The "Babe in the Bunker", as she called herself, Barbara Simpson and her weekend talk-show on KSFO is no more. Simpson's gone from the conservative radio station and her show was abruptly cancelled.
Because of the nature of the departure I'm thinking the reason she was 86ed had more to do than merely money. There's a lot more to this I'm pretty sure.
I've contacted Simpson and am awaiting her response.
UPDATE: 9: 30 AM PT: From a KSFO source who says a couple of key things about Simpson going away. Management wanted PPM-optimized shows, she fought them and insisted her way and I'm also hearing Simpson recently had frequent clashes with her bosses on the direction of her show. This was not about money.
*Follow me on Twitter
Confirmed on her Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraSimpsonKSFO
ReplyDeleteLove that bottle-blonde hair.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, Barbara Simpson doesn't look like that now!
DeleteI live in Moraga...see her often and her hair is very gray now.
But she still uses that 30 year old photo. What an ego!
And, her appearance has what to do with this? She was the last of the really good local talent that KSFO had. They started with Lee Rodgers and slowly but surely killed a great station.
DeleteHer appearance is irrelevant, as well as the photo she chooses to use in our image-conscious society. If I were here, I'd do the same thing. And, most of the people you see on TV, FB, etc. do not look the way they are portrayed; I can guarantee you that, as a photographer.
DeleteWrong.
DeleteNobody uses a 30 year old pic of themselves.LMAO. And the fact that she continued to use the "Babe in the Bunker" shtick at her social security age is also laughable.
Without a question, she was my favorite talk show host!! She was both Informed and informative, down to earth and uplifting. I looked forward to hearing her perspective on many of the crazy things going on the world today. Is there any way we can bring her back???
Delete30 years ago,when she was anchoring the 10 O'clock News on KTVU,her hair was black.Looks like she's had some plastic surgery,wouldn't recognize her today.
DeleteTo the person who posted at 11:03, I think the "Babe" reference has less to do with beauty and more to do with the fact that she is a woman in a male-dominated field. If you consider KSFO to be a bunker full of men, then she is "the Babe in the Bunker."
DeleteBarbara Simpson was PERFECTION as a talk show hostess:smart, richly informative & had interesting guests. Plus she was fair and decent to the callers. She spoke our minds. As for her being canned, my guess is that the powers that be at KSFO, such as the program manager, etc., were threatened by Barbara's courageous and spot-on stance on illegals, gay marriage, etc. Perhaps there were some rats in the woodpile?? I don't buy for a moment the story that her ratings were low according to the bogus Neilsen report. BTW as far as plastic surgery goes, I suggest to those so interested that they focus instead on Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters who've had multiple face lifts. Yet no criticisms of them?? Together these two have half the brain Barbara Simpson has.
Deleteyou said it all!!
DeleteHow sad. How very sad.
DeleteFunny, the air over the Bay Area has been noticeably much cleaner, far less toxic, palpably much fresher for the last four weeks. Thank you - at long last - KSFO, for doing that true public service.
Bye, "Babe." The public airwaves have suffered enough years - too many years - of that laughable notion.
Yes, you're "ready for your closeup, Mr. DeMille" on FOX "News" now. An easy, obvious replacement for Gregg Jarrett. Praying for that for you at Mass today.
Arrivederci - to you, and Joan, and Dan, and Jim, and Mimi, and Orlean(?), and the several other regular weekly good charitable "Christian" callers, and, most of all, to the sweet, loving, charity-filled, oh-so-lovely Hannah. (Whatever happened to the other great patriot "Dr. Jim" who moved from Maui to northern California??)
Deo Gratias. Amen.
Is the above cat vapid, vacant or just or a self-professed knucklehead...don't overlook the possibility of halcinigenics!
DeleteShe was very so uninformed about South Africa that I would call up each time she put a racist white looser on that put down Mandela and the great improvements there.. The screener told me she would not accept my calls on the subject. Despite this topic, Barbara was great bringing up local issues. and making sure there was a healthy democratic discussions.Barbara, please come back!
DeleteMan, I hope someone else picks her up. This is a huge loss.
ReplyDeleteI am crushed. I knew in my bones that something like this was up when I heard this twit do her show yesterday and he never identified that he was doing the Simpson show as a substitute. The KSFO website had already deleted her photo too. In my opinion the quality of the station is going straight downhill. Not listening to the morning show I assume it is still as shoddy as it became after Lee Rodgers was fired. The Simpson show was one of the highlights of the weekend for our family. Barbara offered the only local opportunity to disseminate information about the Bay Bridge, local property rights infringement a la ABAG, effects of Common Core on CA schools etc. I am willing to bet that some of these bureaucracies, especially ABAG are involved in the decision to fire Simpson. What a shame this is. Michael Savage better watch out.
DeleteI agree totally. The morning show is crap now. I switched to listening to 95.7, at least those guys give you a laugh. Sussman is good guy but the show is very scripted and tiresome. Katie should stick to dance party. We watch it for the freak show and laugh like hell.
DeleteSimpson has integrity. A dying breed.
ReplyDeleteShe was the voice of reason and had actually very knowledgeable views on the world we are in. It is a great shock to see her gone. I always made it a point to listen to her program. They just reinstated her 3rd hour on Sast. and now this.. Her replacement is great, too and I was a faithful listener of his show on another station in the Santa Cruz area. He will have lots of followers too, but I think he would be a better replacement for the week time slot after Mark Levine rather than John B. His show is so boring and not tailored to the bay area.
DeleteTimes they are a changing.
ReplyDeleteThey sure are changing.
DeleteSimpson talked way too much about her Catholic faith.
Put her on religious radio!
Oh, c'mon. The only time she mentioned the Church was when there was some kind of flap about it. She is no Bible thumper. If that's all you have then you've got nothing.
DeleteI listened to Barbara for years, and didn't even know she was Catholic. She only sometimes referred to faith at all, so it seems unlikely you were much of a listener.
DeleteShe was a terrific host, and great for the local community, because she talked about a lot of issues that had a national relevance, but a strong local impact, as well.
Very articulate woman. Even if I frequently disagreed. She is needed. Is she the same woman that used to be on KTVU? The photo ......
ReplyDeleteYes, she was on Channel 2.
DeleteYes but it was an old photo.
DeleteIf you listened as frequently as you claim you would know that she had done a stint in tv. She often would talk about how she wasn't allowed to do more than scratch the surface in her reporting. Rarely was allowed to tell the real story. That is why she left tv.
Deletelooks like it's time for her to retire
ReplyDeleteif she retires i hope she writes a book about where all the bodies are buried.
DeleteAs an old-school, traditional woman, Barbara was also quite averse to utilizing modern technology like social media and apps. In today's media world you've got to pretty much live with a mobile device in your hands 24/7.
ReplyDeleteNo you don't, actually. Unless there's a compelling mind behind all the gizmos, all you are going to get from the smartphone, for example, is double chins.
DeleteI agree, but management types think it matters a lot since it's what the kids are doing. And you know how hungry management types are for youthful demos.
DeleteTruly, who needs to be reading texts and tweets when one is trying to do a show? It's a TALK show, not a text, tweet, e-mail show for crying out loud. There's much to be said for actually CONVERSING with people once in a while, eh?
DeleteWait until management has to begin paying for all the time employees spend OFF the clock on those tweets and emails. Perhaps some already do that, and good for them, if they do. If not, an overtime claim will add up if there is a class-action suit brought. Even one employee could be very expensive. And then add the regulatory fines.
DeleteYou could tell that there were already changes made to her show. In recent months, her bumper music was always playing Daft Punk. Somehow I think that was management's decision and not hers.
ReplyDeleteBarbara is an intelligent smart woman, I often listened though I rarely agreed with her, too many conspiracy theories, too much Muslim bashing, could never call Obama the president, always had to say "that man in the White House", called Michelle uppity, sounds racist, not that is much different than what we hear from Hannity, Savage and Rush, although Barbara always made it clear she was no fan of Hannity (got the feeling she thought him to an intellectual lightweight, have to agree) and Savage. I liked her better when she was more evenhanded. Liked her when she had subjects other than politics. I heard Ethan Bearman in her spot yesterday, I thought she was just taking time off. Bearman is not bad, not great, but he has an annoying habit of drawing out the pronunciation of words, like Beeaarmaan, does sound very professional. Randy Rhoades will be gone from 910 in a few weeks, that leaves 2 spots on local radio available, would anyone be bright enough to offer John Rothmann a show? Doubt it, probably more mediocre programming will be forced on us the listeners. Ethan Bearman reminds me a little of Montemayor, does come off as an intellectual heavyweight, but at least he seems nicer than Montemayor. 10:56 why does it look like she is ready to retire? You must be some 20 30 something bimbo, I believe she is in her sixties, as are many others men and women in broadcasting, both on the radio and in TV, although I didn't agree with her, I found her mind to be sharp enough, she probably could run circles around you intellectually.
ReplyDeleteSo that was the amateur's name, Ethan? I only listened for a short while to him bragging about BIG news, namely the Lithium battery shipment on Malaysia flight. Another radio host broached that subject almost immediately after the accident, as someone who had confidential information called in and made that claim. Soon after it was being debated on the internet. Anyway, KSFO has just put another nail in its coffin and it won't be long now before its demise. I believe 910am could benefit from hiring Simpson, preferably for its morning show with the two clowns. There was a time I had hopes for that station but hope has faded away. Coast2coast is the only thing I turn it on, except when the host is talking about UFOs, ghosts and other fantasies.
Delete910 has no money to hire anyone. They havea 2 share and advertisers are not flocking to 2 share stations on 910 or 960. It takes money to hire talent. Clear Channel is hiring "inside" talent from its own network (Premier) and stopped hiring local talent almost a year ago when they brought in Gil Gross. They also got rid of "the law-yah" and their operations director. The chemistry isn't right on 910, nor is the signal and nor are the dollars coming in to hire someone local unless it's low pay or "brokered". A 2 share will kill ya. AM radio is so business unfriendly for listeners outside of KCBS.
DeleteI wonder if Barbara's mild defense of Donald Sterling may have contributed to her show's cancellation. Would Cumulus want a host somewhat sympathetic to a racist on their airwaves? Probably doesn't help matters.
ReplyDeleteSimpson did not defend what Stirling said, she did not in the least defend racism. She questioned whether it's right to tear someone apart for a thought crime, whether it's right to ruin someone for the opinions they express, no matter how deplorable, in a private conversation.
DeleteYes, I understand that, which is why I said "mild defense" and "somewhat sympathetic," but on such an emotional issue too many people might not understand the points you are making. I am not saying Barbara's position on the Sterling fiasco is why her show got cancelled, but I don't think it helped her at all either.
DeleteWhat are PPM Optimitzed Shows? My guess is that means jamming a lot of commercials in the show's time slot. THIS IS BAD, BAD NEWS! I'm feeling stabbed in the heart (again). Meanwhile Sussman continues on with his Drecky commercial spots, i.e. his Faux Rage Recital ala watered-down Michael Savage. Next on the KSFO Morning Show; Competitive Animal Farting, Part Deux....Maybe Our Barbara will go to 960 or 910, WE ARE SAD AND WE MISS YOU ALREADY BARABRA!
ReplyDeleteSpoken after my heart, except what you say about Savage. I enjoy his show and I notice of late that his behavior toward callers has become somewhat more civil. He still can't refrain from blabbing and interrupting but maybe there is hope for continued improvement. You are right on about the morning show "host". While I haven't listened for well over a year or longer (since Lee is gone) I resent being bombarded with the obnoxious commercials while Savage or Batchelor are doing their shows.
DeleteSavage can only be nice for so long, it is not in his DNA, it is not just his ego, or his rudeness, what I dislike most about him is how he takes pleasure in other people's misfortune, and can't stand their success. Listen to him tomorrow and I bet he will have something mean and nasty to say about Barbara (they did not like eachother). Success is suppose to make you more charitable towards your fellow human beings, not that, not being successful allows you to be mean to others, but Savage for all his success, still has to bash most other hosts (Hannity, Stern, Rush). I believe he is just a mean unhappy person.
DeleteIn all the years that Savage has been on the air, I have never heard him say anything--nice or mean--about Barbara, so I doubt he will bring her situation up at all. As far as Savage is concerned, Barbara was just a local weekend unknown, and he would rather spend his time bashing Hannity and Levin.
DeleteBarbara Simpson was not "just a local weekend unknown" to Michael Savage. At one time, she was a much larger presence than Savage at KSFO. When Savage had his first of several listener attended events in the Bay Area about twenty years ago, his colleagues Barbara Simpson and Melanie Morgan were in attendance.
DeleteMorgan attended while renting a space promoting her own show, wearing leather jeans and laying across the hood of a muscle car....i have the pictures somewhere.......what hips!
Barbara stood about halfway back on the house left of the event listening though the entire thing with her arms crossed and appearing unconvinced about Savage and the proceedings. He did give her a thank you, and she then replied professionally and wished him the best. How do I know this? I was standing five feet to her right the entire time.
May Day! May Day! The KSFO radio station has just lost altitude and is tilting into a nose dive. May Day!
ReplyDeleteBarbara was on board from the very early days of KSFO's transition to conservative talk around 1994. in all this time she was never awarded the full time gig that she most richly deserved. agree with her or not, she has always stood her ground with honesty and integrity on TV here and in LA, with George Norey on Coast to Coast, and with the morons now running KSFO. Spencer Hughes is the 9-12 guy and Barbara and Melanie Morgan are both gone? Kudos to those who stand up with honesty and conviction while relevance is being purged from the local airwaves. WHERE YOU GO WE WILL FOLLOW.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
DeleteI hope to see Barbara Simpson elsewhere on the am dial very soon. I missed Tom Sullivan when he was taken off 910 last year. Now he's back and on 960 which is nice. What I forgot is how much time Tom devotes to money talk; a lot of time each and every program. I have no investment money to speak of, and will have to work till my 80's I suppose, so I get bored with too much Econ. 101 talk. When it becomes too much, I walk next door an visit Alan Coombs. Even though he's one of those Libs, Alan puts on a good show, most the time. Maybe Tom will spread the topics in the future, this being an election year. I just heard Brian Copeland on kgo. Brian usually sounds as though he's eating a double-decker salami sandwich with pickles and sauerkraut, but I heard he's a decent person. So there's that. I could'nt keep listening because I kept picturing bread and lettuce flying out of his mouth past the microphones.
ReplyDeleteOK, first, on the Barbara Simpson termination that was unvealed just prior to her airshift Saturday. She was with KSFO for 19 years. No, she doesn't look like her "Bunker Babe" picture at all, now.
ReplyDeleteHow did news of her "dismissal" get out? At the same time news of another "off the air" employee at KSFO is alleged to give Operations Mgr. Ron Escarsega the old "Eff YOU!" Said employee was promptly "Shown the door" and escorted out of the Hawthorne Cumulus Center by security post-haste. This is not the first of "run-ins" with KGO/KSFO Ops. Mgr. Escarsega, a recruit from Cumulus LA cluster (KABC) and CBS Radio LA (KSLX, Tom Leykis last on-air haunt before he was "blown up" himself.) Cumulus Corporate PD / format director, Jim Mahanay, was moved to Atlanta to involve himself more in Cumulus' Sports Division stations, while consultant Randall Bloomquist was brought in to handle the problems with KGO and KSFO as a talk programmer who works directly with Escarsega, coming on board in mid-Fall 2013. Escarsega and Bloomquist have had their hands full and more is to come sooner than later. The goal: "Talent development" according to sources in the know.
Simpson, as Rich noted, did not like the new "PPM Optimization" rules now in place and voiced her opinion, apparently too loudly, and was let go. More on "PPM Optimization" in a moment. Ms. Simpson was very terse and to the point on her Facebook page, stating, "My show has been cancelled. Check back later." (https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraSimpsonKSFO) Her last posting on the matter (so far) was shortly after or around 4-5 pm Saturday.
How did the news get out? First, there were those close to the situation who were told. Unfortunately, a couple of those told decided to tell the wrong people inside 900 Hawthorne. At least one is a female talk show producer at KGO, the other is a part-time board op who, ultimately, let the "Babe in the Bunker" breaking news out of the bag.
The person he yapped to was none other than .... wait for it ... KAREL, who announced how "Well, we're all subject to being fired," on his closed circuit IFB during a first commercial break Saturday night. My, what open "hot mikes" can hear and cameras can see. One would think that he would have learned his lesson. He hasn't. Now, he's eating potato chips both handed in front of everyone doing "Doggie Talk" again. Disgusting.
PPM Optimization is next. Stay tuned. It will be over the heads of those not familiar with the "PPM World" but a brief explanation is next.
Karel is a trainwreck, a big mouth and ended his program last night talking for another half hour on "Where did you have the craziest sex?" -- the very same, exact topic Pat Thurston did for an hour last nigh on her showt. Karel started off for an hour with more sick doggie news.. That's why I listen and watch. Karel needs to be next on the termination list..
No matter the "electronic tips" in PPM, if few people listen, you can't make up new audience ratings, because the people just aren't there to "hear" the station. So, to "optimize", KGO and KSFO are in "development" to milk PPM listenership for all it's worth. See below. Thanks, Barbara and good luck.
Local AM Radio is officially dead in the Bay Area. This was the last nail in the coffin.
ReplyDeleteNot quite. There are at least 2 more in the sausage grinder on two AM stations. Weekends are being scrutinized as we speak. Stay tuned.
DeleteBarbara Simpson's departure was long overdue, she often came off as bat crap-crazy.
ReplyDeleteShe was never anywhere close to your description. If you think so, it's suggestive of a deficiency in you, not her. Barbara Simpson has always been one of the calmer, more rational radio personalities around.
DeleteThe world has gone mad. This morning we learn Barbara Simpson is fired yet on that same KSFO station we hear the sanctimonious voice of none other than Rabbi Lapin's WIFE today talking about the national crisis and epidemic of: College Hooking up. Oy vey!
ReplyDeleteTerrible news. News Junkies will know what I mean, but, I haven't felt this down about radio talkers since that February Morning I learned the Lee Rodgers was fired and to be replaced by Sussman. I drove near the Civic Center Duck Pond, in San Rafael, sat in my car and cried for 15 minutes (windows up of course). Yes, it's just a radio show, but it felt like an amputation with no whiskey to dull the pain.
ReplyDeletePersonal People Meters: the "PPM World" now managed by Nielsen Ratings, which bought Arbitron last year. Optimization: .
ReplyDelete1. The PPM unit is just like finding the Malaysian jetliner. It is "listening" for "pings" from radio stations that the panelist is listening to.
2. Panelists are told are supposed to "carry the unit" for up to eight hours a day, everyday. For kids, even LESS.
3. The unit has a "motion sensor" inside, If the unit doesn't "move" -- it doesn't register.
4.When people are up and running at 6 am, that unit sure better be moving so that it can hear each and every station you're listening to.
5.DJ's were beaten nearly to death over "dead air"; to prevent listeners in cars and trucks, to punch to another station.
The PPM knows when a talk show host or DJ has "dead air", ANYTHING OVER TWO SECONDS. The PPM shuts down and doesn't record new "pings" until it is "registered" again or, "Reset".
If a jock or personality pauses for two seconds or more the PPM still "hears" the "background" of the station still playing something. That way, there is NEVER any dead air, because the PPM unit is "Registered" or "Refreshed" at certain times in the hour. In KGO's case, it is at :13 after the hour, :20 after the hour (or thereabouts) and also in the second half hour of every hour, to ensure that the unit is back to hearing any "pings.".
It forces the "talent" to keep commercials and especially promos "on time" to "optimize" each unit for maximum listening That way, valuable minutes are not lost in the unit not heariing anything. It is playing a "secret" stream in the background.
6. The "ping" the unit is looking for is in audible.
7. Here's an "optimization" lesson.
Tonight at 7, go to Karel's KDW.com website. You will hear an air feed of both KGO and what Karel hears from his producer and board engineer. That's called "IFB" or "Talkback". Karel, may be wearing a set of white "I-Pod earbuds" and has his large headphones over them. He is listening to a very low level background music feed to avoid the PPM unit from shutting down. Last night, it was so loud, even the engineer could hear it "bleeding through" in Long Beach!
Maybe he'll the hide earbuds the earbuds "IN" his shirt or putting the cords behind him like done in TV.
8. At about :13, :19, :29 and around the hour, you will hear his engineer speak into the IFB and say "Registration" or "Reset". That means, "Get off the air and get into spots, immediately!" If you haven't terminated a call, in :30 seconds you will hear a two second "chime" coming through Karel's talk-back and he'd better be gone or he gets dumped. Spots are played and traffic, news and weather are now timed to the secondl.
.
See if Karel has "hidden" the ear bud cords. Listen for the "pings"
When Barbara Simpson states she didn't like the new rules -- for good reason. She gets into a compelling phone call and, "Oh, snap, I only have 15 seconds before I'm shut down." Listeners don't know how to control the clock.
Thanks again, Karel, for disclosing the "secrets."
Thanks for the explanation. But how depressing. What do you mean by the "unit" needing to "move"? You mean the radio has to literally move, like in a car? If so, that let's me out. I listen to radio a lot, I always have, but nearly all of it is at home. Three radios in different rooms of my apartment, which never move from the tables they are on. I have some portables of various kinds, too, but I don't use them much--and I haven't owned a car in years. Oh well, at least now I know why radio is becoming less and less compelling to bother with.
DeleteYes, 4:23. If the PPM "pager unit" just sits in a charger, it "assume" no one s listening and shuts itself off. If a person is walking, moving, etc., the unit can tell that someone is carrying the PPM unit and it listens to all sounds around it, picking up the signal(s) of the radio stations being listened to for 7 minutes at a time to make that listening coount.
DeleteThe PPM does not know, however, you you are listening or not - or if you are just "hearing" radio. The unit doesn't care. It just wants to hear its embedded code that identifies the station.
Thanks for explaining how it works. ... I learned so much from this blog . ... Rich. You run a super duper blog!
DeletePPM briefly: PPM is the People Meter; it is an electronic audience-measuring device that replaced old school "diary" books in major markets like San Francisco.
ReplyDeleteTo count as a rating, a device -- ostensibly representing a real listener -- must "hear" the radio station for 7 minutes (or some similar period of time). Therefore, to be "optimized," a radio show must have listening segments of at least that length of time between commercials, idea being that listeners are fickle and use their preset buttons a lot -- such as when those 5 minute clusters of annoying and repetitive network ads come on.
Cumulus operates on (what I believe is) the false premise that radio listeners are entirely channel surfers that flit about the dial all the time. The idea that people might be dedicated to a station, or a show, is not valued in "PPM optimized" programming, and is utterly discounted. Everything is meant to be delivered in small bite sized chunks that will "capture" the fickle audience's people meters for long enough to get that one elusive rating before they move on.
Since I'm on about it, much of the advertising is sold on a similar premise, which is why they run the same stupid and stale adds over and over and over again without a thought to listener fatigue or "keeping things fresh." If the audience is whomever randomly surfs by, it wouldn't matter, and again the dedicated listener who cares about the show or the host is not valued by this mindset or this company, so if we piss that person off they do NOT care.
1. KSFO has for some time now been perfecting a technique apparently designed to get rid of me as a listener. It's just about complete. Barbara Simpson was the only person left on their weekend schedule that I listened to. Didn't always agree with her, but she's smart, has integrity, always had interesting guests (and often ones you rarely or never heard elsewhere), and is a really good interviewer. Seems unbelievably stupid for KSFO to push her out. On weekdays the only programs they have left that I tune in are Levin and Batchelor. Savage is a smart guy, whether I agree with him or not, but I just can't take his gigantic ego.
Delete2. Thanks for the definition of PPM. I had no idea. I have always loved radio. When I was young I even considered trying to get into it. But after reading what it's like now, I feel sorry for people in radio today because they actually LIKE radio. Totally taken over by cold bean counters. It sounds like the way radio is run now, there would never be room today for any of the greats in radio history. Their talent, like all creativity, depended on a certain amount of freedom and flexibility, which today would be strangled at birth. Well, at least I am old enough to have known radio when it was really something great.
KSFO got rid of me a long time ago. So did KGO. I like talk radio, esp. when it's not about politics. As for reaching the 20- and 30-somethings, I'm ROFL times 10. I have children that age and grandchildren in teens. NONE listen to AM radio. NONE. NEVER. NEVER WILL.
DeleteThere are waaaay too many radio stations in this market and elsewhere. That's why everyone chases the same "25-54 demographic" and advertisers want THOSE listeners. Today, those folks never grew up in AM radio ... and never will.
DeleteThe fact that both KGO and KSFO were among the most listened to stations in the Bay Area suggests that the AM comments are irrelevant to the discussion.
DeletePolitical talk radio, and, specifically, conservative political talk radio have a proven audience. Even in the Bay Area.
Geez. Another slow-thinking clown from the left who thinks his opinion is important.
DeleteI cant believe that KSFO canceled Barbara Simpson
ReplyDelete's show,its one of the best shows that station had.....I guess they don't want real issues addressed anymore only fluff stories,,,,, Barbara Simpson please let us know where to hear you hopefully soon......
I like her and this is a big mistake by KSFO. Not much left at that peanut whistle 5000 watt dummy load phased to the audience on a rock beyond the GG bridge. Barbara should go to the internet and get better coverage or hit KNEW 960 and go head to head with her pubescent replacement.
ReplyDeleteFor years I had been hoping Barbara's show would be carried weekdays--which is where it deserved to be. Actually, with Barbara's tremendous talent, her show deserved to be nationally syndicated!
ReplyDeleteI too have been an avid listener of Barbara Simpson's weekend show, and was totally thrown off when, instead of her voice, I heard someone else. I thought perhaps she'd taken off for vacation, illness, etc., so waited for today, Sun, to listen. When did not hear her, I called the station only to learn from a giggly responder that her show had been cancelled this week!! No warning to the audience.....This station, which I've been listening to since Don Sherwood days, Lee Rodgers, Melanie Morgan, has gone downhill! Now that these dufuses have discarded Barbara's intelligent investigative reporting, and we are left with mediocare "entertainment" of younger, less experienced broadcasters, I'll just listen to Rabbi Lapham or his very intelligent knowledgeable wife on Sunday mornings, and "surfing" Brian Sussman when he has any intelligent "expert" guests in politics, etc. The rest of the time he is a jerk along with K. Green (who, though professionally reports traffic and weather) seems to have a lot of influence along with Sherry). They are raunchy in their stupid jokes and seem to be catering to the unintelligent young crowd!! At 88 yrs of age, I guess we don't count as intelligent audience who count on radio for information by informed, intelligent reporters!
DeleteI posted the blog at 12:06, and yes Barbara did some good shows, especially on local issues, much like Gene Burns and John Rothmann use to do. On some subjects she was way over the right cliff, but she was clearly very intelligent. I don't think she talked about religion too much, she did not like the progressive wing of the church, especially on immigration, she is clearly a more devoted conservative and catholic. There should be a place for her in the Bay Area, however we have way too many conservative hosts in this area, especially the ultra conservative ones. I like Tom Sullivan, he is polite and not very socially conservative, has a good sense of humor, Randy Rhoades will be gone mid may, which leaves very few liberal hosts to listen to in the area, guess I have to go to the internet. Alan Colmes is pretty good, but he is not local. Listening to Ethan Bearman, on some issues he is okay, but I can't stand the way he is drawing out the words, he sounds like he is talking to little kids, or someone deficient in English who have trouble understanding what he is saying, it is very annoying.
ReplyDeleteSo - having gotten into this thread rather late, my "take" (brewing in my brain for quite some time) is that essentially, AM talk radio as we've know it for years is truly on its way o-u-t. The advertising money simply isn't there to keep this format afloat - to say nothing of the unending infighting, and the disintegration of the quality of the on-air hosts (Hi / bye, Karel!!). "News" stations like KCBS (and NPR) will be the only listening options - very soon - perhaps by the end of the year. Sad but true.
ReplyDeleteI would love to know what the ratings are for all these real estate, financial, vitamin, computer and car shows they have on the weekends--many of which are syndicated and taped! Who the hell listens to them? I don't know anybody who listens to them them, so how could radio stations think they are going to get ratings with programs to which nobody listens???
ReplyDeleteSome are "brokered" at cheap rates. The talent gets a sponsor or a few and buys the time on weekends. Some do, outsde of general talk. Some is network fed (Bob Brinker), some is specific sponsor based and airtime is purchased. The talent and the station then share the revenue.
DeleteI wonder if Barbara see's the irony? Her strong conservative belief that have a 1930's Hoover era America just bit her in the ass. She, with her seniority and experience, wasn't deferential to young men in the corporation.
ReplyDeleteMaybe like Lee Rogers she can use liberal created fair employment laws to sue for money.
You're right. My politics lean conservative, but I have never been one to worship at the altar of the free-market. What good has deregulation got us but corporations firing intelligent, experienced hosts and consumers getting a crap product. There should be regulations which state that all talk stations must have a minimum of 12 hours of news/political talk over the course of a weekend.
DeleteI'm glad you mentioned the hypocrisy of Lee Rogers, 'free market, bootstraps...blah blah' then he gets fired and runs to his union.
DeleteWha't?
DeleteGood news!! Another right-winged kook got shit-canned. I can't stand their type of hate radio. Still has toms of these nuts in syndication. Why people listen to this crap is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteClearly you are one of the brain dead useful idiots that have been working to bring this country to its knees. Take your leftist/statist/Marxist blatherings elsewhere - Like maybe, North Korea, Cuba or Venezuela where they will be appreciated!
Delete8:31--Thank you! You're an excellent example of the crudity and intolerance that too often characterize "progressives." As for why people listen, you're right, it is beyond you.
DeleteAs annoyingly smug as she sometimes is, I wish Christine would give us her reaction to this decision of ksfo. Maybe she will later this week, when everybody else learns what just happened. Barbara never did get proper recognition at ksfo, with a heavier schedule. Not to generalize about Glass Ceilings limiing how high a woman can rise, but you have to wonder why she was not utilized more.Maybe she was brighter than most of her bosses and would at times let that show. That's a spirited Mare who will not accept a bridle, not from anybody.
ReplyDeleteAlthough they did not agree politically, it is my understanding that Christine and Barbara were quite friendly with one another. So, I'm guessing Christine is refraining from immediate comment out of respect for her friend.
DeleteHey Karel, how come during your All My Faves segment, you're not on the phone anymore with Roy in Tel Aviv? Either KGO or you are too cheap now to pay for a phone call to Israel. Call collect, you cheap bastard.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: How old is that photo? She didn't look that young on Channel 2 30 years ago.
ReplyDeleteUntil this version, my impression the dozens of times I've seen this particular picture before, was that her hair in it was white. This blond version looks colorized to me.
DeleteBarbara Simpson was PERFECTION as a talk show hostess:smart, richly informative & had interesting guests. Plus she was fair and decent to the callers. She spoke our minds. As for her being canned, my guess is that the powers that be at KSFO, such as the program manager, etc., were threatened by Barbara's courageous and spot-on stance on illegals, gay marriage, etc. Perhaps there were some rats in the woodpile?? I don't buy for a moment the story that her ratings were low according to the bogus Neilsen report. BTW as far as plastic surgery goes, I suggest to those so interested that they focus instead on Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters who've had multiple face lifts. Yet no criticisms of them?? Together these two have half the brain Barbara Simpson has.
ReplyDeleteAdding my voice to those who really, really liked Barbara Simpson and looked forward to tuning in on the weekends, and got a rude surprise this weekend. KSFO management can look forward to a fairly short career as this once proud station is trampled under by indifference (and by 960).
ReplyDeleteBarbara was the first one I know of to provide a platform for Catherine Austin Fitts, I heard her back in '99 talking about the trail of the missing billions that she found starting from HUD and going over to DOD. She interviewed the authors of "Into the Buzzsaw" about media censorship when no one else would. This is more evidence of a not-so-hidden agenda being forced onto even the fringes of the "mainstream" media; CoastToCoast dropping John B. Welles was another. She also addressed the land-grabbers agenda, something completely absent from the corporate-controlled media (and forget about the left wingers on Pacifica, NPR, PBS, etc.) If no other station takes her on it will be confirmation that there is a deliberate campaign to control the scope of political discussion in the country, something long-predicted by critics from both "left" and "right".
ReplyDeleteI miss Barbara Simpson on the weekends. She's the last conservative voice of reason and logic in San Franfreako. I will no longer tune into 560 KSFO. Hopefully she starts up an internet show like many have. She would be successful.
ReplyDeleteThere's still Mark Levin weekdays, but he's the only one left I still listen to on KSFO now that Barbara's gone.
DeleteI'm not shocked, I was kind of suspected Simpson wouldn't be there too much longer. I kind of wondered why I had not heard her on in a couple of weeks. I usually turned on her show to see what far right wing conspiracy theory she's pushing. Simpson had some of the whackiest right wing conspiracy nuts on and it was sometimes funny. She was one of the first to push the Obama birth certificate conspiracy theory. I don't think many ever took her show seriously given that most of it was just lies and misinformation from a far right wing viewpoint. I lauged when I read some petition to get "The Queen of Conservative Talk Radio" back on the air. Simpson's show didn't have many viewers and other conservative female talk show hosts have many more listeners. Anyway I just found out today about the firing, I wonder if she will make up some conspiracy as to why she got canned.
ReplyDeleteI kept listening on Saturday and Sunday's waiting for Barbara to come on. After not getting any results I plugged into the internet to find she is gone. What a shame! She is one of the last of anything good left on the air.. Sussman gets boring and K.Green laughs at all his nonsensical jokes...George Norry has great guests on 910 and fantastic subjects and is the only one left now worth listening to...I hope some other station picks up Barbara... I can't wait...KSFO is going downhill except for Savage. I love listening to him, he is totally honest and very informative... BRING BACK BARBARA!!!!
ReplyDeleteMiss you Babe! For those who listen to Savage, doesn't it get tiring that he is off so much? Hannity was never off. Savage's continuing absences made me quit listening to him before and now he continues the m.o.
ReplyDeleteHere's what's going on folks (in my ~very~ humble opinion):
ReplyDeleteNeo-Con, Faux-Constitution radio is Done. The numbers are dropping all over the place as people seek Truth elsewhere, specifically, on the web. 'Conservatism' (Gawd I Hate these labels - including 'Liberal' by the way, because they are so overused and misunderstood, mainly by 'followers' looking for an identity of their own to latch onto), had its chance from when Rush Limbaugh got the ball rolling in 1988, to the current state of affairs on talk radio. The problem is, for all of the so-called 'Conservatism' we've had on talk-radio and its offshoots in other media, what have we gotten in return, in terms of actual Change in the political structure towards more Constitutional governance?
Answer?
Less than ZERO...
Look around you. Think it over. Is the socio-political landscape today more 'conservative' (not right-wing religious, but Jeffersonian/Washingtonian) 'conservative' than it was in 1988...? Hell No. What is the reason for this inconsistency?
In a nutshell, the basic tenets that 'conservatism' derives its meaning and utility from, have been co-opted and Perverted by those close to, or in bed with, the current political status quo. What is the 'status quo'? Corporatism. Cronyism. Arrogance. Favoritism. Nepotism. And 99.9% of it revolves around this:
$$$,$$$,$$$,$$$. And did I mention, $$$...?
In short, if you're into Liberty and Freedom - of the real variety, not some security-in-numbers feeling or 'groupie' like fan club for a radio 'personality', today's conservative talk-radio isn't the place. There are vastly superior places to meet, discuss, debate and Further the cause of real Liberty, than the tired old 'conservatives vs. liberals' false dialectic that has been the mainstay of talk radio since Clinton took office. Those days are Long Gone, and so should you be from the swindle...
And Ethan Bearmon, her putative replacement is an idiot.
ReplyDeleteI may stop listening to KSFO at all. They fired Lee Rodgers and now Barbara Simpson, the best of the best in Talk Radio.
ReplyDeleteThe 5 am - 9 am slot on the weekend nowadays is way under par when compared to the time when Lee Rodgers was at the hemp. Of course, Simpson's replacement does not even worth the mentioning of it. I used to enjoy these 2 time slots but no longer. What a shame!
Yes, we still have Michael Savage, Larry Kudlow and the Red Eye slots but with heartless management behaving like this, who would want to hang on. Hopefully, Barbara Simpson could find a slot elsewhere soon. We are starving for quality and straight-shooter type of talk show hosts instead of pandering to what is popular at the time.
KSFO doesn't seem to care about 'class' in their programming. Loved Lee the most! Canned. Loved Melanie Morgan greately - they both had CLASS! Now Barbara Simpson. I am no longer a regular listener without Barb & Melanie. Sussman is a good guy, but he & Katy DO NOT BRING CLASS to their program! Love Savage but not fond of his time slot, prefer the commute time in the Bay Area.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous of Aug 3, 2014 at 1:45pm TOOK THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH! Suss & Katie are 'classless' & I often turn to music...Ms Simpson was a great, informed hostess with very interesting guests. . . now nothing to listen to on Sunday aftrnoons in SF. Mel had class also. BTW it was Lee & Savage that brought me to KSFO. Poor judgement call.
ReplyDeleteNovember 16, 2014: Anonymous: Still miss Barbara Simpson and her informative, intelligent investigating reporting on the weekend, and this morning I learned that Rabbi Lapham had been fired (had to call station to learn of this!). He is a learned teacher and had profound advice to callers...and although am not Jewish profited from his observations - now another intelligent articulate host - gone from this crazily-run station! I still turn on Limbaugh, Mike Savage, Hannity, Levin, as able to, but am holding my breath. Were these conservative talk hosts all put on same station so could easily eliminate them in one fell swoop??What poor management of this station who doesn't give a d about intelligent listeners hungry for the truth about what's going on, unable to get anything but gov't soviet-style propoganda! Still listen to Coast to Coast for informative guests as able to.
ReplyDelete