Roberta Gonzales is the supreme-looking and talented weather goddess at KPIX, (CBS5) and has many admirers, including me.
In spite of her enormous popularity with viewers, she is not a favorite of news director, Dan Rosenheim.
This, in spite of the fact that Gonzales is not only easy on the eyes and does a ton of charity work, but is beloved with a loyal following.
One of my station moles thinks it's, (acrimony with Rosenheim), mostly personal.
"I'm not a fan of her work, but the viewers like her and she takes her work seriously."
There has been talk at PIX that Gonzales might be moved to weekends, in favor of Rosenheim bud and favorite, Brian Hackney. Uh, I doubt that happens. She'll stick on weeknights, but keep in mind that Rosenheim passed Gonzales over for Samantha Mohr a few years ago, only to move her back to primetime because ratings sagged and he needed her.
LYLES Update: The reason why reporter, Robert Lyles was fired: supposedly, he argued a lot with producers. Which is routine in the biz. I wasn't that big a fan of Lyles, but if you're going to fire someone, you might want to have something far more pronounced and beefier than that.
MONDAY darts:
*The radio trends are out today, (Monday) and at KGOne, it's going to be real ugly, but we're not surprised. Are you? By the way, beginning Tuesday, all of KGOne will be inside new studios at 55 Hawthorne. Keep the refrigerator well stocked with Red Bull.
*Yeah, I know Ronnnn Owens LA deal with KABC years back was a disaster, but he's got offers there and another city. And yes, Cumulus just announced that Geraldo's show will go national in August. And rumors persist that Owens' contract will be bought out early. Coincidence? You be the judge.
*If you see a lot of white guys with golf shirts and polo's hanging out in town, there's this golf tournament near Daly City.
*Jared, I know you write me a lot and say nothing, but please, if you're gonna write, at least have the balls to ID yourself or are the Ronnnnnn mentions too awesome to handle? By the way, Owens hates you; you were thrown to him by fate. Just keep a well-stocked jar of after-dinner mints.
*KGOne salvation in the future: the possibility of the 49ers looking to get their own 50,000-watt station to escape the Giants permanent hold on KNBR. After all, KGOne is a part of the family now.
*When Joe Starkey retires in a year or so, Roxy Bernstein is ready and set on the sidelines.
*Vern Glenn is a good hire for PIX. He also worked with current tonsil, Dennis O'Donnell, who worked at the old KRON when Rosenheim worked there. Industry nepotism at its best. DOD owes his current gig to Rosenheim and probably the next round of beers too.
*Underrated: Ann Notarangelo.
*Overrated: Jon Miller. (Count the number of "ugs" in a minute, PLUS: Jon, it's OK to give the score every now and then.
*Believe me, I repeat: Van Amburg, (or Fred Van Amburg), is alive and kicking in retirement in El Cerrito. Reclusive as hell? Yes, but alive contrary to Internet postings.
*You can expect now that the A's have tanked, so too, will its FM radio flagship. The password, guys, is: Raiders. Get the radio rights when they're available and then become half-way relevant.
*John Madden sports news on KCBS: the tri-tip was over the top at the BBQ. (zzzzzz) Nice of KCBS to highlight a millionaire spread when a few people are busting their ass to get to work. Or those that have no work to go to. Listeners, single file for the triscuits and cheese.
*KUSF? Wake me up.
*Like I said, Gil Gross won't move the needle, but it helps to have network connections and a balanced resume in this town.
*Hey 'Suss, it might be pragmatic of you to let Melanie Morgan get in a word or so, mad scientist.
*Follow me on Twitter
I dont see it on air..but Roberta must have a polarizing type of personality. When she was a little chubby and at KNTV..you could feel the chill between her and the anchors. She would for example say-"Hey lets salute the kids" at such and such school...then she would clap,look over and those SOB's wouldn't go along. And when she left KNTV..the replacement was some goon who on Holloween..dressed as Roberta,red lipstick and all. It had mean spirited written all over it.
ReplyDeleteWell,there gone and she's still here. Salute!
Here replacement did an excellent job of parodying her.
DeleteIt was all in jest. You missed the point.
Oh...someone's misinterpreting. Roberta and the other KNTVers all got along very well. (and still consider one another friends) There was some occasional "schtick" on set, but it was all in good fun. A good crew, and a good time.
Delete...since he was mentioned I watched Brian Hackney on saturday and it was horible....what is with all of the dramatics. He would read a two paragraph story and he would pause a dozen times.....all of these inapropriate pauses during a story and then no pause when he started into a new story......I was raised by a first grade teacher and this was how she would read to her class....
ReplyDeleteYeah, the problem with Brian Hackney, is that he KNOWS he's good, which of course, doesn't make him good anymore. He IS a smart guy and he is smooth, but again, at this point, he is almost a caricature of himself and is a cartoon character.
DeleteI have to agree. Brian H. can't really sell a story to the viewers because he so often comes across as "I know this because I'm so much smarter than all of you." And to answer another blogger: He's only a fan of Roberta until/unless they offer him 5 nights per week of airtime instead of 2. Trust me, he'd gladly sell his soul to get a little more exposure, and he really doesn't care if he has to get past Roberta to do it. He already pushed out Rob Barnard, didn't he? Someone else he claimed to be a fan of...
DeleteJim Bernard. Not Rob Bernard.
DeleteMany of Ronn's shows over the last few years are not much more than schmoozing with his local connections -- political, community (John Burris, Harry Edwards, Cecil Williams, Seti institute, etc), restaurant and wine, and all the rest. Will these local characters play well in another city? It takes a while to learn the local issues and meet the local movers and shakers. Does he have that drive anymore, and does he have enough years left to build those connections? I guess we wait and see.
ReplyDeleteRich: I simply encourage you to keep convincing Dan R that he's way off on the Bay Area's most popular and meteorological triathlete around. You clearly agree with most Bay viewers on our girl Roberta. Now if Dan R respects your work - does he? Only you can answer, of course - hopefully he'll listen to your pro-Roberta reasoning. Remember even his guy Brian H is a Roberta fan, something Dan R seems to forget too often. Never mind that PIX's most important and popular personalities (King, Bastida, Martin, Cook, O'Donnell, and especially Goodrich) clearly love Roberta!
ReplyDeleteI admit to warming up over Roberta over the years, but for my money, the morning weather guy on KPIX is absolutely the best! Roberta, like Juliette Goodrich, have both begun to think they are a lot hotter than they are. Sure, for their ages, they look pretty good, but clearly, their best days are behind them. Example; Sure, Juliette is a good reporter and she is smooth in her delivery, but look at the up and coming replacement, Cate Cauguiran, a reporter in the morning and noon. She is smooth, smart, and she is like TOTALLY HOT to look at! Of course, even she already knows it, because she does not respond to her email, as she doesn't care about her fans either. What a shame, that these people are lucky to have jobs in this economy, but have clearly forgotten where they came from. Robert Lyles was a great reporter too, and if he argued with a producer, he was probably right.
DeleteVery nice blog entry today, Rich! An eclectic mix of interesting topics.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very interesting observation about Cumulus, Geraldo, and the purported Ronn buyout. Those puzzle pieces certainly fit together well. How eager we all must be to hear from remote-controlled talking heads who have little or no local pertinence.
Your observation on the Madden barbecue seems on the mark, too. Triscuits and cheese, indeed! That annual function seems to keep growing over time, with more attendees and more discussion of it afterward. Don't get me wrong, I like John Madden a lot, but I could pass on details of the summer feeding frenzy. A simple mention that the event occurred and was successful would suffice.
Not envying the knotted stomachs that surely are the norm over on Hawthorne today! Sad that dozens of talented radio people who have contributed so much to our community in years past are being treated like pawns in the sCumulus money-trumps-all game.
Agree with the Madden issue (annual BBQ).
DeleteJohn just keep the event to yourself. Anyone who was not in attendance is not interested. Keep your parties and social life private.
Jon Miller is in the HOF. You don't get there by being over-rated. His ability to crack subtle jokes is priceless. His humility and story-telling ability is the best.
ReplyDeleteAgree with the post on the 49ers desire to obtain their own radio station (50,000 watt powerhouse).
ReplyDeleteThey must leave KNBR to get away from the huge shawdow that is cast on everyone whose games are broadcast no just the 49ers.
Otherwise, the 49ers will always remain second fiddle on KNBR.
With the 49ers rich history and tradition, they deserve better.
I wonder why they left KGO at all. They've only been on KNBR for about 5 years now.
DeleteSorry...but it is not about the 49er's nor football, BUT that baseball translates the best of any sport on the radio.
DeleteHelps when the team is beloved as well and when the announcers (sorry Rich) are some of the best in the biz.
Football though may be the most popular sport in the US today, but it is made for TV, not radio...and that is where baseball is still king of the heep.
This may not explain the A's, but that is also in part due to lack of serious marketing (electronic billboards on the Bay Bridge and a few radio ads are not enough) and an inferior signal and exposure on 95.7.
Any weather reader who can do the job liquored up has my vote! Go Ro!!!
ReplyDeleteLow blow.
DeleteJust to give you an idea how I can't turn off being observant: I notice in the lotto commercial of Ladyluck,at first she would slap the guy in the bowling alley S&M like, in her black leathers..now they edited that out and she blows him a kiss..
ReplyDeleteAnd the All State commercial= .At first the black guy at the end would respond to some insurance musing with "You should"..well,SF must see that it wasn't making sense to admit they didn't carry that crazy insurance...Now its edited to where his lips just move..no sound.
S
Rich, You do an extreme disservice to your readers when you get the facts wrong (which happens a lot). That is why you lack the credibility with those who really work in the business.
ReplyDeleteIf you knew the REAL story about Roberta/Sam Mohr/Weekend Weather, you'd have enough juicy info to fill a few posts. But alas, much of what you write is purely speculative.
@ 12:09, since you know more than Rich, and have the time to post comments, why not share the dirt?
Delete@12:32
DeleteThere is nothing more emotional gratifying than knowing the dirt and not telling anyone about it. =))
You can't connect the dots unless you know how to blacken the dots with data. None of you have it. Richie L, the MI5 of the TV industry knows it all.
Rich,
ReplyDelete***When Joe Starkey retires in a year or so, Roxy Bernstein is ready and set on the sidelines..
Do you know the back story between Joe Starkey and Roxy Bernstein?
*** Gonzales is not only easy on the eyes and does a ton of charity work,
She is one of the nicest people there.
*** Gil Gross won't move the needle, but it helps to have network connections and a balanced resume in this town.
If most of you were so lucky, GG does a very good job of playing the social game. Do any of you do that?
Is anyone interested in weighing in on the "Gil (Gross) and Ro" show Fridays on 910? I love Gil Gross; I could listen to him read a phone book, and I love his intelligent show. And, I know Gil loves his wife. But Rhoda is not a radio personality, and I find her very irritating. She's not there because she has, through trial and error, honed a radio persona that was deemed likeable by station programers and audiences. She's there because she's Gil's wife. So I object on principal, and I object because I don't enjoy listening to her; it's like nails on a blackboard.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with you, he use to call her and get her opinion on subjects once in awhile, from the first time I heard her I didn't care for her. Her voice is not the greatest, I'm not sure what it is, she seem to draw out her answer, it is something about her voice and the way she states her answers and opinions that I find irratating, as you do. Perhaps she takes herself a little too seriously. If I met her in person I might have a total different take, but I can only go on what I hear.
DeleteJust in ... KNBR is #1 in Bay Area Radio, beating KQED by .1 of a point.
DeleteKGOne drops anoher tenth of a point to its lowest ... 2.4. Cume up to 426,000. Toast.
KSFO - a dog.
KFOG - Ditto.
Rich, KNIBBER #1. That's got to kill you.
KKSF - KNEW -- Double dogs.
Agree about Rhoda. Very annoying on the ears and she does not add a thing to the show. Management needs to step in and tell Gross that people tune in to hear him and not his wife. I remember a year or two ago when Brian "Copey" Copeland did a few one hour segments with his son. Horrible radio (worse because the son has the same annoying voice as the dad). I have to believe management stepped in and put a stop to it. Speaking of Copey, I caught a little bit of his show yesterday and he wants it to be illegal to post anonymously on forums such as these. Wonder why!?
DeleteRhoda does not have the verbal affectations of her hubby. She doesn't say, "dint,shount, and cuount" for "didn't, shouldn't, and couldn't". She doesn't vary her speaking speed from long drawn-out audible sighs to rapid wordiness, followed by more painful,elongated enuciations,and so on. For that, I am thankful.
DeleteRich, I love your witty posts and your sassiness! You certainly don't pull any punches!
DeleteRe: Gil Gross. It's fine if you don't like him, but MANY of us do. 910 getting Gil certainly caused ME to change that dial.
We have to recognize that every one has different tastes, Rich. Your non-affinity for Gil is just fine, but realize that your opinion will probably not matter a whit in the end. (I say this with love!) Gentle suggestion: Maybe just track what difference he IS making, instead of saying he DOESN'T make a difference (because he's not your bag).
For example, I love Will Ferrell. He makes me laugh just standing there. My boss, a perfectly reasonable woman, cannot stand him. So--whatever floats your boat....Rich, I know you like Michael Savage and the man makes me gag...So whatever....
But I have to agree with the comments about Mrs. Gross. I know Gil loves her, but she grates....
Rich your post today is a caricature of the majority of your posts.
ReplyDelete-Knock KNBR and relationship it has with Giants
-Knock KGO,Ronn Owens plus a persnickety Jared. Of course it adds so much to your credibility that you misspell KGO and Ron.
-More praise for a woman's looks, at least this time you also said she does a good job. It's a start, next time just praise the work, you capable of that?
-Knock a Giants broadcaster, it's been what, 24 hours since the last time you did so? Repeat your 'give the score more often'
thing. Yes we know, no one on the Giants broadcasts is as good as Ken Korach (who must give the score often enough for you)
-Mentioning Sussman again. We get it, when you misspell someone's name you don't like them.
-Praise for Vern Glenn and Dennis O'Donnell (both names spelled correctly!). They both are the spawn of Radnich and copy his act more or less, so is this a backhanded compliment to Gary?
Now that I know that Vern block me from his facebook (But lets Rich IN???)I don't trust Vern. There's something shady anyhow about sportscaster's who don't have eyebrows ...
DeleteJon Miller is a freakin' genius at calling baseball games. There is nobody better.
ReplyDeleteVin Scully.
DeleteAnd I enjoy Miller, no question.
Vin Scully - you don't have to be a Dodger fan, or even like the Dodgers to appreciate Scully's genius.
DeleteLocally I much prefer Ken Korach (and he gives you the score).
I still like to go to KGOTV...its so old fashioned. The morning show of Kristen and Eric,the ad libs that are so scripted. Like Mary Tyler Moore's newsroom. And like I said before..they have stability. People aren't coming and going like on 2,4,5. The two Carolines and Sheryl? still going strong. I remember when Sheryl interviewed my sister about some doings at a local school here kids were in..so long ago she had a newish Datsun 210. Now,there is no more Datsun,just Nissan-lol. But my sis said that Sheryl was the nicest person...
ReplyDeleteStarkey is retired. Ted Robinson does play by play for 49er broadcasts. Roxy does play by play for Cal Basketball on 910am KKSF.
ReplyDeleteStarkey still does Cal football and Roxy does sideline reporting during those games.
Delete10:54: I would love to know how Dan R feels about the Karnows. Lawrence is a very solid weather anchor for the morning and midday while wife Sharon Chin does a very good job as Kate Kelly's teammate in reporting Jefferson Award winners. As long as they are on the right side of Dan R, the Karnows will continue to deliver for PIX.
ReplyDeleteI admit it is easy to mistake Gonzales & Goodrich's fun-loving approach to their work as being too hot, but I'm convinced their love of their work is sincere. CC is a strong up-and-comer and I look forward to more reports from her.
And yes, I could see Lyles as being too combative protecting his stories. Opinionated? Definitely could see that. Fallout was inevitable. But credit PIX for being resourceful.
Wow! I didn't realize that Lawrence Karnow was married to Sharon Chin!!! I have not seen that anywhere! Yeah, it was Lawrence Karnow who I was referring to in my post above. I think he is the best weather person at KPIX now. Sharon Chin is also hugely underrated, but with KPIX, it seems that veteran reporters are slowly pushed out the door, in favor of younger reporters who will work for much less.
DeleteThe Karnows are both really sweet people.
DeleteRich,
ReplyDeleteDo the released ratings meet your expectations? KGO dropped .1% and KFOG dropped .2%. Those don't seem to be too catastrophic. In addition, KSFO actually saw a jump in percentage of share. I'll leave KNBR out of this since we all understand the reasons for their success. I'm sure you'll post your reactions but I imagine that you're a little disappointed that Cumulus' efforts to recently weren't met with the negative results that you (as well as I) was hoping for.
The May ratings don't reflect the new KFOG morning show. That won't be for another month. As for KGO, the 25-54 ratings are what count and the look much worse than the 6+ numbers you see.
DeleteI don't think you quite know what you're talking about -- though you are correct. KGO's 25-54 are in the shitter, as they have for the last four years and are still eroding. But ... unless you are a subscriber to the Arbitron PPM, you have no clue how bad the numbers are. Arbitron would shoot you first for knowing the truth and sharing.
DeleteThough KGO went up 7000 in "cume" shares wherever they are, a .1, while "flat", still indicates a substantial drop in AQH listening levels (a problem in programming.) A .1 in a 6-million market adds up substantially. Do the math.
Delete9:44, 3:29 here. I see your point about the math on the ratings. I'm new to interpreting ratings so small drops don't seem like that big of a deal to me. Thanks for the clarification.
DeleteYou're welcome! Learning is never bad ... keep asking the questions, 3:29. You're doing fine!
DeleteGee, you only managed to mention Gonzalez's looks twice.
ReplyDeleteI remember when she came and spoke to our junior high class back in 1987 or 1988. She was at KNTV then. Thats 25 years ago. She has to at least be in her 50's by now. I still remember the awkward hairstyle she had back then.
ReplyDeleteHackney blows. His wig looks bad... Don't touch Roberta KPIX management. She is what holds the entire crew together. A true beauty with brains and brawn. Her power marriage to another first class professional, Randy Hahn, is just frosting on the cake. No Roberta - no KPIX. It is pretty much that simple for me...
ReplyDeleteRoberta is a B.A., (a Bad Ass), which is "Top Drawer" to me! She is the "only" Weather Reporter in the Bay Area that mentions the weather in Tracy, & Mountain House. Thats just one of the many resons why we "ALL" love her!
ReplyDeleteA little over five years ago or so, Roberta proved she is not the Queen of Nice that everybody thinks. While I'm sure that part of her personality is real, when she wants it to be, other times it is not, and I witnessed at least one melt-down where she loudly yelled at her producer (in the newsroom, no less) for about ten minutes straight (he quit soon after). Then there was the 26-year-old Market Watch reporter who Roberta felt was a threat and the hallways at the station resembled a high school with Roberta doing a lot of sniping and the recipient of the wrath clueluess about what to do. She knew who was on her side, though, and has moved on to bigger jobs in New York City.
ReplyDeleteIt got to the point during Roberta's attack on the biz reporter where the anchor crew, who would always meet in the same make-up room, soon found separate places to prep for the show. Alone. And away from Roberta.
Let me guess... the MarketWatch reporter was Trish Regan? If so, that was pretty much closer to a full decade ago than a mere 5 years ;)
DeleteIn any case, I totally buy this story!
Trish Regan..you KNEW had a bigger future..perfect face and body and pretty smart. I doubt she left as much as simply was offered a better job. But,I do know..as I posted..I've seen the chill in the air between Roberta and the old ch11 anchors..and when she got to CH5..after a while some of that chill,again was there..then It seemed to me she didn't jell until Dana King and Ken Bastita were in power.
DeleteI would chalk her up to being a survivor in a world where somebody can take your job-your career even- by simply being better looking.
Don't you notice how these stories of Roberta and Darya,or Sheryl, have that same gene se qua similarity to them?
KPIX management has made some horrible staffing decisions in the past and there are going to be more in the future. Remember the Kristy Seifkin project??? Went over like a lead balloon.
ReplyDeleteWow! Kristy Seifkin! I forgot about her! What happened to her, now that you mention it? She was pretty awful, and she had this strange habit of blinking her eyes about a 1000 times a minute, so much so that it completely distracted you from what she was saying! I am glad she is gone, but I must admit that I hadn't noticed! Where is she now???
DeleteKristy's now at KSAZ FOX 10 in Phoenix, and is the weekend evening forecaster.
DeleteDennis (spawn of Radnich) O'donnell just referred to someone from MTV's jackass show as "jack off". Good thing he's tight with Rosenheim.
ReplyDeleteRich: wrong on Roberta, wrong on Jon Miller
ReplyDeleteIt must be a day that ends in "y"
You are correct about Jon Miller. The As announcers are much better at giving detailed information in a timely manner.
ReplyDeleteRich, why does it matter whether a pro team is all alone on a station? OK, I can see with the Warriors getting kicked to 1050 possibly not sitting well with the team brass, but why should the 49ers care about being all alone. KNBR seems to be the best fit. It's not like their games overlap with the G-Men that often.
ReplyDeleteWhat the heck is going on, IF CBS5/KPIX want to really loose nightly news viewrship this is really the way to do it. Robert is the best thing on CBS5 news. It looks to be that she is also good friends with the on air news reporters she works with.
ReplyDeleteI hate to say this, but to some or a lot of young guys Roberta Gonzales is a hot looking weather lady, can't deny that. And she knows what she is reporting on also.