Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Theatre of the Absurd: Cumulus Ad guy tries to sell time to Len Tillem; Ex-KGO 'Loyah' that was bounced gets Curious E-Mail

From: Larry Eschenbacher

Date: Mon, Sep 10, 2012 at 9:06 PM
Subject: Listen to me, dammit. Greetings, happenings, a special offer, and a hop tip!
To: Len Tillem lentillem@.com

Larry Eschenbacher
Integrated Marketing Solution/Cumulus
55 Hawthorne Street
11th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105







Tillem, the loyah.



Hi Len,

Greetings from my new home at Cumulus Media... with some of the most legendary radio stations in the country! It was hard to leave my friends across town, but this was an amazing business opportunity I just couldn't pass up! I've got a plethora of ways to reach new customers and build your business....Read on for details, a special offer, and a hot tip.



It's The Bay Area's News & Talk "Super Combo". KGO and KSFO are two of the most established, credible and well branded radio properties in Northern California. You've heard me say how word of mouth sells...and at KGO and KSFO we do it big...as a combo we rank #1 Adults 25+, #1 Adults 35+ (latest 3-book) and we speak to over 30,000 homeowners every time we open the mic in the morning! These audiences are smart, affluent and loyal. And there's minimal duplication.



810 KGO is "The Bay Area's News and Information Station" with first traffic on the fives and more live and local coverage than you'll get anywhere else. We partner with KGO-7 with many of the TV personalities doing double-duty to bring us the latest news, weather and sports.



Hot Talk 560 KSFO offers "news and views you won't hear anywhere else" and that station's high time-spent-listening is a testament to listener loyalty - it's "appointment" listening at its best. Combine this with KGO's larger audience and you get a powerful combo that really delivers results for you as an advertiser.



Okay... that's a lot of sales pitch. Here's what's happening:



Bridge to Bridge Run: KFOG, KNBR and KGO are promoting this 36th annual 10k/7k Run/walk from the Ferry Building to Crissy Field on September 30th. Want to sell or sample to a crowd of 10,000 or so? Booth spaces are still available - but hurry!



Fleet Week: An estimated 1.3 million folks will come to see the Blue Angels October 6 & 7th...and this year the America's Cup Championship Races will take place at the same time! 560 KSFO will broadcast live both days and we still have some great sponsorships available including exhibit space, VIP hospitality and massive on-air promotion and spot-packages. Call to inquire...I'm making deals!



Election Coverage and Sponsorship Opportunities: KSFO will be doing debate "watch parties" hosted by Brian Sussman, Melanie Morgan, Katie Green and Barbara Simpson. KGO is offering sponsorships of the Debates, Reviews of the Measures and Issues, Election Report Updates and Live Election Night Coverage. We have surprisingly affordable packages that include post-election exposure on our web sites.



Special Offer: Call me for advice (usually free anyway!) AND I will throw-in as much free incremental exposure and added-value billboards and sponsorships as I can get away with! My managers aren't going to fire me...I'm the the new guy for crimany's sake.. I'll bust my arse for you...I'm an advocate for my clients and that's why you want me as your AE! Results..that's what it's all about.



Hot Tip: Oktoberfest Beer Party at the Hiller Aviation Museum, Friday night October 5th 5p-9p. $5 admission, $5 beers and Willie says there will be dancing girls with pigtails wearing tights. Click for details.



Thanks and have a great Fall!



Sincerely,



Larry Eschenbacher (say it now, "Esh-Un-Bock-Ur")

58 comments:

  1. Meh... Mr. EshUnBockUr is certainly enthusiastic, anyway, tho methinks he may have a steep learning curve ahead regarding those "managers"....

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    1. http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-prn1/49141_1394412414_401_n.jpg

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  2. Now wonder KSFO is so carnivorous..its dog eat dog philosophy is aimed at 25-35. Dumbest age of mankind. The simple answer is all they can digest.
    S

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  3. How could he not know who Lem Tillum was? Unbelievably dense!

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    1. so the larger question is,if Len Tillem thought he could greatly expand his legal realm by advertising on KGO/KSFO, would he do it?

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    2. No.

      Pat Velucci bought all the spots.

      Hey Rich, how about fixing this piece of crap post thing with the spelling and numbers. Atrocious. Thanks.

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  4. I'd rather advertise on Rich Lieberman 415 Media :)

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  5. Muck raker
    hey big venny get a real job, I've heard your work. what a loser!

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    Replies
    1. and your spelling is atrocious...look up muckraker

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    2. Yeah "big VENNY".

      Jesus ... did Larry Esch whatever write this?

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  6. Ouch! Is that letter for real? Did a person who actually works for Cumulus write that to Len? Wow, how embarraassing. Does this fellow not have a clue about what went on; the demise of KGO and bay area radio by Cumulus? Who the hell would want to advertise on KGO now that few people listen to it anymnore. Jeez, this guy would have better luck trying to sell snow cones to Alaskan ice fishermen. Dang, I feel sorry for all of them at Cumulus. What a sicko organization to be affiliated with. Hmmm.

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  7. That's pretty embarrassing. 'Cut and paste' not always your friend.

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  8. Funny to hear Cumulus speak of "loyalty."

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  9. Even as an advertising guy myself, The fluff is too long - Get to the point! You want to get your client to buy in so don't give them fuzzy numbers and instead give tease benefits and brand recognition....

    But the worst is that guy doesn't seem to no clues what had transpired in less then one year ago.

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    Replies
    1. Just curiosity striking - - - Yo Len, thanks for sharing - - - as me thinks this is via you.... Gotta love Len

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    2. In search of a sales staff, Cumulus has been airing "come-ons," touting how MUCH FUN it is to work in the EXCITING world of broadcasting, on KGOne.

      Neither EXPERIENCE, nor REASONABLE KNOWLEDGE of the local market, were never mentioned.

      You get what you ask for.



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  10. It's certainly embarrassing for this person, but other than that, not the end of the world. He should probably know the competition.

    Piggybacking on what someone else said, the guy's pitch is waaay too long. Leave something for the imagination, Lar!

    I don't care what is normally posted here in regards to people who make bad decisions, but this guy is seemingly trying really hard, so it's a bit upsetting that his gaffe is now so public. Part of me wishes I never saw this email, and think his career could actually be hurt because of it. Any of us who have ever been in sales know how hard it can be, and if this guy has a family this could actually hurt him in a variety of ways.

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    1. Tough shit Roy and Pam -

      It's about doing the job professionally and well. Do your homework. This guy is a rookie it sounds like. Don't want it in the media? Then don't make such long winded and stupid "gaffes."

      He should be fired and sent back to radio sales school. There are several of them.

      It not about him having a commission only job. It's about him doing his job right ... not about us protecting he or his family because "it could ruin his career." Tough shit. Experienced please only in the 4th largest radio market in the country.

      This guy wouldn't make it in Visalia, for gosh sakes.

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    2. No need to be so mad! I felt bad for the guy. Anger Management?

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    3. I think he should be sent to "Saw" school..like the movie. Is that too extreme?

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  11. I predict the genius Larry Eschenbacher will next contact Joanie Greggins to advertise her fitness videos on Cumulus.

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  12. Looks like Cumulus better start running those spots looking for ad executives again. I don't think they hired the right guy with Larry Esh-un-bock-er.

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  13. Far too long.

    Did he call, first?

    "arse"? is this the new 10's sales tactics?

    Cheers.

    P.S. Has he tried to sell some solar panels to dr. Bill yet?

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  14. Larry Eschenbacher came from Clear Channel. Len Tillem was already on the air at Clear Channel before Mr. Eschenbacher left for Cumulus. Maybe he's just thinking out of the box.

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  15. I read that KKSF beat KSFO in August for the first time.

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  16. Larry looks like the prototypical douchey sales guy. Thanks to whomever provided the FB link.

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  17. Well all day I have been a bit queasy.... After reading this I am Sick!

    I do like the dancing girls at the Aviation beer fest.. wow

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  18. 5 bucks to go to a party? Heck, I'll buy a six pack and have a blast. Join ME, BYOB

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  19. Did anyone think it may have been a blanket email that went out to all his contacts? More than likely that's what it is . Great publicity for Larry. Even bad press is good press.

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    1. Yep, it's an old school guy thing. Larry is a good one actually. Not sure the Willie comment would go over big w/ the chicks though.

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  20. This guy is a pandering schmuck. He'll be gone in one month. Count on it. How utterly unprofessional, full of bullshit and full of lies.

    He's wrong on so many things.

    Len, I hope you are laughing your "arse" off about this guy.

    I've heard boiler room sales guys and telemarketers do a better job.

    And I own a radio station.

    Good god.

    The Karel of sales this guy is.

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  21. Everybody in this market loves Larry! Instead of making $$200K this year... I'll bet another radio station will want to pick him up and give him a list where he'll make at least $250K this year. Douchey? All the way to the bank.gobs go back to your $15 an hour job as an overnight board operator. Just remember... Without sales... You wouldn't be making your $15 an hour. Sales pays your hourly wage so you can treat yourself once a week to a $5 footl long.

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    1. I guess we can safely say YOU ARE the douchey sales guy? Did you pull the $200k figure out of your ”arse”? If sales guys at KGO make $200k a year why is Bunghole begging for sales applications?

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    2. c'mon now - board ops at 55 hawthorne only make $11 / hr. they bring a bag lunch. can't spend rent money at subway. but i guess you sales studs should get credit for setting up the promo trades that bring in the giants store gift cards for cumulitus bonuses.

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    3. We have these ad sales guys like Larry to thank for their shilling for all the crooks who use radio spots to mislead, cheat, and rob listeners.

      Use of radio advertising to rip people off is an epidemic problem, from coast to coast. The stations' AE's will take $$$ from any creep, irrespective of what kind of scam he's running on the station's listeners.

      For example, the schmuck advertisers who advertise "little blue pills" that "work like the brand name but only cost $3 each." And that are "all natural." Yeah, arsenic is all natural too, but that doesn't mean it's safe to consume.

      Or how about all the crap that's advertised as "free," with only a "small shipping charge." Some poor Bozo who just climbed off of the banana boat gives the scammers a credit card number and they begin billing him some outrageous sum every month, despite him not agreeing to it. This kind of fraud has become the norm in the field of bogus advertising, which subjectively seems to account for about 30% of today's radio spots.

      What ever happened to business ethics??? If a radio station is going to run spots that are transparently dishonest, I think that the radio station should be made an accessory to the crime, in the event that the con artists eventually get prosecuted for fraud. A few such successful prosecutions might lead to an interesting change in the "ethics" of radio advertising, and a greater selectivity on the part of the stations.

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    4. $200K is the low end on what even Mid-level sellers make in this market. C'mon... This is the Bay Area where anything under $100K is basically poverty level. But it is true... If there wasn't a sales force... How would radio stations pay their people? I think these tattooed & pierced people who come into the business think that their paychecks come from the tooth fairy. Grow up and wise up. There's a reason sales people actually own their home and drive Mercedes.

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  22. "Can I raise a practical point? Are we going to do 'Stonehenge' tomorrow?"

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  23. "...but hurry!"

    "...I'm making deals!"

    Congratulations to Mr E for his position while still in high school.

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  24. This commentary raises even more questions.......

    1. Does Larry have any inlaws?
    2. Would you let your daughter marry Larry?
    3. If Larry were a matress, would he be a firm or soft?
    4. (For the last question, please consult Ronn Owens.)

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  25. Heh... Clearly 10:29 doesn't work @ Cummulus... the sales dudes do NOT make 6 figures, and the board ops don't make $15/hr (unless they made that much at a previous employer that was purchased by Cumulus).

    BTW, there are maybe 2 or 3 individuals left in sales @ Hawthorne from the group that worked at 900 Front. The stupid sales recruitment spots are in fact running again. Thus, nearly everyone's a newbie and probably most of them have never heard of Len or any of the other Dec. 11 crowd. Likely they don't care what happened before they worked there, and likely they won't be working there a year from now.

    Cumulus has a sales "formula." There's a book one is to follow. Sell by the book or you walk. The "managers" are all in Atlanta, and unless you are bringing them an impressive amount of wealth and quickly, they will have no "loyalty" for you, in fact quite the contrary.

    Finally, I agree that it is amusing to see Larry talk about listener loyalty, when Cummulus slaps the listeners to their face at every opportunity; witness that which has been documented in these pages since last December. In programming at 55 Hawthorne, it's All Hail the Mighty People Meter, and little else. Programming per se is not respected, as long as segments are long enough to be measured on a people meter (7 minutes). Listeners are blatantly and routinely disregarded, and employees in all areas are expected to in effect say, "thank you may I have another" on a regular basis.

    If you're not excited to be working at a radio station at all (quote from the recruitment spot: "It's part of the exciting Broadcasting Industry!"), if you approach your job with pride in craft and are not willing to throw the listeners under the bus at the first convenient moment, if you push back on anything they tell you to do... you're gone.

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  26. Question: Is the view of the people who weigh in here that people at Cumulus in SF should all quit their jobs?

    I'd love to hear a discussion of what people at Cumulus SF should be doing in light of all the problems many of you point out.

    Needless to say, it doesn't seem like a great place to work, but since we have here so many experts I really would like to hear the solutions you all have for those currently employed.

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  27. Wonder if he sent an e-mail pitch to KCBS?

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  28. Let's face it...things are never going to be as good in the local TV-radio news/sports departments as they were for many years until the last decade. For one thing, the standards have fallen dramatically since new ownership that has little interest in responsible journalism has taken over.

    For another, too many of the people who are hired in management wouldn't know what a good broadcast journalist if one fell into their laps. There are still a few news directors and PDs in the area who are still pretty savvy, but they're the exception, not the rule.

    An industry that has always relied on experience, credibility, and creativity has gone the 'cheap' route by bringing in youngsters who never would have gotten a sniff in a big league market such as the bay area in years past. They have also hired people who have no training in journalism and less ability than in the past in the actual art of on-air presentation. Local radio and TV has also hired people who are more interested in being celebrities (i.e. Karel) and have little curiosity for the world.

    It's bad enough for those who have been pushed out of their jobs so that these mega-companies can save money, but it's a major loss for the public which is being short-changed. And it shows how little power the FCC has anymore as community service seems to be an afterthought to most of these companies who are run by bean counters, not broadcasters.

    I'd wouldn't want to be a young person trying to get into the industry today. Unless you're a braying, self-absorbed, dysfunctional loud-mouth, the chances of getting a job in this industry have diminished dramatically. And if you have a degree in journalism and are actually interested in current events and follow what's going on?

    That means little to the dim-wits who now do the hiring. It's amazing how young people today seem to be totally unaware that this has been happening for well over a decade. But then, many Americans (especially those in the younger generation), are so enthralled with the social media and are so busy twittering and facebooking that they're reading any newspapers or magazines, and are listening very little to the radio or watching news programs(other than the trash tabloid crap) on TV.

    To me, these this is the ultimate tragedy, as we're going to have a whole generation eventually coming into power that has no concept of how important it is to have vibrant, community oriented radio, TV and newsapapers.

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  29. Larry is a good man and pro. Well liked and respected, which is becoming extremely rare in this business. My guess is this was a mass e-mail sent out to small-time clients/prospects. Tillem's name was probably included by mistake. But, Cumulus DEMANDS that their sellers pursue small time businesses as part of their routine. So this is... no big deal.

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    1. I agree with this 10:32pm, but as was pointed out, it was too long for a mass e-mail for prospects that don't know Larry. I know I would never read it if I was the person buying time at a place like a single car dealership.

      And, if he did not go through the prospects he was sending it to carefully, just think if he would have sent that to a big fish that might be offended by the language, say Catholic Healthcare West/Dignityhealth. I can see that letter being enough to move Cumulus to the "Do not buy" list.

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  30. quote: "I'd love to hear a discussion of what people at Cumulus SF should be doing in light of all the problems many of you point out."

    I work there, and I wrote one of the comments above.

    The industry as we knew it and lament it is dying. This is a fact that transcends Cumulus per se, it's just that Cumulus' changes to what was once ABC Radio have brought that home to roost in a very tangible way.

    For the professionals employed there, it comes down to a personal choice, and a path forward. Some are career oriented, and have mortgages and such on the line. Others are part-timers and old-timers that have a less direct stake, but still care very much about the craft -- I personally fit this last category. A lot of us in both categories have been doing this a long time and deeply care about radio.

    It's not like one can just say, "Oh, Cumulus sucks so lets go work across town instead." It's just as bad across town, and the more desirable places to work are inundated with the resumes of pretty much everyone in the industry.

    I see (broadly) 4 basic options:

    1) Continue to work at ones job with pride, and bring forth the best air product one can based on all the experience and know how one brings to the table, ignoring and tolerating the management BS as much as possible, until the gig ends however it ends. This is my choice.

    2) Look for industry employment somewhere else. This can be done simultaneously with 1 above, and IS being done by most career-oriented professionals still at Cumulus.

    3) Look for another line of work. I kind of did that 15 years ago, when I accepted that broadcasting was going to be a side job for me (it wasn't easy to get a good job in broadcasting 15 years ago, either). But for the full-time career folks looking at the remnants of their radio stations now, this is a stark choice. Some of them, like the assistant ND, are making that choice.

    4) Dive in without scruples or reservations, and swim in the new-era pool. Do what they tell you, as best you can, and look for opportunities to advance oneself. There are opportunities in this environment that are within plausible reach now, that weren't 15 years ago: People with scant experience can be on major-market radio as a traffic reporter or similar if they're willing to work hard fast and cheap. Is it great radio? Nah. But it's a job, one is on the air, and as always, one on-air gig is a stepping stone to the next on-air gig. That's what most of the newbies are doing, and there isn't anything inherently wrong with doing so.
    It's a changed business, just like newspapering is a changed business. Many respected people will bow out or be shown the door, and many mediocre people will try their hand at it -- some of them will be good, many will not. At some point the employer won't care any more; it's just noise, it's a warm body behind the mic to fill the dead air. The kernel of opportunity to do something good exists for each individual. Good music disc jockeys who are reduced to reading liner cards find ways to read the liner cards in a unique way that lets their personality shine through. Good Cumulus traffic reporters fill their 40 second slot with something that stands out; this is not unnoticed by the listeners who can tell the difference.

    So no; I don't think Cumulus employees should quit en masse to make some kind of statement; that wouldn't work, and it would just accelerate the decline -- Cumulus would be happy to replace the old-timers who make $20 an hour with new, excited employees grateful for $12. People like Pat Thurston and Christine Craft and folks like me (behind the scenes, not on-air) who have been through all this and still have jobs, well... we will opt for #1 above, and do the best damn work we can in the environment we find ourselves in. Others will choose a different path. Both are valid. Either way, the state of the industry still sucks, and Cumulus is the poster child for that trend.

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    1. I appreciate the time you took to respond since I was the one who posted the question(s). However, I don't think you were the person I was hoping would answer the question.

      It seems there are a lot of self-believing experts who post here, who seem to have all the answers. Usually that answer is a retread; something the station(s) once tried, or maybe a host who never became full time. Yet one has to wonder if those hosts are really any good if they were in fact passed over in the past by the same people some of these folks believe knew/know what they are doing. Right?

      I agree with what you are saying, and I'm not radio expert at all. I have a friend who works at Cumulus, who will call Sam, who is disenchanted with the business in a very real way. IT was actually through discussions with Sam that I even found this page, or even decided to comment on this industry.

      i think some of you are well aware of the problems affecting this industry, which in many ways, mirrors many other American companies/corporations. There truly is very little you can do about it when the previous parents company sells you out, and decides to pitch the retirement plan to previous investors.

      Truth be told, youthful, less experienced voices, aren't necessarily bad in this environment. They might be for the older employees (anyone over, lets say 46, who just missed the internet age), but at the same time they could propel the change needed to "fix" the industry. The only problem with this is when you have inexperienced people who THINK they know what they're doing. The type who talk without listening, which I hear is one of the major problems on the KGO side of things, and a reason Sam won't be working there much longer.

      In any event, I was really hoping for these so-called experts to weigh in! Not someone with a serious and well thought out answer! HA! - Roy

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    2. and pardon my inability to use auto-text from my "smart" phone! - Roy

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    3. You are a Roy-al pain in the ”arse”. You got a lengthy, intelligent answer to your question but it was not the answer you wanted? Take a hike and shove your ”HA!” where the sun don't shine!

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    4. The "Ha" represented the fact that it was a joke, you clown.

      TO my point, it seems there are a lot of "know it all" types here when it comes to radio, and yet everyone remains silent when presented with a legitimate question, except one person. He/She gave a credible, legitimate answer, but my guess is this isn't the type of rabble-rouser "know it all" that continually posts the nonsense which seemingly passes for legitimate criticism. - Roy

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    5. Nobody wants to take the time to answer to a Cumulus schill. Since you seem to think that the criticism of Cumulus is unwarranted, why don't you write three paragraphs explaining why you think what Cumulus did to KGO is great?

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    6. You can't sell :60's and :30's to major advertisers when 60% of your audience is over 65. The majority of their audience were on walkers. Change the business model. Makes sense to me.

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    7. @8:24 not many of the young demographic listen to radio and even less of them have money. In fact a large number of the youngsters moved back in with their parents (some on walkers) in recent years. Changing the business model was moronic as the ratings plummeted.

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  31. Hey Larry Eschenbacher -- here's a tip for you. Why don't you try Dr Dean Edell? I hear he has some reading glasses and would LOVE to advertise on the fabulous KGO.....

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  32. I laughed all the way through the email. Must have been a joke...NOT!

    Idiots trying to hard sell trash.

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