The broadcasting people down in Los Angels are fuming over a screw-up by Nielsen in the May Radio ratings, reports the LA Times
I've heard a few rumblings that LA is not alone and that other markets, like SF, (#4) may have received false data, only SF numbers were released.
Probably not a swell time to be in the Nielsen research department conference room.
*Let me set the record straight. I don't take pleasure in writing about anchors whose contracts won't be renewed. It's not my decision, its decisions made by management and the corporations who run the vast majority of local TV News operations. I don't just wantonly throw on the wall that such and such are goners. Most of my info comes from sources and they're usually accurate, like here for example. Or here too.
*Why did I write so extensively about new KPIX anchor, Veronica De La Cruz? Some of you thought I went overboard. And that KPIX hadn't really made a "splashy hire." Really, then I guess this wasn't splashy?
Or this?
The fact is when significant personnel moves involving major market players, then it's a legitimately big story, at least in the TV News business. Moreover, when De La Cruz mysteriously was absent for over a month and her status unclear, yes, I gravitated to the story. It became a lot more intriguing and mysterious when there was no reason(s) given as to why she was MIA. Fortunately we got that squared away and she seems to have ironed out her problems, at least for now.
But the point remains the same: when a big time hire comes to SF, yes, it's big news. And it's not just VDLC. Recall the buzz when Sylvia Chase, she of ABC News and "20-20" fame departed NY to come out here to KRON.
*Until the all-sports FM outlet, 95.7 FM 'The Game' gets a stronger signal, alters its doomed new morning program, (and a few other shows), it will have zero chance as a relevant radio player in this market. Add to that dominant AM power, KNBR and its first-tier franchise affiliates like the Giants and 49ers, Warriors too and you don't need to be a heart surgeon to make that observation.
*Add 'The Game" nugget: A prominent radio source told me The Game's PD, Jason Barrett wanted to have a powwow with one of the station's newest personalities, its best, by the way, and the personality told Barrett he could essentially go do something virtually impossible.
*The difference between Giants games on Comcast and A's games on Comcast, in a nutshell: Giants telecasts concentrate on crowd shots while A's telecasts rely on the GAME. Excuse me, I thought the team with the BEST record in baseball was first and foremost the attraction.
*If you've been noticing the very real toned-down voice from the person who hosts the 9-Noon show on the 810 AM dial, yes, you're not the only one.
*PIX mystery 2: Nothing against Ryan Takeo, who seems like a decent reporter, but PIX has been highlighting this rather innocuous tonsil. There's nothing special about him and he's a good guy, but why? Takeo? Just curious.
*PIX mystery 3: Simon Perez is back-I guess TV News pays better than teaching.
*World Cup required TV entity: beer.
*BREAKING NEWS***BREAKING NEWS***BREAKING NEWS: KTVU has not hired any new reporters within the past 24 hours.
*Brodie Brazil was just winning me over with his network-quality work when, according to a few co-workers who asked for anonymity, suddenly began acting like a complete jerk. Memo to Brodes: Before you begin pulling the prima donna card, get the NY gig first.
*OK, you're officially cool department: KPIX weather guru, Paul Deanno: at first, skeptical, now the guy is a real bona-fide good man who knows his stuff and comes off cool as hell.
*Follow me on Twitter
Rich, the reason they don't show crowd shots at A's games? No crowd! Even the cameras focusing on the game rarely show the flight of the ball from ground or mid level for fear of showing the tarped empty deck and the sparse crowd below. At Oakland, it is only the game. SF has great bay shots of fans, fans outside the stadium--real Chamber of Commerce stuff. Oakland has a tarp, outside there is a half empty parking lot and freeway.
ReplyDeleteOn road games Comcast likes to show Giants fans in the crowd because they "travel well". Except for the A's games in SF, A's fans are a rarity on the road.
My beef is with ESPN, finally giving a west coast team some attention is that it is the Dodgers. Their obsession with Puig is nuts. The bay area teams deserve the attention now.
Cespedes is trying to reverse the Puig-love. Gun down a couple more, after another misplay in the field, and he might get a share of it.
DeleteThe Giants broadcasts can get carried away with non-baseball stuff. Amy G seems to be on after most commercials breaks when the team is at home. Camera shots of kids eating things are played out. Shots of the Bay are nice when done in moderation, but every boat passing through doesn't need to be broadcasted.
DeleteESPN's baseball coverage revolves around the Red Sox, Dodgers and Derek Jeter. Yasiel Puig gets discussed whenever the Dodgers do. These are the teams they broadcast games of, so they promote them a lot.
During the A's last 7 game home stand average attendance was 26,470. That included 2 sell-outs and 1 near sell-out. If you watched any of the recent series in Anaheim, the "let's go Oakland" chants came across loud and clear. Many TV shots of green & gold in the stands.
Delete10:29
DeleteThis is what happens when you don't breast feed.
I think he was dropped down the stairs a lot when he was a small child.
yes. i noticed the loud "let's go Oakland!" chants during the series in Anaslime.
Delete12:13
DeleteIt is understandable that they promote the games that they telecast. However there are 14 other games or 29 teams that they could be broadcasting or focusing on. Seems it's always NY, Boston, Angels and Dodgers (though Pirates are representing too)
Veronica De La Cruz has not been on the 10pm newscast yet. All reports said she was hired to anchor the 6pm and 10pm
ReplyDeleteMaybe because she's on the 11pm newscast?
Delete12:39, what drugs are you taking? Liz Cook is on the 11, and VDLC has never been promoed as going to be on that broadcast.
DeleteThe Game has become another Giants station despite being the A's flagship station. The new morning show (the rise guys were better) starts each day talking about how the Giants did the night before and maybe by 6:25 they get around to the A's. I was one of the few that made the switch to the Game from KNBR but have stopped listening, except for the A's game, due to the lack of balanced reporting in the morning.
ReplyDeleteLack of balanced reporting? If that's what's bothering you, you should probable switch to Fox News, fair and balanced.
DeleteThe Giants are a local team and they are local favorites. It's entirely appropriate for local sports stations to follow and support them. Some readers of this blog seem to think there is something wrong with that.
A's fans don't want to hear it but the Giants are dominant in this market so The Game has made a noticeable switch since the beginning of April to include more Giants coverage. Maybe it will help in the ratings but that weak signal is killing them.
DeleteA's fans want a station with announcers that embrace their team and hate on the Giants like they do but you still need enough bodies in the seats and ears on the radio. Years of tarps, threatening to move, and (until their recent seasons) not keeping players has hurt their brand.
The Giants might be more accessible too. Other than the great Ken Korach, I don't think I hear any of the Athletics announcers come on to the radio beyond the games to talk about the club. Especially Ray Fosse, whom has been there forever. They stick to the club and players but do they embrace the city? The fans? The community?
It's interesting the way the Giants and A's fortunes have switched. In the '70s 'til the early '90s, the A's were definitely more popular because they won and had the personalities. The ballpark and Barry Bonds changed all that. Barry Bonds is gone in ignominy, but a couple World Series trophies - and they still have that jewel of a ballpark. The A's need a ballpark - because they have the winning record and the personalities. If you can't built a team and marketing around young talent like Sonny Gray, Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespides, you gotta look for a problem. It's the Mausoleum.
DeleteLieberman did go way overboard in exaggerated coverage of Ms. De La Cruz's delayed premiere. It wasn't the hiring that Lieberman overplayed, it was his speculation about the delay.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see Simon Perez back at PIX, but it is probably just for the summer. He is teaching at a college back east and has put in some summer work at PIX in the past.
ReplyDeleteNot saying 95.7 is the greatest in the morning but prefer it much more than Murph and Mac, which I think is beyond terrible and has been for years. I even prefer Feinstein on 1050 over Murph and Mac.
ReplyDeleteI want a local feed for morning sports but every time M & M play one of their insipid music player bytes (I am sorry, I mean "bites" because it totally bites ass) makes me take a running dive at the mute button.
DeleteBTH on The Game is terrible, especially Huff...for a guy who played 10+ years in the majors, he knows surprisingly little about baseball, and has ZERO knowledge of other sports. All he has are stories about 2010, Pat Burrell, and his bank account.
ReplyDeleteThat said, it's STILL better than Murph & Mac on KNBR...at least BTH will cover other teams and sports, but over on 680 it's Giants all day every day.
> https://uk.news.yahoo.com/north-korea-kim-jong-un-slates-incorrect-weather-090519008.html#TLZMHAr
ReplyDeleteBill Martin wouldn't last long there...
I think Deanno deserves a sincere 415 media apology. He was a little tight during his first few weeks but has since been a solid weather guy.
ReplyDeleteGonzalez is the hopeless one but gets an unearned thumbs up from rich.
I love Simon Perez! Sadly, he's only back for a two week stint.
ReplyDeleteBREAKING NEWS*****BREAKING NEWS*****LOL!
ReplyDeleteCalling him a "weather guru," a "real bona-fide good man," and "cool as hell" isn't good enough?
ReplyDeleteInteresting observation about Brodie Brazil Rich. I've seen this happen with many 'celebrities' in the local media over the years. I won't name names, but one of the local radio sportstalk folks who is rather good at what he does, but is also very lucky to be where he is, now acts as if he's some sort of 'oracle.' I would love to see some of these folks get 'bounced' out of a job once in awhile and be dealt a little humility. Maybe then they would realize how lucky there are to be where they are and would quit their ridiculous preening,
ReplyDeleteWhat? You won't name names? Here, I'll help you. Gary Radnich. There, that wasn't so hard, was it?
DeleteNo, it wasn't Radnich. it was someone you'd never think of. Not one of the 'regulars' at KNBR but a guy who does a good job and isn't given a lot of credit. Now, however, he thinks the sun rises and sets on his you know where!
ReplyDeleteThat's OK, 3:36. It still applies to Radnich just as much.
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