Monday, October 1, 2012

Bungeroth OUT as SF Market Manager for Cumulus; KNBR/KGO Boss Gets shown the Door; UPDATE

Bill Bungeroth is out as Market Manager for Cumulus San Francisco.

Gary Pizatti, Senior VP out of Atlanta is IN.




From an insider:

"Gary Pizzati from Atlanta steps in. Pizzati seems clueless on the landscape of San Francisco and the Bay Area. He compares San Francisco to Minneapolis. This Pizzati guy is in for a rude awakening not to mention...probably a mass exit. Empty suit with NO history in this market. He will fail."

There's a lot more behind this.

Among them:

*KGO chaos
*Mayhem in the ever-decreasing sales dept.
*Dissatisfaction from the rank and file.
*Even Cumulus has some standards--bottom line is that Atlanta hates carping and this was a call that had to be made.

More when I get it.

**Oh, by the way: None other than Bungeroth is the guy that hired Pizatti. (Ouch!)



 


*BREAKING...

29 comments:

  1. Good riddance. And take HAMMER with you..

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  2. Shame about the stench he's leaving behind.

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  3. What are all his sycophantic butt kissing little assholes going to do now?

    Anyone with an ounce of integrity bailed on Cumulus a long time ago. Those who stayed will be stained by the Bungey brush and will find it near impossible to get hired elsewhere in this market.

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    1. There are plenty of good talented people still in that building. (Brett Burkhart, John Bristow, Scott Letteiri, Rich Walcoff, Kevin Radich just to name a few on air people) It's easy to say you should leave since your company is owned by bloodsuckers, but do you really think it's a practical move for a career broadcaster like these folks, just to up and leave? KCBS almost never has openings and there's really nowhere else to find a job in this market. Still, glad this Bungeroff guy is gone as he sounded awful. I just hope the new guy isn't worse. There's been enough suffering already.

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    2. I don't know that he was the problem. I think he had marching orders from above (re: cut x or else).

      I wouldn't doubt he is out because he wouldn't cut more. If it was ratings... well, they're due to Atlanta's cuts. If KGO was not changed much after the purchase the ratings would be on par with pre purchase...

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  4. Oh man, does this mean we will no longer hear those Bungeroth ads seeking sales reps in the EXCITING radio industry?

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  5. Off topic question. During the Ronn Owens show, 9 to 12, what is the typical audience in any single hour? In 2012.

    In thousands, 10,000 or 25,000, I have no idea.
    I thought years ago it was in the neighborhood of 80,000 or more.

    I always wonder, when a politician is on, how many ears they are talking to. Of course, if they only represent a congressional district for example, the number in their district may only be 10% or 12% of that total Bay Area number.

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  6. It sounds as if this might turn into a very active revolving door. Who, in Atlanta/Cumulus DOES have a clue about the bay area market?


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  7. Interesting how media groups based elsewhere seem to think what works back east or down south works here in the Bay Area. Same goes for COX... Atlanta based, they dictate a lot of what has happened to KTVU.. read short 90 second packages... sad commentary... homogenization ... everything all the same.. not the way broadcasting should be...

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  8. Bungeroth was, in the end, caught up in the same Cumulus mis-management out of Atlanta since takke over in 2006. He was sent here almost 2 1/2 yrs after Salvadore left (tells you what Lew and company think about the Market Manager position). Inside sources say he was digusted with the inability to make any relevant decision's on his own. Same old story...over and over again. When will Wall Street catch up with these A-Holes?

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    1. He seemed to enjoy the decision to fire Ralph.

      And what did I say about all that? IF Bunghole was sick would he fire himself..and go get the medical insurance on his own dime?
      Where does a disgraced and hated MM go? KNBR is a burned bridge.
      Larry Krueger is sweating..Bill was his best friend said Radnich.

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    2. Reports are that Pizzati is a bigger douche than Bungle-turd!!!

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    3. Hey @1:36,
      If you are going to post anonymously, it's idiotic to ask "And what did I say about all that?"

      You are anonymous! We don't even know who you are let alone what you might have said about something previously!

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    4. Pizzati has spent the last seven years in Atlanta at Cumulus Corporate HQ and was a Cumulus Market Manager in Mobile, AL for seven years before that. Think he drinks the Kool-Aid?

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  9. Interesting to say the least. I am curious to know the rest of the story, quote a famous Chicago radio personality.

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  10. Here is another question Rich, does this move change in any way the future of Ronn Owens? Will the new GM be open to new negotiations?

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  11. Pizzati has never been brought in to stem a talent exodus, only to hasten it. its hard to imagine anyone as divisive as bungeroth but pizz is the man for a mass firing

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  12. Ugh. The woman on Kgone the other evening (Not Pat or Christine) was a total snooze-fest. Pushing tickets (free) to some comedy schtick during the debates. ZZZzz....Never thought I'd say this: I miss Ranting Ray. (A bit)

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  13. So now the only "Bungle in the Jungle" once again can only be heard in that Jethro Tull song of the same name. Interesting.

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  14. Oh that sucks being fired by the person you hired... Been there done that

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  15. Does this mean that Bunghole-breath will have to spend his own hard earned $$$ to defend himself against the Barbieri lawsuit...??? That'd stick rather sharply in his craw!

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  16. Bungeroth is a first class turd. Karma is a bitch, ain't it

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  17. KGO was not only a Bay area radio station. The signal boomed in loud and clear at night throughout the Northwest and I felt a real connection with the Bay area. It's still got that strong signal, but the station isn't worth listening to now as it doesn't even carry network McNews at the top of each hour. Such a waste of a big, powerful signal. I really miss Gene, John, Ray, and the rest of the folks who kept me company at night for many years.

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    1. I agree.

      It was a sad day when I took KGO off my car radio buttons.

      And now I listen to KNX from LA at night because, at least, they have a signal and carry network news.'

      What a waste of 50k watts.

      The FCC should allocate power and frequency based on ratings.

      KGO would be a 1k daytimer.

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  18. I remember back in the 1970's visiting my grandparents in Eastern Washington state. I had brought my small portable radio and one night tuned in some of the local stations. I then went down the dial and-low and behold-KGO came in clearly way up there. I was astonished how powerful that signal was to come in so clear. Considering how few other local stations there were, I am not surprised if KGO back then was something to listen to in the evenings. That and Paul Harvey! :-)

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  19. Another sad example of what is happening in America in corporate radio. Does anyone care? They're too busy texting, tweeting and facebooking to pay attention. Kind of like Nero fiddling away while Rome burns. Sad isn't it!

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  20. Does this in anyway help with a new radio station (Michael Luckoff and others)?
    Could this move open new doors or maybe some new competition?

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  21. I think it's so ironic that for years people have been predicting the demise of radio. First it was television...then it was cable...then it was iPods. But in the end it is Wall Street that will kill the industry. It's truly sad!!

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  22. There are some people moving radio to a digital platform. They are from broadcast and have a sort of grass roots thing going on. Read more here:

    http://broadcastdigitalmanagement.wordpress.com/

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