reader e-mailed that Burns "was a mess." I didn't hear the program. KGO isn't talking, but we will inquire. UPDATE: A tipster advises me that Burns broke his back in early December, (apparently, he told his listeners he had some sort of seizure which caused him to fall and is on pain meds.)


*Way to go, Murph: KNBR "morning man", Brian Murphy, noted that the Stanford basketball game vs. Arizona was postponed due to the Arizona shootings, including one victim, "Congressman, Gabriel Giffords." Actually, Murph, it's "Gabrielle" and I think Ms. Giffords is a woman. Naturally, the other "dudes" in the studio didn't catch it during today's 5 AM hour.

*John Farley, former NBC Bay Area, (KNTV) weather guesser, who was let go in 2009 after thirteen years at the station, has landed a gig in lovely Columbia, South Carolina at WIS-TV as chief meteorologist. We all need to eat.

*The cable schlums and network mutts have all descended into Tucson, Arizona to tell us, inform us, and report what we already know. And really don't care to know. Do take part and watch if you choose to.

*The Bay Area media news directors should take note that a vast majority of the citizens outside the immediate city of SF don't give a shit who, A. is the newest interim mayor, B. what Willie Brown thinks about the guy, C. couldn't name one SF supervisor if their life depended on it, and D. SF politics doesn't play well in Pleasanton or Piedmont. I'm not a news director and even I know that, Mr. consultant.

*That KGO Radio sports guy not named Rich Walcoff has quite an ego. Too bad he doesn't have the talent to match it.

*A well-known Bay Area media TV personality was supposedly quite a show at the company Christmas party. Reports indicate that her rather jocular talk even made some veteran colleagues blush.

*Hands down, the most ANNOYING thing on local radio: KGO's Jennifer Jones-Lee mucho irritating, "IT'S FRIDAY" chirp. I've mentioned this before, but it gets more nauseating. And, yo, KGO, the new jingles? That's the best you could do? And, by the way, nice that you've apparently pissed off super production/promo guy, Mike Amatori with a guy who sounds like he's on xanex. I'm sure that'll get the younger demos.

*More KGO: There was a train wreck on the radio Saturday night. Someone named Spencer Hughes was substituting for Bill Wattenburg, (Saturday/Sunday 10 PM-1 AM). I have no idea who Hughes is, but his "first ever" gig on the radio sounded like some Michael Savage wanna-bee.

Hughes told the 50 or so people listening that "This is my dream since I was 11--to be on KGO" about twenty times. Maybe thirty, I lost track. Reports circulating the area that he was fetched from the Clown Alley on Lombard have not been confirmed.

*Elizabeth Cook, new hire at KPIX/CBS5: the usual formula: young, pretty, and works cheap. Check please.

*I've seen enough of Elizabeth Wenger to conclude that I don't get all the fuss. I also think whole milk is much better that cream.

*Wendy Tokuda: still breathing.

*Zinger that didn't get a lot of attention, but deserves it dept: Last week, KNBR's Bob Fitzgerald was doing a teaser with Gary Radnich for his noon show direct from Orlando, (where the Warriors were playing the Magic.) During the tease, Fitz informed Radnich that Ralph Barbieri attended the Orange Bowl. "Ralph was at the Orange Bowl!?", stated a really, really surprised Radnich. To which Fitz responded: "Yeah Gary, there's actually people who 'go to' sporting events." Dead Silence. Score a hit for Rudy!

*To those who have written to me insinuating that I don't "rip" Raj Mathai of NBC Bay Area or "give a pass" to Comcast SportsNet Bay Area because I have appeared on their shows, you're wrong. I actually "ripped" Mathai a few times before I got to see his work and thought he was good. And Comcast? A pass? Ask Amy G or Mike Urban if I gave them a pass.

Bottom line: I'm on TV because this space is being read. And yes, even those of you that detest me, read this shit.. How do I know? Because I do. (Ego on full-throttle mode)

*Direct quote from Bruce Jenkins of the Chron Sporting Green, last week, on KNBR: "I think its 'disturbing' that Juan Uribe signed with the Dodgers." Huh?

*I also said in this space that nobody says anything remotely worthy on "Chronicle Live", yet I still watch because I love it when Ann Killion says really stupid things, (like, for instance, that it would have been terrible had the 49ers won the pathetic NFC West and participated in the playoffs. Yeah, Ann, that Seattle effort against the Saints was a disgrace.)

*Dan Dibley: why and how? (maybe he has pictures) Ditto: Patrick Conner, Raddy's radio wife.

*A local, prominent consumer reporter is being accused of lifting stories without attributing the initial pub. I'm shocked.

*Jim Harbaugh coverage: about what I expected. Already sick of the story and Harbaugh too, who thinks he's the football Jesus Christ. Prove it on the field and get back to us later.

*Another why and how: Brian Copeland.

*Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Fox News Channel runs Arizona Shootings Promo

Score the first tacky award to Fox News.

During the 11 PM, (Eastern time) Geraldo program, the cabler ran a promo highlighting the "Morning Show with Gretchen Carlson 'direct from the scene of the Arizona Shootings."

I mean, good heavens, they couldn't wait a day? The bodies are not even cold.



*Follow me on Twitter

Cable News All Over Arizona Shootings

Suffice to say when something horrible like this happens, the cablers are all over it.

And they are.

Harbaugh's first words at the Press Conference

"Oh, the 49ers were my first choice all along."

Harbaugh Drama dominates Bay Area Sports Media, (Are you Sick of It Yet?)

This is part 2 of Twitter sports journalism at its worst. Don't get me wrong, I find the whole Jim Harbaugh drama highly amusing, until you realize how dumb and stupid it makes the sporting media look.

Tim Kawakami of the SJ Merc has been having a ball. Ditto the national ESPN crowd and Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, who broke the latest story, (via Twitter of course) that Sir Harbaugh is out at Miami.

I have a theory.

I think most of the sports pundits "get off" over all this. Seriously.

Call it the legacy of the Twitter culture. Everyone wants to be first! Damn the "facts", just roll out a quick 140-word "post" on Twittville and, ba ding!, "Jim Harbaugh is meeting with Dolphins owner, Stephen Ross and they're close to a deal!"

Yeah, that lasted about half of Thursday afternoon, which in today's 24/7 news cycle is like a week.

Personally, I'm getting sick of all of it. Then again, I'm just as guilty as the rest and will be in eager participation-mode as to where future mega-millionaire Harbaugh ends up.

They say Stanford. Wait, the 49ers are back in it. Hold that, Denver's making a last-minute pitch. Uh, wait, Peter King of SI says Michigan has offered....

*Speaking of Twitter, you can follow me if you care about humanity

KPIX Hires Elizabeth Cook to Co-Anchor 5 PM News; More Eye Candy at CBS5

KPIX/CBS 5 has hired Elizabeth Cook to co-anchor the 5 PM news with Allen Martin. She'll also do some reporting. Cook will begin working at PIX following the February sweeps.

Cook has worked at KMIR-TV in Palm Springs the past five years as the primary news anchor for that station. She grew up in nearby Pasadena and earned a bachelor's degree at USC.

*Follow me on Twitter

Cohn nails York, (again); 30 Minutes with Bruce on 49ers/Harbaugh Affair

Give me Lowell Cohn from the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat on the radio every day. Please. Hurry up.

Cohn did a one-on-one with KNBR 1050's Damon Bruce from 2: 30- 3PM on Thursday. As usual, he was funny, biting, to the point and well, spot on. It helped that Bruce steered the ship and Cohn went from there.

The topic was, of course, the 49ers and their apparent unsuccessful bid to get Jim Harbaugh on the payroll as coach, (various reports have Miami conquering the beloved Stanford guru at about $40M over five years)

Cohn called 49ers owner, Jed York, a "nice guy", but hey, "I'm a nice guy too, but I wouldn't know how to run a football team."

He all but called the franchise inept and unworthy of any serious coaching candidate. He was Lowell being Lowell.

No giggling, no sound effects, no nonsense, just another pithy half-hour with one of the Bay Area's best writers, and oh, by the way, Cohn didn't pay me to say that, I just made it a point to listen.

I'd love to hear more of this on KNBR. It's "good radio" created by talented people. That's a keeper in the business.

And suffice to say, it sure beats the hell out of the morons on 680.

*Follow me on Twitter

Twitter Journalism; The Harbaugh Mess

This Jim Harbaugh deal is out of control.

"SI said this..."

Peter King said that.

ESPN said this and Fox Sports said that.

Twitter Journalism at its best.

Don't blame me, I'm just a damn blogger.

Report: Harbaugh about to accept Miami Offer

ProFootballTalk, via Tim Kawakami of the SJ Merc says it appears Jim Harbaugh is about to accept an offer from the Miami Dolphins to become their football coach.

About KGO: The Pawn and the Runner

Gotta love the Ben Fong-Torres interview in the Chron a few weeks back with KGO Radio GM, Deidre Lieberman, (no relation.)

Lieberman is essentially Citadel's/Suleman pawn and a far cry from Mickey Luckoff, who finally couldn't handle the BS and took a hike.

Enter Lieberman. Her first move was to add a news hour at noon. As if that's going to rock and roll KGO. I'm sure KCBS is losing sleep.

In reality, it's operations manager, Jack Swanson that's running KGO until he retires or if KGO's free fall in the ratings continues.

A note about my prediction that the "Afternoon News" would be aborted by the end of the year. Obviously, I was wrong, time wise, but I'll stick by the prediction. KGO is getting killed by CBS in the PM and AM news blocks. You can brag a lot about "first traffic" this and helicopter that, its not working.

The cheapest thing to do would be to have another talk show, which requires less personnel, (read: KABC), which in turn means less money to have to pay out.

FaGreed likes that a lot.

EB Express' Buel and SF Weekly's Harper go to work for Phil Anschutz; Ultra-Right owner of SF Examiner

Phil Anschutz is a Denver billionaire listed as the 37th richest person on the planet, according to Forbes.

He's also an ultra-right ideologue who owns the SF Examiner, (and Examiner.com, where most of the content is delivered by three-cent-a-view "examiners.") Anschutz also owns percentages of the LA Lakers, Staples Center, and Staples Corp..

He's also known as a guy who's to the right of Attila the Hun.

How ironic, then is it that two of the Bay Area's most "progressive" editors working for left-leaning publications, have gone to work for Anschutz.

In separate moves, Stephen Buel, part owner of the EastBay Express, (who was ousted under mysterious circumstances) and Will Harper, editor of SF Weekly, are now at the Examiner. Buel is the assistant city editor and Harper, the assisting managing editor. It should be noted that Harper used to work at EBE, under Buel. Buel will now report to him.

The lesson here: Gotta feed the family. Right, left, progressive, commie-pinko, ruthless capitalist. Green rules.

*Follow me on Twitter

*ADVERTISE ON RICH LIEBERMAN 415 MEDIA: Reasonable rates: Rich.Lieberman@GMAIL.COM

Bastida vs Martin at KPIX; Analysis

I was asked recently why Ken Bastida, the co-anchor of CBS 5/KPIX, has been absent from the station's 5 and 6PM newscasts in favor of Allen Martin, a remarkably unspectacular news reader. Don't get me wrong, Martin is OK, but he doesn't knock your socks off.



Full disclosure: I'm a little biased here. I have known Bastida for many years since his radio days at KFRC in the mid 80's. I like Ken quite a bit--solid newsman, solid pro-- so I called one of my PIX insiders.

Apparently, news director Dan Rosenheim is at the heart of this matter. According to the insider, Rosenheim told Bastida that "I can't get anything out of Alan Martin (as a reporter on the 10p) and I've get to get more from him. So, I'm moving him on and you off the six. You'll report & do Good Question."

More from the KPIX insider: "I've worked with AM, (Martin) before and that's his MO. He initially presents well, but doesn't distinguish himself as a reporter and doesn't hustle, so he falls into an anchor slot. It's his game and I've seen it work before. He's very much a political animal. Bastida , of course, has a great track record as a reporter."

Again, this isn't a knock on Martin. He's more than competent and delivers an average performance. You'd figure that Bastida, with his longtime Bay Area ties and tenure at KPIX would get the early PM nod, but that's simply not the case.

And while the ratings are decent at 6 PM, the numbers aren't off the chart. Martin makes about 40% of what Bastida makes, so in that department, he's clearly got the nod. I'd like to see Bastida on the 5 and/or 6, but apparently Rosenheim doesn't agree with me.

Oh well.


*TIPS/E-MAIL: Rich.Lieberman@GMAIL.COM (All confidentiality assured)



*Follow me on Twitter

Why can't local TV come up with a decent show?

We're supposedly cosmopolitan and sophisticated. We have tons of great restaurants and high-end culture. Too bad that can't translate to local TV.

Not counting news and sports, does it strike you odd that the Bay Area doesn't have a locally-produced TV show? And yes, I'm putting aside "7Live", (yuck) and the few sports shows on Comcast and NBC Bay Area.

The last decent show here was "People are Talking", (with Ann Frazier and Ross Macgowan,) and that's stretching it. "Evening Magazine" was just OK and I can't watch "Eye on the Bay".

I'm talking about a daily/nightly program etched out of the "Charlie Rose" format; interview-heavy with an assortment of issues and topics. I know KQED has tried this numerous times and failed miserably, then again Josh Kornbluth is hardly worth the effort and the ratings confirmed it.

And yes, to even create the idea and concept of a moderately entertaining program requires money, lots of it.

So much for sophistication and creativity in the 415 TV market.

Issues at KPIX; VJ Problems plus Transition to Digital too

There's a bit of a problem at KPIX, (CBS5,) actually more than just one...try a "VJ" issue, plus a potential technical nightmare that could cost the CBS o and o some heavy-duty moolah.

According to some of my insiders, the VJ transition is going over at PIX like a lead balloon: "Some of the photographers have embraced becoming reporters, but others are actually avoiding training because they don't want to be on TV."

In addition, PIX's transition to digital has evolved into a very expensive blunder:

"More and more video is being shot and edited on computers and dumped into a server. Apparently the company that sold KPIX the server insisted it would be compatible with it's current video & editing equipment. It's not & KPIX has been forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars on software in hopes of easing those compatibility issues. But it may be the station will have to start over & spend hundreds of thousands of dollars more on a new server."