KGO/Owens: less calls, more SweetJack ads; 'NewsTalk 910' power line-up; KPIX still looking at new anchors; KTRB adds Giants to Spanish broadcasts; Thursday grill

*If you're a masochist like me and like to torture yourself listening to the worst of terrestrial radio, then KGO should be pre-set on your car radio and in the kitchen and bedroom. To say its content is a mess would be, like, duh!

Most evident: listen to the non-stop SweetJack ads that permeate the entire daily run-down. In fact, the over-proliferation of the Cumulus, groupon-like tacky coupon ads overwhelm the show, even on mattress man's three-hour tour. (I can just imagine what he's thinking off air, when these gooey spots run every five minutes).

Speaking of Sleeptrain-Ronn, do you notice that the calls have become something of a rumor? In his opening hour Thursday, Owens did a fifteen-minute phono with the ever-annoying, Chris Matthews. (The lovefest was overwhelming). After the obligatory ten minutes of spots and news, Owens talked trivial minutiae about the lout stuck on Telegraph Hill and finally took a call, (a guy with an accent). He was promptly cut after about five seconds. Cut to more SweetJack spots and one last caller, an older lady near the top of the hour, who was given about thirty seconds before she was cut. She was elderly, which in Owens's world, means bye-bye.

One hour. Two calls. And a barrage, onslaught really, of spots, the bulk of which consisted of SweetJack. Oh, and a smarmy Brian Copeland in-studio plug for the "R and B joke hour", Friday.
Notice a trend? Even in the "new" KGO "810" "content" factory, on its franchise and only "talk-show", there's more spots and less calls. Calls don't necessarily dictate the success or failure and fluidity of a show--sometimes, in fact, they detract. The point here is clear and evident: less people are calling and even more have trailed away. I can't wait to see Owens numbers in the coming months--should be very interesting. (No -hit, Sherlock!).

*Yeah, they don't have the strongest signal, but ClearChannel's "News-Talk" 910 AM has a power line-up from morning to night. I'm not a Rush Limbaugh guy, but he's the top banana in the field. And I like the new afternoon shows with Len Tillem highlighting Gene Burns, (when he's back) and Alan Colmes.

*At KPIX, they continue to have practice runs with potential new anchors. I'm told a change is imminent and a few worried faces have surfaced in the lunchroom.

*KTRB, the fragile 50,000-watt outlet with ESPN Deportes programming, has added the SF Giants to its schedule, with 2012 home games being broadcast Spanish-language. That makes sense.

*Gil Gross sort of mentioned that he's probably done doing talk shows on his fill-in on 910, Wednesday. I would bet that Gross goes back to news anchoring at ABC Radio.

*The cranky old man is back on Knibber from 9-Noon with the new-improved kiss-ass that has all the interest of milk toast. The blind leading the blind. And yeah, you're right: say something over the line about the Giants, and you'll be back in Visalia.

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