FRIDAY MEDIA NOTES BUFFET...*Sarah and Vinnie continue to pout off the air over at Alice Radio: on a recent lunch break over at Hunan she basically told him to "put up or shut up, and STFU!" He's been bitching a lot about her larger check but what else is new? She's supposedly fed up to the point where an ultimatum has been thrown into the spectrum. We'll monitor because that's our deal here.
*Melanie Morgan has been itching to get back into the wonderful world of independent radio and the time has come. I reported, exclusively, she's going back to work Monday as the new primary anchor on Santa Rosa's KSRO and its News Director too.
Side story: Without getting too personal suffice to say, KSFO's Morning Show devoid of Morgan has been greatly diminished since Mel split because she couldn't stand Brian Sussman's ranting and raving. In addition, or more accurately, less addition, the continued embarrassment called Katie Green was the last straw. Green is beyond irritating with the grating, shrill, sandpaper voice and she sounds like a cosmetics chick at a San Leandro strip mall. Check please.
*The Leland Yee BIG story is BIG because of all the Hollywood angles and sheer characters that make up the centerpiece. Combine that with the main honcho and his other affiliates and you have a major media story without any real sexy pictures. Fed Courthouse building will be more crowded than usual in the coming weeks and months.
NEWS, NOTES and COMMENTS: The alleged "all-sports" FM radio station that hired Damon Bruce, (he starts Monday), for its new PM drive show has been having a hard time selling commercial spots, gees I wonder why...To a certain TV News Director in town, be careful, the natives are getting restless and your constant berates have reached a boiling point--they're simply tired of your bullshit and your buddy can't bail you out anymore...The phony KSFO 9-Noon guy who mumbled his way to the gig and uses a fake Anglicized name has already pissed of one major player in the building. He's usually good for 90 days and then it's bye bye baby...More KTVU desperation: sending two senior reporters to go out to demo-friendly Walnut Creek to "cover" manufactured stories that wouldn't rate page 3 in the CC Times: a chamber-of-commerce piece about extra cops for the kids at school and an over-hyped test-pattern involving PG&E's plan to cut down some trees. My god who was responsible for that?!!...Snippy multi-Emmy prima donna reporter guy at KGO-TV was extra surly the other day before going out in the field. He thinks he's God, really more a Grumpy's reject with an ego the size of Tahoe...Ronn: sad, dull, flat voice and gadgets...KTVU weather tease Update: 5 a night. Really insulting to your viewers and waste of time extraordinaire. Combine that with Walnut Creek BS and you have your current Lee Rosenthal/Tom Raponi massive mud pie...More KTVU: Tori Campbell's three-year extension signed before Asiana/Namegate will be bought out probably a year before 2016 so you kind of see the handwriting on the wall...Grant Lodes at KRON looks and sounds sort of non-diminutive at first but the more you watch the guy the more he looks and sounds just fine...It's one thing to milk an event that is the dominant program on your platform but KCBS/KPIX relentless pimping of the NCAA tournament went way over the top. Fine, plug your prime red meat but endless bracket chatter involving your own air talent sounds tacky and third-rate...Tom Tolbert/Ray Ratto is a decent, often funny KNBR PM drive show littered with pretty good content and interviews--on the other hand, if KNBR goes to red-bull lungs embarrassment Eric Byrnes, they will LOSE listeners galore. Byrnes is a shrill, misguided, over-excited bore who only made it past the back office because he was a jock and looked geeky. That doesn't translate well on radio; Tolbert is undermined by Byrnes hyper gibberish. Ratto is too irritated and his uber-uptightness shtick wears thin but he's 20x better than the buffoon Byrnes.
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The KSFO morning show seem to get worse and worse, if that is possible. I was listening this a.m. for 15 20 minutes, it is beyond embarrassing. Sussman kept trying to sound like a donkey, whenever he mentioned a Democrat, would repeat "Hee Haw" several times, in a god awful voice, and Katie was laughing her awful laugh in the background. Why are these 2 on the air? I can't describe how bad they are.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't news. When conservatives like myself start complaining about Sussman and Company's amateurism, you know there's a problem.
DeleteWe don't have really good local conservative radio here because there really isn't a market for it. The kids (anyone under forty) are indoctrinated for the left and the older folks are fading away. Go attend a few meetings of the Republican women's groups that are common around here. You'll see it. Someone could set up a Lipitor factory and make millions.
There are plenty of conservatives in Ohio. Why? Demographics, culture, and (mostly) economics. There is NO money. Families are tight because they have to be. They live off one another, even the educated and skilled.
Out here, it's liberal. Progressivism costs money. We have it.
I'm a liberal, but will listen to any host who can entertain and inform me. Tom Sullivan is one such host, Melanie Morgan and Lee Rogers use to be. Sussman and Katie, not. Even if they were liberal I wouldn't be able to stand them for long.
DeleteKNBR is not going to "lose listeners", it is baseball season. Their listenership will increase.
ReplyDeleteThey will definitely lose me - between Marty, Murph and Krukow, its just too much. Baseball is kinda like steak. I like steak, but I don't want to eat it all day, every day for six months straight. And the way KNBR rams it down your throat (and always with a positive spin) the Giants come across like a used car dealership - interested only in your money. Just my humble opinion.
DeleteAnd for some, baseball is like a soap opera. The daily drama, coupled with the "whole picture" of the season's drama, draws us to our serial fix.
DeleteGaylord Perry once said that "the only problem with baseball is it's not played all year long!" Wonder how often Gaylord eats steak?!
I'd eat steak every day if I could!
DeleteSteak, with bacon for an appetizer.
DeleteCould care less about steak but I love Giants baseball so I'll listen every day for the entire season. I have a feeling that's the prevailing thought if you're a G's fan.
DeleteAlready Dispensing Spencer Hughes ? wasn't he the one that dispenced Dr Bill or hijacked his show after the KGO fallout a couple year back. I wonder what his next move is. lol
ReplyDeleteThe "haters" as Jose Hughes referred to them drove him off KGO. He said he couldn't stand all the hate he received. Jose you were awful!
DeleteAs to the morning zoo at KSFO, who listens to that garbage? The promos which supposedly highlight great moments of the show are pure trash. Unfortunately I have to hear them during breaks of the Savage show.
I'm a Ratto fan.
ReplyDeleteWho is this Sarah? I never even knew she existed. To hear she makes north of a million dollars a year makes you just shake your head. Are her ratings even good? I never see them ranked when you post radio ratings.
I love how you always refer to a certain KSFO morning host and his "Anglicized name" yet when anyone here makes a disparaging albeit truthful remark about others with non-Anglicized names the Democratic liberal sheep that comment here do what they do best....yell racism and think their hypocritical shit don't stink.
"she sounds like a cosmetics chick at a San Leandro strip mall. Check please."
ReplyDelete#micdrop
Mrs.Grant on KRON yesterday did a story with shot of her sitting in a mini making a phone call. KRON needs more of that.
ReplyDeleteEh,I was going to make a Bruce comment,but why ruin a good Justine high?...
I really miss Woody Tony and Ravy or The Woody show on Live 105! Sara and Vinny and/or what's his name could not hold a candle to them! 105 has not had a successful morning show since they got fired, including the one with No Name of course.
ReplyDeleteWhat have you got against Katie Green Rich? You're always taking shots at her, Kate T. Scott and Amy G. Maybe you just don't like good looking young chicks in the media, or perhaps they've said some bad things about you on the air or in a blog. I'm not sure what the deal is but I always get a kick out of when you rip them in your blog. It's always good for a few chuckles. Your post today is a great one...the gloves are off and no one is immune. By the way, I talked with a young gal who now works at another station who says that hwne she worked at KRON< Aaron Pero made life miserable for everyone. How does this guy stay employed after creating such a toxic atmosphere in the news room? I have never heard of a bay area news director that is so reviled as Aaron Pero. What's his background anyone, and what gives him the right to make everyone cringe when they come to work. I guess the guy has been bullied a lot, because now he's the one doing the bullying Apparently, Pero also is constantly arguing and fighting in the news room with with 'girlfriend' Darya. She sounds like the ultimate Diva, and she's not really very good on the air either. Kind of looks like a 'tranny' to me. How do these mediocrities get jobs in the number five market in the country? Any thoughts from our august Mr Lieberman?
ReplyDeleteDid Darya marry him? How many times has she been married?
Delete@12:10,
DeletePerhaps you haven't noticed, Katy Green doesn't have a lot of class and that voice...OMG, the last place Green should be is in radio!
"The alleged "all-sports" FM radio station that hired Damon Bruce, (he starts Monday), for its new PM drive show has been having a hard time selling commercial spots"
ReplyDeleteAny proof or just talking out of your ass?
Personally, I'll never listen to "DBruce." The fact that he got another gig after being such a jerk to women in sports makes me think that any advertiser is on notice and have put limitations on their sponsorship based on whether Damon goes off again.
DeleteRich's point may be "talking out of his ass" but being in the ad biz I can tell you that I'm surprised (as our a bunch of my colleagues) that he got his own drive time show--which is a big step up.
I don't think Rich has anything against Katie Green, unlike his vendetta against Ronn (deserved or not) he is simply pointing out how awful she is on the air, he does the same with Sussman, Gil and Karel, obviously many agree with Rich, their ratings are in the toilet, as is Gil's. When you think of the professionals that use to grace the airways in the Bay Area (Gene Burns, Lee Rodgers, John Rothmann, Melanie Morgan, Pete Wilson) this is a very, very sad state of talk show in this area, and I suspect much of the US. Have you ever really listened to Katie, she shrieks, her laughter annoying, she says yep, yep all the time. I suspect she is on because it takes focus off how bad Brian Sussman is,(and she is cheap) I suspect the reason Melanie and Brian didn't get along was because Melanie was soo much better than Brian (and I'm no fan of Melanie's politics) and it was obvious Brian was way over his head.
ReplyDeleteRich I couldn't agree more Eric Byrnes is flat out unlistenable. He must work for free that's the only way he gets on the air. Arizona paid him millions just to go away.
ReplyDeleteI like Ratto and Tolbert. Good combo.
ReplyDeleteByrnes is indeed totally unlistenable. I do change the station or turn the radio off when he's on.
I've been listening to KNBR a lot this week(unfortunately just got laid off) and
Deletethe Fitz-Brooks 12 pm - 3 pm show was the only one not accepting Listener Calls-I tried calling their show today to discuss the Eagles suddenly releasing their Star Wide Receiver DeSean Jackson & was curtly told they were currently not accepting listener phone calls. I realize both Giggle
Guys treat their audience with disdain & contempt but now thin-skinned
as well--3 Hours of Inane Blabber with not 1 sports call-Ridiculous!
.
KNBR has programming from 12-3pm?
Delete"KNBR has programming from 12-3pm?"
DeleteYes, on KNBR 1050
Byrnes is a nice fellow, but he's got ADS, and can't focus for more than 30 seconds at a time. He also sounds as if he's always high on caffeine, but apparently that's just how he talks. Tony Salvadore, the ass-hole who hired idiots like Steve McPartlin who was a disaster after replacing the legendary Frank Dill, drug-addled Scott Farrell, and a cranky, over-the-hill and incompetent Pete Franklin is the guy who hired Brynes. I guess he felt the hyper-active Brynes was 'entertaining.' NOT!
ReplyDeleteFranklin and Ferrall were two characters who took their acts way beyond the pale.
DeleteI don't get Vinnie's beef. If he's not happy with his perceived value vis-a-vis her, he should complain to his agent, not her. She's getting what she can, which is her right. If he were in her shoes he'd do the same.
ReplyDelete> To a certain TV News Director in town, be careful, the natives are getting restless
> and your constant berates have reached a boiling point--they're simply tired of your
> bullshit and your buddy can't bail you out anymore...
Gee, who are you referring to? Lemme guess: he's a DOG. In Spanish.
In regard to his radio and television work, I was really pulling for Byrnes to do well. But I agree with some of the other posters. The guy's verbal delivery is obnoxious, and he has trouble transferring his knowledge from brain to mouth and from mouth to the airwaves.
ReplyDeleteAs for the "manufactured" KTVU stories from Walnut Creek, I would suggest they are important local stories -- actually, the trees story has gotten attention all over the East Bay. And the CC Times played it -- smartly, in my opinion -- on page 1. Times' stories were much better, but they were "real" stories ....
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to fake Anglicized name what about John Stewart (look up his name online)? Why did he change his TV moniker? Why is that never brought up in a political context; perhaps the wrong political bent for the Bay Area?
ReplyDelete