KGO Radio is paying listeners to provide news tips. I'm not making this up.
The SF Peninsula Press-Club reports that the best news tip provided by a KGO listener will reward he or she with $810 at the end of the month. If this weren't so sad and pathetic, it would be funny--wait, there's gotta be a punchline here.
I wonder how some of the station's veteran reporters feel about this. Then again, I forgot, it's Cumulus. Great way to rally the troops. Maybe they can do a Facebook contest and hire a new talk-show host too.
I hear there's an opening in the morning a year from now for a guy who likes to shill for mattress companies.
*Follow me on Twitter
Sounds like Cumulus is trying to circuitously validate their move to all news by gauging the number of news stories KGO receives. First sign of desperation and doubt on KGO’s part and the next step into mediocrity: every news caster will conclude their story by tell the listeners to go to the KGO website to rate the story they just heard. I’m sure KCBS is taking notes on the demise of KGO.
ReplyDeleteFor those end of the year "In Memoriam" retrospectives featured in most newspapers, sadly, one of the most prominent "celebrity" deaths will be the formerly-august, quintessential Bay Area radio stations: KGO Radio Newstalk 810. Sad end to an era ...
ReplyDeleteWhen will they start Tradio?
ReplyDeleteThis is so embarrassing. And the constant loop of warmed up
ReplyDeleteInsignificant news is pathetic. I actually feel sorry for Ronn. He'll be thrown out like the others but with far less sympathy.
Please, Cumulus, put KGO out of its misery STAT!!
Go KCBS...that faster KGO goes away the better!!!
ReplyDeleteThats pathetic. They took one of the best newsrooms in the Bay Area and made it into just another pathetic rip, read and snitch operation.
ReplyDeleteOff topic buy why is KTVU thanking viewers for trusting them at the end of each broadcast? I don't trust them. They cover more East Bay news. That's why I watch. I don't trust them and I wish they'd stop saying I do because it makes them sound like a bunch of amateurs.
ReplyDeleteDear lying, fascist, punks in charge of the KGO radio debacle.
ReplyDeleteNEWS FLASH: Cumulus media is not a trusted, credible source of "news and information," so you may as well just hire chimps to deliver your propaganda masquerading as news. There is nothing you can do or say now to restore your credibility, nor do you care to because shutting down the voices on the left coast before the election was your ulterior motive. Actions speak louder than words, always.
Cash for trash.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, would love to see the "books" every month to see if, in fact, Cumulus is giving that money away. Here's betting they aren't. If they are, I'd bet there are a whole slew of underpaid news folk uddling outside Jared's office and Paul Hosely, saying, "W T F?" $810 for ONE "best" news tip? Are you freaking kidding me? Where's mine?
ReplyDeleteAND, what a SCAM on the listeners! But good business for Cuumulus money grabbers. They get a whole monthes worth of news tips from listeners, and create news stories daily from those tips? AND THEY ONLY HAVE TO PAY ONE FEE OF $810.00? Kinda smart, but it does not make them trust worthy at all.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Ohio during the 60's and 70's, and remember radio stations doing the exact same thing KGO is now doing - contests where the best news tip resulted in cash.
ReplyDeleteHey Rich, I almost had a scare at my local Catholic Church in Pleasanton at Midnight! They only changed choir directors, but for a minute I wondered if Cumulus took that over, too! Enjoy your Sunday and thank you for the only inside media info that exists!
ReplyDeleteSeems to me that KGO had a bunch of fabulous news tips, regarding a protest in front of their building, which they neither paid for, nor discussed.
ReplyDeleteSince you clearly have never worked in a newsroom you apparently don't know that each and every newsroom around the world relies at least in part for newstips and story ideas from listeners, viewers, readers.
ReplyDeleteYou may have heard of whistleblowers, traffic tips, calls about a fire that just got underway. KCBS, KTVU, The Chronicle and everyone else uses this process. KGO's traffic division has long urged listeners to call in with a traffic tip.
You're blasting the station for trying to bring listeners into the process is really sad and I hope your readers will understand how little you actually know about the day to day operations of the news room and how little they should value your insight.
Mel Baker
30 Years in broadcast journalism.
@12:04pm are you the same Mel Baker who crashed the peaceful KGO protest and accused the demonstrators of leaving you messages? Why do you keep inserting yourself into the KGO debacle? Don't you think it is tacky to promote paying for news tips? If this is so commonplace why is it KGO never paid $810 for news tips? More and more you sound like Jared Hart's designated attack dog...
ReplyDeleteSorry, Mel. I have almost as many years in print and radio as you. You never pay for news, even one time, even in a contest. Unethical. And, I've run newsrooms in print as the top dog and as a radio station news director, so spare me your "expertise."
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm that Mel. There is nothing unethical about encouraging people to call in tips. The other station I work at in this market also urges people to give us tips and the networks I worked for did the same.
ReplyDeleteAs to 12:04 p.m. I'm not Jared's attack dog. It's really quite funny to me and the rest of us working at KGO to hear the bizarre conspiracy theories about how everything is being run by JARED. How terribly young Jared is (He's actually in his 30s) and how much supposed influence he has.
What is perhaps most interesting about this whole string of comments is that it tells us more about the dangers of social media as a news source more than it enlightens the audience interested in the changes in this media market.
Rich often baffles people who work at other stations (Including another I work for) when he just makes stuff up and starts a rumor. We go "where the heck did that come from." Unfortunately it hurts the people involved. One news host I know was concerned about his/her future at the station because of a baseless rumor started by Rich a few months back that he/she was about to be fired. This of a truly talented and dedicated journalist who is still with us thankfully, despite the unnecessary fear Rich's little "rumor" caused that person.
The second danger of this form or information is that it builds like good old fashioned town gossip. So that people's ruminations become the facts others pass on. Fascinating really and the reason that we in the news business have such strict rules about what is and is not news.
Let me also point out how Dear Old Rich is crowing that he "may have a future in talk radio." He's finally getting a chance to break into the biz in Santa Cruz by beating up on a single legacy station in San Francisco. His patter that this is all about you is belied by the fact that he is now hoping to benefit from spreading rumors about KGO to turn it into a broadcasting career for himself.
I understand and sympathize with those of you who love and miss the old KGO format. The most annoying thing ever said behind my back was from a former co-worker who wrote about me in a print article about a private conversation in which I told her I was quitting a job because I didn't feel morally comfortable with the format. She said her thought at the time was "dude, it's only radio." I know it isn't. I know this is a very powerful medium and that those of us on mic and behind the scenes have a great responsibility. I remain at KGO because I see on a daily basis that we are continuing to try to provide accurate and accountable reporting.
I'm sure I'll now join Jared as the go to beat up guy for all of you unhappy at the changes at KGO. Oh, well. It's hard not to take such insults personally and I'm sure I'll feel the need to answer at least some of them. However, I know you don't know me as a person and therefore I'm an easy target for your rage. Remember however I'm posting this with my real name and identity. I'm not hiding behind a fake handle. If you want to talk back, I would hope that you would be no more obnoxious than you might otherwise be if you met me on the street. However, as I've noticed in this internet venue.. I doubt it... the game of smear and rumor is simply too much fun. Just don't equate it with journalism.
Mel Baker, since you fancy yourself an authority of "the business," could you please explain the strategy behind firing our beloved KGO talk show hosts Thursday afternoon instead of the end of the week? Let's examine the mess that could of been avoided:
ReplyDelete#1) Cumulus wouldn't of added insult to injury by playing previously recorded programs of the fired hosts on Thursday and Friday.
#2) Instead of becoming a lightning rod, Ronn Owens would of avoided the majority of the backlash that ensued.
#3) The new format could of been rehearsed a bit before launching on Monday. Instead, it was perhaps the worst launch in the history of radio.
The end result was Cumulus inflicted as much pain, confusion and anger as possible – as if their intent was to drive listeners away so they can justify moving to cheaper, syndicated programming – aka their stated goal of media consolidation.
If you – or anyone else – considers this to be a baseless conspiracy theory, let's hear your explanation.
OK - I'll play ...
ReplyDelete1- The KGO pay period begins on the first of the month ... the day the firings came about. No use carrying over the weight into another pay period. All was done up to the last day and done five days earlier to get the checks cut, severance paid and any contract remainders.
2- By coincidence, the last Arbitron PPM weelies began that day - Thursday, prior to the last book, which is called the "Arbitron Holiday Book" and is meaningless.
3- All rating periods begin on Thursday, so, coinciding with the pay schedule, keep the Burns, Rothman & Talifierro shows on "replay" status to get two days of rating credit while they have left the building. Poor way of doing it, IMHO, but it saved them money. They could have brought in hosts but would have had to pay them. This way ... they didn't have to pay extra.
3- As much as stations say they "should" do run throughs and practice practice practice ... they don't. The word would have been out the door so fast and the speculation about what was coming was bad enough from Cumulus itself that they hurried and pushed it through to start "some kind" of continuity on Monday, knowing that it would be a disaster ... and it was.
4- To Cumulus, (and many other companies,) the sooner the better. One doesn't "ease into a format" in radio. You do it ... or you don't. So, they rushed it, keeping as much a lid on what they were going to do ... and thus prevented a lot of water-cooler time of discussion, because too many people had to much to prepare in just three days before the start on Monday.
5- And no, one doesn't give staff time to say "Buh-bye" ... ever. Too many problems. But could there have been another way? Yes. They could have waited till this weekend when they had already long planned doing Xmas music on both stations, then, fired everybody on Saturday. Then, really pissed off the news team who would have had to work through Christmas and prepare for a new launch. Not a good idea. So, actually, no -- there was nothing else they could do and loose lips talk. There are no secrets.
As it was, they fired Gene Burns just three days before his 71st birthday and that was cruel enough. But to do it at Christmas -- someone would have firebombed the 900 Front St. studios.
So, they did what they did at the time most convenient to Cumulus.
Welcome to media 101.
Mel - No problem in asking for or seeking "tips" for news stories -- especially breaking news.
ReplyDeleteBut "checkbook journalism" is a no-no and you know better.
Small town radio used to do the "$25 news tip of the week" deal 40 years ago. CKLW, KHJ, KFRC, WHBQ, WRKO ... all of the then RKO Stations did. But ... they lost their licenses, too.
And you don't hear many of these "newstip awards" much anymore. And at $810? Mell, that's more than some of these people make in a week. They must be pissed.
And frankly, you haven't learned much in 30 years.
It sounds like you don't know shit.
Mel, but what are your thoughts regarding the conspiracy theory that says cheap syndicated programing is their ulterior motive?
ReplyDeleteAlso, what motivated Cumulus to lie about research indicating this market wanted news instead of talk? Is a station required to justify a programming switch with the FCC, or was that lie only concocted to dupe the listeners?
The FCC does not participate in programming decisions, except cases of proven obscenity. You want Korean disco played backwards over baboon farts and a 1 thousand cycle tone? That's ok by the FCC.
ReplyDeleteAs for a company saying they found in research that the market wanted news ... that's like saying you have a great chance of winning the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes.
Cumulus is not so much "research oriented" let alone "ratings oriented." In fact, it doesn't subscribe to ratings in a lot of its markets and could really give a rip unless they are sky high.
What they research is the color of $$$$ coming in the door each and every day. They have an older leaning AM with no FM possibility for now, so, the thing they needed to do was to chuck the oldster audience and hope that the latest 75 minute newswheel of pap would electrify the audience that remains. This is not about growth opportunities for audience -- it's about sales and on a corporate "cluster of stations" level at that. It's not about listeners, it's about saving money while making gobs of it.
There are more "streamlining changes" yet to come. Mark my words. Watch for more syndicated stuff on KGO & KSFO ... with lots of Cumulus' DC facilities that are unused and waiting.