CHANGES at PIXThere's some changes on the front burner at KPIX; nothing extraordinary mind you but enough to make noise and rearrange the furniture at 855 Battery in the heart of the media gulch.
Among the moves:
As reported here, first, Roberta Gonzales is switching from weekends to weekday mornings--working alongside/with, Lawrence Karnow.
How exactly that will go down and the specifics are not known now but a few pixies told me Karnow isn't thrilled about the new setup.
Gonzales debut is or around the beginning of December --management types and ND, Dan Rosenheim have been meeting.
*A source close to the CBS-owned station told me several more changes "are on the way." Expect some new anchors. Maybe some in-house people moving to another time slot. Perhaps a few new hires.
I asked the source what prompted the impending moves. "They have been slightly underwhelmed with the current brand and product--they think it's stale." Stale? Humn.
They're also going to push a hard dose of weather too with their celebrated "mobile weather lab." Frankly, I have no idea why PIX does this but the big suits obviously regard weather as serious business in the Bay Area. We'll see.
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Do you know anything about kgo-tv outsourcing departments to fresno?
ReplyDeleteWell, they in-sourced their current News Director/VP of News/Chief Brownshirt *from* there, so it makes sense.
DeleteEasy. Saves $$$
DeleteKPIX Mornings haven't been the same since John Kessler and Sydnie Kohara anchored. I moved to ABC shortly after John left cause I just couldn't bear to watch it anymore. I loved their chemistry and John's sense of humor. It's really too bad their departure seems to have ended their careers in news.
ReplyDeleteI like Kristen Zee and Eric Thomas on ABC7. The weather guy Nicco is aces and that hottie doing traffic is easy on the eyes. Good AM newscast and they seem to have fun.
DeleteWeather.. that's a good one.. when I moved here all I heard about were Pacific Storms... yea back East we call it rain...
ReplyDeleteThank God I don't live "back East!"
DeletePlease move back, we're over capacity. Why is it that East Coast garbage moves out here in droves then bitch about how everything back east is better?
DeleteThey move here because the Bay Area is a truly much better place, and then they bitch because they are maladjusted East Coast garbage.
DeleteThe CBS-owned stations seem to be fascinated with their "Mobile Weather Lab," which seems to exist more to sell Toyotas than to show you what you already knew anyway -- that it's raining, that it was hot, etc. KPIX still amazingly retains a bit of its old identity, including its unwillingness to give over to flash and style and the vintage "Westinghouse" logo. It's less standardized than KCBS, WCBS, WBBM etc. Which no doubt some network executives would like to set right.
ReplyDeleteActually, it's somewhat reversed. For a while, they were going by "CBS5". That was pretty much in-line with the "CBS Mandate". They've more recently reverted back to going by "KPIX".
DeleteThat's very true, No other CBS station goes by that kind of on-screen moniker. I hope it holds on to some of that, just as KTVU would surrender all identity by becoming a true Fox affliliate with the generic red-white-and-blue graphics and "cube" logo.
DeletePairing Gonzales with Karnow is what you call "trying to fit the problem around the solution".
ReplyDeleteIt's time for her infomercial career to begin.
Who will do weekend weather? Hope to see some new faces.
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy to see Lawrence Karnow do weekend weather as well. Such a great guy.
DeleteI, too, would like to see Karnow return to the weekend newscasts. Appreciate his work and presence; he is competent; and he and Notarangelo work particularly well together.
DeleteHave you seen the new TV commercial for KGO radio? Jennifer Jones-Lee is prominently featured. So she must be coming back at some point.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen the KGO commercial.
DeleteBut, I'd LOVE to see Christine & J. Rothmann come back!
Seems that it's been difficult finding a fit for Roberta. After all these changes, why don't they admit the obvious and shed her like they have so many more worthy personalities. If I were Karnow , I wouldn't be happy either. He'll have quite a fight to make his voice heard over her self-promotions. I don't watch the morning show, so finally I won't need to quickly switch elsewhere. Yea!!
ReplyDeleteI like all the weather folks, I just can't wait to get rid of Liz Cook. Ugh!
ReplyDeleteI agree. Once you get past her looks, she's nothing but an airhead.
DeleteLooks? She's nothing special in that department. Plus, she didn't deserve her job. Can't write worth a shit and walks around like a little rich bitch who thinks she's "famous" DADDDDDDY
DeleteDitto that.
Delete> Frankly, I have no idea why PIX does this but the big suits obviously
ReplyDelete> regard weather as serious business in the Bay Area.
As I've told you before, they do it because it's cheap. The more they whore weather the more writers, producers and editors they can lay off. And weather doesn't resist you when you're trying to do a story. Politicians, lawyers, law-breakers, etc., do.
This isn't just me talking. When I worked at KRON the new management team (after the disastrous sale) was bragging that that's how they were going to save money, bagging most of the writers and producers and editors (most of them went to PIX, ironically) and doing lots and lots of weather. The new GM showed up and had a get-to-know-you-meeting, which the anchors, reporters, EPs, etc., were invited to buy the writers, producers, editors, desk people and photogs (you know, the people who GET THE NEWS) were not, and his first words were, "I love weather." He channeled all his effort into the weather dept, and let most of the rest of us go. That's why KRON is all VeeJays and rip-and-read today.
I'd like to see Roberta move to KRON and do the morning show. If they got rid of Folsom and teamed Roberta with Vicki that would get me UP early!
ReplyDeleteBay Area Weather it's not like we get tornado's or hurricanes that are discussed by the regular talking heads. Traffic and weather together.. I could see that being a morning report.. but with smartphones and smart ass apps that will advise you of both weather and traffic how much does a news program actually need to cover those subjects? if your stuck in traffic you know it and checking your phone can get you current traffic, muni , bart, trains & planes.. Traffic and weather in the Bay Area could be a segment of the news that might not survive in the 21st century. I actually like the traffic and weather personalities .. and they seem to always do good for the community.
ReplyDeleteCBS 13/KOVR has also pushed their mobile weather lab on air quite a few times. I will admit as a "tech geek" I do enjoy all it has when they do a live shot and can show all them micro climate info. But in all reality we get weather 4 months in the winter and maybe 2 months of heat. I know I saw the KPIX mobile weather lab in Clayton during the Morgan Fire which I found a good use for it, showing what the weather was at the spot rather than the "well xxx miles from the fire the reported temp is....." Now I wonder if they'll take the mobile weather lab out more will we see reports this winter from the Tahoe area? (hopefully it dumps snow this winter) KPIX is shown in the Truckee area on cable (only channel left after they took off KGO and KTVU years back and the Gov't forced Sacramento channels on the market)
ReplyDelete@ 11/19/13 1:25 PM, I hear ya, we lost KGO Ch. 7 in 2011. But due to DMA Boundaries, Nielsen Media Research, along with the FOX Affiliates, & the FCC we no longer in the Tracy Area get KTVU Ch.2. also. As of Oct.29th, Comcast dropped KTVU in Tracy, I just hope they don't drop KPIX Ch.5, then we will really be cut off from the Bay Area.
DeleteIt is utterly awful, imagine living 58 miles from SF, 40 miles from Oakland, and 58 miles from San Jose....But you "HAVE" to have Sacramento Programming, a town that is 76 miles away?!?! Most of us are from the Bay Area, we Commute, Work, do Commerce, and go to Social Events in the SF/Oakland/SJ Bay Area. Yet we are being deprived of a local newscast. KTVU provides us with the tools to navigate our community, & surrounding communities...I don't give 2 craps about Elk Grove, or Sacramento, those communities have NO relevancy, or relationship to where I currently live period! Plus Sacramento only reports on their City, & surrounding communities, not Tracy, CA!
The FCC, FOX Affiliate KTXL , and Nielsen Media Research have dropped the ball big time here! Instead of putting the viewers needs 1st, they put DMA Boundaries 1st, which make no sense Logistically, or in Proximity.
Roberta has an excellent lawyer who is keeping her employed. That is the only way to stay employed with KPIX.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching her on the air two weeks ago TRYING to interview tailgaters at the Stanford/Oregon game, she will need that excellent lawyer again.
Delete