CAN IT GET ANY WORSE AT KGO RADIO?Yes, check the latest radio ratings.
Mind you, nobody should be surprised. Then again, if I hear correctly and I've heard a lot lately, the mood around the studios has never been more down and out.
A staffer who has worked at the beleaguered 810 AM outpost tells me that morale is at its lowest --"even the most optimistic person is in the dumps."
There's been talk that KGO management is quietly and incrementally planning on changes but most people in and around the biz say other than a complete overhaul (and even that can't help) there's no way KGO can be headed in the right path. Said a veteran broadcast observer: "There's no there
there."
On the rumor mill:
*The mish-mash catastrophe at night from 7-10 PM the "Drex Show" is about to be completely reworked and reinvented --maybe rebranded with KGO class yenta, Maureen Langan who's been filling in a lot lately for the talent-impaired yutz who currently occupies the microphone.
*Both the AM and PM news blocks saw significant drop in listeners, particularly in the morning. Maybe we can all come to the consensus that people are tired of the gigglers.
*Ronn Owens status: we'll talk about this at a future time but the mystery surrounding Owens finale is starting to make the rounds. Owens still makes money for the company but his numbers have deteriorated to the point where he's getting killed at 9-Noon. Both KNBR (sports) and even Rush Limbaugh beat Ronn now.
This much is clear. Owens will celebrate his 40th anniversary in November. There's already talk that Cumulus will roll out an honor for him and he'll say goodbye. This guy is waiting in the wings.
*The newsroom is a state of complete confusion and most of the staff is fed up with the boss, the clueless one, Deb Munroe. To put it bluntly, Munroe has lost the newsroom. Her loyalists even admit that Munroe continues to befuddle staff with incoherent management, questionable judgment and a favoritism that borders on the ridiculous.
Says a newsroom vet: "She has all the right intentions but she just can't lead, she can't. And when she tries one of her 'experiments, the whole menu gets worse. You can't fix something that was already broken."
Make no mistake, there are quality people--reporters, anchors, at KGO. The problems--and there are plenty--is that so many of the problems can't be quickly remedied and therefore, the frustration factor has settled in. "Are we a talk station or a news station?", asks a longtime employee. And therein lies part of KGO's problem--after experiment and throwing fecal matter up against the wall, no one knows the direction of the station.
Furthermore, mild tinkering with staff hasn't worked. KGO has been trying desperately to infuse younger, more "creative" air talent into the schedule, like, for instance, Jason Middleton, the tech and business reporter. Middleton can be interesting every now and then with his intriguing takes on the market and business, but at times, his delivery sounds forced and contrived. Plus, listener cohesion with new air talent takes time to percolate. Probably not enough time, unfortunately, for KGO management.
Larger issues confront the 810 AM juggernaut --like, what's going on at weekends? The current commitment to five hours of morning news both Saturday and Sunday is admirable but the increased amount of infomercials and taped, out-of-market, fake talk shows is beginning to take its toll.
KGO long ago lost its soul. Now, officially, looks as if the handwriting is on the wall.
*Follow me on Twitter
Didn't they recently move into a multi-buck studio? For what? Running tape?
ReplyDeleteI often listen to a UK station live show and they run easily less than half of the hourly commercials. The frequency of commercial breaks here get me to tune in elsewhere.
This and the dwindling live content, let alone talent, is KGO's death knell.
You know it's bad when Radnich beats Owens in the ratings, for as Jack Ruby once said, "Do I get a medal for this?"
ReplyDeleteKate you're the cutest tomboy in the Bay Area
DeleteI'd put money on Ronn hanging on to get 40 years in the market, then calling it quits. Most days you can hear that he's physically worn out by the end of the show...but when he's good he's still good!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear Drex is, probably, history. The show is UN-LISTENABLE and Heather doesn't help (much).
Pat Vitucci is buying time on KGO weekends.
ReplyDeleteNot commercials but entire hours.
KGO now sells its time for infomercials on weekends.
He did an entire show and had Len Tillem on as a guest.
No callers and Tillem and Vitucci must have prerecorded the show,
For sure it was not live radio.
How could anyone be surprised at KGO's incredible drop in ratings? They basically puked on their loyal listeners. Seriously, would ANYONE who enjoyed Gene Burns listen to paid fake talk shows that advertise snake oil for a couple of hours? I can understand that the classic KGO's numbers were in somewhat of a decline as their loyal audience aged and drifted away during the few years before the big change there, and I can understand that somewhat might try some big changes to shake things up and bring in new listeners.
ReplyDeleteBut how did that work out? Just as I predicted. Faithful listeners who liked the old KGO have left en masse, and shock of shocks, tons of young(er) listeners simply don't care about repetitive news headlines mixed in about 50/50 with obnoxious repetitive commercials.
So they drove away 90% of their core listeners in order to draw in a tiny number (if any) of new listeners. They fired their talented and intelligent talk show hosts and hired cheap, ridiculous hosts who wouldn't have been adequate for weekend fill in at the old KGO.
They increased commercials, even selling hours at a time to advertising.
I can't believe even the current management could be stupid enough to wonder why their ratings now require a magnifying glass to even see.
This is exactly what was going to happen when they dumped everybody but Ronn. Did anyone in management foresee this or was this the outcome they wanted? I don't understand their thinking.
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean Blowensteinnnnn's promise the day after the mass firings that we the audience: "will really like the new KGO radio" was wrong?. Blowensteinnnnn also said: "things were not working. We really needed a change". Great change there Ronnnnnnnnnnn! From top 4 to bottom 4.
ReplyDeleteYet, the big mouth Chef Ryan Scott holds on to three hours of air time. How!? Why!? Pictures!? This past weekend he and sidekick secret yellow man were boasting about picking up chicks on Valencia st. What the hell!?
ReplyDeleteListening to him is like someone pouring Sriracha sauce in my ears. The fresh basil train wreck should stick to flipping burgers.The worst!!
DeleteMaybe we're finally moving to the end.
ReplyDeleteThis has been like holding a friend's hand while they slowly inch toward the grave. No hope left, and death can only be a relief.
Best description I've seen of the demise of the once great KGO.
DeleteWhats the latest on Radnich and Comcast? He's more unlikeable when I can see him.
ReplyDeleteI've been listening to Michael Smerkonish a lot on Sirius/XM's POTUS channel. His intent is to be right down the middle politically and he reminds me of a lot of a younger, more fresh version of Ronn Owens. Plus, he'll occasionally talk about other issues in popular culture. Someone like him would make a great replacement when Owens retires. If ABC/Mickey Luckoff were still running KGO, I could have seen Smerkonish being offered more money than he's getting on Sirius to go to KGO
ReplyDeleteMr. Smerconish opined loudly that Arnold Schwarzenegger would make..... a great president.
DeletePerhaps he would.
DeletePerhaps you missed his disastrous tenancy in Sacramento?
DeletePerhaps you're biased?
DeleteThe old ship California was leaning far too far to the left to make any meaningful or lasting change. Just let it sink at this point.
Take away the weather and the extreme luck that tech started settling here (due to weather) in the 1950's and this state is Detroit.
Why is KQED IN THE TOP 3?
DeleteMust be the right wing programming.
to me it was like witnessing a family death, I went thru the various stages of grief - it felt embarrassingly rediculous to mourn the loss of a radio station - but KGO was (I thought at the time) a reliable friend of 20 years (I'm in my late 40s)
ReplyDeleteI don't allow my family to listen to the radio or write on the walls.
ReplyDeleteI don't allow my family to read Stan's comments
DeleteI no longer listen to talk radio. No reason to, nothing but commercial after commercial. Have a CC radio, my third one, sitting on my kitchen counter, never turn it on anymore, no reason to. Going to take the batteries out and put it in the closet. One example of many. The Savage show....After hearing, "I have written this many books, have two masters degrees and a PHD from a leading University. After hearing that about 500 times, the most disgusting ego in radio, I gave up. It should be called the Mike Ego show. I was always waiting for him to proclaim that he is greater than God. Don't even know who is on the Radio anymore. Talk radio use to great but nothing lasts forever....those days are long gone! Commercial after commercial after commercial, a break for news and weather and right back to commercial after commercial after commercial. Congrats to the people who screwed up talk radio.
ReplyDeleteAs a kindred spirit I must agree with you. Aside from intelligent talk show hosts in the past, we used to hear halfway clever, funny and at least sophisticated commercials. Seems like the talents that write commercials these days have also dropped lower than low.
DeleteI often wonder if Sirius Radio ever sent KGO a thank you note. It would be interesting to know how many people signed up for Satellite after KGO gutted their staff and KKSF failed to capitalize.
ReplyDelete*waving hand wildly* ME! Me! It was really tough getting used to not listening to KGO after the mass firings - but Sirius showed me there is life after KGO- without commercials!
DeleteMe for one. I have since gotten hooked on Howard Stern's show. I never realized what a great interviewer he is. Now I only listen to terrestrial radio for sports and Sirius for everything else. Haven't listened to KGO in years and don't really miss it that much.
DeleteMe too. I came to enjoy many of the talk shows on Sirius XM. In the beginning it was hard because I do things during commercial breaks (on basic radio) but I have worked it out. It would be nice if the old KGO came back.
DeleteOne of KGO's hosts actually got me to tune into Stern for the first time in 20 years. I forget who it was but he was talking about him one time and I started listening to youtube clips. Now it's the only thing I listen to. I have Sirius now but don't care for the talk shows. Do like the music.
DeleteMe too. But I don't know what this "no commercials" thing is all about: there are commercials on satellite radio. But at least those radio stations are TRYING to put out a product.
DeleteAll of the "Former Listeners of KGO Radio" on Facebook predicted this. But what do we know? We're just stupid lemmings who buy the crap they peddled. KGO tossed away an educated, upwardly mobile demographic because they thought they knew better, and here we are.
I had not listened to KGO in the evening for a couple years, but I was doing some work restoring my hardwood floors, so I placed the radio in the corner and began listening to Drex along with sidekick Heather.
ReplyDeleteI was so amazed at the show that I kept it on for almost two hours.
Why did I keep it on? Well initially because I was stuck on the floor doing my work... but after 30 minutes I couldn't turn it off.... you wonder why?
I simply could NOT believe that any show could be that bad...
But it went on and on and for two hours, it got worse, not better.
I was in disbelief that any station, let alone KGO, could air such a horrible product.
Isn't that Heather, the same one that worked with Dr. Edell?
How far she has fallen.
Again, I kept listening because I knew it had to get better in some segment.
But NO, it was horrible all the way through.
Almost wrote a letter to KGO to ask them what they are thinking.
You could not make up such a horrible and silly show. I almost thought it was a spoof.
Gene Burns must be rolling over in his grave to see such a debasement of the 7-10 slot. What a loss and waste of air time.
Horrible...simply believably horrible.
Is this the same Heather who wormed her way into co-hosting Dr. Dean Edell program? If so, this woman has amazing powers ... and, NOT with a microphone.
DeleteSame babe. Sounds like she's a princess who can do no wrong. She also works for Leo Laporte 'The Tech Guy" weekends on his "TV side". She is producer of the "Dreck Show" and comes across sounding like the Hottie from Hell. Good looker but a shallow ding-bat -- just as she was with Edell. But ... she's hot and knows it. I'd hit it.
DeleteInteresting 2:27. I caught the new show a few months back and enjoyed her claim that she's had both male and female sexual partners. Seemed a little low class for Dean's old partner.
DeleteShe is worse than Drex. He's bad at talk radio. She's bad at life. Her attitude is atrocious and unattractive.
DeleteWomen in media are one of 3 things or a combo:
1) intelligent
2) attractive
3) funny
This woman is 0 for 3 on the air.
She looks alright for a middle aged white chick.
DeleteJohn Dickey just sold a bunch of shares in Cumulus recently.
ReplyDeleteJust FYI.
Do they have a Program Director? Who is making decisions over there? Maureen Langdon as a M-F host? She's a train wreck. Who are you kidding? Ronn Owens is terrible. Chip Franklin is passable but empty. Drex is the worst radio show in America next to Cory and Joel, and Ryan Scott.
ReplyDeleteThis is major market radio.
Too bad all of Cumulus's conservative talk is in the tank as well. BUT IT'S CHEAP!
Granted it's only an overall rating but if I was the PD I would be embarrassed to realize that "The Game" had better overall ratings than KGO. They are awful to listen to on the weekends with all their infomercials and consequently I do not listen. They stand for nothing. KSFO is conservative talk, KNBR is sports talk, KGO is a broadcast mishmash of what I do not know.
ReplyDeleteFox is doing something similar to KTVU. I've started watching KRON in addition to KGO. I just don't like what's happening to 2.
ReplyDeleteI bet KPFA and KSCO have better numbers than KGO. Hell, I'd bet $1 that the old right wing hack by the name Charles Freedman on KSCO is beating KGO head to head in the noon-2pm time slot. That's how bad it is now baby!
ReplyDeleteIt's dead, flatline-------------------
ReplyDeleteKGO cannot rebuild because there is NO cash left.
The only hope KGO had was the return/rehab of Bernie Ward.
Too Bad the terms of Parole forbid Bernie from being anywhere near ANY type of computer.
Mr.Coffee is off limits...
Digital watch off limits...
See and Say is analog...
maybe the folks at WABC or KABC have the answer?
you are utterly wrong about the terms of Bernie's parole.
DeleteReally? What do you think advertisers would say?
DeleteChristine ..... what's happened to Ward since his freedom. His 'blog' has been silent since his release.
DeleteIn a suggested bold move, KGO could bring onboard a new talk host, who would be unlike anything ever previously aired there, or anywhere else in the world of talkers, for that matter. Someone who is far more abrasive and annoying and unlistenable, than anything that's yet been tried, in the Dickey Brothers' obvious relentlessly ongoing efforts to totally destroy the station.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion is to give Mo Langen the axe and bring in that loudmouthed, strident, know-it-all young female tonsil who writes and voices the TrueCar spots at night on KKSF and KISQ. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about.
Can you imagine it?? Three continuous hours of listening to her same low IQ presentation, amateurish scripts, and nails-on-a-chalkboard voice! That same gal, from your same neighborhood! Just imagine it! Grammatical errors coupled with pedantically strident vocalizations!
This new "talent experiment" could easily hasten the final descent of AM810 to nothingness. The final demeaning degradation to meaninglessness of what was for decades the premier AM radio powerhouse of the Bay Area! At least until the Dickey Brothers got their claws into it.
Lew Dickey, are you paying attention??? Even horses with broken legs receive the humane dispatch of a bullet through their head. Why not provide a humane dispatch to a radio station that's in hideously prolonged agony?
Karel is now telling his podcast/radio audience that he was fired because .. wait for it .. because he's gay!
ReplyDeleteThere couldn't be any other possible reason, could there?
That you even know this is funny.
DeleteI accidentally tuned into Pat's show over the weekend. She had the great Ralph Nader on but had to turn it OFF after 2 minutes because of Pat's high-pitched whiny screechy voice.
ReplyDeleteLike nails on chalk. She was literally screaming. Please get rid of her. Or at least teach her how to speak in a decent radio voice.
Hard to believe that what was once arguably the finest News Talk station in the country is gone (for all practical purposes). I moved to NY, started listening to WABC 770, started thinking how it doesn't hold a candle to my old favorite KGO, go back for the first time in years (Internet) and lo and behold NO TALK??? WOW!!! I am truly sorry for the entire Bay Area.
ReplyDelete