After listening to KGO (and others) for coverage both through audio and video of the craziness this weekend in Oakland, I was thinking, that maybe, I think too much.
But then, I rewound the weekend and after listening to
Ronn Owens Monday morning and countless promos about KGO's new star reporter,
Kristan Hanes, lay it all out there for us from points all over Oakland for her bosses at KGO and ABC Radio -- as well as being the unfortunate on-the-spot reporter for "The Karel Show" -- I've thought about my earlier thoughts.
Mel Baker was right. It wasn't Haines fault she got trapped with her friend from the Chronicle and one would think had her rights stripped and shackled while "trying to do her job." No, it wasn't her fault for being there or what happened in Oakland that caught her in an "Occupy" trap. It was the propagandists at KGO Whatever-It-Is 810 that made their reporter "
the story." Something that J-School 101 teaches a reporter never to be -- part of. "The story." She found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Was I too hard on the likes of Kristan and Mel Baker doing the job they did for the once mighty but demographically challenged ratings slum- slumping KGO 810? After hearing Karel sincerely askingSunday night "
Am I an abomination?" (not once, but twice, followed by his hideous hack cackling) I thought and thought some more. Yes, he is an abomination and, more so, it's a shame that
Tim "Monty" Montemayor had the savvy to interview the Police Chief and an Occupier or two on late-night SUNDAY at a time no one is listening, but Karel was being his own abonimational self and was once more doing three hours of "me, me, me."
Nah. I was right.
Christine Craft and
Stacy Taylor were the beacons of light on KGO this weekend in the aftermath of a wild day and night in Raider-town. Reporter Hanes, tie-wrapped by the wrists from an over-achieving Oakland Police Dept. too busy to answer Karel's calls while on air (as well as hundreds of others, apparently -- but Karel's silliness made it only less palatable to see and hear, when he was interrupting people who may have needed real help.)
The weekend was, in many ways, KGO's worst hour, shot down in flames by its weakest link - Karel Bouley - who was told through his producer, Brian, on the webcast and open audio (but not on the air) to "...not interrupt the guest or cut her off." The words relayed through news director Paul Hosely who had a hell of a day managing his troops and getting the news out there to a waiting audience of 2.8% of the Bay Area listening audience. Karel paid no mind. Proof that news happens 24 hours a day everyday -- even on Karel's show, where it is laughed to pieces or horrendously overexposed by the host being the topic du jour and the reporter strapped in tie-wraps when she could have been finding out facts and getting the hell out of dodge once told she could go.
She was detained for 30 minutes and I still don't think she was arrested after someone came to her aid.
God help us if we have a 9/11 event here and Karel's all we've got to report what's going on. "I've got my Chinese made IPhone, my IPad, my 27 inch Apple monitor ... I've got Verizon Fios ... I have 21 shows to watch, honey. I've got it all except MONEY! I have no MONEY!" And the bombs bursting in air from Oakland, San Francisco or ... Karel's home in Long Beach. Damn, this makes me sick.
So the story turned into a shambles after the manhandling of the weekend on Saturday and Sunday night. The two minute updates throughout the day were fine, until they hit the 7-10 p.m. hours and had a sports jock producer interviewing the Police Chief at 10:15 p.m. on Sunday night. Gag me.
This on top of replaying, again this week, the "
Red Eye Radio Truckers Show" that was already aired the night before on Friday night - Saturday morning -- again on Saturday night - Sunday morning. This is really rough to hear. I'm being so damn kind too.
Cumulus hasn't run stations in major markets before -- it's obvious. And this week proved it. No, I'm no abomination -- and I don't play one on radio. What I'm hearing, outside of a couple of gems, is an abomination. I don't see talk lasting on weekends on KGO for long.
A shame. A crying shame.
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