Friday bullet...
One of my insiders near the Cumulus cluster tells me there's a good chance that KFOG, which is in severe under-achiever mode, will be flipped to either a country or news format, probably KGO-FM, which makes sense on several fronts.
One, KGO-AM is getting killed by KCBS, which long ago added KCBS-FM, (106.9) to bolster its AM stalwart, (740 AM). KGO might find a pulse if it had an FM component and Cumulus knows it. It can't hurt.
Second, KFOG is going nowhere fast. It has valuable call letters. Beyond that, it is losing listeners and has seen chaos enter its once-daunted franchise. There is no there there.
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Would do better Flipping the Bone to KFOG Then make KGO 1077 FM better signal.
ReplyDeleteIn other words...the time has come when a radio station can no longer play Supertramp,Jethro Tull,Pink Floyd,and the like and make money.
ReplyDeleteVery sad for the Bay Area. KFOG is/was an iconic station that was recognized long and wide as a truly local institution. Amazing what mismanagement in an effort to chase the $ does. Sometimes staying with what you have (see KGO), though in decline, is better than some drastic change that just results in blowing up the whole enterprise. Terrible news for those who still enjoy intelligent local broadcasting as well as current, listenable music. Hoping it doesn't happen. How many more beds do I need to buy?
ReplyDeleteNot really...valuable FM transmitter in San Jose at 97.7 in addition to 104.5.
ReplyDeleteFew people are listening to KGO on 810 even with its strong signal. Just putting the same crap on FM isn't going to help. Country on 104.5 makes the most sense just because Cumulus is making NASH a priority.
ReplyDeleteI remember when KFOG played elevator music!
ReplyDeleteI worked there! "K-F-O-G. Kfog. Kaiser Broadcasting" (foghorn played from an Ampex 300)
DeleteThey insisted that there be a pause between records..."the length of a sigh." LOL!
I can't wait till they double down on Shawn Colvin music, make it backs to the top 5 25-54 and make you look like a complete non-organic turd!
ReplyDeleteI primarily listen to 10@10 on KFOG. Would be very sorry to lose that...
ReplyDeleteCumulus "powered" NASH in six markets as of today (Friday). SF not included at this point. Joining "NASH" in NY - stations in Appleton / Green Bay, WI (both AM & FM) - Des Moines, IA- Albany, GA - Boise, ID. as well as Lexington, KY. No staff changes involved, for a change.
ReplyDeleteCumulus has also hired a new Operations Mgr. / Program Director in Bill Pugh replacing Dennis Constantine to oversee both KFOG & KSAN immediately. Pugh comes from a long line of successes nationally. A consultantcy owner in San Diego, programmer for Sporting News Radio, Clear Channel, Broadcast Companies of America (San Diego) and more.
There's your Cumulus update for the day.
When I hear "KFOG", I'll always think back to listening to Dr. Demento on Sunday nights in the 80s.
ReplyDelete"No staff changes involved, for a change." hahahhahaha!Country or not, everyone on the air at KFOG is dead man/woman walking.
ReplyDeleteMy brother, David T, was a DJ at KFOG. Were he alive today, he wouldn't even recognize that station. And he would have some choice words for Cumulus, as well as the state of radio today. He was very fortunate to have been a part of the Bay Area radio scene back when it was under local control, with a fair amount of DJ influence over what was played on air. Those were the days...
ReplyDeleteDavid T. was the best. I think he was on midnight to 6. We'd set the alarm for 4AM, just to catch a couple of hours of David. Always creative, he introduced us to many performers we had not heard of, like the Proclaimers and the BoDeans. May he RIP.
DeleteWow, thank you MarkNick. It makes my heart so glad to read such nice words said about my brother, and that people still remember him (let alone woke up 2 hours early just to hear him!). Thanks.
DeleteLisa, David T was an institution at KTIM in San Rafael when it was THE station to listen to in the Bay Area. Great music, new and old, local and world, fun intelligent DJ's. Nicky Hopkins interview is probably my favorite radio interview ever. I was sad, but inspired when David left KTIM to fight the seal slaughter, but glad I got to hear him again at KFOG.
DeleteRenee Richardson does double duty on KFOG and KGO. My guess is she is rooting for KGO FM.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard Renee Richardson do anything on KGO beyond entertainment reports. Greg Gory does some talk show fill-in on KGO so maybe he'll make the transition, like Peter Finch did when he moved from KFOG to KGO.
DeleteGreg Gory has also done fill-in work for Barbara Simpson on KSFO. And the guy is shameless. He said he was willing to get a KSFO tattoo because because he thought they were the best radio station out there. Gee, you think the guy might be angling for a steady gig?
DeleteIt's a no brainer...bring back most of the old format and it still would be light years better than what they have now.
ReplyDeleteI vote for a country station.
ReplyDelete@2:06pm: Did you say Pugh was a "consultancy owner?" Aren't we all?
ReplyDeleteThe writing was on the wall in '06 when Cumulus acquired Susquehanna. KFOG certainly isn't the same as the glory years, but it will be sad to see it come to an end. Wonder if Cumulus will even take the time to park the call letters when it does flip the FOG.
ReplyDeletePugh's quote (and/or some hack who wrote it back in the Atlanta Cumulitus HQ) is pathetic.
"I am very excited to join the CUMULUS team and looking forward to all the opportunities to expand the brand in SAN FRANCISCO."
As Dave Morey made mention months ago on Rich's blog - somewhere along the way radio became simply real estate to the Lew DIckey's of the world.
David T. was one of the great ones from the day when KFOG still played vinyl and paid homage to the intelligent thematic pragmatic music programming of its free-form predecessors KMPX, KSAN, KTIM, and even KSFX (ironically KGO-FM). Along with Lee Simms, Scoop Niskar, Sky Daniels, Mark Naftalin, David Gans, KFOG used to be THE station to tune in and be connected. Rest assured that those of us who care remember the fine work and dedication of your Brother, Lisa.
ReplyDeleteThank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words about David. Indeed, he was a disc jockey at the great little KTIM for many years, and did some of his finest work there. Radio was his life, free-form radio his love, and he would be incredibly happy to know his work is recognized, and remembered, by his listeners. Thank you so much.
DeleteGeez! Exactly what Bay Area radio needs. Cooking with Ryan Scott and scrubs like David Weintraub and Maureen Langston on FM.
ReplyDeletePeter Finch gets back on KFOG one way or another, huh?
ReplyDeleteSweet moment upcoming, he also survived the haters on here...have not heard a peep in months!
Have not heard a peep about Finch because no one is listening. No one gives a damn about that station anymore. Is Jennifer Lee Jones still there?
DeleteOk, I'll peep. I hated listening to Peter Finch and am glad he's gone from KFOG. He sounded even more FOBbish than Irish Greg (who I didn't like listening to either), but at least Irish Greg had an excuse.
DeleteShit (unfortunately) happens. Some fool took the original Jive 95 KSAN and turned it into a country station at one time too. I'm sure Tom Donahue spun in his grave when that happened.
ReplyDeleteAs somebody previously posted, KFOG lost its cachet a long, long time ago.
KGO and KFOG, my two favorite stations for over 25 years, totally destroyed by these a-holes. I wonder if my 19 Live From the Archives collection will be worth anything now?
ReplyDeleteI shutter to think what will happen to the KFOG archives now...
ReplyDeleteLee Simms was the morning guy when KFOG first went to the AAA format. Dave Morey did mid-days. Both of them are retired now.
ReplyDelete@10:35 The KSAN that flipped to country in 1980 was a poor imitation of the Jive 95 of the 70s. I heard them about a month before the switch on my way to Oregon and they sounded almost Top 40ish.
30 years is not a bad run for a station. It does suck that they may soon be a memory. Thanks Cumulus for royally f***ing up virtually everything you get your greedy little hands on.
9:58A Correct. KSAN (when it went to country) was a ghost of what it formerly was. Man - that's a lotta "was"ses. But - you know what I mean? When it went country, KSAN was WAY over.
ReplyDelete