As some sage observer wryly pointed out to me, maybe "there's something in the water there"--in this case, it would be at 855 Battery: home to KPIX.
Another TV anchor is pregnant: Elizabeth Cook. Her first.
My 5 spy is everywhere.
Cook is part of "baby-talk central"--she joins Michelle Griego and Elizabeth Wenger, who are also expecting.
MEDIA NOTES FRIDAY
*Never met Erica Kato but by all accounts a really nice person and cheerful woman, KRON's loss, Erica, go out and breathe some fresh air.
*I have no idea how and why KSFO has been running old and outdated "Melanie Morgan--Brian Sussman promos." Morgan left the show back in July, 2013. I don't think they're coffee buddies, just a hunch.
*Desperate local weather people: "we can report some sprinkles are possible Sunday Night, but only a 10% chance and mostly in the North Bay." Thanks for providing us such informative updates. Fill more time.
*From a local radio broadcast observer about a certain painful, new local nighttime "talk-show": "It's bad when the show is merely awful and gets poor reviews--it's worse that it's so bad people just haven't even talked about it."
*Chip Franklin: started fast out of the gate but limped coming into the stretch.
*I would write more about FM radio in this town if their were something to write about other than Jack Kulp/KOIT and KCSM.
*Noted without comment: They were playing hip hop music under a concert tickets giveaway on the KGO Radio Morning News Friday.
*"I'm Jason Middleton, LIVE in the studio." As opposed to live from the parking lot. Thanks Jason.
*First known impression about the new Cumulus SF Cluster building on Battery: the coffee sucks.
*Voting for a union is one thing--negotiating a contract? Good luck.
*The only show on KPIX that did OK during sweeps was the noon news which has an older demo.
*Listen to a Savage monologue some day and understand why he's the best storyteller on radio. That doesn't mean you have to like him.
*Follow me on Twitter
*415 Media
Rich Lieberman
Rich, you always say, in effect "Savage-he's a great talker, even if he's not everybody's cup of tea/even if his rants are nonsense half the time/even if you can't stand him." Always with the qualifications. How much different would it be if he consistently had an interesting show without the crazy?
ReplyDeletere: TV weather. I'm I the only one who recalls when KPIX had a viewer contest Be the Weather Guy when Joel Bartlett went on vacation in the summer. Someone figured out summer weather in Bay Area-cloudy with deep marine layer-SF 62 degrees-Oakland 71-everywhere else 80 to 90 degrees. Rinse-repeat. Rinse, and they didn't repeat it.
What Rich is saying is what we all have- the funny racist relative who's ultra whatever your culture or religion is. 'We invented" "The world wouldn't have"..and of course, "They are jealous of us!". And yeah,he cracks you up. And the stories also invoke Moms cooking,growing up..
DeleteI met the type a few times. In all cultures.
But,if your not laughing then I guess you're on the other side of the insults..
Regarding the Dreckman: : "It's bad when the show is merely awful and gets poor reviews--it's worse that it's so bad people just haven't even talked about it."
ReplyDeleteThis means Dreckman is officially worse than Whinesob, Mo Langden and the Chef Scott since we constantly voice how much they suck! I forgot the Dreckman was on after listening to his first show. As the bloated one would say: "nobody cares".
"*"I'm Jason Middleton, LIVE in the studio." As opposed to live from the parking lot. Thanks Jason."
ReplyDeleteIn the 90's there was a KGO Radio reporter who often did reports from a news car that was parked in front of the building. She would sign off " _____ _____, reporting LIVE, for KGO Radio news." She'd omit any venue identification, making it sound as if she were on the scene of the event."
"I'm Jason Middleton, DEAD in the studio." Just sayin'
DeleteRich, I don't get it. Are you promoting Savage or making excuses for him?
ReplyDeleteAbandon all hope ye who enter KPIX at 5pm weekdays - Liz is forever.
ReplyDeleteI mean, who'd fire a preggers mom? The inhumanity.
At least we will get the maternity leave
DeleteMen can get maternity leave, too, I found out recently.
DeleteI've worked with Erica over the past few years and let me tell you the type of person she really was:
ReplyDeleteEK was the type to write her own scripts and even put in the codes for all of her on-air hits
EK was the type of employee to work a 20 hour day because another weather person was playing hooky, and then come back and do it again the next day
EK was the only one sending out breaking news alerts- fires, shootings, big accidents when no one else bothered to pay attention to the news
EK was the type to break her neck to help George or James in a pinch, helping them with their graphics or maps on-air, or putting their hits in the rundown for them
Hell, I even saw her hold open a door for a janitor once
We miss the hell out of her already. I really hope this means bigger and better things for her career.
You mean Darya doesn't act like that? I'm surprised.
DeleteSometimes bad things happen to good people. I hope this opens up a better opportunity for Erica.
DeleteOld news here but it seems the station is really in trouble. There's an amateurishness about the newscasts, almost looks cable access. It has that look of someone in the back office asking everyone to do more and more with less and less.
DeleteWhat happened to Erica is a shame. I hope she sticks around.
Agreed on Chip Franklin. I want to like him but hes so biased to the left and constantly downing the evil boogeyman Republicans that I turn the channel.
ReplyDeleteIs dropping an S bomb live on air still against the rules?
Yes, I noticed that about Chip Franklin, and funny you should mention it, but when he was in San Diego he was quite to the right.
DeleteI find Chip Franklin to be a very suspicions person and do not buy a lot of what he has to say. There is a "protests too much" aspect to him, but I also think he is playing to the perceived audience of the bay area.
DeleteInteresting. Seems very hypocritical of him to go from right to left to cater to an audience.
DeleteDidn't that moron Dennis Miller do something similar? On SNL he was a flaming liberal then decided to become a HARD right winger? Most of the radio "personalities" just put on an act for ratings. The good ones can change it and spice it up. Hacks do the same garbage over and over and over again. Ditto all personalities on KSCO. Except of course Dick Lieberman which is why they hate him down there. He brings a different flavor to the table and the Santa Cruz pot head/white trash/libertarian/mountain types hate him. He goes over their heads! They'd rather hear Charles Freedman droning on and on 24/7 about how Obama is the root of all evil.
DeleteChip has decided to do what he thinks the audience likes. It's why he's a nobody.
DeleteStations, I presume are always looking for cost cutting measures. Why not cut out the weather person? our weather is consistent and boring. Let the anchor take 30 seconds to tell us that there are no changes in the weather the next day.
ReplyDeleteThey tried that at WCBS TV in New York way back in the '70's when Gordon Barnes did their 6pm & 11pm weather. For the 11pm newscast with Dave Marash and Rolland Smith they would just read the forecast, sometimes making jokes, such as "remember that yesterday we said today would be sunny? Fooled you!". Too many viewers complained so it didn't last long.
DeleteA cost saving would have been letting go of the most expensive morning KRON anchor but then her boss has to pay for all her "work"
DeleteHow the relationship between Pero and a subordinate is allowed to go on is beyond me. Hellooooo conflict of interest much? What kind of company allows that? Get a clue Media General!
DeleteSports at KRON is much more likely to be cut.
DeleteTV News consultants make weather the priority.
KRON is for sale....
So trim up the payroll anywhere you can.
Get used to seeing Raddy on KGO-7...unless KRON cans him first.
Sports is a guy thing. It's expendable. The emphasis is on females 25-54.
DeleteKSFO may have a mild case of "Missin' Melanie" Blues. This may be their first, albeit clumsy attempt to extend an olive branch and woo her back 'with the team'. "Wd U KFC w/ME?..... Good Times, Mel, remember all the 'fun' we had together? Maybe Little Green is getting offers elsewhere, allowing her to break a couple of Glass Ceilings.
ReplyDeleteMelanie will return to KSFO morning drive when Lee Rodgers does.
DeleteExcellent reporting. We need to know who is knocked up.
ReplyDeleteLOL
DeleteI can read to scandalous information...follow the money.
DeleteThe last two days, I drove a car that didn't have satellite radio so I was "forced" to listen to the dreck on the airwaves. A few quick impressions:
ReplyDelete* THE GAME: They're trying. Too many gimmicks on the morning show (those "funny" sound bites). The interviews (Chuck Pagano) were good. Damon Bruce is 10 times better than Frick and Frack on the other station, but knows dog poop about geography. Hey Brucie Boy, Winnipeg is nowhere near Detroit. Not even in the same time zone. You really were drunk that night, weren't ya?
* KCBS: solid as always but too repetitive, which is the nature of the programming. John Madden sounds bored.
* KNBR: wanted to listen, but they were in commercial – big surprise since that takes up nearly half of an hour of their programming.
* RONN LOWENSTEIN: go home, putz. Your voice sounds so disinterested and bored. You’re just collecting your paycheck. You used to be good. Stay home and shave Jan’s legs.
* CONCLUSION: radio over-the-airwaves sucks. Glad I got my car back today. Now I can listen to satellite.
Cool story bro.
DeletePerhaps it is boredom, but I also wonder about Madden's health. He is about to turn 79, he has been quite overweight his entire adult life, and he was a highly stressed smoker and workaholic when he coached. Madden must have some good genes, as he is (thankfully) still around with all of those risk factors. But to my ear, he has sounded burned out/fatigued at times in recent years.
DeleteI turn on the radio as background noise when I am working on things, so I end up with Drex on once in a while. I already listened to his first show and realized how bad he was. He continues to get worse. It is utter crap radio. And then there is the boast of "the only live and local talk show in the bay area." While a true statement it is a sad statement and not one that should be boasted about. Drex and his sidekick are pure drivel. The laughter over the clips so we can tell how funny the clip is supposed to be. Pure genius. Idiotic voices. Ho ho. What, no bulb horn? The fact that this idiot has a show on KGO just shows that the medium really is dead, and that is sad. I don't listen to "wacky-nutty" morning shows for a reason; they are pure crap. When will he start doing fake prank calls? Better to have a little boy playing radio in the shed in the back yard. Oh, wait...
ReplyDeleteLiz Cook is Prego? You mean to tell me that daddy bought her the Pasta Sauce Company?
ReplyDeleteLiz is so dreamy and such a doll.I don't know why you guys pick on her.
ReplyDeleteIt's because Liz Cook is dumb. I'm not just say she's "dumb" to be funny or mean. She literally is dumb when it comes to the news business. If you worked in the news industry and look at her, you would understand.
DeleteShe seems to have it figured out. Get Daddy to get you a job you are not qualified for then when things go south get pregnant so they cant let you go
DeleteI work for Cumulus and I have to tell ya Rich, the new radio digs on Battery street are a lot pretty nicer than the spartan surroundings of 55 Hawthorne The new studio for KGO is very well lit and has a nice view of Broadway, the parking set up across the street and one block up isn't too bad, and all of the equipment is new and thus far, flawless. It's also fun to see our friends from KFOG, KNBR, the Ticket, the Bone and KSFO just down the hall. One big happy family!
ReplyDelete