Real reasons: issues with various staff, (think a certain one).
Terrible people skills
Ronn Owens loses--he picked the wrong guy to kiss major ass--(again!) Chaos
Developing...
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UPDATE: 2: 24 PM PT: BAKOS RESIGNS! A staffer: "Good riddance!"
Just learned through a station source that Renee Bakos, the PD, has resigned, effective immediately.
So soon after Bloomquist is out, Bakos resigns. Coincidence? Perhaps, you be the judge. It's common knowledge that both Bloomquist and Bakos were close confidants --how close? uh, let your imagination run wild.
Meanwhile, the station personnel and the entire operation is in complete chaos. If this were to happen at any business, let alone a major-market, 50K-watt radio station, major heads would roll. The inmates are running the asylum --and it's reached crisis proportions. Heavy-duty.
A person with knowledge of the situation tells me the following:
"So here we go again, new management with yet another new set of how we should be doing talk radio. The frustration mounts. Many of us are at the point of not giving a fuck anymore. But we hold on to the desperate hope that we’ll get someone who gets it. We had great hopes for Kevin and the bastard went and died on us. Now we’re in limbo again."
Yes, this is the same radio station that Ronn Owens said would just be peachy after the December, 2011 format change. "We're going to be great!--These are great people." Yeah, Ronn, how's that program going lately? The grand Cumulus experiment has been an utter disaster.
Wait, did I say it already? I need to say it again. Cumulus is the WORST company in the World!
If this isn't proof I don't know what is.
At least he didn't die.
ReplyDeleteAlthough i'm sure he wishes he were dead after the convo with his wife.
Cumulus had to learn the hard way that Randall Bloomquist is the biggest moron in the history of radio. All the Dickeys had to do was a little research to avoid another expensive mistake. Hopefully the Randall Bloomquist reign of error has come to a merciful end.
ReplyDeleteOn a positive note, Matress Man's savings from the lunch tabs at the north beach restaurant where he was kissing Bloomquist's ass can now be applied to the purchase of new gadgets.
ReplyDeleteWhat the F is going on at this station?? I could understand if there were some sort of plan in place by Cumulus to improve the "lot" of KGO - but, it's just constant change, disorganization, chaos - and to what end?? Get your shit together, Cumulus, or - shut down this radio station.
ReplyDeleteRenee Bakos also fired.
ReplyDeleteYes the same Renee bakos that Ronn Owens hired and insisted he could work with. She lasted 1 month with Owens. Maybe he's the problem?
Last time I checked, 2:31, Ronn Owens had absolutely NO power to hire and fire.....and I doubt he's the problem. Aren't there enough obvious problems with Cumulus / the Dickeys blah blah to allow us to rule him out?
DeleteIt is widely known that Ronn Owens chose Renee Bakos, and that she was producing his show until he demanded she be removed. She had a one year contract so they had to keep her on. She left it on the printer for everyone to see.
DeleteYou don't think Ronn has the power to hire and fire his own producer? Call me crazy but I think he at least has that!
DeleteI beg to differ with you; Cumulus is NOT the worst company in America. That dubious honor belongs to Time Warner Cable, followed closely by Comcast and then United Airlines. Consequently, Cumulus has to be the 4th worst company in the US.
ReplyDeleteKGO is #22 in this market.
ReplyDeleteIt would be huge news if they were top 4 or something but #22?
Not very newsworthy.
Actually, they're #22 in the "bragging numbers" (total persons 6+). In the money demos, the ones advertisers typically buy (25-54), they're #30.
DeleteI think Sears/Kmart is some where in the top four or five also.
ReplyDeleteGood column today, Rich! THIS is why I read your stuff--didn't even know who you were until the KGO bloodbath several years ago.
ReplyDeleteI know you need filler other days, but COME ON--the constant sexist/sleazy remarks are super offensive!
Check out Gil Gross or Frank Somerville on Facebook. They seem to come up with compelling content (especially Frank!) and do so in a classy manner.
I keep swearing that I won't read your page again, but then you come up with the goods, like today! Keep that up! Thanks!
During the latter-Disney days, "absolute chaos," would have been handled by the long-serving staff in one natural, and obvious way: Do what you're supposed do ... and stay-the- course!
ReplyDeleteIt would, almost, be fun to see the "old guard" storm the building. Of course, it would be difficult to know what building to storm. Broadway and Sansome, next stop!
The only thing surprising here is that Cumulus thinks that anyone listens to KGO after The Big One of 2011.
ReplyDeleteWe listen to KGO because it is not only KGO that has gone down hill in 3 years it is talk radio in general. Actually in the past few months I find it is getting a little better, at least a few times during the day I have choices I can live with. Here are my choices: Early morning I turn on KSFO, but Katie's laugh and Sussman's personality drives me crazy, so I switch to Armstrong and Getty at least they are funny at times. 9 a.m. I turn on Ronn, he doesn't always hold my interest, but I cannot listen to Rush, and although I like Ed Baxter I find the 910 format that Ed and Gil does quite boring, and I can only listen for about 10-15 minutes. At noon I have a choice Tom Sullivan on 1530 Sacramento (if you live in the East Bay or North Bay (Benicia, Fairfield you can easily get Sacramento stations, I can even get 1530 on the Peninsula certain areas) and Chip Franklin on KGO. Late afternoon the choices dwindle, I do turn on Gil, and if he has a political reporter on I listen, but when he goes into his long winded stories from the past, do dumb criminals, or repeat a news story there was on the net hours ago, he looses me. I try Levin, and get a kick out of how he rants and raves about republicans more than democrats, but his voice grates on my nerves to I don't stay tuned for long, then I turn to Dave Ramsey on 650 who in my opinion has some good financial advise, and a good sense of humor, he is conservative, but understanding and compassionate, his Christian views is a little too much, but I can overlook that. 7 p.m. if I listen at night I turn on Alan Colmes, and if I can't sleep I listen to John Batchelor. A few words about a couple of host, I don't find Chip Franklin all that bad, considering who else is available, he is somewhat left on some issues, somewhat right on others, in other words fairly unpredictable, which I like. Ronn is broadcasting from DC for a few days, and I never miss those show I I don't have to, he does a good interview, has intelligent well known guests on, some to the right, some left, some in the middle, a nice mix of opionions. Even though I'm liberal on most issues, I get tired of listening to hosts whom I agree with all the time, although with Alan Colmes it is a little different, because he take calls from a lot of right wingers.
DeleteIt'd take 10:43 a half hour to decide which brand of bottled water to buy...then complain about it.
DeleteI might suggest adding 580am KMJ Fresno to your mix. Their mid-day (11 - 2) guy, Ray Appleton and afternoon (2 - 6), guy Chris Daniel are both pretty good. Their politics are a little too right for me, but they do a fair number of pop culture/social topics...When do you take down your Christmas Tree?, Do you a take all your vacation days?, Will you see The Interview?...and those shows are quite good. I'm trying not to totally "fall in love" with this station, though, 'cause it's also a Cumulus station...
Delete10:21 ha, ha, ha you are mostly like, not so much on water, as I don't buy water very often, but toothpaste, lipstick yea you are right on. However, when it comes to big decision it is a different story, when I as a very young 20 year girl, decided I wanted to come to the US as an au pair, it took me less time to decide that, than to buy toothpaste. However, my going back and forth between hosts has a lost to do with the choice, when Gene Burns and John Rothman was on, I would rarely change channels, they could hold my attention.. To 10:45 I might try 580 if I can get it in my area, for the most part I'm not that much into life style, social topic, I'm a political junkie, and also love history and especially presidential history, which is one reason I miss John Rothman every day.
DeleteIf I'm not mistake Randall Bloomquist is in his second marriage already. The guy is a real low life and has absolutely no programming ability. Yes he was terrible at his job but lets just lay blame where it needs to be: The Dickeys.
ReplyDeleteThey hired him to run talk programming for ALL OF THEIR STATIONS! Hahahahaha.
saw this posting on the Michigan Radio and TV Buzzboard
Deletehttp://www.mibuzzboard.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=501081&sid=d4a806c13a7d3731ec6e786171d10c55
"word out of San Francisco is he (Bloomquist) was having an affair with the APD in San Fran but before that with another woman reporting to him in Atlanta who after being fired threatened Cumulus of legal action. He resigned and if not Cumulus was going to fire him. The day he resigned the APD was fired. Cumulus being a public company had substantial legal exposure."
Anyone know about the female employee in Atlanta? I don't see how Bloomquist's resignation or firing would get them off the hook if the harassment took place while he was still there.
Randall Bloomquist did indeed leave for "family reasons". The Dickey Family realized he's totally incompetent.
ReplyDeleteWhat's next? Karel as Operations Director? (maybe I shouldn't give anybody ideas).
ReplyDeleteWhat a mess!
Is Cumulus secretly running the 49ers?
ReplyDeleteAll kidding aside I really feel bad for the staff that has to endure this clusterfuck of an operation. I've been in that type of situation where management gets blown out unexpectedly and having to go to work. Not a good feeling
ReplyDeleteEric B, I feel bad for the staff, too. I feel bad for the listeners - I am one.
DeleteBut, this isn't "a situation where management gets blown out unexpectedly...." Including the gentleman who died (for which I offer my condolences), it's been a never ending melee.
"A Day At The Radio Station - with the Marx Brothers." Rufus T. Firefly, PD, of the month.
No. Sorry. That would, actually, be entertaining.
More Weintraub and Pussy talk is the key baby! The Bay Area has tons of educated young folks who don't want intelligent radio. Noooo! They want chef ryan Scott saying dude every ten seconds and they want pussy talk! I'm sure Lowenstein will say the latest moves are great and the station is moving in the right direction. From #4 to #22 and soon in the #100s if they go that low! Lmao
ReplyDeleteOccasionally drop in on Ronnnnnn to see if anyone's subbing I can stand to listen to. Yesterday was right wing bigot sub day. Some guy bashing black people for dividing the country with the protests. Callers would disagree and he'd back off then start bashing black people after they hung up. The guy sounded bipolar. Guess these clowns don't know their market. Listened to a couple callers before going to the Bloomberg station. I am done with KGO. Out of touch, out of time.
ReplyDeleteWhy does this column obsess about KGO. There are dozens of more relevant stations to write about.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Because a 50,000 Watt blowtorch Legacy Radio Station has gone to crap that's why. Before I moved to the West Coast, people like me used to listen to Airchecks of this great radio station. Now I sit here watching it's slow painful death....
DeleteAll Cumulus 50,000 Watt AM's are in the toilet not just KGO. WABC in New York, WLS in Chicago, WBAP in Dallas. The only one with its head above water is WJR in Detroit. They have very strong long term morning and PM drive talent. Paul W. Smith in AM and Cumulus gave him a 7 year contract. Mitch Albom bestselling author, sports columnist.
DeleteWhat I tell broadcast enterprises to save radio it must look back before moving forward.
Thirty years ago I lived in Seattle and it was a treat at late at night when KGO would come in and I got to hear about San Francisco and California. I listened ever since. Well, until 2011 when the implosion started. I just can't now. I keep hoping to hear some good news about it but there never is.
DeleteI'm not surprised there's a lot of interest in KGO. Very few radio stations have had the decades-long connection with their community that KGO had. From the days of Ira Blue to the days of Gene Burns, KGO was the place to turn for intelligent conversation about what was going on. I became hooked on KGO in high school (on the Oregon Coast) and it's the listening I did then that inspired me to go into radio as my own career. The events of December 2011 were all the more disturbing because, imho, KGO was the last talk station of it's type in America, and one of a handful in the world. (like LBC in London) So, for a lot of us, it is a big deal. I completely understand that everyone doesn't feel the same way. I wouldn't care if every sports talk station on the planet went away, but I understand that would be a big deal for some people. Isn't it the connection we feel with radio that allows radio to succeed?
ReplyDeleteVery well said 8:40!
DeleteIt is indeed difficult to watch the utter deterioration of what was once considered among the very finest broadcast operations in America. The industry often heaped praise on what was one of the top 3 or 4 stations nationally that uniquely served its community while at the same time generated torrents of revenue. I can recall when KGO was on the list of the top ten revenue generating stations in America. It was certainly #1 in that category for years in San Francisco. With that success came an attendant unbroken string of 50 or so Arbitron quarterly diary rating results of the station being #1 (total persons 12+). It was a national record that remains unbroken today.
DeleteDitto 8:40.... The only thing I could add to your comments (for those who didn't experience KGO through the 70's, 80's, 90's and 2000's) is that "you had to be there". It wasn't all good but I have clear memories of Al "Jazzbo" Collins, Les Crane, the incredible Jim Dunbar and the list goes on and on! The only "huge" programming mistake that I can recall was keeping Bernie Ward on the air for several years after it became obvious that he was in some sort of an ugly decline. This was long before his arrest and incarceration. What an education and entertainment we were presented with and could participate in. Such a loss.
ReplyDeleteRich, I'd like to go on record to say that I believe Ronn is a good guy. Every time I'm on the show, he gets a lot of emails asking for help. He answers them all, forwarding to me any that would benefit from my input.
ReplyDeleteIs he a humble guy? Not really but he deserves a certain amount of pride. Indeed, some of that is required to go on the air and opine on all manner of things to a large audience, day in and day out for decades. Additionally, he really has contributed an enormous amount to the Bay Area. In an environment so sullied by relentless political correctness, he remains a voice of moderation and uncommon sense.
By the way, Rich, I still recall with pleasure, our walk together. You too, despite having detractors and your being critical when you feel you must, are at root, a good guy.
This story came to light again today across the country in Atlanta on 106.7 FM. http://www.newsradio1067.com/the-kimmer-show/
ReplyDelete