This has become a popular feature and I'm going to begin a regular Saturday schedule.
Fire away. Be nice. And I'll do my best to answer most, if not all of your questions.
*Follow me on Twitter too.
This has become a popular feature and I'm going to begin a regular Saturday schedule.
Serious question: Why do you censor comments? I understand not posting negative, hateful comments but there are times when something gets written that directly, and factually, repudiates what you write and poof, nothing.
ReplyDeleteInstead of facing some of these comments head on, you run away from them. Yes, you are amusing at times but not tackling certain issues head on destroys you credibility.
Also, why do you feel the need to name-call? Someone posts something and you resort to juvenile bullying. Can't you just agree to disagree?
I'll hang up and take my answers off-air.
I'll be brief and to the point. This will be my only statement regarding your questions...
Delete1. This is MY blog. It's not a democracy, it's a dictatorship. Pretty simple.
2. Think of a letter to the editor. Not ALL letters get published, same policy here. If you question or find fault with what I write or the degree of accuracy I strive to maintain, then simply do not read me. That's not meant as an insult just a basic rule from within.
3. Yes, I name-call when, in my opinion, someone insults me I'm going to dart back. Again, it's my blog. Nobody put a gun to anyone's face to require them to come here.
4. Everyone is entitled to agree to disagree. Most of my posts are commentary. I don't mind taking a few hits but when it gets personal I'm done talking and posting.
Thanks caller.
Here are some polite, non-name-calling comments:
Delete2. Rich's letter to the editor analogy does not apply here. True, newspapers do not print all letters to the editor, they do print a balanced sample of all the letters. That's not the case with this blog.
3. Rich 's name-calling IS NOT limited to people who insult him. Write something that disagrees with Rich and he' may call you a schmuck or an idiot.
4. "When it gets personal I'm done talking and posting." Not really, Rich's personal attacks are the essence of his blog content.
Rich,
DeleteJust admit it: you're weak. Unwilling to take it on the chin.
I've posted very accurate things on this blog, many of which are very honest, but you continue to censor them.
You're just not tough enough to deal with facts and critical assessment.
It's why I've pretty much stopped posting.
@8:08 when people are being just plain rude and juvenile with their insults and comments...and Rich stills goes ahead and posts them (as we have all seen numerous times)...I think Rich gets a pass if he wants to call someone a schmuck or something silly along those lines. It's harmless and not as bad as how some of us would respond to their constant ripping. Asshole, dumbass are a few that come to mind.
Delete@11:05 Sometimes he just doesn't want to deal with the bullshit. I think we all have days like that. If you disagree I don't believe you're being honest.
DeleteRich, you say that, "this is MY blog. It's not a democracy, it's a dictatorship. Pretty simple."
DeleteDoes that mean you can write whatever you please, whether it's accurate or not and are not subject to the same standard of transparency that you demand of everyone else?
I try to do my best.
DeleteNo, I don't write whatever I please because that would be irresponsible even by blog standards.
I think my accuracy has been fairly consistent; sure, I have made mistakes just like the traditional media. Nobody's perfect.
To the post at 8:08am.
DeleteRich is a small minded individual. There's your reason.
Thanks for the diagnosis.
DeleteHey Rich, Was Bay Area media really bad before or after you started your blog?
ReplyDeleteThat's a good question, Kathleen.
DeleteI think most media has declined because of the advent of the Internet but that's across the board, not just a Bay Area issue.
There are still quite fine and capable TV and radio journalists. The newspapers are dying which is unfortunate because some really good people are pulling out and we're reduced to the mediocrity that now fills most of our screens, tube and radio.
The newspapers went left. On air media and press as a whole has gone left sans a few notable ones (Fox, etc). One has to wonder if the constant turning of a blind eye to all the hypocrisy of the Democratic party is what has killed the media in the U.S. Many believe so. For instance how is it that Nixon lied to a select few and was impeached, national controversy, etc. Then we have a sitting president (I'll just concentrate on 1 of many scandals) that lied to the entire country (Obamacare) and the media for the most part gives him a pass. Where is the impeachment and national outrage on just this one issue (of many)? Rich is correct when he says, "we're reduced to the mediocrity that now fills most of our screens, tube and radio."
DeleteThis is why you cannot take the right wing seriously. They are shockingly uninformed on top of being bat guano crazy. The right wingers bleat about the left wing news bias and the left wing whines about the corporate controlled news media. Both extremes are under-informed, intolerant and dishonest bigots who are not to be trusted or believed.
DeleteHi Rich, two questions ...
ReplyDelete1. What's your background with radio or media? I was wondering what has motivated you to blog.
2. Any chance you'll cover the ratings on other morning shows like 97.3 (Sarah & Vinnie)? I skipped listening to them for a long time because of my schedule. I was happily surprised that they still are entertaining after all these years. Just wanted your take on other local shows.
I worked in the 1980, (at age 19) as sports reporter/director at K101 Radio FM; several stints at Mutual Broadcasting in sports and news; ABC/CBS/RKO and AP Radio reporter covering news and sports.
DeleteWhat has motivated me to bog? Generally because no one else writes about media in the Bay Area other then Ben Fong-Torres and Ben writes only twice-monthly and exclusively radio.
I don't listen to Sarah and Vinnie on CBS FM here--tried to but was bored. The FM here doesn't captivate me other than KCSM which I greatly enjoy.
So you've never had any formal journalism education?
DeleteYou'd be surprised how many great (and non-great), journalists in the business who didn't study nor major in journalism.
DeleteNo, I did not have a "formal" education in journalism --I did study speech and communications at SF State Univ.
You consider yourself a journalist? Earlier you said you were a blogger and therefore not bound by conventional journalistic principles.
DeleteJust what is a "journalist" today anyway?
DeleteWoodward and Bernstein are journalists --no, I'm not them, not even close.
And I'm not being dissing bloggers. Some are really good. Some are bad. Some even break legitimate news stories like me.
I'll let you define what I am for better or worse.
Are you able to elaborate on your comments about how Darya was upset with some of the stuff she saw on the website? Is it safe to say she is a reader then? If so, what upsets her the most? The viewers who think of her as the sexiest morning diva in the Bay Area or the people who speculate/comment on just how she made it to where she is? I don't believe you have ever really ripped her in any of your postings but I may be wrong. I love me some Darya.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what "upsets" Darya. I don't think she cares what's on here.
DeleteWhy should she? As long as Darya keeps on being Darya then she'll be a star.
Good points Rich, thanks for replying.
DeleteRight, BFT is only every other week. I use to read him until I found this blog. BFT tends to sugar coat things and not dig up or toss dirt on people. Sometimes a little bit more needs to be said, and that can be found here.
ReplyDeleteTom
Agree.
DeleteBen Fong Torres could have had a good and readable column, but his writings are all about waxing poetically about the past.
Do I hear KSAN anybody?
Hey there Rich: When somebody goes to publish and the "please prove you're not a robot" safeguard appears and we're supposed to type in what we see .... I always struggle with the slanted-smooshed letters. Has anybody else ever had that issue?
ReplyDeleteYou're not alone but I don't control that.
DeleteIt now uses numbers which are far easier to read. I had to refresh many time to get one I could barely read and hope for the best. The numbers are much easier.
DeleteIt's to weed out all you old conservative bastards who come on here and bitch about The Left on a daily basis. Die already.
Delete1:58=anchor baby
DeleteTo quote that wise sage Anna Chavez,
ReplyDelete"When will the 49ers win another Super Bowl?"
Probably sooner rather than later.
DeleteRemember, it took Montana three years before he won his first and over a decade before Steve Young got a ring.
Softball for Richie.
ReplyDeleteLets get your assessment on what KGO, KSFO, KKSF and other AM talk station should be doing differently in order to improve their stations. Please be specific. "Fire Karel!" isn't what I'm looking for here. I would like an assessment of how things should be done differently in particular, with an understanding of the corporate environment. In addition, a specific opinion on the good and bad talk radio shows in this market, and what they're doing right or wrong.
This is a big question, but I've been asking for specifics for quite some time. I do this because you seem to be of the opinion that you know better than programmers, but I'm not quite sure you do.
Flame away!
I'm no more of an expert than anyone else --I will listen/watch anything so long as it is entertaining and worthwhile --everyone, obviously, have different tastes and what I may really like others might hate or be indifferent.
DeleteI like Savage because he's entertaining to listen to but his program has waned of late. Maybe it's the new time slot but he's become the same repetitive anti-Dem/Obama bas this and that--really stagnant.
KGO had been losing lots of listeners but dumping the talk format entirely instead of just tweaking the schedule with some new, vibrant, younger hosts, in my opinion, would have been far more level-headed--their ratings are down in the dumps and not even close to where they were before
KSFO, I don't care for that station and rarely listen because it's just so bad and you can only take so much...KKSF is wallpaper radio, not an ounce of anything or anyone interesting which seems to be the MO of Clear Channel and their ratings reflect it.
You don't like Randi Rhodes? Can't listen for two hours but she does her homework. There is almost no one else I can listen to. A bit of Copeland maybe and I gave up on tiresone Ronnnn.
DeleteWhy are there so many more hours of local news now?
ReplyDeleteBecause by and large they make a lot of money for the respective stations.
DeleteActually, Rich, news formats are the most expensive to operate.
DeleteBut they make a lot of money, you know that.
DeleteTwo questions, one about your blog and two about the online SF Chronicle:
ReplyDelete1) Is there a way that you identify everyone individually other than the most common identifier, “Anonymous”?
2) Is there a reason why the Chronicle continues with 2 internet papers-the sfgate.com and the sfchronicle.com?
3) Do you know why the Chronicle changed its comments format where, among other things, readers could vote up or down (now it’s up only on both)?
Thanks.
1. No, I do not and cannot ID the anonymous posters. Most people who make comments anonymously do so because they may work in the business and, for obvious reasons, don't or can't be public. Perfectly understandable. It's the people who make personal attacks and throw out insults and hide behind their keyboards that grate me the most.
ReplyDeleteThe Chronicle really has only one internet site and that's SFGate--SFChronicle.com is merely the on-line newspaper and they charge for reading some of their content.
As for the comments thread, no I'm not a fan of the new format and their readers seem to feel the same way. I have no idea why they went to a new format but maybe they wanted to freshen up the look, my best guess.
There's at least one additional reason some of us use Anonymous, it's because we don't want to sign up for yet another account from the limited list offered.
DeleteYou don't have to sign up for anything. Just choose the Name/URL option and the name you type in will appear, as mine does.
Delete"You don't have to sign up for anything. Just choose the Name/URL option and the name you type in will appear, as mine does."
DeleteHere goes. TEST
A few years ago Ted Robinson was one of the Giants' broadcasters. Why did he leave such a good gig ? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI can't speak for Ted but I believe he wanted to be a #1 guy and the Giants didn't oblige for whatever reason(s).
DeleteThere's lots of talk about changes at KFOG now that Greg Gory will be doing mornings in LA. How often these days are people actually quitting instead of getting let go? Is the atmosphere that bad at KFOG or did Gory just get offered a big pile of cash?
ReplyDeleteI don't have any insight into KFOG's plans or the skinny...I think KFOG is in its sunset days anyway since Morey left.
DeleteI will never understand why somebody would continue to patronize anything they find unlikeable and/or offensive, be it a restaurant, radio or TV station, a store or a blog. Don't like it? Don't go there. By the way, I publish as Anonymous because it's easy and I value whatever privacy still remains. My name would not be known to you cause I'm not in "the biz", but it is important to me and it's mine.
ReplyDeleteThat and no one personally cares to even know your name or point of view. You can take your left leaning hate speech and rip people on other blogs as much as you like...but it gets tiresome here. Also, you "most" likely post your left leaning hate speech anonymously because you're afraid someone will kick your scrawny ass. Keep up the internet tough guy act, tough guy. (this is all assuming you're the other clown that posted at 1:58 ripping people unneccesarily, if not, I apologize.)
DeleteIs FOX still looking at acquiring KRON or another station in the Bay Area? And what changes do you expect at KRON now that Grief is gone?
ReplyDeleteYes, but it's become more cumbersome for them but stay tuned.
DeleteAs for changes at KRON, just heard it through the grapevine that now that Greif is gone, there's about to be some moves, don't know all the specifics yet.
I hope Pero and that ass. ND are treated the way they deserve. Diarrhea Folsom too.
DeleteI'd like to revisit the "anonymous" issue.
ReplyDeleteWhile you want to protect people in the "industry," they could always choose an obscure handle or a pseudonym.
Only an handful of people, my close friends, know who MarkNick is, but at least there is some sort of identification.
When commenters are allowed to choose "Anonymous," you never know if Anonymous at 9:16 is the same Anonymous posting at 9:42. It is hard to follow the thread.
I would encourage you to require posters to adopt some sort of name/handle/number in order to post, which would make following the conversation easier.
MarkNick at 404, Let me tell you how it really is in reference to using Anonymous as a label. Many of us conservatives are forced to remain masked and hidden, because we know many of you libs cannot tolerate different points of view, and wont hesitate to break the law or at least break the peace in order to prevent someone from freely speaking their mind. It wasn't always this way, but a lot changed since that Proposition about defining marriage as one man and one woman. Many rules of privacy were violated when Californians who voted for it had their home address or places of work type info given out to the opposing side. Many of these conservative voters were personally harassed by your side. It has become fashionable to ignore the will of the majority, especially on this issue. We remain safely masked because we conservatives do not trust your side any longer. We must now take measures to protect ourselves and our loved ones from your pals. You people have become far too comfortable with your lawlessness, from Obama and Holder on down.
DeleteEwww...
DeleteThere are conservatives in the Bay Area? Say it ain't so!
May I be this first to alert you that yes, Rick, there are indeed conservatives in the Bay Area. Oh, and guess what? We are multiplying like Wabbits
DeleteYeah, you will run across an oddball conservative every now and then.
DeleteThey whine, piss, moan, bellyache, and bitch about the liberal dominated Bay Area, but they still live and languish in misery here. Their existence must be horrible, but I don't pity them. Guess they think that they are going to establish some sort of conservative trend in these parts, but that won't happen in our lifetime!
Amen 7:02. Rick, you're just proving his point.
Delete“...they could always choose an obscure handle or a pseudonym. When commenters are allowed to choose "Anonymous," you never know if Anonymous at 9:16 is the same Anonymous posting at 9:42. It is hard to follow the thread. I would encourage you to require posters to adopt some sort of name/handle/number in order to post, which would make following the conversation easier.”
DeleteYou zeroed in on the point I was trying to make to Rich, Mark Nick. It’s not about your name (or fake name), but being able to distinguish between commenters.
Mr. Seven Oh Too,
DeleteFirst, you have zero knowledge of my political persuasion.
Second, a pseudonymous handle would not reveal your true identity.
Rich, are you going to reply to my original post?
7:02. Yeah, and then the black helicopters will come and round up all the conservatives.... It's called paranoia. Seek help.
Delete@9:22 and 9:36 (same idiot liberal) that wont happen in our lifetime...but we WILL in our lifetime see increased taxes, an eventual fall of the only thing propping the Bay Area up (tech) and I'm guessing an eventual collapse of the region both economically and culturally. You can only tax and tax and tax so much until you run out of other peoples money to support the foreigners you're brining in and singing up by the coyote load to keep yourselves in power. You like to rip and rip conservatives but in the end you just end up looking like a narrow minded liberal. So cliché.
DeleteWill 610 AM continue to be religious broadcasting or will someone take it over and go to a new format?
ReplyDeleteMy best guess is that it becomes an ethnic programming outlet.
DeleteProbably. But wouldn't it be cool if somebody brought back the old KFRC in an oldies format ?
DeleteI agree with the earlier post. Bay Area radio hasn't been worth listening to as long as KFRC was absent from the airwaves. Do you hear that CBS? It's time to bring KFRC back. While we're on the subject, NO TALK FORMAT ON 610AM!
DeleteWhy is KPIX treating Roberta Gonzales so badly? It's like they're trying to humiliate her. Are they trying to get her to quit? They have her do traffic on holidays filling in for the blonde girl on the early morning news.
ReplyDeleteYou're on the right track about how they treat her, Roberta, ever the professional will carry on despite management's attempts to bit at her.
DeleteRoberta should be working in the KPIX mail room, so her treatment is beyond fair at this point.
DeleteRich,
ReplyDeleteany update on the 640 AM spot on the dial? Seems like it would be a no- brainer for a simulcast for the FM sports station. Among others it seems that a clear channel and 50,000 (I assume) signal, the benefits would include a larger reach (more revenue), more listeners, ability to keep its current teams, and I'm sure there's an up and coming NBA franchise that would love nothing better than to stop being thitd banana on thd AM station. Throw in tbe Shaks, and its a formidable line up.
thx.
I think you mean 610 AM--I'm not in on any 640 AM info.
DeleteSorry, i did li e in LA for awhile. Anything on the former KFRC?
DeleteYou say KSFO is bad. Is that because you think the content is boring or because the views on the station do not typically reflect your politics?
ReplyDelete640am is KFI in Los Angeles and can be heard after the sun goes down. I don't know the rules on if they can add that frequency locally up here or not.
ReplyDeleteTom
Someone probably could, but they would have to alter their pattern or power at night (or broadcast only during daylight hours) to protect the KFI signal from interference. Really, though, AM radio is a dying medium Why would anyone want to?
DeleteKGO and KNBR can be heard in LA at nighttime as well. At night, the larger stations with powerful transmitters can be heard. Most people in this market do not know that 640 in LA is KFI, or people down in LA do not know that 680 is KNBR or 810 is KGO. They are listening to 570 Dodger talk or 790 KABC.
DeleteWhen I lived in LA KCBS-another 50k clear channel-came in loud and clear after dark. KGO too.
DeleteBack in the old days the Mighty 1090 XERB came in loud and clear up here after KFAX at 1100, in those days a dawn to dusk, went off the air. That's what 400,000 watts will do. And when I was a kid I could pull in KSL and, on a good night, KMOX on my bed side Philco. At least I think it was a Philco.
After seeing a couple newscasts cover (proudly) the story "Mavericks is ON!" for Friday morning, I didn't see anyone cover the actual event on Friday night newscasts. I really thought we'd see some killer surf clip, and have an announcement as to who won! Or, maybe it was just that I didn't see any station cover it as Sports. It is a sport, I think. CNN had a reporter there "live" for God's sake! Did I just miss the local news/sports coverage, or did the local stations ignore it for some reason, after pretending to be so proud that "we" had it in our own backyard?
ReplyDeleteLarry Beil had complete Mavericks highlights on KGO-7. Enough for me to know the guy who finished 3rd is from Santa Cruz. They showed wipeouts too.
DeleteAre you kidding? They all covered it ad nauseum. KTVU's helicopter was out there, some had boats out there, believe me, it was covered. They even had clips of someone wearing some kind of camera who a wiped out in a huge wave. The winner was some guy from South Africa.
DeleteSavage has improved his show last week. Needs more work but is comming back.
ReplyDeleteI caught a little bit of Savage's show in the final hour on Friday, and he was going on and on about how Hannity is dissing him on air. Sounds like a on air feud is in the works. Can you elaborate?
ReplyDeleteDidn't hear the show Julie, but I'll check around.
DeleteThis is Savage's mo, he doesn't like anybody, liberal or conservative, he think he is king, and that there is no room for anyone else. I have heard him bashing Rush, Sean, O'Reilly and Levin, he especially does not like Levin, and the feeling is mutual. He has degrading names for all of them. Savage is just not a very classy guy, but if you listen to him, you have probably figured that out. Anyway, Hannity and Savage is not on the same network anymore, so I guess he can say what he wants. If Hannity (and he no less favorite of mine than Savage) if Hannity is trashing Savage, I bet Savage has done something to deserve it. Probably gloating a lot when he took over Hannity's time slot.
DeleteLast night, Karel said that he & Pat Thurston are "being summoned" to KGO HQ this coming Fri. 1-31...I wonder if he'll be handed his walking papers then (I hope so).
ReplyDeletePat and Karel lean so far to the left they're constantly hit in the head by the wing mirrors of oncoming traffic.
DeleteIt's ironic the guy that constantly bashes conservatives is a Karel supporter.
DeleteNo.
DeleteWhat happened to the people fired from channel 2 over the fake names?
ReplyDeleteThey're still fired.
DeleteI will answer for myself. Happily employed full-time by another Bay Area television station.
Delete--Brad Belstock
What is your reaction to Ken Fong-Torres' guest appearance on Piers Morgan today?
ReplyDeleteWhen will you appear on Piers Morgan?
I thought it was great. And a little Beatles insight to boot. BFT displayed a few good lines too.
DeleteHow do you think KRON's Aaron Pero has lasted this long? Other news directors with impressive results behind them have come and gone elsewhere. He screams and shouts, has no news judgement, diddles the talent, and gets zero results. When is his time up???
ReplyDelete