Saturday, June 9, 2012

Owens seeks other options when KGO deal expires; Saturday dart


When his contract is up at the end of the year, Ronn Owens has no intention of retiring. He still wants to work, whether that will be in the Bay Area or another market is a different issue.

Owens tenure at KGO has a myriad of final chapters. He has told people in the broadcast biz that he believes Cumulus people still may work out a deal for him, albeit one that won't come close, financially, to what he's getting now.

Word continues to leak that there's a good chance that Owens' contract will be bought out early, (perhaps as early as August or September); although there's a significant buyout clause in Owens contract, (negotiated by agent, Don Buchwald), if Cumulus goes that route. Most observers tell me Cumulus doesn't want to pay the hefty buyout clause. True, but they also don't want a lame duck broadcaster doing a final days tour. My best guess is that both sides negotiate a settlement.

A rumor: Owens might go out of the market once his KGO situation is resolved. Indeed, with his kids grown and a desire to work, Owens could be enticed to another market, maybe LA. I wouldn't be surprised nor shocked if Ronn took a job. He wants one last deal before retiring at 70 which he'll be in 2016. Ideally, he would retire at home in SF, but I don't see that happening. And I also don't see ClearChannel's KKSF, 910 AM, offering him anything close to his expiring deal.

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38 comments:

  1. Mr. Softie tried L.A. and failed. Why would anyone bring him there again?

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  2. Everything from his race, right leaning politics, age, yenta-istic style, the TGA thing and his fondness for luxury cruises makes him perfect for a return to Florida.

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    1. Race? Does this refer to him being caucasion or hopefully not, his religion, which is not a race. TGA thing?
      Political leaning I believe is moderate, middle of the road.... left leaning some areas, right leaning in others. However, only in this area would he be considered right leaning in general.I
      I would like him to stick around.

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    2. By race I believe the poster is referring to Ronnnnnnnnn's Ashkenazi roots which categorize him as a "man" of Central European roots. So 11:07 you are one of the remaining 20 listeners to the Lowenstein show? He is not sticking around with that salary. He is an Israeli hawk, he believes in American exceptionalism and imperialism. He thinks gridlock is great. Hardly middle of the road stances

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    3. To the very bitter 11:30: being Jewish with Ashkenazi roots is not a race. Ronn is caucasion. Despite the event last December, Ronn still has many listeners, just not as many as before partly due to KGO being crap and partly because of how he handled the firing of his co-hosts. However, he still has many fans, not 20, but suit yourself if you want to believe this. I think you are in the minority thinking that Ronn is right leaning, but it doesn't matter, he still has a good show and you don't have to like him or agree with his views.

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    4. @3:15, if you knew Ronnnnn is of Caucasian extraction via his Ashkenazi Jewishnes then why the heck did you ask what his race is? 9:12's post is great comedically. Your naivete is cute. Lowenstein would've been fired first in December if he did not have that iron clad contract. Several posters have provided concrete evidence to prove Ronnnnnn is right of center. What can you provide to prove he is a liberal?

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    5. Owens right of center? Bwwww-aaaaaaa! ROTFLMAO!!

      Proof he's a liberal?

      1) He's for every tax that comes down the pike, *and* he even offers new taxes he thinks we should add! He's for an added 10 cents a gallon for gas; and has even said that years ago he offered that we should add a $1 per gallon tax on gas!

      He is for the "millionaires tax", which hits people that make $250,000 per year.

      He was for the cigarette tax, which he lobbied for, and was downtrodden when it failed.

      2) He's for ObamaCare.

      3) He's for open borders.

      4) He talks about racism at the drop of the hat.

      5) He will always assume that racism, or race, was a deciding factor in any possible scenario, even when there are no facts to support such a conclusion; and he will ignore prima facia evidence that explains whatever he is yammering about, that isn't a race factor. (Example: Obama can have 8.2% unemployment, $4.70 a gallon gas, and have added $6 Trillion in new debt, and Ronn will say, "And Obama's race was a factor in his losing the Presidency in 2012." Bank on it.

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  3. He is not right-leaning ..no way. I'm a big ronn fan and hope he stays in this market.

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    1. Actually he is right leaning on most issues except gay marriage. His "pragmatism" and "centrism" is just a cover

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    2. He has indeed moved to the right over the years. He has become very anti-union for instance. He thinks he is radical because he anti-smoking. Wow!

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    3. What are you smoking? He is for every tax that is porposed, he is against any cuts, he was for ObamaCare, voted for Obama, voted for Kerry, voted for Clinton.

      Yes, he is a hawk for Israel. Big surprise.

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    4. Ronn Owens tries to come across as Mr middle of the road "voice of reason". When in reality he nothing but joe liberal. He is not fooling anyone.
      The man who tries to be something to everyone is neither.

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    5. Did you hear him the other day...in total disbelief that George W. Bush is the least popular former President. George W., the man who got us into unnecessary wars and destroyed the economy, and has done nothing of value in his post-presidency Ronnnn thinks it should be Jimmy Carter, who along with Bill Clinton have been the most productive and active EX's, helping out all over the world.

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  4. What is worse Saturdays at 10am than Timoteo Monteminor? Answer: The horrific NY comedian! Jared's friend from San Jose was not available? Hell, bring back Spencer "Jose" Hughes but stop bringing this creature back!! She is an abomination

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  5. Leans right for sure. He was for the Iraq War and got hammered by the other hosts on their round table years ago. The pussy was so rattled, he refused to do those for several years. He failed in LA, no one knows him outside the bay area, he's done. He must really need the money. Maybe some small market like Fresno or Omaha will take him in for cheap--and he'll take it.

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  6. I thought local talk shows were disappearing in all markets. What would be available in L.A. that isn't available here? Are there locally owned stations who would want a San Franciscan (who hates L.A. as he frequently states on his program)? Sounds like a stretch.

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  7. Ronn Owens will stay at KGO. He is desperate to stay in the Bay Area and will work for a minimum wage. Reluctantly.
    No more days at Golden Gate Fields. Must stop that gambling habit of his.

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  8. Yes, I'm sure he'll return to LA. That worked out so well the last time around. They just loved him there. Truth is -- who knows what will happen? Time will tell. And regardless, I have no doubt there will be spin by someone or all of them.

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  9. They don't call him wRonnGG for nothing.

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  10. He is very overpaid. If he can find anyone that will pay for his weak agenda, he'll be lucky. Especially a personal service contract. Get used to minimun wage Ronny Boy.

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    1. We've heard so often how it is nearly impossible to live in the Bay Area on less than $250,000 from ALL of the talk show hosts. Gives some idea of the kind of money they've been making. I don't know about you all, but as a teacher, I never made anywhere near that kind of money (and neither have my kids), and we all live comfortably in the Bay Area. We don't have 4 horses and an oceanfront house and we don't fly 1st class and all of that, but it is possible to live here on a normal salary. Maybe Ronn will find that out.

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    2. Does Ronnie own 4 horses?

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  11. I think it would be funny to let Ronnn fill-in for KFI's John and Ken. J&K take vacation in August.....gawd let him sub for everyone at KFI over the summer.

    Norcal vs Socal over 50,000 watts! Kinda like a UC san Diego vs UC Santa Cruz.

    Take the bullet train....to the radio octagon.

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  12. From what I know of L.A. talk stations, he would not fit in with any of them. His style is more like WOGL in Philly - a CBS talker that is bucking the trend and having more local content. Owens is a Temple grad and Philly would not be alien territory for him.

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  13. There's only one place in the world where anybody could listen to that dopey shtick and like it; hes done.

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  14. Can't imagine Ronn taking a gig that would require moving to another market just for a few more years behind the mic. Is there a better place in the world to live than SF when you have the means for a really nice place in the City, quarter horses in Marin and a sailboat? Ronn moved here at age 30 and has known many of the movers and shakers since they were young adults or even kids. Besides, I would imagine that his wife, with her ties to the local community, would have a thing or two to say on the subject.

    Ronn ticks me off sometimes, especially when he goes off on Jimmy Carter in such a mean-spirited way. But, for my money, he still is the best there is in local talk radio. I've lived in quite a few markets once known for great talk radio (think WSB, WJR, WCCO etc.). As we've learned with the demise of KGO and newspapers, sometimes we don't appreciate what we have until we don't have it any more. JW

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  15. I wonder if his gambling jones is still draining him. Making millions of dollars over the years and probably blew most of it at the tables and big football bets. LOSER!!!

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    1. He claims he stopped his degenerate gambling; however from the sounds of it he lost quiet a lot for many years. The guy is done when his contract is up or they buy him out. It is beyond me why anyone still listens to him

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  16. "Owens seeks other options when KGO deal expires"
    Translation, I will work for anything you offer me.
    The man of principles, has none.

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    1. Parking lot Barker for mattress company. Live man on the street interviews pressing passersby for their mattress preference. That would make for great radio.

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  17. Ronn should retire when his contract is over. He had a good run for 30 plus years. Trying to stay in the game for the very last dime could be the worst thing he could do. Greed is always a killer. He should sell out and move to Florida and live like a real Jew. Life is short.

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  18. $250k would be my dream salary. I peaked in pay about 5 years ago at $73k. Now I'm barely at $50k and am struggling week to week.

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  19. 3:44, it depends on when one buys one's house, what the property taxes are, and so on. I know a lot of middle class people who bought their houses in the early 90s and their lives are a lot easier than middle class people who bought their homes 15 years later (with higher costs and worse neighborhoods).

    Then there are lots of young people in the digital world who are well beyond middle class...it's the only sector that seems to be thriving.

    I like Ronn, but the evil part of me finds it kind of intriguing that he would get to know what it's like to be the little guy, like the rest of us. ;]

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  20. Don't get your pathetic Schadenfreude hopes up folks. Ronn and his family will be just fine financially, with or without KGO. There will be no fire sale of the ocean front home, the nice horses, the boat or whatever. The kids will still go to college. Besides whatever net worth he's managed to accumulate from his hefty income during his post-gambling years, he has a fully vested, fully funded AFTRA pension.

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    1. Financially I am sure he will be fine; however a guy with his narcissism and ego will find it hard to let go of the mike. He and Radnich strike me as two guys who will be dragged kicking and screaming from the studio when their time is up. Kudos for using one of Ronnnnnnnnnnnn's favorite words: Schadenfreude

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  21. Why do you all care so much.

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    1. If that is a question then please replace the period with a question mark....

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  22. Is Owens a sailor? No way! He has to be a motorboat guy, just like Savage. I don't think Owens has the balls to be a sailor on the Bay, one of the three best sailing spots in the world.

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