It also has to quit pretending that it's going to beat KNBR. It isn't.
It also has to stop shouting at us. As an alternative to the Knibber foibles, The Game is decidedly more creative and entertaining.
But it has to stop gimmicks. One thing, for starters, is to concentrate on its core asset: flagship station for the Oakland A's. The problem with The Game is instead of going wall-to-wall with A's programming built around its talk shows, the station routinely dominates programming with Giants talk. KNBR is the Giant's flagship and most Giants fans don't listen to the Game. That sort of programming strategy probably helps KNBR more than 95.7. Sure, the A's don't have the largess nor cachet of the Giants followers, but their fan base is loyal.
And another thing: When you shout and scream, as the Game does a lot, all you're doing is essentially copying KNBR. The Game is far more edgier and more intelligent than Knibber. But they need to form their own identity and quit trying to compete with the other guys. When you consistently can't break a 1 share you have to re-think the business model. Try to be what you are as opposed to what you clearly aren't.
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you absolutely nailed it. but let me give you their response "We talk all bay area sports"
ReplyDeleteSame answer they gave me.
DeleteI hate their overused sound bites
ReplyDeleteAmen Rich!
ReplyDeleteAs a somewhat tepid Giants fan I appreciate hearing Giants coverage - Just not on Homer central (KNBR)
ReplyDeleteA few years ago the ticket 1050 went anti-KNBR with wall to wall A's, Raiders coverage aand became such a threat that the sports geezer took them off the air. The game should do the same. I am an A's and Raider fan I really don't listen to any of them because its Giants, Niners all the time. You want to succeed be the anti-KNBR not the edgier version of the same format. We may not be as many but we would listen loyally. They just don't get it because they are run by east coasters who don't understand the Bay Area sports landscape. Someday I may listen to local sports talk again but for now thank God for Sirius.
ReplyDeleteyes, that's exactly right. that's when KNBR first took over 1050 and J.T. the Brick was on for hours and hours every day. it was a great opportunity to corner the entire Bay Area sports market that they let slip away. a great opportunity lost-how dumb was that???
DeleteIt was intentional on KNBR's part to make sure that sports talk was dominated by SF teams ie. Giants and Niners. They wanted to make sure that the East Bay teams had no outlet of there own thus perpetuating the myth that they have no fan base. The base maybe smaller but fiercely loyal and engaged which took listeners away from the Giant/Niner propoganda machine.
Delete"They just don't get it because they are run by east coasters who don't understand the Bay Area sports"
DeleteAgree with the post at 11:13.
And the worst example of this east coast hack mentality was Brandon Tierney.
Hey Brandon why is your knumbskull New York accent so thick?
When was the last time you met with a diction coach?
Since when does having an eastern accent somehow give you credibility in the sports world?
All true..and diversity can give you that. Right now THEGAME is 100% white males 100% of the time M-F. I can tell you I hear that same attitude one after another on thegame,the same viewpoint. You have to catch Wolford or the Guru on a weekend to hear another side of reality. Asians and Latinos don't exist in the local sports talk world. Just as athletes. Woman? KNBR wins with one. One.
ReplyDeleteYou cant convince me that Murphy and Kreidler and Korzimore with their bow ties have the best angle on sports. Lord,I hope not.
The "Gooo-rooo" sucks. Worst thing on the radio.
DeleteI'm shocked that with his outwardly pro Raider/A's opinions they even let Rick Tittle on the air. He is the only one other than Pappa and Dibs worth listening to on that entire station. Such a shame I had high hopes that I would finally have an alternative to KNBR and all SF all the time sports radio. As stated before they use the excuse that they talk about all bay area sports but they really don't. They are KNBR's drunk brother that lives in mom's basement if you ask me. Real shame.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on Pappa and Tittle. But I thought they gave Tittle the ax. Haven't heard him in quite a while. And why do you have to pair these guys with someone else? Both Pappa and Tittle can easily carry a show by themselves, I've heard them do it. We don't need the constant back and forth banter between two hosts. That's a typical KNBR move and shouldn't be copied.
DeleteAs a diehard A's fan/Giants hater, I know its inevitable that the Giants will dominate the phone lines and that they have to acknowledge the reigning world series champs. To NOT do so would be irresponsible, especially if your angle is "all bay area teams." Do I like it? No, but I keep listening because it is nice to have a station (besides that tiny one Tittle used to be on) that covers the A's. However It seems like with last year's success the A's coverage on 95.7 is noticeably more substantial this spring, hopefully they make it a point to get them on the right side of 50/50 this summer.
ReplyDeleteAnyone notice the quality of The Game guests since the partnership with ESPN was launched? All their personalities plus no real change to the good "usuals" they can get on the show. I remember hearing John Clayton on just moments after the Alex Smith trade was announced....does this mean that Steve Young can no longer do KNBR since hes an ESPN employee?
Sure, there are a number of loyal A's and Raiders fans, but not enough to justify hours of A's and Raiders programming.
ReplyDeleteIf there were that many A's and Raider fans in the area that gave a shit both teams wouldn't be tarping large number of seats in their stadium. Even they know that there is little interest in their teams.
Why should a radio station spend more time on them when it will hurt their ratings and their bottom line?
They have hard enough time trying to find a station to broadcast their games too.
There is no way the Game is going to ignore the Giants. As a sports station, it would be monumentally stupid to ignore the most popular sports team in the Bay Area. With that said, the Game could definitely give more coverage to the A's and Raiders, but they could also give a lot more coverage to the colleges and San Jose teams. Since the Game has come on the air, I have noticed a bit more A's, Raiders, and Sharks talk on KNBR so they are obviously aware of what the Game is trying to do.
ReplyDeleteThe problems with the Game are more than just shouting and gimmicks like Lucky Break. Their biggest flaw is the endless repetition of content. They continually replay the same interviews and cover the same topics all day long. The Game also hurts themselves with the vast amount of segments like the G-spot, Truth or Trash, or 3 up and 3 down. These segments are just transparent excuses to continue covering the same topic they just spent 20 minutes on.
I would also like to see more caller involvement. As it stands, the Game hardly takes any calls and they ones they do generally get cut off. How does that help build listeners?
All of this falls on their PD, Jason Barrett. It seems as if he believes it's more important for the shows to sound credible more than striving for actual credibility. Unfortunately, he seems to believe that attitude and "having a take" is more important than intellect. Mr. Barrett would do well to listen to Damon Bruce's show and emulate his style. No repetition, no shouting, good caller interaction, and only 1-2 segments per week like his Tuesday Trifecta.
Sorry, but count me out as one who likes to hear callers with self-appointed nicknames stating opinions. They now have other forums to that called podcasts and blogs.
DeleteCallers and their interaction can work well on at times, like with a host such as Paul Finebaum, however it is the role of the host to be entertaining. The Game does not have many people who are entertaining.
Not taking calls can also work with great success, if the audience is trained that calls are not going to be taken (see KNBR's sister station in Dallas KTCK/The Ticket).
I get what you're saying. Some callers can be annoying to listen to. However, there are times where callers should be involved like for post game feedback. There have also been times when a station throws out a question to the listeners such as "what's your most prized sports possession" or "what's the worst Christmas present you ever got", etc.
DeleteWhen the Game has done these questions, there have been some pretty funny calls, but they only did that segment for 5 minutes because they had to get to one of their useless shtick segments like truth or trash.
I'm not saying either station should take wall to wall calls at all. But if you're going to ask your listeners a question, take a freaking call once in a while.
KNBR might as well call it self the Church of Giantology. Worship the all mighty orange and black and never offend the three holy ghosts of Baer,Sabian and Bochy.. Then you have the disciples like Krukow,Murphy,Hammer with team rings. Krukow? I wonder how many unfaithful Giant fans are under his house?..If Askon disappears? He strayed from Krukow's flock...
ReplyDeleteS
SHOCKING!!!!
DeleteKNBR promotes a team whose games they broadcast!
A team that has won two world championships in the past 3 years!
How outrageous!
231 Promotes and shill are two different things. You don't get that its obvious..but for intelligent fans, its a gulf.
DeleteThey cover all bay area sports may be their answer, but they will still get the same result!
ReplyDeleteAll of these comments imo are off the mark, especially Rich's.
ReplyDeleteThe Game is terrible because they are managed by an amateur who has no business running a station, let alone even a primetime show (which I don't believe he has ever done). So don't expect any changes to what you're already hearing because barrett has no idea how to build a station. You don't learn to do that in San Francisco and it is a joke to suggest he did that in St Louis if you take a look at his numbers. He was lucky to be in the seat when the owners in STL spent a lot of money. When they stopped the ratings disappeared. He jumped ship at the right time.
To say that he was in a rush would be an understatement, as he fired out of the block with bad call after bad call. Tierney leaving was actually a blessing but one Barrett wouldn't even recognize, and didn't capitalize on. I talked to Eric Davis while he was on the show. Consummate pro, ready for bigger things, but had no interest in working on that show because it was a bad show. Tierney is not a local host anywhere but NY, maybe Philly. National is better for him than local, and here he is across the country in a market he never understand. Just like his boss.
The good: the talent they have isn't terrible. Some of it is actually quite good. Townsend and Papa both are quite listenable. But Bucher is a rank amateur on radio.
The bad: the rest. Are they trying to be guys with "takes?" What's your take? Who cares! Radio is about people with personalities, and a lot of the guys you hear on the game have no depth. Again with Tierney, he has a personality, but he's a bore. He can't talk about anything but sports. That's lame. Just because it's sports radio doesn't mean it has to be all "takes" on sports, all the time.
The most obvious reason that you know The Game is poorly programmed is that KNBR hasn't changed one bit since The Game came on the air. They are completely unthreatened by its existence. That says enough right there.
Rich is completely wrong about them doing too much Giants talk and not enough As. It has NOTHING to do with the content at all, but everything to do with creating entertaining programs which they clearly cannot do. They can't do it because the Program Director is an amateur. If Entercom wants to make an impact they should hire someone who knows how to run a station, and has done so before.
The CBS Sports Network would beat the Game locally. That's because the people programming it know what they're doing.
I totally agree with everything you said. I couldn't agree more, and it explains 95.7's situation perfectly.
DeleteWow, you talked to Eric Davis? I actually thought his show with Tierney wasn't that bad, even though Tierney sometimes ruined it, and they didn't really take that many calls. Football is Eric Davis' strong suit though, and it's great for him that he got the NFL Network gig! I'm sure he doesn't mind being away from Tierney also. LOL. It's kind of interesting how they both have national gigs now with Eric Davis being on NFL Network, and Tierney being on CBS Sports Radio. A year ago at this time, they were doing their show together on 95.7.
As far as Bucher goes, he's ok, but he makes too many mistakes with his microphone, and I agree with other criticisms of him in that he says "um" a little too much, or he takes too long to form his thoughts on issues. Bucher is smart though, and I agree that Townsend is good, even though he can be a little too much of an A's homer at times, and to me, sometimes that kind of ruins his credibility whenever the A's are discussed because of his relationship to the team, even though I wouldn't be surprised if the A's are paying him to be an A's fan/homer/supporter/follower.
Sadly for the Towny and Bucher show, like most of our complaints of 95.7, there are WAY too many gimmicks; "The G spot", "high load, low road", "take it or leave it", "he said, she said", "Happy Ending". Even though some of these segments are kind of funny, they really don't need all of these segments for that show. The Towny and Bucher show really has the potential to be one of the better shows on 95.7, but all of the gimmicky segments, and Townsend and Bucher's creepy love affair over the air with Giana (the woman who does the sports updates) who is also married, kind of ruins the show. Yes, it's nice they try to get her involved in the show, but they really don't have to do it in that way though.
But yes, I totally agree with everything you said.
Is this the same Giana who had the last name suiter sp on knbr before? doint sports updates.
DeleteI guess so, yes. I'm friends with her on Facebook, and she has her maiden name with her married name (Suter Franco) on Facebook. I guess Suter is her maiden name?
DeleteI didn't know she did sports updates for KNBR. It's kind of interesting how some people on 95.7, have a KNBR background, even though I guess it's not surprising.
Dibley as we all know, has a KNBR background. Townsend has a KNBR background working there years ago, Mychael Urban when he was at 95.7, has a KNBR background, and I guess Gianna has a KNBR background as well. I don't remember her doing updates on KNBR. Around what year(s) was she there?
I remember Townsend doing the sports updates on KNBR for Gary's show when he was on in the early mornings years ago, as well as that terrible John London "not just sports" Show. I think they tried to give Townsend more of a role on that show, then Gary gave him when Gary was on in the early mornings, but that show sucked. Non-sports shows on sports stations don't really work. I remember "Kevin the Rat" doing updates as well. Gianna must've been at KNBR in the late 90's.
there's nothing unpredictable about what you'll ever hear on the game. it's the same and it's lame.
ReplyDeletehire a pro and take real shot.
I've tried to listen to 'the Game' but most of the time it's just a lot of noise and nonsense, much like KNBR. Hate to say it, but the numb sculls who program Sports talk radio feel that they have to have an'edgy' or 'hip' sound to get attention and gain the 'young demographic.
ReplyDeleteRadnich talks about that 'young demo' ad naseum on KNBR, and most people don't even have a clue as to what he's saying. But he, and the 'Game' as well as 'The Sports Leader' are never going to get huge numbers for their talk shows for two simple reasons:
1.) There are not enough hardcore sports fans in the bay area to bump the numbers up on the ratings for the talk shows. Fans will listen to the games, and perhaps they'll listen to a little of the post game talk shows on the way home from the games, but really, let's be honest, who listens to Krieder and Whitey Gleason or Murph and Mack in the mornings?
2.) The 'young demographic' doesn't listen to radio anymore anyway. They're too busy with their i phones, texting, tweeting, or paying attention to their i-pads or i-pods. So the powers that be are programming their stations with an emphasis on getting listeners who will never tune in! That's why 95 percent of sportstalk radio, no matter what town you're in, is predictable and low brow.
U sound very bright. KNBR IN 2012 was the number 1 station in the sf market in terms of ad revenue. That's ahead of KCBS, any of the Clear Channel stations, Entercom, etc. so much for your suppositions. They r a major advertising "player" in every Adult or male demographic. Take that to the bank.
Deleteand I'm sure having the Niners go deep in the playoffs and the Giants winning the whole thing had nothing to do with that, right?
DeleteSo what. More money taken in than other Radio property. There were a lot of losing years too!
DeleteOh my God.. Really... You are bagging on the Game for talking about the Giants? I am glad they talk about the Giants because the Game isn't ass kissing the Giants like that poor excuse for a morning show Murph and Hack. Brian Murphy comes across like a 12 year old giddy school girl at a Justin Bieber concert everytime time he mentions "Timmy" or "Panda". The players' names are Tim and Pablo... Brian Murphy just sounds creepy when talking about grown men playing a game. CREEPY!. The Game tells it like it is and that's refreshing. The Game kicks ass...not kisses ass. The Game just need to market themselves. Give it time, The Game will catch on. It takes more than 18 months...Geez.
ReplyDeleteThough I am a Giants & Niners fan, I don't listen to EITHER station. Because as much as a local fan that I am, I am a BIGGER fan of the NFL, MLB, NBA and College Football/Hoops. I want--actually, DEMAND...more than just local-yokel stuff.
ReplyDeleteThanks to satellite radio and my 'Droid, I listen to ESPN radio all day: In the morning, when I make breakfast, in the car on the way to work...at my desk at work...at home when I'm cooking/cleaning up...at night when I'm doing work stuff (although I will also listen to KJAZ radio when late at night).
Mike & Mike...The Herd...SVP & Rusillo...Coach & Company...Hill & Schlereth..these guys are INFINITELY more listenable than anybody on KNBR and The Game. They cover the ENTIRE country (NO--there isn't an east-coast bias; hell, they're practically covering the whole Lakers fiasco 24/7).
PLUS--they have WAAAY more interesting guests.
Based on the FEW times I have actually listend to KNBR, I suggest more KNBR listeners also listen to ESPN radio. They'll get a much broader insight into Sports.
Outside of Townsend who knows baseball, and Papa, who knows the NFL and NBA, and possibly Rick Tittle, there is very little to recommend about 'the Game.' I agree with 6:12pm anon...their PD is clueless. But the biggest problem is that they have a lousy signal, and don't have any of the big teams on their air. As good as the A's have been recently, they have 1/5th as many fans and probably 1/10th as many listeners to their games as the Giants do, and that kills 'the Game' during the baseball season.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Townsend and Tittle. Townsend was very good on his own. But since he's been paired with Bucher, he's gone down the tubes. Between the incessant laughing, the shtick segments, the uncomfortable moments with Giana, and Bucher's useless contributions, I can't listen to him anymore.
DeleteWhile a huge problem for them is their signal, we live in the internet age. If they had content worth listening to, people could always listen to them on their phones. But the screaming hosts and repetitive content will always have them struggling for a 1.0 share. How much rope will Entercom continue to give Barrett?
THEGAMES slogan should be "If we had the Giants and 49ers,a Chimp on acid could run our station"
ReplyDeleteI hear the argument about the "signal", but the truth is it's not just the signal that's weak. As was pointed out, Bucher is average at best. They hired him because he's on TV for the Warriors, as if that's what is entertaining. All the gimmicky stuff is merely a cover for the lack of talent.
ReplyDeleteThe Game's BIGGEST problem is the hosts have no depth, and seemingly no freedom. When you listen to Tom and Ray (don't love the combo at all, but better than the rest of the garbage) you sense they have freedom to discuss almost anything. The Game is confined.
As for the Game not taking calls, Davis told me flatly they were told "not to take calls" and that the "show is about the hosts." Yes, there's truth in that if you have the right hosts, but some hosts are better at reacting to callers, and others are better at waxing. Tierney is better at calls, and so was Davis. The problem again is Jason Barrett, who worked in environments that chose to limit caller interaction, almost like what ESPN does on Mike and Mike. He attempts to model the programs on ESPN's programs but he doesn't have the talent himself to figure out how to put that work, or recognize what to do differently.
Barrett is strictly a paint by numbers guy, and clearly it isn't working.
Jack Swanson doesn't know much about sports, but he knows what good radio is. He could program that sports station MUCH better than a rank amateur like Barrett because it's about understanding TALENT and AUDIENCE. Not force-feeding them retread ideas.
I've listened to Mark Kreidler on Chronicle Live and thought he was pretty articulate.
ReplyDeleteOne has to wonder if Rich's stance is jaded because The Game didn't welcome him with open arms like KNBR used too.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Game has flaws but unless you're a Giants/49ers fan KNBR sucks even more. But when you are dominant in the market you can do what you want.
KNBR did react initially by moving Damon to 680, but that backfired.
Bucher's most vital asset is his cellphone or contact list. He worked at ESPN long enough that he probably has the number of anyone he wants.
I do wish one of the shows was more free flowing like Tom & Ralph's but again Barrett is lost.
Tierney's biggest mistake was picking on the A's. It's like the new kid in school who bullies the same kid that's been picked on for years. If he really wanted to make an impact he should have been Mr. Anti-Giant.
My other main criticism is that almost every host is a homer. The 49ers and Giants play for the respective championships and they were all excited for them. Towny's been doing A's stuff for years doesn't he have any loyalty to that team? How does a Giants WS win help the A's.
It's too bad the Damon pairing with Gary didn't work out. I thought it was going to be cool at first, but their big egos wouldn't allow it. Plus Damon is better by himself, but hopefully he comes back to KNBR 680 one day, if he doesn't go national, even though he has a good thing on KNBR 1050 right now.
DeleteAs far as Bucher goes, you're probably right. It seems like almost every show, Townsend and Bucher have an ESPN employee that Bucher worked with, when he was on ESPN. Yeah, he probably did keep his contact list.
As far as Tierney goes, yeah, that's true too. Him picking on the A's ruined him a little on 95.7, or at least didn't make him well received by A's fans, but he was too much of a Yankees fan to be on the A's flagship station. He rooted for the A's, but you could tell his heart lied with the Yankees.
Townsend has a lot of loyalty towards the A's. He practically roots for them on the air. I mean yes, a lot of that is because he is/was a part of their broadcast on 95.7 and he's close to the team, but yeah, Townsend is an A's homer. I'm sorry. Sometimes he sees things through green and gold glasses when he talks baseball sometimes. He definitely bleeds more green and gold than orange and black, even though he grew up a Padres fan. He probably doesn't bleed orange and black at all.
while your fourth graph is probably right I would love to see more subjectivity from Towny. Aside from Murph, does anyone on KNBR root for the A's?
DeleteTed Ramey, the guy who does the updates for Damon's show, is an A's fan. Joe Hughes, who I think is one of the producers for Sportsphone, is also an A's fan. Other than that, yeah, no one, as far as the main weekday KNBR hosts go, really roots for the A's.
DeleteMurph and Mac are Giants fans/homers. Gary wants both the Giants and the A's to win, but he pretty much just wants to be entertained. Krueger is a Giants fan. Damon is a Cubs fan, even though he wants both the Giants and the A's to do well, even though yes, he does get his shots in on the A's, at times. Some of his criticisms of the A's, I agree with. Some of his criticisms of them are harsh, but it's true.
Fitz is a White Sox fan and Rod is an Astros fan. Tom Tolbert is an Angels fan, while I don't think Ratto is a fan of any team. Ray Woodson grew up a Dodger fan, but of course he has to be for the Giants since he works at KNBR.
As far as what you said about Townsend, just curious, what did you mean by that?.... With that being said, I like Townsend, and I remember him from his days at KNBR years ago doing updates for Gary's show when Gary used to be on in the mornings, and then he was on that terrible John London not just sports show they tried to do, which ended up sucking. It's just weird to hear him be such a huge A's guy all of a sudden, when he used to cover the Giants back in the day. I mean, I guess he switched over to the A's between when KNBR let him go back in 2005 and when he came to 95.7 when the station debuted as a sports station a couple of years ago.
I didn't know Townsend has been doing A's stuff for years though, as Steven mentioned. He kind of fell off the map after he left KNBR, and before 95.7 picked him up. I guess I never thought about where he was, as far as what radio station he was on all those years. Was he doing A's stuff for the other stations they were on, before he was on 95.7?
Hit this right on the nail. Our show, which is a 10 year old internet radio show, does a better job of covering the A's in 2 hours once a week than the game does in a day.
ReplyDelete- Keith Salminen, producer of A's Fan Radio (www.asfanradio.com)
Barrett doesn't have a clue. 18 months and the station struggles to get a 1.0 share. Every show sounds the same. No one sounds remotely informed at all, but as long as they have a take on something and scream about it, that's all that matters to Barrett. Just look at that idiot that won that contest last year.
ReplyDeleteListen to Tom and Ray and they can toss around just about anything. Those two have gone off about all the locals along with golf, nascar, whatever. And they don't have to scream while they're doing it. They don't have to have fake arguments while they're doing it. And they certainly don't spend half the show laughing like idiots and doing segmented bits while they're doing it.
The game morning guys are ok, but still pretty bland and boring with all the bits like questions for Krideler or however you spell his name. Every time I hear that stupid song, I tune elsewhere. The guys after that are just as bad. Matt sounds like he's drunk or on muscle relaxers. They guy has no energy and never knows anything. The Lund-Papa show and the Townsend-Buecher show are interchangeable. Both shows are just mirrors of each other with bits every 5 minutes and talking about the same crap over and over. I do not know how this station has made it this long. Barrett must have compromising photos of someone at Entercom to be given this much time to continually fail.
I did catch the end of a Townsend and Bucher conversation of "Who might have done steroids in Baseball that we dont know about"..Wow, I thought that was something only I Stan ever got into. As sure as hell,KNBR jocks would never go there.
ReplyDeleteFunny that your post references Stan and also looks just like a post of his... hmmm
DeleteThe 'Game' truly sucks! Where to begin? How about a clueless Program Director who came here from St Louis after programming a radio station there, knows nothing about bay area sports, and thinks he's programming a slick, up and coming station. I will give the 'Game' some credit though for at least trying to cover all of the local sports and giving fans of each team a chance to get their two cents worth of opinion on the air (when they rarely take calls.) The dreck that has become a staple on KNBR makes it absolutely unlistenable. They ar e lucky that the Giants and Niners and Warriors are all on the upswing, otherwise their ratings would suck. Bob Agnew made that station what it was, despite working for a very difficult GM, and that's reason KNBR is where is still where it is today. But he never would have put amateurs such as Kate Scott or Pauley Mac or Patrick Connor or Eric Brynes on the air. That's a disgrace to the profession and it lowers the credibility of the 'sports leader.'
ReplyDeleteHuge problem with radio is people don't look for entertaining people but instead try and find people who are successful elsewhere who they think they can develop. In radio you either have it, or you don't. You'd be hard pressed to find a radio star who was great at something else, and then became great at radio. And that's my problem with Byrnes, Bucher, or even Ratto. Tolbert is pretty good at radio as he has learned to really be himself, but the rest of these people are just so whatever. Ratto is better than the others for sure.
DeleteThe lack of talent development in radio has been apparent for so long, but as I mentioned in a previous post The Game was in a race to be big. Had they been patient, and tried to really develop some people (notice their best people are local radio people) they would have stand a chance.
A contest to find the next radio host? That's embarrassing.
Agree 100% about 95.7 and too many gimmicks, along with too much in the way of immature, sophomoric garbage. They have talent, let them use their talent without the nonsense. And yes, they should definitely focus more on the A's.
ReplyDeleteKNBR already has the Giants, or is it the other way around? Anyway, as an A's fan that's why I stopped listening to KNBR, i.e. too much Giants. And yes, there are many passionate A's fans.
Ratto is amusing and smart, but his curmudgeonly personality gets old in a hurry. He tries to be funny and cute and sarcastic at other people's expenses, and his take on sports is one of the reasons why people are so cynical and bitter about today's athletes. I don't think he realizes that people turn their attention to sports to get away from the really stressful issues in our world, and many (like myself) just want to hear some straight talk, not some smart-ass trying to be funny and cute. And Ray, just a suggestion...ditch the sweaters and lose some weight. You're beginning to look like Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan) on the old 'Adams Family' TV show!
ReplyDeleteSorry, Ratto must be the worst POS on radio. I have not tuned in since he joined Mr T.
ReplyDeleteThe Game won't become a household name unless they can get the Raiders and the Sharks to join the A's on their station. Sports talk are really team identities. KNBR has 3 pro teams and plenty to chat about. The Game will need 3 pro teams or they will never succeed.
Who cares about 95.7? It's a joke of a station that probably won't be around a year or two from now. They guy running shit over there as been told of all the problems and still hasn't changed anything. The one polarizing personality they had, walked. They guys left over are ridiculously boring and unoriginal. You can hear more compelling sports talk in the dugout of any beer league softball team. They probably spend all their time trying to come up with more and more hackneyed bits. KNBR is kicking the hell out of them and most will say it's because of the signal reach, having the Niners, Giants, and Warriors, or because they've simply been around for so long. Seems to me that a bigger reason why KNBR is so successful is cause I can listen to a 4 hour show and not hear the same thing every 20 minutes or every hour, etc. When I tried listening to the Game when KNBR had the Warriors on, it was the same crap every 15 minutes. On to the next thing boys.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the polarizing personality goes, are you referring to Tierney or Eric Davis? They are pretty much the only hosts of note, who left 95.7 recently. I guess Davis somewhat recently, even though he left last July... Urban left too, but he's far from a polarizing personality. LOL.
DeleteI agree with you on why KNBR is more popular than 95.7, even though KNBR airing 49ers, Giants, and Warrior games, and being around longer, definitely has something, if not a lot to do with it.
But yes, it is annoying when they rehash a topic they talked about a hour or two before, for a 4 hr. show. You say to yourself, didn't they just talk about that? Yes, they use the excuse for people just tuning in, and it's a valid point, but it shows that they have no material to cover a 4 hr. show.
The polarizing personality, for lack of a better term, that I was referring to is Tierney. I say polarizing in that he was well liked by a select few and hated by most. Even though he sucked out loud, he evoked a strong reaction. Of course, when you're a blowhard who passes off ESPN rhetoric as your own and is wrong 95% of the time, it's easy to stir up a fan base. 95.7 is just a badly run station featuring way too many lame ass bits and sleep inducing hosts that feel they need to shout everything to keep you awake while talking about the same tired subjects over and over. Their PD doesn't seem to realize that music station listeners jump around the dial, but sports fans tune in for a lot longer, especially when you have compelling content. Too bad 95.7 doesn't have any.
DeleteWonder why townsend does 2 shows a night 95.7 does not pay enough or keeping the sportsblyine one just in case 10pm-2am pst. Sportsbyline must not pay alot as they do not have any natioanl advertisers or for that many listners i bet and no SF station and thats where they orginate from.Also home of rick "video game"Tittle and matt kolsky.
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