Gene Burns, KGO Radio's 7-10 PM host, who has been on medical leave for at least six weeks, is doubtful to return to the airwaves, according to a reliable broadcast source.
Burns has been battling a myriad of health issues; he recently had an extended hospital stay after breaking his back and suffering from multiple falls.
Pat Thurston has been filling in for Burns and figures to be the first choice as permanent replacement, but that decision has not been made yet.
Burns has been at KGO since 1995.
Then why is Thurston indicating that he's "bored" and talking like he's coming back? I would be sorry to see him go as he always tried to give his caller's a fair shake until they went into full knucklehead mode. Thurston? Maybe, but is that the best KGO can do...can you look a little bit harder?
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to you Gene! Loved working with you a few years ago!
ReplyDeleteCindy Lemas
Producer
Fog Line Films
clemas.foglinefilms@mcn.org
This makes me sad. I enjoy listening to Pat Thurston, but there is nobody who can replace Gene in terms of intelligence and wit. Best wishes to Gene.
ReplyDeletewhat about Peter B. Collins?
ReplyDeletePat has done a good job of communicating that it's Gene's show but the writing is on the wall...Gene isn't coming back.
ReplyDeleteThe first few weeks of listening to Pat I thought she was decent and liked the way she engages with the callers. Unfortunately after having listened for over a month now I find her to be a little too far to left for my liking. Gene has a great way of mixing it up.
I wish him the best.
No one holds a candle to Gene. I hope it's just a matter of a longer recovery than originally thought. Some of these "sources" aren't as nearly as inside as they make out to be. Nothing official has come down. Meantime, Peter B. is the next best thing. Pat is "okay" but just doesn't have that thing that makes you want to tune in and hear her take on the current event du jour. She's competent but not that engaging.
ReplyDeleteGene Burns is the best talk show host these days, and there isn't a close second.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear of Gene's challenges, and I hope he can make it back at some point whenever he's ready.
Very sad news. I no longer listen to KGO but was prepared to return when Gene resumed his place. Pat Thurston is a perfectly nice girl, but she simply isn't ready for prime time. She needs voice lessons, needs to be more knowledgeable, needs to stop talking about herself so much... Wait a minute, she just isn't Gene, and therefore is permanently in the lightweight category by comparison.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you, Gene.
Well, I predict that KGO will give Gene's spot to anyone but Pat Thurston.
ReplyDeleteOh, but wait....it's a new day at KGO and Luckoff is gone. Maybe the embargo against women hosts has been lifted?
Pat Thurston is trying hard, but she lacks depth, I'm sorry to say. Well, depth has never been a requirement on talk radio, has it?
Gene Burns will be missed, that's for sure. He did have depth, in addition to being the only human on the planet who can pronounce "FEB-RU-ARY."
AH
If Pat takes over ,you might as well call KGO, Air America. This station had a great selection of top talent but has seem to lost its way. The station is becoming too far to the left now. Why have they not gone after Marc Germain from Southern California?
ReplyDeleteThat's a shame, I miss Gene. His nightly show was generally entertaining, and I loved "Dining Around."
ReplyDeleteGood. Gene Burns bored the hell out of most listeners. That is why he was moved to nights.
ReplyDeleteWish Gene all the best. Whatever will be will be. Meanwhile, I respect the way he and KGO have chosen to handle things. It's still his show! Pat's got real talent and a nice sense of humor, but she needs to broaden her listener base and avoid being pigeonholed as the house lib if she wants to achieve durable success in something other than a fringe time slot. If that creepy promo voice keeps talking about Pat's cookies, I'm going to toss mine. JW
ReplyDeletePat's great, but I like her better in the 1 to 5 slot. Peter B Collins should have Gene's spot if, in fact, he doesn't come back. Or move Rothman to the 7pm slot & Peter to 10. That's my 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteI miss Gene Burns, and hope that he hasn't written his last chapter in talk radio.
ReplyDeleteThis topic, and one of these posts, reminded me about a little story I heard about another radio great, Vince Scully.
Apparently, Scully was contemplating retirement several years back. Then, along came the baseball lockout! Scully had 6, 7, 8 weeks with no baseball "work" ... and after doing a few of the things time off allowed, he was bored to tears! The idea of retirement soon vanished for Scully!
I do hope that accomodations for Gene can be made... how about an in-home studio ala Dr. Bill? Would the station, and fellow hosts like Ronn Owens, help to find him a residence with few, or no, stairs?
To what other talk show host can one say, "You make me so mad, I want to defenestrate you!", and get a simple, knowing chuckle in return?
Warmly, Mark in Walnut Creek
I'll miss Gene at nights. I liked his opinions and agreed with him most of the time.
ReplyDeleteKGO won't be the same without him. They have Ronn Owens and not much else anymore. I still miss hearing Pete's reasonable voice.
I've called two shows, Pete's and Gene's and both hosts were great to chat with on the air.
I live in So. Calif. and have gone through exraordinary measures to get good reception of KGO, until I discovered my WiFi radios. I have listened to KGO for years, but not anymore, they have gone so far left that is like Air America, and that failed. The only decent hosts are Ron Owens, and Dr. Bill Wattenburg. I now listen to Doug McIntyre. Karel offers nothing, Thurston cackles too much similar to Hillary Clinton's laugh, Kraft has too much anger and thinks she knows it all, and is good at interrupting. Ray Taliafaro (sp)is a racist.
ReplyDeleteThank God for WiFi radio that gives listeners decent choices (worldwide). KGO is not longer the great radio station that it was in the past.