KGO Radio, which has seen its once mighty "overalls" drop like an albatross and seeking a new way to beef up its lagging news staff, has teamed up with the Bay Citizen to "share content", "develop story ideas", and the like.
In reality, this is mainly a news merger where both outlets are trying to help out the other. Bay Citizen, which began as a well-funded start-up website to compliment the Bay Area editions of the NY Times, (Fridays and Sundays,) has seen its initial glow evaporate.
It was recently disclosed that's its higher-up execs were making boku bucks while its news gatherers were paid peanuts, all the while its content rather meek and mundane. Bay Citizen tends to like writing about the newest Silicon Valley restaurant or the routine social scene after the SF Ballet opening.
Nothing special.
KGO is looking for any manner in which it hopes to catch a younger demo and more listeners. They have added more techno jingles, openly embraced Facebook and Twitter into their morning, noon, and PM news blocks seeking somehow to capture a 2.0 audience that more than likely is fixated on IPods as opposed to endless traffic updates and TMZ minutiae.
Good luck with that.
Will it work? I don't think so, but at the outset, both outlets have very little to lose.
*Follow me on Twitter
A thorough analysis of this and other recent moves you outlined clearly indicate to me that KGO has lost grasp of its own identity. It is like the middle aged man with a balding head who suddenly goes out and buys a red corvette and thick jet-black toupee to appear younger. We can all see through the pathetic attempt and we cringe as we remember how it used to be and what it's become.
ReplyDeleteKGO looking to beef up its younger demographic?
ReplyDelete-Hire Ike Shehadeh (the Ike's guy) for ideas.
-Broadcast on FM, then have an indy music hour or two on weekend nights.
-Hire an articulate ex local athlete to report on sports.
-Put Jon Bristow on the morning news, replacing Ed Baxter.
-Steer Ronn Owens away from world and national politics. Woefully uninformed and uninteresting. Best if he sticks to local items.
Great. I look forward to KGO wetting it's pants over wacky Bay Citizen stories such as this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.baycitizen.org/crime/story/was-loughner-sovereign-citizen/
So I guess you're not going to explain that cryptic message you posted -- and then quickly took down yesterday? You know, the one you linked to on Twitter? RICH LIEBERMAN 415 MEDIA: Thank You SF Bay Area http://t.co/BnCpItv . Don't worry, I did a screen grab before it went away.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the first comment. KGO's slide has been decidedly ugly and I think it's going to get worse.
ReplyDeleteYes Richard, you owe it to us to explain that cryptic message. I saw it too. What's going on!?!
ReplyDeleteThe "cryptic message" was removed because I was having one of my neurosis days and relented...so the "have a great ride" post is history, for now at least.
ReplyDeleteI hope this explains it.
If KGO wants to share 2.0 content how about sharing with Claycord.com, a hyperlocal newsblog in the Central Contra Costa area too? At least the content would be more interesting and relevent.
ReplyDeleteRadar