Don't be fooled: KGO Radio/Cumulus has been running old, taped Gene Burns and John Rothmann shows. (That's how much they respect you all, the listeners).
Add veteran weatherman, Lloyd Lindsay-Young, to the casualty list.
BUT WAIT: If you think this Bloodbath was bad, wait until until you hear what's coming next. Keep it here at 'Rich Lieberman 415 Media.'
Rich, hats off to you. Awesome coverage. seriously.
ReplyDeleteI went to Dr. Bill's website (Drbill.us) It says "NOT FOUND."
ReplyDeleteTo add insult to injury, did you notice that they chose a John Rothman show which originally aired on a Thursday? Thus on the intro he said: "it is Thursday, good evening". It is beyond tacky, it is disrespectful and it is a finger to the audience. Rothman's show was at least two weeks old! Not surprising, remember the shananigans they did with Dr. Dean? Reruns galore after his departure, including weekends at 5am. Crazy fuckers at Cumulus.
ReplyDeleteDriving home tonight, I heard Rothmann talking about the November 23rd deadline. Surely he misspoke? Until I heard it again and the mention of Thanksgiving. WTH? KGO reruns? That never happens! Maybe it was a last minute sick day for John?
ReplyDeleteNope. Much worse.
Thanks for keep us informed, Rich.
Well, I have a reasonably good 'radio voice' and I'm willing to work for about $10 an hour. Is that too much for Lew Dickey? Or should I aim for single-digit wages?
ReplyDelete"
ReplyDeleteBUT WAIT: If you think this Bloodbath was bad, wait until until you hear what's coming next.
"
Are you referring to another bloodbath at KGO?
It's already been gutted...
I was wondering how the screeners were keeping ALL callers from commenting
ReplyDeleteI tried to email KGO last night but their circuits were overloaded. I can imagine all the furious, stunned listeners rushing to tell them "YOU BITE!"
ReplyDeleteToday I will send another $100 to KQED and update my podcasts from them. No more KGO for me. If Christine Craft is on over the weekends, then I'll make an exception, but that is it.
Don't forget the recent 'sudden' retirement of the Super Commuter, John Whalen (sp) last month. The quiet loss of Michael-lynne Myers and the KGO Jet Copter as well. The relegation of Mike Amitori into weird ad spots.
ReplyDeleteI got an email from KGO that they are going to all news during the week except for ronn owens and will have talk shows on weekends.
ReplyDeleteMake no mistake Rothmann was fucking terrible. Riiightttt hereeee on KGOOOOOOO
ReplyDeleteCumulus has totally destroyed the KGO brand with its sleazy changes. On the KGO website it states "After careful consideration we’ve determined our audience is looking for more news..." Careful consideration? Bullshit. Determined that the audience is looking for more news? Double bullshit. The audience never rose up by the masses and demanded more news. The audience was quite happy with quality top-notch broadcasters who knew how to do talk radio in a professional way, whether you agreed or disagreed with their style or opinions. The new format is DOA.
ReplyDeleteBUT WAIT: If you think this Bloodbath was bad, wait until until you hear what's coming next. Keep it here at 'Rich Lieberman 415 Media.'
ReplyDeleteWho's left to get rid of.....unless you mean that KNBR is up for a similar gutting? Why take a station with some history and presence in the talk radio genre (whether you agree with the general political slant of their hosts or not) and set it up to run it as a second rate news station? Cumulus has to be doing this to hack an expensive air staff and coast on already established advertiser contracts. Reap the difference between expense and income for 18 months from now and unload the thing for a loss. There has to be some sort of tax shenanigans involved here.
The Bay Area already has an excellent news station -- on AM and FM.
ReplyDeleteI predict that KGO will soon transition to a 24/7 Rush Limbaugh station with the goal of turning our collective Northern California brains into mush!
So let me get this straight, KGO ratings were down. Rich had told us KGO planned to drop their news format........now they go all news? Gene Burns hadn't really been able to do his show in a long time? The only regular show on KGO that draws ratings is Ronn Owens. Yet now everyone complains about the changes? I am not surprised at all by the changes, many of the hosts had become old and stale. It was time for a change, long term will all these stick, who knows. I wouldn't be shocked to see Dr. Bill end up back on the air at KSFO where he could fit in nicely with their other hosts.
ReplyDeleteListening to Ronn Owens on KGO's online stream, I heard Gil Gross and Gene Burns on pre-recorded spot reads after the first segment. You stay classy, Cumulus.
ReplyDeleteAny word on the other live and local (or remote but locally focused) hosts like Stacy Taylor, Michael Finney, Karel, Brent Walters and John Hamilton?
Lloyd Lindsay Young was annoying with that Hello Bull Shit that felt it went on for 30 seconds.
ReplyDelete@fish...interesting idea. If it's true Ronn is contracted until sometime in 2013, that could all play out.
ReplyDeletePlease gut knbr, they need it badly! Starting with the morning idiots then the bloated one at 9 am. The rest i dont care so much but the morning has gotta go.
ReplyDeleteMost listeners want Talk & Discussion, with insightful guests, NOT more news, which we can get everywhere, since it's all generic broadcasts anyway...I'm moving over to KQED permanently and will forgo KGO even though I've been a constant listener, since 1986.
ReplyDeleteI have been listening to KGO since the real early 1960's. I have seen all the changes, allthe ups and down, the good and the bad, but I will say, what is happenning now is really the pits! OK, only good thing left is KQED, KKUP, and a few more local stations. I am going to miss good local talent and discussions and insite into what is going on and all the dialogue. Hmmm..anybody wanna get another good station going with me?
ReplyDeleteWhere'd you get the information that Lloyd is being let go? I'm not finding that anywhere on the website (meaning, it still shows him as being on staff, etc).
ReplyDeleteThis blood bath gives me hope they will do the same to all of the blow hole leaders from KNBR. Get rid of Pauly Mac, what the fuck does that guy do, other then talking about the Dead, can't stand Murphey either but they can't fire everyone, get rid of Gary Radnich, the arrogant bastard who no longer folows sports, Larry Krueger who hates everyone, Fitz and Brooks, Brooks is not good, but Fitz is a booming pompous idiot, ofcourse getting rid of Pizza man Ralphie would be a god send, and please Tolbe5rt, you know your sports but can you ask a question to a guest under a 1000 words, Eric Byrnes a total hack. ok I feel better know.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I'm listening to the Rothmann re-air right now. The last one.
ReplyDeleteDidn't realize former KGO news guy Gregg Jarrett was also let go this week at WGN in Chicago. A very bad week for KGOers. Figure I'll stay up until 1 a.m. to see if Pat Thurston has something to say about it.
I was scrolling through the list of Talkers Heavy 100 to see what kind of syndicated crap might be headed this way. It isn't pretty.
All except Wattenberg, Burns, who I used to like, et al were LIBERAL and HIGH paid. While no one listens to lib radio, KGO kept CHEAPER HOSTS, even tho lib...cheaper means less quality. Spencer Hughes is a cheaper conservative, I guess to replace Dr. Bill (poor trade). KGO will continue to slide and lose to Internet radio!!! dr bill to KSFO!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's ridiculous for Cumulous to say the audience was clamoring for more news. We are already overwhelmed with news. If I'd wanted to listen to an all-news station, I'd have switched to KCBS. I could understand wanting to get some fresh talent. The only one I'll really miss is Len Tillem. He was always a bright spot in my day. I'm very glad Ronn Owens is staying.
ReplyDeleteWe live in highly disruptive, re-structuring times and there are no safe harbors. Truth is we are the cause of this. While people desire structure and reliable expectations, our demand for instant gratification in almost every area has created universal cut throat competition. Now the disarray is so destabilizing we are weak and vulnerable. The backlash is nascent, but a moment's reflection will cause us to realize that the value to be preserved here is our humanity. Machines can serve, but treating people like machines will cause us to lose our humanity. On a pragramatic note, what I have observed in my 52 years here is a transition from self-sufficient communities to big-box-dependant suburbs, and now that is reversing. That is probably good for our humanity, but it is also a reflection of the decline of our standard of living due to the world-wide wage convergence happening. It is sad to lose our "voice" on KGO and the personalities, to boot. Sign o da times...
ReplyDeleteSleep Trains stance on BOYCOTT KGO and my reply.
ReplyDeleteBOYCOTT KGO AND SLEEP TRAIN!!!!
On Dec 9, 2011, at 10:25 AM, gtrent@sleeptrain.com wrote:
Thank you for your comments regarding KGO-AM changing format. We recognize that this change has affected many listeners like you. KGO's senior management has assured us that they are committed to making the station better. While we do not have control over KGO's decision, we still support Ronn Owens, Jon Bristo and Jennifer Jones Lee and want them to succeed under the new format. We are forwarding your feedback to KGO's senior management in the hope that it's incorporated into their programming decisions. We appreciate your support and wish you the best this Holiday season.
Sincerely,
George Trent
Customer Service Man
George Trent,
Supporting Ronn Owens Jon Bristo and Jenifer Jones Lee is supporting KGO, sorry to hear, thousands of ethical listeners are hoping KGO fails. Bad decision I will forward you stance to websites dedicated to the boycott of KGO and their sponsors, do you really thing that forwarding my feedback will undo what KGO has done? You can't appreciate my support because you do not have it because of your decision to support Cumulus media that destroyed KGO, a radio station that was sacred to the Bay Area. I wish KGO and anybody that supports them the worst possible Holiday season and financial failure. Since your in the loop with KGO's "senior" management, you might want to inform them they can't make the station better unless the hire back the great talk show hosts they fired. Ron Owens, Jon Bristo and Jennifer Jones Lee are not in the same league as John Rothman, Len Tillum, Ray Talliaferro, Gene Burns and Bill Wattenburg.
Sin Verguenza,
Al
so where is John Rothman and Ray Talli how can I listen to them KGO Sucks Now I work Graveyard and I hate it now they made my night easy
ReplyDeletePlease everybody lets teach thease rich people a lesson Bay Area style and not listen to KGO
ReplyDelete