I feel sort of sacrilegious posting a story on Christmas, although I'm not Christian, (but yeah, I do go to Christmas parties and I'm going to the Warriors game tonight).
I made an impromptu appearance on Michael Zwerling's KSCO show Saturday. Interesting two hours. People either loved me or hated me. Funny when you do a radio show and inevitably it turns to politics.
I mentioned that I voted for Obama, and a good portion of the Monterey peninsula went off on me, but mostly it was good fun.
If you go to the KSCO website, you can listen to the show from Saturday. And yes, I was invited on and may have a future in talk radio, but in the meantime, there's a lot of mulling and lulling.
By the way, even though there's a plethora of repeated stories, hats off to KCBS for its non-Christmas music change the past 48 hours. While we acknowledge it's the holiday season, we thank some stations to keeping us informed and sticking to format while other stations play "Silent night."
And notice I didn't even mention the call-letter deficient outlet that isn't on the radar anymore.
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I even checked your site on Christmas day, Rich, and you didn't disappoint. Can't wait to play your interview when I get home tonight. Have fun at the Warriors game!
ReplyDeleteMr. Lieberman
ReplyDeletePlease don't forget us, your readers, when you go radio!!!
The top played Bay Area radio station Christmas songs according to my ears?
ReplyDeleteno.1:Johnny Mathis "Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas"
no.2: Andy Williams "It's the most wonderful time of year"
no.3 Mariah Cary "All I want for Christmas is you"
no.4,ugh, The Wham! guy and his Christmas song..that beat out..
no.5 White Christmas by der Bing.
'S'
honorable mention to Burl I'ves and Karen Carpenter. For some reason,Nat King Cole didn't get much airplay this year.And I only heard "Run Run Rudolph" by Chuck Berry once. THAT'S criminal!
"Uh, I don't know (about Mary Tyler Moore attracting an audience on TV in 2011) -- I still have the same sense of humor I've always had." KSCO's Michael Zwerling.
ReplyDeleteProblem: He HAS no sense of humor and sounds like a neandrathal.
You, Rich, win the award for most use of the word "crap" on air! MZ sounds like a tool and should take care of business. On second though, listening to the spot load of that station, it sounds like Mama Zwerling is writing a LOT of checks.
If MZ is creating a "talk radio star" in you -- count on it being a "brokered" show and he'll own your wallet.
Nice job, Rich! You have good pipes and an interesting perspective. You would start out on 7-10 p.m. on KGO on Sat. & Sun. and replace what's-his-face Karel and do three times better, actually.
And next to Steve Allen, no one got away with the word "schmuck" as effectively as you! I hope that Kay Zwerling didn't take both of you out back and slap the sh*t out of you.
Using the words "moron, stupid, masturbation and Kim Kardashian's "a slut" multiple times within 4 minutes sure cleaned out KSCO's transmitter. I'm thinking Kay was found passed out on the floor in the hall. The first angry female (Martha) was priceless! MZ was fixing to ask her if she listened to KSCO on a regular basis and the woman hung up!
Watch out Karel ... you have met your match and he is Rich Lieberman! You go, dude! - JB
Nicely done, Rich! Fun stuff! And great response. I hope Cume-less was listening. - JB
You're 49 years old??????????????????????????????????
ReplyDeleteYou're kidding me.
You look like Joe Alioto.
Michael Zwerling is the reincarnation of Art Bell. Sounds a lot like him. If only MZ would have super-glued his lips shut like Bell did on the air. A hoot!
ReplyDeleteLieberman to replace Limbaugh! Funny! MZ's a tool.
You lit it up, Rich. Great radio and compelling. Great "schtick". This is a primer on what talk show hosts do. This was the new Savage.
Notice that he was able to say that you "pissed him off" ... but he wouldn't dare say that to Ray-T. He let his mom fight his battles on air.
You need to get on the air and quickly. Cumulus, hire Rich NOW!
Listen to the interview as soon as you can at ksco.com. Classic!
Classic interview, Rich!
ReplyDeleteMama Kay Zwerling: "Get off the air, God damn it!"
"Keep your mouth shut until you're asked to talk!"
I can't wait to hear the demo aircheck of the new Rich Lieberman show ... coming soon to KGO!
WOW!
Rich, Do you know when and where the next Occupy Kgo rally will be held? I think it's gong to be Friday, Dec 30, but I'm not sure of the venue. Thanks
ReplyDeleteDon't quit your day job fat ass. Your humor is weak and one dimensional,you attack 85 year old caller who served in World War 2. You are a coward who could never fight for his country, nor understand or respect the men and women who protect this country. Feeling pretty good about yourself ? fucking joke. You don't have any talent.
ReplyDeleteHey, if you get invited back you may want to mention to the "good portion of the Monterey peninsula" that "they" voted for Obama in percentages of 68% (Monterey) 61% San Benito, and 78% (Santa Cruz). Maybe your callers need to turn off the radio and go to the window and yell at their neighbors!
ReplyDeleteRich ... On Xmas afternoon, I checked to see if Bob Brinker took the afternoon off (they switched him from KGO to KSFO this month; same time 1 PM Sundays).
ReplyDeleteThere was Xmas music on KSFO and then I checked KGO ... Xmas music, too. Hmmmm I went back & forth and found the two stations were simulcasting the same music at the same time. More cost cuts @ Cumulus!
Well, I did find Bob Brinker being broadcast at KFNN online (Phoenix) and, for the first time I can ever recall, Brinker pulled a "Len Tillem" ... he had a series of taped call-ins over the past several weeks.
Is this what they call as "cut & paste radio"?
What was obvious was that no call-in number was mentioned and several references to "KGO" callers even though the program moved to KSFO.
Well, at least Brinker had the day off!
@7:53am is right on, the thing I found surprising was that KSFO was playing music, even through the night and even though Coast to Coast had announced they would have a live show Christmas day! It is very amusing that after decimating KGO and all of its traditions, the one tradition they kept is playing jingles for two days after becoming an all news station. Kudos KSFO!
ReplyDeleteRich will NOT be invited back to the KSCO parking lot -- let alone it's studios!
ReplyDeleteMama Zwerling said so!
Hey Rich, love your blog, but you need a small polishing on your talk show skills... What you say is not so bad, just adjust the timing, and let conversations develop. "talk radio" is what we want. Ray or Karel just go off, not so interesting intellectually. you were doing the same..
ReplyDeleteAre you interested in being a "talk" show host? or "infotainer"? either is ok, just say what it is.
Dont fall victim to the sliding "culture" that you go off on.
what scares many of us is that real talk radio wont make money for radio stations, and we will only get the shock jock infotainers.
Yeah, I'd have to say I agree with the last guy (5:57.) You have the information, don't be in such a hurry to spew it out. Let the other person talk. Don't interrupt, even if he is a dufus and what he is saying is total crap. Let him hang himself, then come in, cut down the body and piss on it.
ReplyDeleteStick with one topic at a time. Avoid going off on a tangent. Maybe it would help if you had a notebook with you. Instead of trying to pull together 15 different ideas at once, write stuff down as it occurs to you if it is off topic on what you are currently talking about. One or two words should be enough to remind you to come back to it later.
5:14 12/25's comments were particularly astute. KSCO would be a great place to practice to see if you really could handle a SF or syndicated talk show. Be careful of their rules. Not saying they would, but if they give you anything to sign, take it to a lawyer first.
Well, said, 12/26 8:48. You nailed it. These are talk show basics that work. The callers are the ones to be heard and the host is to stir the pot.
ReplyDeleteUsing too many "pissed off, masturbation, slut" lines may be "shock value" ... but they should be used appropriately and sparingly for effect. Too much and it sounds like a comedy routine. If the caller wants to be "stoopid" - that's his/her call. Respond to it in an approriately "harsh" way as needed, but give the listener his due ... and don't let the call drag on and on and on.
Stir it up, but let them attack your principles, not your use of language or talking over people. And rarely hang up on people. Steer the conversation in control, make some salient points, then move on. Just sayin'
Don't "compete" with the listener. Let them know they may be morons in calling you and saying things ... but have them argue the points, not your style. That gets boring real fast and only "pisses off" listeners. Be witty, funny, tough ... nice, too ... but make your point(s) clealy, honestly, factually and show those who disagree with you their moronic ways ...
Oh -- and jokingly "hitting" on a 90-year-old woman by telling her how "hot" she is and how "hot" her voice is (it's not) is nervous insecurity on your part.
ReplyDeleteWhen Ray T told her, "Get out of the studio, Madam!" he did it perfectly. She responded with "I will not ... I OWN this studio." Great response.
You responding that she "sounded hot" went nowhere.
However, you did raise hackles to the point where she said, "Shut up, God damn it! Let someone else talk. Michael, get him off the air NOW!" was classic.
But she wasn't arguing with what you said ... she was responding to what you were trying to do by insulting her and the guest. There's a way to do so ... it takes practice, practice, practice.
Don't "try" so hard, Rich. You were trying to make an impression. That's ok, but balance it out and let the callers show their lunacy, too. Your job is to not to be nice ... but lead them down the garden path and as anger "naturally" builds ... then let 'em have it!
Back in the day, KGO used to do a really good job with their Christmas Eve/Day programming. In addition to music, the various hosts would put together segments, maybe a memory from their past, maybe reading a Christmas story - former weekend guy Christopher Clark had a great one that - with his British accent - sounded like it came from Dickens himself.
ReplyDeleteHey Rich, when are you going to post KSCO's Arbitron ratings?
ReplyDeleteThe station has very few listeners and exists mostly to sell vitamins as part of multi-level marketing schemes. It's a haven for crackpots and nuts, and represents no competition for KGO.
Really. The ratings don't lie.
I listened to your podcast on KSCO. I thought that you'd make a GREAT radio personality!
ReplyDeleteKay Zwerling is laugh out loud funny... like Micheal Savage. Except I think that he is funny on purpose. She is inadvertently funny. Like when she was screaming, "Micheal! Micheal! Get this rude, intolerant bastard out of here and run my commentary!!!". And then to hear the commentary?!?!?! It would be too funny - if it were not so sad and bigoted.
They have to run some apposing commentaries to lose their reputation as far right. And ditch Limbaugh, I suppose.
Not to mention, I was dying during the whole conversation about, "Jewish Sausage". Then HOW can MZ ask you, "Do you have a sense of humor"????
But if they'll have you... and you'll have them. I'd love to see you on KSCO... or any radio station.
Denise - Fremont.
I finally figured out that it was you on KSCO last week!! I couldn't figure out who that rude, obnoxious person was. Jeez, I love your blog, but that style of big mouth, crude radio turns me off. Obviously others think it's funny.
ReplyDeleteI do think Kay Zwerling is extremely annoying as far as her commentary and it's just weird to have a mother-son pair running a radio station.
I think Mike Zwerling is a decent guy, but he needs a world of help with his programming. Santa Cruz-Monterey area is not right wing in nature and they need interesting hosts with the zip to their personality. If they want to get some of the KGO audience, they also are more moderate in nature and a 9-12 morning full of Rush Limbaugh is no way to start a day!
Sorry Rich, I hated your schtick!
Finally caught your appearance on KSCO via podcast. It was pretty damn good! You lit up the transmitter because KSCO is pretty much a boring, small town enterprise. I couldn't believe the intolerant lunacy from station owner Kay Zwerling! She came off as a sitcom-like caricature - the hostile, elderly station owner that berates the station manager son. He had to cow-tow to her after she became irate at you - yelling at him to not wimp out and "control" you!
ReplyDeleteSadder was that the callers were the same boring group that have been calling the station for the last 12 years. I used to work at a photo lab in Soquel and listened to KSCO daily with it's parade of daily callers which became more of a boring party line for people that should forgot their meds. I always imagined the callers as retirees in their mobile homes in LaSelva Beach, frantically dialing in on their old dial phones. Since there are few callers, many were let on the air multiple times a day! The only good caller was Billy from Capitola, he could string thoughts together and also frequently calls KGO.
KSCO still features the Dr. Wallach pyramid marketing scheme which the Zwerlings are top diamond level. A fun game to play is listening to Dr. Wallach for a couple hours, then you can easily take callers and give the exact same diagnosis and recommendations of American Longevity products -he's so predictable!
Overall, good start Rich! I can tell you wanted to get things going but it was so amazing how you burst the bubble of the rube listeners. If you want to do a show, you should just start a podcast and you won't have to deal with small minded midgets and elitist station owners.
"Get Off My Station!!!" :-)
Best, Dave B.
Dave B...although I agree with some of your points regarding KSCO...the boring callers...Dr. Wallach...and you didn't mention Kay Z's horrid editorials and 3 hours of Rush every stinking morning....credit should be given to the fact that Michael Zwerlling's heart is in the right place and he does not want to create a Cumulus situation...instead he wants to keep it local. He just doesn't have the skill set and whatever it takes to create programming that is interesting while bringing in advertisers that are not infomercials. I disagree that Rich made a "good start". He was rude, obnoxious, and offensive. Not funny. However, I love his blog and have enjoyed other of his interviews. I do feel sorry for you Dave, if you worked at a place for years that listened to KSCO all day. Pretty awful. The best stuff was earlier this year when they had episodes of Leave it to Beaver at lunch time. Seriously. Also, do like Corey Gold at times...funny guy.
ReplyDelete