I told a local prominent TV News anchor the other day that the best newscast was the single-anchor show on their duopoly channel.
No clutter, no chit-chat between the other anchor, (which usually amounts to bs anyway), just straight news without the disingenuous verbal side-show.
I know the tendency this day and age is for drama and laughter but I like my news straight and forward without the giggles.
*The new star at KPIX has drawn the wrath from some of her co-workers, one of whom she has nothing to worry about , the other maybe she should take to lunch and talk about things.
*In Gary Radnich's world if you don't have kids and are single you might as well be a boat salesman in Bakersfield.
*The "new" Morning Show on the all-sports FM outlet is a disaster. The problem is one host doesn't know anything about sports other than baseball, the other doesn't know anything but basketball, (barely), and the guy in the middle is hung out to dry.
Combine that with the fact that the host even knows the show is in trouble--apparently the PD doesn't know or maybe doesn't care at this point.
*I'm not going to comment or pay attention anymore to the so-called "entertainer" --he's sort of delusional at this point.
*Michael Savage is beating the bejesus out of Hannity in the all-important AQH by a 10-1 ratio here on his syndicated radio show, the only thing worth listening to on KSFO.
*I know a lot of you can't stand Savage, me included on some days, but he is the single-most talented radio broadcaster in the nation who can mix meatball recipes, get hugged by Fat Tony, and somehow mix in immigration reform, (or in Savage's case, the evil enemy) all in one hour. Fascinating and compelling --yeah, it's an acquired taste.
*I haven't piled on KTVU. In case you haven't watched, they make it impossible not to move on. Maybe they need a deep-cleansing.
*Follow me on Twitter
In his world we should all find a black woman to marry because it would give us street cred.
ReplyDeleteYou're unfortunately spot-on about the new morning show on the 'Ticket.' Rick Bucher is great as far as the NBA goes (he worked on ESPN for a number of years and was a terrific beat writer for the SJ Merc. back in the early 1990s when Nellie and Webber imploded and things went bad for the Warriors), but he's never covered baseball.
ReplyDeleteChris Townsend never has to worry about dead air, but he's much more of a baseball guy, and knows enough about football to get by, but is not an NBA guy.
Aubrey Huff is amusing and has some good insights on baseball, but again, he's not a sportscaster. This is a problem that many stations have when they hire former jocks to be sportscasters. Not everyone has the enthusiasm and fan interest of a Tom Tolbert, or ESPN radio Mike Golic.
The bottom line is that the PD at 'the Game' panicked and probably felt pressure from corporate Headquarters, and deep-sixed with what was a very good show with the 'Rise Guys.' The only way to make inroads in radio to be patient and stick with some good shows. Every time you turn on the Game there seem to be different hosts on at different times, and new people and others coming and going. No continuity compared to KNBR, and I know they're trying to find the 'right combination,' but that IS NOT THE PROBLEM.
Yes, the ratings were poor, but they've been modest at best from the start because 'The Game's signal is very weak.
Their numbers are very slowly beginning to rise, only because so many sports fans are tired of listening to the constant Giants/Niners/Warriors lovefest on KNBR, but the 'Game' will continue to fight the uphill battle.
Getting rid of what was arguably their sports best talk show because of 'low ratings' is typical in radio programming. It's all driven by how many numbers are going to attract sponsors to pay for your programs, and I guess the 'Game' is absolutely beholden to that, as are most radio stations.
Unfortunately, in this desperate day and age, radio execs are freaking out about money, especially now because things are tight compared to the 'boom' days of the 1990s and early 2000s. Their bosses who run the corporations that own these stations don't know radio, and don't care for the reasons why their stations aren't making huge profits, they JUST WANT TO MAKE LOTS OF MONEY. They really don't care how it is generated, as long as it flowing in. Otherwise, heads roll and a new boss comes in to parrot the same kind of philosophy.
Commercial radio will never be able to remove itself from this dilemma, especially now with ad dollars much tighter, and so many other platforms for people to get their information from. Get used to more voices coming and going, more mediocrity and more "we're moving in another direction."
It's the American way, not just in radio, but in all businesses.
Amen to everything you wrote. The Rise Guys were good and funny. Except for Papa and Bruce, most of the Game's hosts lack the breadth of knowledge to carry on an intelligent discussion of multiple sports. It's long been a flaw with 95.7 whether it was Steinmetz (a basketball guy) then or Middlekauff (a football guy) now, they can't seem to hire folks who can talk about more than one sport.
DeleteRic Bucher is an ass. There is a reason why ESPN dumped him.
DeleteI had the big screen on this morning with the sound down (multitasking) and was shocked by how bad they looked. Misspellings and all..it was sad.
ReplyDeleteSavage is not the only property on KSFO that's worth listening to. Batchelor is great (never miss him when he's on), Brinker is entertaining on Sunday afternoons (I'm a financial guy) and Kudlow great on a Saturday night.
So I guess that means you love establishment Republicans.
DeleteAnything is better than we hate ourselves because we're white democrats
DeleteToo funny Dems, Your complaining about others? The "Bumbler" in Charge keeps screwing up one thing after another. This is what happens when you vote based on one's skin color as opposed to their experience and competency. BTW, so you know, I was no Bush Lover as well.
DeleteToo bad you're "off" Karel. You should at least follow him until he's fired - which csn 't be long. He is the worst on-air personality in my memory - and getting worse every broadcast.
ReplyDeleteAnebm 12:46. It's like saying "I don't care about illegal immigration" and, suddenly, all hell breaks loose. Karel's "I don't care" attitude and his desperate suck up when he knows the tide has long turned against him is fun to watch. I do because I like a good, flaming, trainwreck and Karel is it. Grab the popcorn, roll down the windows and watch the dismantling of the worst major market "non talent" ever in Bay Area radio.
DeleteWhy does this happen? Because the company behind the proven debacle is not paying attention, period. It's time someone did. That, I hoped, was Rich's opportunity. I'd rather here is biting opinion about this than about VDLC's wardrobe and the non-informative "some of her co-workers are ..." stories without saying anything. Is this made up? Karel, at least, is not. This is reality. Give facts, not alleged innuendo to try to fool people or you won't be popular for long.
I join the chorus of those calling for you to continue covering and commenting on Karel.
DeleteStill, you are right about him being delusional, as evidenced by the plea to his Twitter followers to demand The View consider him as a co-host. He actually does believe he should be a candidate, despite his anti-Christian hate speech and his calling for the death of Joe The Plumber.
Which reminds me, if you've heard Karel talk about the incident that got him fired from KGO, he's begun attempting to rewrite history and claim that he wished only that Joe, a fictitious character, would be killed off, much as a villian on a TV drama would be eliminated.
Not quite. The way it sounded to me, he came very close to calling for this actual human being to be killed. Here is the exact (censored for language) quote: ""F*** g** damn Joe the g** damn, mother-f****** PLUMBER! I want mother-f****** JOE THE PLUMBER dead!"
I know some highly educated single people, who don't have kids, who are in high-paying productive jobs. Some of them also make considerable contributions to society outside of their careers. They are much more accomplished than that bullshitting charlatan who talks a lot and says very little.
ReplyDelete@ Rootvg, Batchelor and Brinker shows are quite informative and insightful. Audio down in a semi-dark room is one of the best ways to multi-process. .. .
ReplyDeleteI've been listening to Brinker since my college days in Akron. He and a few friends taught me the basics of investing - real companies, not fads like social media companies that are little more than modern day CB radio.
DeleteI've only heard Chris Townsend about five times and the only thing I wonder is if he is contractually required to say "Motor City Kitties" every time he is on air.
ReplyDeleteI like Batchelor, too, and Savage is great when not preoccupied with politics -- like lately.
ReplyDeleteNot watching or listening for more than 30 seconds to Karel, as most people prove in rating book after rating book, is no basis by "giving up." As long as he exists on KGO with the weaknesses, the lack of talent and the non-salable results proven for years, he remains the "face" of KGO, even in the six hour abyss of the low rated non-important hours he is on all over the City and the west coast. No quality means no listeners and that is important to us, your loyal readers. It's what we're interested in. I hope you'll have balls and follow the story because it shows Cumulus how weak they are in not controlling a horrible situation.
DeleteRather than turn the station off, Cumulus leaves this creepy individual on air and have, as they do in other dayparts, just ignore the station. Look at all night -- when New York local time checks and New York sports dominate on KGO. That's ignorance, laziness and non-productivity. You ignoring it is a disservice because the symptoms are station wide, not just with Karel Bouley.
You may, like many here, hate or strongly dislike him and his blatant lack of talent and professionalism Great. However,, there is no change in ratings for the better if management just "let's it go" or doesn't expect and demand the same criteria as they expect from everyone else. That means, there should be no Karel and his breakdowns, Chef Ryan Scott and his over-the-top ego (no different from Karel's) and the weakness of cheaply delivered headline local news -- from Dallas. It's you choice on doing silly stories on Veronica de la Cruz and Savage, and ignoring how the bricks keep falling out of a once great radio station in KGO. You can do only part of the job based on what you want. However, what's in it for the reader who could care less about your infatuations? We want news. We want to know the story, not just the headline (or the ignoring) of what is important as well as your opinion. Karel is a part of shining light in the corners as to why KGO has not only dropped him KGO has a huge job ahead with changes starting June 14th. Follow the story, please. It's not about you, it's about the state of media stories, no matter what. Ignoring this disaster doesn't serve any purpose.
Rich wrote:
ReplyDelete*I know a lot of you can't stand Savage, me included on some days, but he is the single-most talented radio broadcaster in the nation who can mix meatball recipes, get hugged by Fat Tony, and somehow mix in immigration reform, (or in Savage's case, the evil enemy) all in one hour. Fascinating and compelling --yeah, it's an acquired taste".
I think it's 'A Jewish Thing'. You remember older family members speaking with the same story-type-spiel. It's a lost art in today's day and age.
Not just Jewish. I grew up that way, remember most of the stories about the Depression, the war, the fifties, the early sixties, etc.
DeleteI also agree with Rich: cut the cutesy crap whether it is radio or TV news. A new remolate is also needed. If it bleeds, lede. Old model. One reason people are tuning out broadcast news, esp. TV. Just my view.
ReplyDeleteComparing Savage to Hannity is an insult to Savage. No one cares about hannity. Even FOX News has given up. It doesn't matter though because Savage is impossible to sell, and that's why Cumulus is unimpressed. In all the major markets no one wants to buy team on his program, and while he's better than Hannity, he's actually not better than Levin, as far as numbers go. It's worth noting that Savage is on flamethrowers, and Hannity is on second tier signals wherever Cumulus is.
ReplyDeleteSavage has his moments, but like the rest of them it's pretty boring at this point. There's nothing on KSFO worth listening to. Politics like they do it is done. Even their audience went to the blogosphere for information, and the old guys never modernized. Neither did their companies. Which is why they're going out of business.
Why do you feel the need to tell us how much you like Savage every other month?
What companies are "going out of business"?
DeleteClear channel and cumulus have acquired massive debts, and the AM signals are constantly losing value. I think that was the point although I don't want to put words in someone's mouth.
DeleteBut yes, these companies aren't exactly profitable. Cumulus tries to "out source" everyone to Texas his Radiate to cut all costs which in turn has created a horrible news product.
It's seems like KPIX staff is jealous of the popularity of the new girl in class.
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to correct what I wrote. Savage is more talented and entertaining than Levin, who is unlistenable. Just so happens that Levin sells better, and has better ratings. For Savage to compare himself to Hannity is kind of strange because no one thinks Hannity is good. As for online numbers, Savage has Rush beat, but that's because Rush is everywhere and doesn't need to be online. Savage needs to be online in order to make up for the lack of stations. He's not selling online ads either. He's at best income neutral.
ReplyDeleteRich, you think KTVU goes overboard with Breaking News supers? ;-)
ReplyDeletehttp://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-05/enhanced/webdr03/21/13/enhanced-10922-1400692123-1.png
Mornings on 2 has been great this week, no Dave Clark.
ReplyDeleteAnd Tori Campbell looks like the Tori of old, enjoying her job
She might look like the Tori of old, but she still speaks. Bang, Ding, Ow!!!!!!!
DeleteRich, you must be reading promo pieces about Savage who sounds like he's desperately trying to make a point. In diary markets, it used to be that AQH meant the world in ratings. Today, in the PPM world, not so much. Today, the true size of success is "high CUMES: -- the higher, the better. AQH relates to other factors in a five minute only listening period credited to a 15 minute quarter hour.
ReplyDeleteTrying to show isolated "local" market cumes, AQH or TSL are all relative on their own. It's like a guy saying "I'm number one on Sunday mornings!" and trying to make it look like it really matters in the overall scheme of things.
Savage's ratings in SF prove it, as does Hannity's. Is Savage that important? Sure. He, in some places, moves the needle (for now.) Hannity is beatable all over the country. However, each market and each station is different and we must talk apples and oranges. What happens on a 5,000 watt KSFO is not relative to a 50,000 watt WABC in New York or, for that matter, a current 50,000 watt KGO. NONE of the above are, at 17th place, or worse in daypart breakouts makes much difference. Because Savage beats Hannity still places Savage 4th, behind Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck. Why? They are on more stations than Savage.
You're way to partisan and have little understanding of what ratings really mean. It's the cumes -- the ultimate end result of "rating estimates." AQH and TSL are other tools to utilize, but it's the estimated size of total audience that counts, not just how personalities stack up in radio listeners in the quarter hour moment.
Mr. Savage is feeling the pinch already - his 25-54 shares are not living up to the hype as they are up and down in New York. The needle's not moving in SFO because the station he's on is a dog and Hannity has already long out lasted his welcome. Remember: Figures lie and liars figure.
As a NY-based radio Exec said to me 2 months ago when I asked about this situation "25-54 he's not doing anything and he's already a tough sell." I don't listen to the show too much but I do recall him referencing Hannity many times before the switch. it was at least posted here, and in the trades that there was friction.
DeleteRadio hosts are often delusional, and think fighting these battles carries weight with the average listener. The diehards are interested in hearing how their guy is beating the other guy, but I've always believed this nonsense has no relevance to anyone other than the host(s) themselves.
The only reason guys like Savage have a job anymore, since their programs are so hard to sell, is because companies like CC, Cumulus, et al, haven't figured out what to replace them with. I don't expect them to either, especially if you look-see who is asked to do this job. Retreads. All the programmers who worked locally across the country, who were used to earning hefty salaries and who had opinions, they are all gone. Management did not want to hear their opinions, and certainly did not want to pay their salaries. My hunch is these people also did not want to work in a micro-managed corporate environment, which I'm told is exactly what Cumulus is. In lieu of these experienced people you have former APDs with no experience, willing to work for less who bring to the table one asset: youth. Track records? Not one of them.
The stations are filled with inexperienced "programmers", none of whom have ever created a real talent, and would never be given the leeway to do so with syndication being so easy. Even if that helped kill radio.
What's left? Savage, Rush, Hannity, Levin, Beck, etc. And they're not even the worst of it. It's the hosts and programmers around the country who think THESE GUYS DO GOOD RADIO, who have their local hosts copy them! At least those fellows have a modicum of talent. Todd Schnitt, Armstrong & Getty, Chris Plante, Steve Malzberg. I mean these people are just flat out terrible, and yet they have some clout!
The top guys are a problem because you can't sell them. The others because they're just awful.
I think the point about radio "going out of business" isn't unfair. It is shrinking every day. No creativity or leadership. The internet is eating it up quickly with intelligent thought. No one has figured how to make the best talk outlet yet, but they will. At that point AM is finished.
Radnich seems to have a problem with single men. He talks as though you need to be married with children to be a "good guy." Similarly, single men have no life. I think he uses his family to boost his own image and provide a defense from his critics.
ReplyDeleteHis ratings are very good, so his listeners must not care or notice. I'm relatively young, so it's not a big deal to me. But I'd think single middle-age men would be upset by his belittling of them.
Change of topic: Some morning drama on KGO today: The Mattress Man is of course on a two-week vacation (his "listener cruise"), and it had previously been announced (much to Karel's devastation) that Pat Thurston would fill in for Ronnnnn. However, apparently today / Wednesday, Copie was asked to fill - and he didn't show. So in a true "radio moment", sports guy Walkoff was asked to sit for Ronnnn (which he's done fairly often in the past), and Walkoff, unprepared as he was, was better than Karel (or perhaps even Copeland) would be on his very best day. Hello, Cumulus?? Listen to the obvious.........
ReplyDeleteI heard Rich Walkoff have heard him before, he is fine, still like Brian Copeland, don't know why Rich don't, granted he is no Gene Burns or John Rothmann, but who are these days. I don't know if Walkoff is better than Copeland, he is different. All in all the state of talk radio is a very sad affair in the Bay Area. Listen a little to Joel and Corey, those two got to be the worst show just about anywhere. First of all by the time the came on at 1 p.m. and talked amongst themselves about the woman who had killed a lion, the story had already been all over the internet, Spencer Hughes talked about it (he is not for killing animals, so he did a fair show on that subject) Walkoff talked about it, probably someone else, then those 2 comes on and talks about it, if they took calls perhaps it would have some merit, but not when they are just talking to eachother. Talk radio these days, have very few talented hosts with original thoughts, it seems everyone just recite news that has already been on the internet, and if those hosts are not taking calls, it is not very original or interesting.
DeleteWish one announcer or talk host would apply to KNBR especially the Tolbert show or would he lost by himself if he had to do a entire show with a sidekick to laugh at off the wall humour etc he is not that skilled to do a program solo like say Greg Papa
ReplyDeleteEvery time there's a guest host on KNBR with Tom I just about lose my mind. It seems like Ratto is a person you're "seriously" dating, but everyone knows it's only a matter of time before he gets dumped. I just can't take the guest hosts. Even the good ones. Kevin Yukillis sounded good a couple of weeks ago but it's not like you're going to pair him with Tom. You'd want to pair BOTH GUYS with professionals. I get the sense KNBR just does whatever they want because the numbers are good enough. One day they won't be, and no one will know how to fix it, or what happened to them. Kind of like Cumulus as a whole.
DeleteLet me ask you this Rich (since you claim to know), do they sell any spots on Savage? Half the show is national spots surrounded by KSFO Promos. It's promo after promo after promo, all the time. Sounds like they have a lot of inventory available. That or there's a lot of termites that need killing.
ReplyDeleteAre you listening directly on KSFO or online on the KSFO stream?
Delete