The 49ers guffaw in the last moments of Superbowl 47 was painful enough for most of the fans. At least they didn't have to watch one of the most bizarre, unintentionally funny post-game shows perhaps in local San Francisco TV history.
Let's set the stage: We know the final score. We switch from station to station and see the usual shots of bummed-out fans reacting to the crushing loss. Your standard fare of on-scene live shots of mostly empty streets and no bedlam, no bonfires, and luckily, no outward signs of trouble. Most of that could be attributed to the final score.
We now cut back to KPIX, the CBS O and O for their post-game "coverage" which bordered on both the absurd and stunning out-of-place, what the hell is this? dept. of questionable and indeed, unusual programming. While the other outlets kept it pretty much toe-to-toe from New Orleans and the Superdome to the Mission and Marina here in the city--quite expected and fairly timely and pointed--where was PIX?
On the eastern span of the new Bay Bridge. I'm not kidding. Was anyone there? No, not really. The governor switched on some sort of countdown clock that would signify that the bridge would open around Labor Day. Uh, OK. Now what?
Forget for the moment that what we were witnessing was sort of bizarre--at least those watching KPIX and given that a Superbowl had just ended, we again asked: Just what is this? Hello. To be fair, PIX had sports anchor, Dennis O'Donnell, back at the Superdome with the usual player actualities. Fine and dandy.
Then back to the bridge where aloof and alone reporters, (Ken Bastida and Stan Bunger, from KCBS) were cavorting on an empty platform with a lit tower in the background. Did it look nice? Yeah, if one were watching the National Geographic channel. It made no sense on Channel 5 and it looked damned foolish at best. Adding to this contrived "feature" was the fact that it was sponsored by an automobile company. Money is always the root of all evil and that was evident on KPIX's tortured screen on Sunday night. Whoever was responsible for this epic mess, the mother of all local TV quagmires needs serious therapy.
We like innovative coverage. We encourage something different than the usual after-game nothings from drunken fans and the requisite bar shots. But KPIX's blatant bufoonery after the game on a barren unfinished and uninhibited bridge was about as sanguine as the power outage at the dome.
I'm still scratching my head.
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Idk...KPIX, I believe was so sure that the 49ers were going to win the Super Bowl, that they coordinated the lights being turned on the eastern span of the Bay Bridge, with a 49ers Celebration.
ReplyDeleteI think we can all agree that KPIX 5 was out of control in regards to the 49ers hype these last 2 weeks. It was sickening, imho.
Totally agree. The one good outcome of Sunday's game is that KPIX viewers will no longer be subjected to every-third-story "coverage" of drunks in sports bars yelling "Go Niners" or cute pictures of dogs dressed up like football players. I finally gave up on KPIX news sometime around last Tuesday.
DeletePersonally I enjoyed all the hype. It's been years since SF went to the Super Bowl and it was very exciting and on our minds. It's a good thing to have positive news and enthusiastic reporting. Loved it.
DeleteJust when you think that channel 5 can't go any lower they surprise you!!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting but, yes, so very out of place. Why now? Why after the Super Bowl? Was it for filling time while the other time zones would have gone into their news or Craig Ferguson? Other than Craig, who is great, did CBS really have anything planned after the big show to promote a new show or capture some of that audience? I seem to recall other networks doing that in the past.
ReplyDeleteI think I saw another reporter there as well besides Ken and Stan. And a goof at the station when opening the news had more tape before switching over to Super Bowl reactions, which lead me for a second to really wonder, "Are they REALLY going with the new bridge span as the lead over the Super Bowl?"
Still, the only thing worse was footage of some people crying after the Niners lost. That was embarrassing. Come on! The Bay got the WS trophy. We still got a great team. Suck it up and let's have something to work even harder for next year.
it also seemed like there were a lot of reporters that had been drinking throughout the day. For a town that used to make fun of other parts of the country for being too wrapped up in their teams, it was embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteFell off my chair when one of the local guys (think from Channel 5) referred to "Coach Kaepernick" instead of "Coach Harbaugh" during a post-game spot from the empty Superdome.
DeleteThe Bay Bridge program was scheduled and set-up way in advance. The power outage delay after half time pushed everything back. KPIX probably should have just shit canned the bridge thing but tried to squeeze it in anyway. Not really worth getting your panties bunch Rich.
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame what they're doing to and with Ken. The man is tops as an anchor - none better in the Bay Area. And yet they've got him out on the road doing stooge stuff, where he's visibly uncomfortable in that peacoat. The man needs to be suited up and seated at 5 & 6pm.
ReplyDeleteOne channel,had a postgame show scheduled..when the 49ers lost,no post game show. A infomercial ran.
ReplyDeleteCant blame them..they lost,whats to celebrate?
Yawn
ReplyDeleteI thought the bridge show was great. Sure it had some technical difficulties, but it was more interesting than a 100% football show, which the station had been airing since 8am that morning. It was planned well in advanced, they were advertising for it for weeks. CBS aired Elementary after the game, so KPIX couldn't air their own post game show right away. Any real football fan probably turned it to see analysis on another station anyway. KPIX clearly capitalized on the viewers and night to highlight a major change coming to the Bay Area and I thought it was a great show. The perfect mix of football and something else to keep all viewers interested.
ReplyDelete> I thought the bridge show was great...it was more
Delete> interesting than a 100% football show, which the
> station had been airing since 8am that morning.
How about a NEWS show? You know, stories of the day, national recap, special features, reporting? You know, that sort of thing?
These idiots have to stop trying to reinvent the wheel.
I thought the same as you.....absolutely weird....I changed the channel
ReplyDeleteDid it ever occur to you that the Bay Bridge program was something Caltrans planned and partnered with KPIX for public outreach on the FINAL bridge closure of the new eastern span project later this year that will span five (5) days?
ReplyDeleteIf it weren't for the power outage, they wouldn't have to stretch the program out for over two hours, instead of the scheduled 1. As you should know, the SB is the MOST WATCHED television broadcast so it was actually smart of Caltrans to reach out to KPIX to help inform the public of this final closure (the longest planned closure of the project), plus get some marketing about the project in as well.
OH, so because CalTrans planned it with KPIX, that makes it right? No, that's simply DUMB programming which doesn't justify what one saw...Look, as far as I'm concerned KPIX could have aired a dog show. I'm not going to lose sleep. But the bridge thing was just simply OUT OF PLACE.
DeleteCouldn't agree with you more, Rich
DeleteThe bridge show was scheduled to span two long hours...8-10pm...regardless of the blackout.
DeleteThe bridge won't be closed for another half a year yet, so why have a whole show about it now?? And even since then, KPIX keeps doing "stories" on the closure, as though it were going to happen in three days. Who cares? It's half a year away and everyone will have long forgotten about last Sunday's "outreach" by then. In the meantime, we'd like some NEWS...about what happened, um, TODAY.
DeleteYoo Hoo Rich
ReplyDeleteRonn Owens just talked about Lee Rodgers passing. Said nothing but good things about him.
The Raddy post of the day: On KNBR he announced that he has been getting "Many emails warning me I better not talk about the 49ers loss or I might be fired" Then he bravely said he would talk about the loss. More of Raddy playing both sides---blatantly.
ReplyDeleteBTW,Nobody sent that. Nobody. Its another trick he uses...pretend he's getting angry email and how brave he is to still be on air..lol. I know its show bizz..but man can that dude lie like its just natural to him.
Stan, Please take your obsession with Radnich somewhere else. You clutter and clog Rich's blog in the comments section. Repeat, this is a comments section. YOU ARE NOT POSTING ANYTHING! You are a rude, clueless man.
Delete505 yes,get a clue. Go to the "I Love Gary blog"..not here.
DeleteYou idiot!
I second that, Stan please take your obsession with Radnich somewhere else...
DeleteUnfortunately it seems that most of these endless posts about Radnich come from someone with significant perceptual limitations. Person seems dim-witted, unable to grasp sarcasm or joking and seriously misinterprets what's being said.
Delete938..Yes,your totally devoid of those aren't you?
DeleteIf you want to go around and around with that idiot method,I guess Its the best you got
KNBR goons They try everything,will say anything..and never cop to I quote Radnich.
And- He was part of the Super Bowl media. So,on topic again!
Nobody,NOBODY gets upset about my posts other then the KNBR goons.
And 938? He cant help but sound like himself..Marco Carvello. He makes the very same posts to Lowell Cohn. Virtually word for word.
DeleteCBS sucked, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms absolutly horrendous. Pregame show crew - idiotic comments all day long. Only thing notable said was by Boomer E. regarding Ray Lewis. Fox guys on NFL are the best.
ReplyDeleteAgree Bob.
ReplyDeleteNantz is the most overrated broadcaster in sports. Bland. No sense of drama. Boring post game questions. How this guy gets every prime sporting event on CBS is an absolute mystery.
He's fine on the Masters, where his bland style fits that type of sport. NCAA hoops, NFL football....he is woefully out of place and saps the energy out of these events.
Stand Bunger, while he might sound good on radio, has no place on tv. There's just simply no excuse for this 2nd rate program
ReplyDeleteThis was a Bruno Cohen project, beginning to end. No one, and I mean no one at the station could figure out why he was pushing it so hard.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, Cohen believed TV viewers who have never seen Stan Bunger were going to associate him with a radio/TV connection. The Sacto anchor was there in yet another attempt to get already-overworked middle market drones to care about providing PIX with content and capabilities.
Blindly going forward, it was all hands on deck. To what end? A complete unknown. The pressure was on everyone in the newsroom to produce something out of nothing. Jerry Brown pushing a meaningless button that lit up Ken Bastida from below in green, like a bad horror movie? Major get!
Even though jobs were on the line, most people in the newsroom managed a dark sense of humor about it all. It is becoming obvious that no matter how successful Bruno has been in the past, he has run out of ideas.
He was supposed to have stopped the slide. (Weren't they all?) He has only greased the skids.
You're right on the mark, Rich. I thought KPIX inserted some kind of pre-recorded infomercial on the Bay Bridge and then realized it was LIVE. I watched for a little while just because it was so absurd.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have enjoyed following the construction of the Bay Bridge eastern span, the segment was so out of place post-Super Bowl. It didn't matter if the 49ers lost or if the game ran long, this show belonged on another night (or Sunday morning)!
Could it possibly have anything to do with sweeps?
ReplyDeleteThe Raddy post of the day: Gary Radnich kept repeating the 49ers won the Super Bowl. Krueger had to remind him they lost. A Raddy senior moment. Dang thing is,Raddy had me convinced...!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add that as part of that,Radnich insisted the "The Giants weren't happy they won".
DeleteA VERY senior moment.. It might have been the Vicodin talking..
Stan. Get yourself a job or girlfriend. Please quit obsessing over Radnich and cluttering the comments section of this blog.
DeleteOne positive about Radnich? He's more on Lee Hammers case then with him. No more "The great Lee Hammer"..Radnich might have found some liberal buried in himself after the Ralph firing.
ReplyDelete