With a looming economic hurricane on the horizon, you'd think the assignment desk would have a reporter go out to city hall and inquire how the fiscal cliff would affect the Bay Area. Of course that isn't very sexy for TV. But 8000 shots of people besieging every Macy's from the city to Pleasanton with un-wanted gifts is must-cover on the menu. Boring.
And another thing: would it kill these people to hold off just a day, a day, to return their gifts? Just what I want to do: fight traffic, pay parking and wait in lines with a bunch of people, where do I sign up?
*KTVU and its upper news management is none-to-pleased with the very low numbers, (read: ratings), its early-evening newscasts are generating, (5 and 6 PM). While the "10 O'Clock News" continues to be Channel 2's breadwinner, both in ratings and revenue, 5 and 6 PM are getting soundly beaten by the likes of both KGO-TV and KPIX. Even KNTV, (NBC Bay Area), has beat KTVU. The end result? According to a station source, a big-time powwow on the horizon in February.
*Ho-hum dept: The Game, (95.7 FM All-Sports) will be new home for ESPN Radio Jan. 1 while KNBR will bring in CBS Radio's new all-sports programming. Riveting stuff. Hold me back, I can't wait. The bigger point: Both station's non-local network programming has far more interesting content than their local material. Sad, but true.
*Yes, I've been promoting my new radio show quite a bit here. Those of you that come here to read about the Bay Area media, take note, I'm not detouring from that arena, it's just that I wanted to get the word out, pardon me for plugging the radio gig--as if I'm the only guy that goes that route.
NOTE: Watch this site for a major announcement in the coming days.
*Follow me on Twitter
*Ho-hum dept: The Game, (95.7 FM All-Sports) will be new home for ESPN Radio Jan. 1 while KNBR will bring in CBS Radio's new all-sports programming. Riveting stuff. Hold me back, I can't wait.
ReplyDeleteRich, do you think an hour radio interview with a local weatherman is "riveting stuff?"
Rich doesn't need me defending him but the truth is he's just finding his stride. If interviewing a local weatherman gets you going, so be it. it's not as if they'll only talk about the weather. Heck, Al Roker was once "just a weatherman."
DeleteThe reason why 95.7 took a stab at Sports is because KNBR is dominant, but weak. If someone knew what they were doing at The Game they'd take a real bite out of KNBR. Tom is certainly good and very likable, but the pairing with Ratto is garbage and lazy. Ratto is good...at WRITING. His shtick, or lack there of, is not entertaining. Seems like they're trying to re-capture Ralph on some level. The rest of the programming is average and over-paid.
Comparing Rich to KNBR or 95.7 is only meant to insult, but hardly worth giving credence to, unless of course you want to compare Rich to Tom Tolbert's first ever show, or to that of any host on a smaller station.
I don't know why Rich loyalists are so defensive. I suspect Rich himself would concede that an hour radio interview with a local weatherman isn't necessarily scintillating. Rich's show doesn't have to be scintillating. What he's offering is intelligent conversation, something of a throwback, targeting an audience that misses that format of radio entertainment.
DeleteNor is it necessary to trash KNBR and 95.7 to defend Rich. It's not a zero sum game. Rich's show can sink or swim on it's own and surely isn't aspiring to vanquish KNBR.
Hmmm... @11:21
ReplyDeletesar·casm /ˈsärˌkazəm/
Noun: The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
Synonyms: irony
KTVU news ratings problem stems from three areas: 1) the set stinks, 2) the lower banner matches the set, so it too stinks, and 3) Haner and part timer Tamayo stink. I know, I know, same set and talent at 5, 6, and 10 with differing ratings...which is why I moved onto Ch5@5 and 44@10.
ReplyDeleteThe content is the same between channels, no journalism, just daily details and frankly, thats all local TV news should be. They don't have the time to allocate to really delve into a story, they gotta keep moving along with sound bites. Whenever local news TV tries to break the mold, it comes off wrong. Didn't Ch 2 break the Port of Oakland misleads? They could have made that into something but instead they choose to have their reporters stand by road side puddles.
The Ch2 news ads are insulting...Frank bragging about award winning this or that. Levels of bad determine the audience.
If you'll allow me to go into "Lewis Black" mode, Dave Clark isn't fit to call bingo games
KRON has a new reporter..she's black and her name is Alicia Reed. Same first name of Raddys wife,and does look like her,but maybe a decade and a half younger.
ReplyDeleteUhuh,guess who's going to be chatted up at KRON by the big mr. sports?
All too much of a coincidence-wink-wink.
"All too much of a coincidence-wink-wink."
Delete@1:51 - could you explain that idiotic comment? KRON went looking for a new reporter who has the same first name at Gary Radnich's wife?
Why?
Explanation: Paranoid Stan constructs elaborate nutty fantasies about Radnich. Stan is one sick puppy.
DeleteThe local All-Sports Radio stations are terrible. I cannot listen to either one any longer at all. The KNBR 5-9 Show is terrible and getting worse. Actually the entire KNBR line up is utterly unlistenable. I've got to admit that proomoting the Traffic and Update guy to his own show (7-10pm) is a sign that KNBR either doesnt care - or has no money to spend on talent, and is waiting out baseball season.
ReplyDeleteI'm not here to bag on KNBR - but the entire day is nonsense. Not even 3-7 pm is good anymore (Ray Ratto? Really?) Enugh with "The Insiders" crap.
How true that local sports talk radio is waaay below par. KNBR isn't going to get better as long as they shrill for their teams. And just wait, Spring Training is around the corner. That means Giants 24/7, even if the Warriors continue to play well. KNBR's talent -- especially led by Fatnich, Bobby Fitzkissass and the Grump with Tolbert -- is weak. The only thing keeping them employed is the lack of competition in this market. Lucky bastards all of you are. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThey really are both really average. They just can't find a guy for Tom, and the other shows are so boring. There are two restaurants serving sports. One has edible food and the other is boarded up every other week. Just brutal. I'd rather listen to KGO/KKSF/KSFO/KQED and I love sports. Damon and Tom is where it starts and ends.
ReplyDeleteKTVU will bring in the same idiotic consultants from COX Atlanta who will tell them yet again to do more and shorter stories because supposedly that's what their focus groups tell them. So every shooting, every little crime story will be covered with 20 seconds of copy while they race on to the next story. All reporter packages must be limited to 1:30, even if it's an enterprise piece by one of their award winning reporters, no exceptions. Like we all know in this business however, the consultant is NEVER wrong, even when proven wrong by plummeting ratings.
ReplyDeleteRich, before being such a critic, you need to sit on an assignment desk the day after Christmas with a skeleton crew. God bless Scott Peterson.
ReplyDeleteDecember ratings are out. KNBR lost half its share with baseball over. But KGMZ is so sad. Can't even break a 1 share.
ReplyDeleteI like Colin Herd on ESPN, but I don't get 95.7 where I live. I think that move stinks.
ReplyDeleteColin COWherd won't be carried by 95.7 anyway. The only daily ESPN show on 95.7 will be Mike & Mike from 3-6am.
DeleteColin Cowherd is excellent for a variety of reasons, like him or not. 95.7 FM is being run by a know-nothing. If anyone here knows Jason Barrett they are well aware he has no idea as to what he is doing. KNBR has its own set of a problems across the board. 95.7 had no choice but to take ESPN radio for they have nothing else.
ReplyDeleteMy pet peeve with after-Christmas reporting is it's always about retail sales falling short. Like paying taxes (a la Biden), is shopping our civic duty? Christmas isn't for filling the pockets of retailers. Reporters--please try reporting something new . . .
ReplyDeleteHahaha so true. Reporters appear somber as if someone died to tell us that people did not shop as much as ”expected”. Hey morons we are still in the midst of the great recession! People can't use their homes as atm's anymore. We are broke. Let the one percenters carry the load. They should feel guilty....
DeleteAmen
ReplyDeleteRatto is actually semi-intelligent, which may be hard for some listeners to deal with. I think he's the best partner Tolbert has had.
ReplyDeleteDo you nitwits want Byrnes back?