And just like that --he gone!
Karel was just let go by KGO Radio and is no longer working at the SF talk station effective immediately.
Several theories as to why. But I just got the news from my Hawthorne source.
*We'll update later as news trickles in.
*Follow me on Twitter
UPDATE: The memo that went out to staff earlier today (Wednesday) from Jim Mahanay, KGO manager--
"Good afternoon, We've made some changes in our weekend programming. Effective this weekend John Batchelor will air from 10pm-5am Saturday. Kim Kommando will now air 7-10pm on Sunday. Karel is no longer part of our weekend programming. We will be sending a new weekend schedule to everyone shortly."
Thanks all, Jim--
Jim Mahanay
UPDATE 2: 5: 26 PM PT
Statement from Karel:
"KGO Radio has made the decision to sell their weekends to pay-for-play shows and fully syndicated shows in order to generate revenues. They are beginning this transition to paid programming by getting rid of me. Effective immediately, I will not be on KGO."
UPDATE: The memo that went out to staff earlier today (Wednesday) from Jim Mahanay, KGO manager--
"Good afternoon, We've made some changes in our weekend programming. Effective this weekend John Batchelor will air from 10pm-5am Saturday. Kim Kommando will now air 7-10pm on Sunday. Karel is no longer part of our weekend programming. We will be sending a new weekend schedule to everyone shortly."
Thanks all, Jim--
Jim Mahanay
UPDATE 2: 5: 26 PM PT
Statement from Karel:
"KGO Radio has made the decision to sell their weekends to pay-for-play shows and fully syndicated shows in order to generate revenues. They are beginning this transition to paid programming by getting rid of me. Effective immediately, I will not be on KGO."
"Martha, throw out the cheese 'cause the biggest whine I know is gone."
ReplyDeleteGOOD! The reign of terror is over. Is that other loser Mel Baker gone too? Hope so. They were both just horrible hate spewing losers. The world is a little better place.
ReplyDeleteNo, Mel is not gone. And he's not a loser either. I'm a colleague of his, and anyone who knows him knows he's thoughtful, funny and very good at what he does. I know Lieberman probably won't post this, but I wanted him to know that based on all the nasty things he's said about him in the past.
DeleteAll I know about Mel Baker is from that KGO rally shortly after the bloodbath several years ago. I had never heard of Rich at the time either but Rich was MCing the event. When Mel showed up, fire in his eyes, Rich graciously handed the mike over to him. Mel proceeded to lambast and insult the small crowd who had merely shown up to quietly voice their outrage at the firings. We were all stunned at his anger and venom!
DeleteOTOH, John Rothman made a short, eloquent, and classy statement to the crowd.
I only experienced Mel Baker once. That was enough for me!
Mel has talked about that time, and even though he says it wasn't his proudest moment, he was angry about the hundreds of people calling the station and yelling at the employees (as if we had ANY control whatsoever after the firing). I think a lot of people expected everybody to storm out after the talk show hosts got fired. This isn't a movie. That's not how things work. In radio, formats change. And that's what Mel was trying to convey to the crowd. Radio stations letting masses of people go isn't out of the ordinary. Anyone who has been in radio for a long time knows that. Anyone who for fired didn't expect us to walk out on their behalf, so it was infuriating when strangers would call the newsroom and scream at us to do so. It was an unfortunate situation, but that's now radio works.
DeleteI was there when Mel Baker wearing a trench coat verbally assaulted us. This jerk had the gal to say he had been fired dozens of times and that's the way it is in the radio business. What a tone deaf jerk! KGO wasn't just any radio station. It was the benchmark. It was the gold standard. We were there to voice our outrage that a great station had been decimated and this moron attacked us because random people called his line? Nobody knew who this bum was at the rally! Why would any of us call him? Take a hike Baker.
DeleteTrust me. No one in our building knew nor cared who he was before that incident either. A part timer who benefitted from the bloodbath that happened in October before the December firings. He was not someone that the previous regime counted on.
DeleteWith the horrific programing and lengthy paid ads that have been replacing the talk hosts, I'm almost sorry to see him go!
ReplyDeleteSame here, sorry to see him go. Ever since Gene Burns was let go I have slowly began to hate this station. When I tuned in yesterday (2/28/15) and no Karel. I said later for this station $@@^$. and hung in there. They got ride of Prof Brent Walters, and replace him with what we really loved YEAH- more crappy news, that repeats itself with the same stuff all day long.
DeleteSo now other than listening to KQED and KPFA out of Berkley (really good)
I'm tuning into foreign radio stations like the 4 versions of the BBC, and will look for other English speaking stations. Tired of US run media commerical crap!.
BUT - not to pick nits - the memo as quoted above says Karel "is no longer part of our week-end programming". Sooooo - what if they're "programming" him at some other time?? I know I know.....not likely. So - another "era" thankfully ends. Having said that - I must confess I did listen occasionally. But I've never heard of either of the guys mentioned above and probably will not even give them a "first listen".
ReplyDeleteTHERE IS A GOD! Thank you Cumulus! Thank you FCC! (more on this later) and thank you Rich! Let's have a parade!
ReplyDeleteI agree. Happy happy joy joy happy happy joy joy happy happy joy joy!!!
DeleteDropping an F Bomb really didn't help his case either
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your pay for play shows bitches!
ReplyDeleteHi Karel! Little pissed, are we??
DeleteHuh?. Batchelor and Kommando pay to be on the air??
DeleteThey are quite the pair....he's boring as all get out and she's way too hyper. I'd started to listen to KGO only for the morning traffic - alternating between them and KCBS until the commute is over and then it's over to 910 for the rest of the time.-- and it was only by accident I heard Christine Craft on Saturday -- refreshing to hear her again. That Angie Coyro was boring too -- and I've only been listening to Pat Thurston when I remember to change the channel from KCBS. Thank goodness for 910 -- at least they have some smarts....now if only they'd hire Jon Rothman full time.
DeleteKarel was Fired Once before and KGO Rehired him. Hopefully being Fired for a 2nd Time will be the Bay Area's Radio Listener's Lucky Charm. Good Riddance Karel
ReplyDeleteIt was amusing to hear him proclaim on the air, ""I AM KAREL!!"
ReplyDeleteGood night funny man. :---(
Batchelor >>> Karel
ReplyDeleteNow, let the REAL "Fear Monster" Pity Party begin! He has but one true station left in is stupid one hour "poscast". Maybe he will show up at KSCO! Hal dumped him months ago from the station at 540 before it was sold. So did WWRL in NY and Energy in SF. Guess that means no trip to Ireland, unless Huffington Post pays, but since he doesn't get paid there, probably not.
ReplyDeleteKommando is pretty good (and hot looking.) Batchelor, for 7 hours, not so much.
There are "back stories" to come. WLS in Chicago did the same last week as the weekend axe fell there, too. But this surely was no an unexpected or unprecedented move. One does not say "FUCK" on the radio, then do it twice, followed by a "freakin'" like he did last Sunday,
Couldn't happen to a gayer man lover. Let's see his pal David bail him out of this. Ding dong the creepy gay guy is dead on KGO!
Now, let's see if they can fix that DreX crap weeknights. Heather, too.
Woop! Not a good way to go into bankruptcy, for sure, Karel!
noKGO
Karel and KGO Part Ways…Again
By Charles Karel Bouley on February 26, 2015 Listen, Read, Recent
FIRST! Subscribe to my PODCAST NOW
KGO Radio has made the decision to sell their weekends to pay-for-play shows and fully syndicated shows in order to generate revenues. They are beginning this transition to paid programming by getting rid of me. Effective immediately, I will not be on KGO.
It’s no secret this comes on the heels of me filing bankruptcy. Haters will revel in this and denounce me and my show. Others will pity me and say what a shame. And yes, the fear monster has already moved in. I remember being on unemployment, missing bills, counting money before going to the grocery store to make sure I didn’t go over. At 52 I don’t want to go back there and something like this jostles you. But it can also motivate you to come back stronger and bigger than ever.
So others will help me when I launch my Crowdfunding campaign for both the Karel Cast and the TV show Life In Segments. The TV and podcast will go hand in hand.
Friday the campaign launches. The goal is lofty, $100k or more. But it’s up to progressives, open-mined individuals who want a fun podcast as well as a fun TV show to support someone that wants nothing more than to continue giving it to them.
Of course, the Karel Cast will still air Monday Through Friday, all that changes is KGO.
Here’s to a bright 2015 of reinvention and success for us all! See ya!
Karel
.
This is so G.D. offensive. GET A F&#@ING JOB YOU LOSER. How bout you actually make a contribution to society other than spewing hate.
DeletePlease do not send this moron a single cent.
I was listening to Karel this weekend and I have no sympathy. He's a rude jerk to callers and his constant know it all interruptions of guests is grating. Good luck raising $100k buddy. I would've donated $100 right away to Gene Burns or Bernie Ward through Crowdfunding. A jerk like Karel engenders no good will so as far as I'm concerned he can go f-himself. Btw what is the current status of Karel's upcoming red carpet performance at Planet Gemini in Monterey?
DeleteNow just get rid of Pat Thurston! Her behavior is not unlike a primary school prima donna who runs to the powers that be whenever a "colleague" hurts her feelings. Saw her at an "all stars" live broadcast where she addressed a former engineer/producer - who she had replaced - as an ASS. Turns out she was upset because he'd connected her with callers that she couldn't handle. It would be great to see her go.
DeleteWhile I am a frequent critic of Karel,. I get no pleasure out of this. It was way overdue, though.
ReplyDelete"They are beginning this transition to paid programming by getting rid of me" uh, wrong. As usual it is all about Karel. Several shows had been affected before his firing. If he honestly believes that paid programming is what caused his firing he is delusional. Well, more delusional than normal.
The short clips I have heard of Kim Kommando I have found irritating, so I can't see tuning in,. Plus, I really have not much interest in tech anymore. A tech show does make sense in this area.
Jo0hn Batchelor for seven hours? Maybe they are planning on making him the next Dr Gene Scott. No matter what time you tune in, there he is,.
Let's get one thing straight. Podcasts do not work.
ReplyDeleteLenny the Lawyer tried podcasts after KGO fired him and it totally flopped. Karel needs to be live on the air. Forget about the podcast dreams.
Sure. Tell that to Marc Maron, Serial, Radiotopia, 99% Invisible, Citizen Radio ... all the podcast "failures".
DeleteSo for 5 successes you have 100 failures
DeleteRead david weintraub's blog on this from his Facebook page. Glad he's willing to talk about what happened at KGO.
DeleteI've not heard of any of them.
DeleteWhat's his blog? Maybe post it here?
DeleteWeintraub? The guy who got fired for lack of talent is suddenly an expert on why KGO sucks? Wasn't he supposed to be the new young and hip voice of the millenials? He was the supposed to be the savior for whom the millennials would drop their iPhones and make his show "appointment radio"? When will I wake up from this nightmare!!???
Deleteyou obviously have a grudge but no info and don't work for cumulus. he was fired for taking on the new boss and his girlfriend renee. those are the facts. you must be a blowenstein fan! Davidweintraub.com
DeleteI'd like to know why he's not on for ed Baxter anymore
Weintraub was here for all of 5 minutes. Please stop giving that Jersey trash any ink. He has no idea what it was like to work at KGO. The REAL KGO.
Deletehe's not on for ed baxter because he's a jerkoff!
DeleteHe's not a jerk at all. He's actually very considerate off air (not that I think he's a jerk on air).
DeleteWhat took KGO so long?
ReplyDeleteI would rather listen to hours of KNBR's morning lineup than one minute of Karel.
Cue a new take of Daryl Hall & John Oates; "He's Gone" Oh my, I gotta learn how to face it!......... It'll take The Devil to replace him!........What went wrong?
ReplyDeleteI feel pity, what a shame.
ReplyDeleteLikewise. Just can't bring myself to celebrate someone's unemployment.
DeleteIf you can't celebrate Karel's radio demise then you haven't been paying attention. I was a big fan when he first appeared on KGO but as the years passed his transformation into a self-centered, opportunistic and rude jerk became too much. After the mass firing of the great hosts Karel invited them to his weekday show and hardly let them talk! It was basically Karel interviewing Karel and none of the hosts could get a word in before getting interrupted by this red carpet bagger. I could go on and on...
DeleteIt was his weekly poor me pity parties that drove me nuts -- as soon as I heard him I changed the dial
DeleteI bet he completely blast KGO on his next podcast. Could be fun to "salt" his calls....
ReplyDeleteWhere is Steve Lightfoot when you need him???
This really isn't about Karel. This is about a lowlife bottom feeding company(cumulus) that has spent three years destroying what was a great radio station.
ReplyDeleteGod.....how I hate them!!!
That's it, right there. KGO was a broad brush broadcasting station in the Bay area tra dition of early FM radio. where else could you get Wattenburg, Taliaferro, Nemko, Craft, Burns it was broad, open hand broadcasting and local flavored. Not now.
DeleteIt's done. Over and Out.
Who's the female on with DreX now? Didn't take them long to realize DreX can't handle going solo. Newsman John Lobertini has been part of the show too. And once a week DreX only gets 30 minutes due to Cal basketball. What a mess.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Karel's program BJP (before Joe the Plumber). I participated in the chat room that ran concurrent with the broadcasts. I was very sorry to see him lose his job, and was delighted to hear that he had been re-hired.
ReplyDeleteSomething changed. Wit, and biting-but-targeted sarcasm, turned to nastiness and self serving rants.
I only listened for about a month, after his return. And, given comments that I've heard and read, I'm not surprised at this dismissal.
It's too bad, The funny, social minded, Karel presented a good program.
"The goal is lofty, $100k or more. But it’s up to progressives, open-mined individuals who want a fun podcast as well as a fun TV show to support someone that wants nothing more than to continue giving it to them."
NO, Karel. It's up to YOU to get over yourself, and present a product that will appeal, and be relevant.
"
Loser. Go buy a ship and broadcast out in the Pacific as a pirate station. Maybe the sharks and whales can hear you.
ReplyDeleteShe will be missed.
ReplyDeleteKarel's looks like a bum in his publicity photo.
ReplyDeleteWhat is with this tough guy stare? So are we suppose to be impressed that you haven't shaved in the past week?
The publicity photo is not a recent picture. These days he is clean shaven, wears his hair differently and has gained quite a bit of weight.
DeleteAgreed. This is an old picture. Those of us unfortunate enough to have seen Karel via his webcast doing his trademark cobra sway can testify he has gained at least a couple of hundred pounds. All we heard was excuse after excuse for his fat ass. Go to the farmers market honey! $60 a week is all you need and you can buy a ton of healthy vegetables from the farmers themselves.
Deletenow it's time to get rid of the house wife from Marin
ReplyDeleteWicked cool idea
DeleteDon't listen to the housewife from Marin, you obviously don't like her, or perhaps it is women you don't like, or is it liberals. Whatever it is, I presume you are not forced to listen, so just turn to another station, or turn off the radio, there are plenty of us who like Pat Thurston. We have lost Gene Burns, John Rothmann, and Christine Kraft (for the most part) so let us have Pat, and you find something else to do when she is on, since you obviously are hostile to her.
ReplyDeletePlenty listen to the housewife from Marin? I don't think so, 10:02 pm. Not with a 1.9 share. PT is an idiot from way beyond the left. She's a whack-job lib with no sense. And it's "Craft", not "Kraft". I'll listen to what I want and you listen to what you want, that's fair. She's on the list to get canned, too. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteSilly people haha go buy a hug :)
DeleteTonight, I tuned in to listen to Karel on KGO like I have for several years. I was very sad to hear that Karel is no longer with KGO. He was very honest, intelligent and told it like it was I have no desire to listen to the other talk show host or KGO radio.
ReplyDeleteUsually, Pat does a great job interviewing guests. Under those circumstances, she brings on knowledgeable people and takes on controversial subjects and LISTENS to what they have to say. The talk stuff... not her passion, I would guess with all the constraints management has put on her. Not big on her giddy side. I think she's better than that. If they ax her, I shudder to think what they will do with weekend late afternoon/nights. More infomercials? Gad zooks.
ReplyDeleteHow can management make such a mess of a station once so great. It boggles the mind.
Re: Karel... as somebody said, no pleasure in someone's misfortune but, personally, I long ago grew tired of his self centered, monologue for hours on end. I realized quite some time ago that the aggravation I began to experience while he was on the air was caused by the way he ran his show - especially when he interviewed (himself) under the guise of interviewing other people. I often found myself shouting at the radio "Let THEM talk for Chrissakes." That was when I'd hit the "off" button. Maybe he'll learn something from this and come out better for the experience. Thank heaven for public radio.
I agree, Karel was honest ~ to a fault; too much information (of a personal nature). One can take the "no shame to my game" to an exaggerated extreme. But, to constantly put your laundry out to dry takes guts ~ either that or it's all part of the self aggrandizement syndrome that seems to be such a huge part of his personality. Look, it works for some people but for a radio station of KGO's (former) stature and considering the listening audience it seemed he was no longer a good fit. Somebody said "in the beginning..." yes, in the beginning, I was smitten with Karel. He was a breath of fresh air. Life happens. Maybe all of his losses in life finally took a toll. But a radio station reaching so far and wide is not the best place to work out all of your insecurities and I think under it all, Karel is extremely insecure. A very sensitive soul under it all but too much crap layer upon layer to cover it up and he lost his initial charm for me. I wish him well. He has so much going for him that, tailored correctly, he could shine rather than wear so thin. One thing that really bothered me was Karel crying poor (hardly) when really, (truly) poor people would say the man lives rather large whether those 'toys' in life were gifts or whatever. One doesn't have to be wealthy to be rich. Karel has more than many, many people if one is to believe all his talk about trips, bikes, newest electronic gadgetry, etc. There! I've said it. Wanted to for a long time, but I'll also say this: I can't remember ever running across an individual so adept at self promotion. Pretty amazing actually. Good luck Karel.
DeleteI have just programmed 910 AM radio into my... radio. Think I will give that an ear when I am not listening to NPR... Maybe KGO will one day figure out that not everything is a matter of being at the top of ratings (since that position seems to be eluding them now anyway) and sometimes being in the middle is more than adequate. After all, there are more of us in the middle than at the top! And I find it hard to imagine their "stock" is benefiting from all this screwing around with the format.
DeleteRemember a few years ago when KGO was a great radio station.
ReplyDeleteyes, miss it every day.
DeleteThey should put Pat Thurston on Monday thru Friday. I have been listening to her since she was on KPIX.
ReplyDeleteToo bad Karel let drugs and alcohol destroy him because he could be quite entertaining when sober. I figured he was on the skids when no one would sponsor his traditional St. Patrick's Day jaunt to Ireland this year. KSFO psychos Michael Savage and Brian Sussman should follow him down the drain.
ReplyDeleteKGO is definitely history for me now. I never could stand 1970's relic Pat Thurston, pretentious weirdo John Batchelor with his irritating voice or phony-perky Kim Kommando. I remember when she came onto the radio broadcast scene way back in the 1990's and disliked her from the start. She's still the worst of the computer news reporters. All she does is read stale Internet copy found by her minions.
Whoever was lamenting the late Golden Age of San Francisco, I totally hear you. So many great names and places gone forever. Uniquely classy ones that were destroyed by sterile yuppies and hipsters and hostile aliens.
I agree that they should put Pat Thurston on Monday through Friday. Although I don't always agree with her, I like Christine Kraft. I'm embarrassed for KGO Management for broadcasting infomercials on the Weekend. They feel Sleezy!!!! I agree that it was time for Karel to go. The focus of Karel's Show was ONLY on Karel. Extending John Bachelors' and rebroadcasting Ronn Owens' Shows are ways of filling time. Bring some new talk show talents to KGO - Asian, Latina, Native American. The Bay Area is rich with very bright, articulate people. Give some other people a chance to become Talk Show Talents!!!!
ReplyDeleteTim Cook should call Karel and offer him a job, after all the free ads he was giving to this company!
ReplyDelete