KRON's entire staff--everyone in the building at 1001 Van Ness, even the stars will be meeting Monday in the early afternoon in studio B with interim GM, Stan Knott. Haven't heard the details yet on whether this is a run-of-the-mill encounter or something of substance but my spies are on it.
**You can dismiss my word, "bloodbath" as hyperbole but I'm sorry, call me crazy, when you outsource 90% of your traffic to Dallas, that's a bloodbath in my book.
Already, this clusterfuck took place on-air early Saturday morning when some dickhead, clearly out of the loop had some Waterloo moment. (Listen to the newscast at midnight, 12: 15, 12: 30, 1 AM, etc)
And by the way, those of you that ridiculed me over my report of a possible "blow up", a little info: Thursday's layoffs were entirely independent of an impending change at the KGO outpost. I predict, with strong support from a few in the building, that a tweaking of the current format is being honed --like a hybrid. They shorten the news blocks, (like 5-9AM, Noon and 4-7 are safe) and bring in out-of-towners and a few local tonsils to do talk.
They're getting killed by KCBS. Their numbers are so down and out, they got beat by KSFO in the last numbers chart--granted, a slow period; the holiday ratings, but KSFO?!! And their ad buys are virtually in the toilet. There's something brewing.
Another BTW: I have several friends over there in the KGO news dept. I won't mention any names because they know who they are. And this constant ridicule by yours truly is not and has never been about some of the fine staff who work under extraordinary conditions, not the least of which consists of a bunch of assholes and consultants from outside the area who have wreaked havoc at the office. Your hard work and determination to report the news with all the distractions and chaos is and will always be admirable.
**Seriously, mobile weather lab? Jesus Christ, get a grip, PIX! Screw the gimmicks. Report the fucking news and don't insult the viewers. They're smarter than that.
**Follow me on Twitter
Rates negotiable and inexpensive --get your message and web site discovered by a wide swath of the people! ADVERTISE ON 415 MEDIA: Inquires and rates, E-mail: Rich.Lieberman@Gmail.com
Is Radiate some kind of sweatshop? I'm not 100% sure, but I think the guy I heard reading the reports on my way home from work last night around 1030p was still reading them when I woke up this morning at 900a.
ReplyDeleteLet me guess about that big KRON meeting next week, another enormous BLOODBATH, they're going to fire some guy in the mail room.
ReplyDeleteNice to see KRON interns working.
DeleteJason, the answer is yes. They've extended the work hours of the existing traffic anchors on KGO who now have probably the longest live air shifts in market history (with the poorest pay).
DeleteHave they figured out a way to classify them as exempt (or even better--for Radiate--independent contractors) to avoid overtime?
DeleteI wonder if they will announce if Comcast/NBC Universal will finally buy KRON???
ReplyDeleteThis Weintraub guy never has guests? Every time I hear him it's just him talking. What's the deal? Loves the sound of his own voice or what? I guess he's an expert on everything!
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't have guests OR callers judging from last night's show. Kudos that he actually pulls it off but I would think he'd want to change that up a bit. I can't imagine there's anyone listening to KGO at that hour, unlike when Ray did it and the station had actual numbers. I don't know him so maybe he's conceited and does just want to hear his own voice, but that doesn't seem like a recipe for success. I'll admit to being mildly entertained the couple of times I've heard him.
DeleteWell now I look forward to seeing how Darya dresses all week.
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving kudos to the hard working staff of news pros at KGO. Their hard work and dedication to the craft under admittedly bad conditions is admirable. I have never worked with such a solid group of pros and they are doing the best they can. Bless them for their efforts, and the bay area listeners are richer for it!
ReplyDeleteKRON is a classic example of what has gone wrong in the broadcast industry in the last 15 some odd years. Egotistical, amateurish managers, who never would have gotten a sniff at those kind of jobs a decade and a half ago, under qualified, underpaid, inexperienced broadcast journalists, who are a joke. Very sad!
ReplyDelete> KRON is a classic example of what has gone wrong in the broadcast
Delete> industry in the last 15 some odd years.
While I don't disagree with your categorization of KRON, I'd like to know how it's different from any of the other stations, other than they began the descent into hell first, because they lost their network affil back when the others were still riding high. Other than that, having worked at all the Bay Area stations at one time or another, I can assure you they are all run by dumb, narcissistic prima-donnas who think they're the smartest guys in the room.
In today's LA Times is a report that the NBC o and o has moved from its previous studios in Burbank to a new state of the art facility at Universal. This new facility serves as the western regional HQ for NBC, CNBC, MSNBC and Telemundo. The old Burbank facility also was the studio for the Tonight Show. End of an era. All that talk about MSNBC having a regional studio in SF turns out to be bullcrap. Apparently Comcast is investing heavily in NBC whereas GE bled it dry and sold off real estate.
ReplyDeleteI can assure you if everyone is required to be at the KRON meeting it will not be run-of-the-mill. The whole time I ever worked there there was only one all-hands-on-deck meeting, and it was huge--it was when they announced they were going from real reporters to VJs and one-man-band crap.
ReplyDelete> And this constant ridicule by yours truly is not and has never been about some
> of the fine staff who work under extraordinary conditions, not the least of which
> consists of a bunch of assholes and consultants from outside the area who have
> wreaked havoc at the office.
Assholes and consultants are indeed accurate. In fact, redundant. But it's good you point out that THEY ARE the ones who eff things up. Every time someone says the newscasters are so dumb I want to point out that some consultant is probably making them do whatever it is they're talking about.
KCBS is going down the toilet because it's as dull as stale water. I am a news junkie and even I never listen anymore. Even their traffic reports suck. ("It's straight through on the Bay Bridge..." and I've been sitting on the incline for 15 minutes.)
> Jesus Christ, get a grip, PIX! Screw the gimmicks.
PIX is bad with the weather gimmicks, but recently I watched KNTV for the first time in a long time and fell over laughing: I love the way their weatherboard now resembles the mobile app tiles on a Windows 8 machine. And people get paid--and paid well, more than most of the reporters--to sit at a desk and think of these gimmicks.
What do you think Rich, another big bloodbath next week at KRON next week????
ReplyDeleteI agree with your appraisal of the news dept. Although I don't know the folks personally, there are some who are clearly professional. That the news on KGO is subpar is not their fault. It's management's. I went through this for two decades in newspapers. Continually changing, bringing in out-of-towners, outsourcing ad buys, etc. The Internet finished what mass mailing didn't. What we have left in the Bay Area is Bay Area media getting scooped on major stories by national and international media. Gut the media of most of the veterans, hire spelling-, grammar- and AP Style-challenged mass communications majors with little or no experience (as opposed to the good old days of journalism graduates), and you have the clustermuck of Bay Area media: a handful of good pros and a sea of people in over their heads.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your page views, Rich, and scooping Bay Area media on the KGO stories.
ReplyDeleteAside from the kpix weather gimmicks, they had report regarding the doctor list for covered california insurance. According to them, many on the list won't accept Covered california or obamacare. They called a couple doctors and went 0 fer 5.
ReplyDeleteThey had a spokesman comment and he said that compiling a correct list isn't possible and that customers need to do the legwork. Okay, so why did they waste the manpower and paper to compile the list to begin with. Sounds like one of barry's make work projects to keep the unemployment numbers elevated.
Scumbags....greasy, lying scumbags.
Another big bloodbath at KGO on Friday, they cut back on the number of staplers in the copy room!
ReplyDeleteLess than 48 hours into KGO traffic reports out of Dallas and I've heard nothing but unprofessional, inaccurate reporting. Just heard a reporter say 80 connects with highway 13. In his closeout he said "KGO 580."
ReplyDeleteYea...I just drove through TWO interchanges/intersections reported as CLOSED due to flooding (one had enough water that I slowed down a bit, the other...nothing!). Although a third they reported closed, which was not on my route but close enough for me to see the detour signs, actually was...so that's something.
DeleteRich, can you tell me what the 'inside scoop,' or at the very least, what your appraisal is of what's gong on at Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area? They seem to run through reporters and anchors with alarming regularity every year. Fresh young faces come and go and they keep pushing new youngsters like Fareed or mediocre vets such as Feldman at the viewers, actually thinking that these guys will be accepted and watched on a regular basis. My question: Does anyone even watch things such as that bad interview show that that clown Jim Kozimore hosts? Or how about Sharks and A's pre and post games shows? Does anybody really care enough to watch the game, AND a pre and post game show? These young girls that they've also been hiring to anchor look and act as if they're straight out of college. Comcast gets ZERO cred when they bring in rank amateurs like that. What do you make of this Rich? Comcast is a huge mega-media business. Why don't they spend some money and bring in some real talent, or poach some of the local talent from the local stations instead of bringing in these clowns like Feldman, Fareed and Henry Woffard (who has an annoying habit of sounding as if he's trying to impersonate an old-time disc jockey!),. and these bimbos who are clueless and ask stupid questions on the air. I include that annoying, clucking hen 'Amy G.' in that group.
ReplyDeleteRich, why don't you go sale ad space for Cumulus? It SOUNDS LIKE they're looking! It's not as bad as when Bungeroth was doing those spots, but isn't it telling that in an economy where people can't find jobs CUMULUS has to BEG PEOPLE to come work for them on the air? Holy Moly!
ReplyDeleteHey Rich, why is KGO TV Ch#7 doing their pm newscasts from their newsroom instead of their main set?
ReplyDeleteFormer Dr Dean Edell producer, Heather Hamann, who is now the call screener for Leo Laporte on his syndicated radio and podcast show, The Tech Guy, reports she was let go this week from her KGO Traffic Reporting job. She mentioned this today on Laporte's radio show, saying she now has more time during the week, hinting to Laporte she was available for more tasks at the Twit Studios in Petaluma.
ReplyDeleteAll you old conservative fucks who still listen to the radio. Ha!
ReplyDeleteDid you mean to say folks, or are you actually so low class uneducated you have to call conservatives and older people "fucks" in either case you are an idiot, you either can't spell or you don't have a decent vocabulary, but have to use swear words. Anyway, what do you care what people do for entertainment, everyone has different interest, it is neither right or wrong, it is just different. No everyone that listen to radio is conservative, I'm not, I guess you could say I'm old, since I'm in my sixties, but I know many people younger than me that likes radio. However, you comments suggest you are too ignorant to understand any of this.
Delete6:35 is a just troll 11:36 but if you want to take he/she/it seriously, consider the comment as a sample of the Godless left's idea of tolerance and diversity.
DeleteFor your entertainment... I received a postcard stating that I could have great sex at 68. Convenient because I lived at 72 and wouldn't even have to cross the street.
Did you hear the remark that Darya Folsom made to Gary Radnich the other day about the Carolina TV anchors who did their broadcast on sit-stand desks that straddled treadmills?
ReplyDeleteThough she praised the anchors for trying to make a point, she blurted out her frustration: "They can get treadmills, but we can't afford to pay someone to roll the teleprompter?!?"
Like anything good during the wee hours John B Wells was fired from Coast to Coast. George Noory is the night time equivalent of Ronn Owens. Back to sleeping at night again
ReplyDeleteNo wonder a few days ago John B Wells posted that the servers to his new online show crashed because so many listeners tried to gain acces. Noory is Mr. Vanilla. Sounds like the type of guy who'd pay for pedicures alas Matress mannnnnnnnmnnmn
Delete
DeleteDid you read this regarding John B. Wells:
Headline:
” Top-rated Host of Top Talk Show Fired — Staff and higher-ups objected to me talking about Fukushima — “I mentioned Fukushima every chance I got” despite that ”
http://enenews.com/top-rated-host-top-talk-show-fired-staff-higher-ups-objected-talking-about-fukushima-mentioned-fukushima-every-chance-despite-audio
Oh dear lord, these KGO traffic reports from Tommy Dupreeeeeee is just as bad as what I would hear on Sirius/XM. You can hear an out-of-town traffic reporter phony from a mile away.
ReplyDelete"...between the San Mateo Bridge..."
"...80...er...880"
"...US Highway 101..."
It's just as embarrassing for the DJ to have to stumble thru the names of roads they don't know jack about as it is for listeners to have to listen to it happen.
What's even worse is having to hear these terrible traffic reports bookended with station promos about how KGO is *my* all day/all weekend traffic and news leader!
Now that I think about it, it's actually downright disrespectful for KGO to subject Bay Area listeners to this kind of nonsense. What a (growing ) pile of crap, that KGO is!
KRON'S meeting most likely won't have much substance. I've sat in on those things before. They do it at least once a year. I swear every time I've been there it was usually about the prospect of someone buying 1001 Van Ness...and then it falls through. No one ever buys the building.
ReplyDeleteTo 5:38 pm anon...fyi Bill Bungeroth was fired over six months ago by Cumulus. Guess you weren't invited to the party at KGO when they celebrated!
ReplyDeleteWTF?!?!? 3:46AM and they are playing the Bone on 810AM!?! Thought I would check out the Dupree reports but I am now listening to Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tears..... It's like KGO dug its own shallow grave. Oh the inhumanity. BTW The Bone is a repetitive piece of crap. Seem to think all of rock is 200 songs.
ReplyDeleteWhhops belay that bone entry damn old radio switch is dicey. Some kind of syndi business show. Boring.
ReplyDelete