If you'd have told me KTVU, more specifically, "KTVU News" would morph into a KRON-like oasis I would have been shocked --nowadays I'm no longer surprised. In fact, just the other night I actually switched from "The 10 o'clock News" over to KRON's 10 PM news cast with Steve Aveson and Vicki Liviakis --their program had more of an ebb and flow while KTVU was meandering all over the place.So, yes, KTVU and its vaunted 10 PM franchise show is no longer appointment TV for local news. Its boredom look, its tired format, its devalued product. I haven't even mentioned the almost daily graphics screw-up and sudden shifting anchors. And, seriously, how can you take Channel 2 seriously when they put that babbling idiot, Ross Palombo on? He's terrible. He's not an ounce of credibility --what the Foxies see in him I haven't a clue only more reason to switch over to KRON and watch if not a spectacular newscast, certainly a reliable program with fairly decent content and reporter stories with no-nonsense delivery.
I used to watch KTVU for that very reason--a direct, no-gimmick show with straightforward news and information with swift and crisp performance. Now, KTVU is all over the place. No identity --a mishmash approach with interlocking anchors, phony, undistinguishable chatter, soft, happy-talk only its all insincere and at times, thoroughly out of place. It's destroyed the whole KTVU package and made 2 an operation perched on disaster with a disintegrating product. Other than that, everything is just fine.
*Carolyn Tyler and Lisa Argen on KGO-TV Sunday Morning: TV News comfort food.
*Although I'm not a great lover of their style, I nevertheless respect Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper because they're consistent and they work together well. They also exhibit genuine feeling and thought; they really sound like they're having a ball. Which many other sports broadcast teams don't display.
*If Reggie Aqui had an ounce of authenticity I'd could semi-stomach him.
*Worse than that, Aqui doesn't help Natasha Zouves, not that she needs it but you get my drift.
*When you have to fake chemistry and manufacture it viewers go away in droves. Eventually. Tweet that.
*Looking bewildered and confused every day: Julie Haener.
*Ken Wayne: the only real face of the station in an unassuming way.
*Dennis Richmond: I wonder what he's thinking. (Not that Dennis was all that great, on and off the screen.)
*The BEST play-by-play guy in the market and the most professional: Randy Hahn.
*The BEST play-by-play announcer in the nation, period: Ken Korach.
*The most overrated PBP guy: Jon Miller.
I happened to wake up at 5AM to find Mike Nicco on the early Sunday KGO news rather than Lisa so I turned the TV off...
ReplyDeleteOur best bet for news is KNTV hands down they still are journalists!
I refuse to watch or listen to KGO TV or Radio and you know why.
DeleteMike Nicco: Still learning how to read after all these years.
DeleteKruk and Kuip may be shameless homers, but they do know their stuff. They recognize and describe nuances that many fans (especially from this "sabermetric" era) miss. Seems a lot people forget that these guys played at the Major League level for years, and they have known, played for, and gleaned from numerous legends in the game. Krukow's fortitude is amazing, given the challenges he is currently facing.
ReplyDeleteI listened to Scully call a 9-0 blowout the other night, and was still endlessly entertained by his experience, knowledge, delivery, humor, charm, and ability to spin a yarn. Like Bill King, we will never see his like again!
Kruk is a first class phony. When Scott Cousins ran into Buster Pansy, Kruk said it was a clean, hard play.
DeleteThe next day when the extent of Posey's injury was revealed, Kruk did a 180. He's a shill for Larry Baer.
Steve Decker, the Giants roving catcher instructor at the time who had worked with Posey, told one of the Fresno broadcasters the next day that it was Buster's fault because he was out of position. Baer, Sabean, and Krukow did everything they could to destroy Scott Cousins' reputation and career. Classless!
Shamless homer, yes. To the point of obnoxiousness at times.
DeleteThere is nothing phony about the knowledge he has gleaned from some the best in the history of the game, and from extensive playing experience. Nothing phony about 124 wins in 14 seasons in the bigs, a career winning W-L percentage and ERA under 4 (in spite of numerous injuries, and playing on some truly bad teams), and a 20 win season on a team that only won 83 times. Roger Craig has repeatedly said that if he would have managed again, Krukow would have been his top pick for pitching coach. It was reported that the Giants also considered him for that position after Craig was replaced as manager. Krukow has been lauded by other veteran broadcasters, including Pat Hughes, Marty Brennaman, and Vin Scully.
I get the impression that Krukow loves his job, and he continues to work in spite of financial success and physical debilitation. Pissing off his employer is probably not the best way the keep his long tenure going. Just ask fan favorite and ace hockey color commentator Drew Remenda about that type of scenario.
Never been a Kruk fan. Don't really care about his own career. Same old schtick game after game -- grab some pine, gamer babes, etc. The phony part is calling a play one way -- a "good, clean, hard play"
Deleteand then saying it was dirty the next morning. THAT'S the phony part.
Rich, what is going on at KPIX? The morning show has become so amateur with a traffic reporter than does not recognize the Bay Bridge.
ReplyDeleteKPIX management....Dumb and Dumber
DeleteThat westbound 680 commute is a tough one, huh Rocki??
DeleteThe Fat Man (Miller) is very overrated. He THINKS he's good. He's gimmicky. If I wanted to listen to impressions, I'll pull out a Rich Little CD.
ReplyDeleteThe only bad thing about Krukow and Kuiper is that they're homers. Big time. They're entertaining, but they're homers. Kinda gross.
While you tout Mr. Hahn, don't forget Tim Roye. He's solid. He's damn side better to listen to than Rudy Rah Rah on the television side of Warriors games. Rudy needs to grease the sides of his head to get through doors because his melon is swelling with ego.
KGO's Weekend AM news is solid. It's leaps and bounds better than the pirates on 2.
Kruk and Keip are Giants announcers who get paid by the Giants. They should be homers. Try listening to the network announcers who know nothing about the teams so they "wire" players in the dugouts to provide "color".
DeleteTim Roye is excellent, does not need a partner in fact Tolbert brought him down in the playoffs. Kuip is terrific with his dry sense of humor, Kruk is OK. Korach is outstanding wish he had a better partner, Vince is a drag. The other Kuip is good but Ive never been a fan of Ray, he just says things that are plain wrong and even nonsensical. Miller is fine, not a homer at all and I like Flem too. Papa is great though a bit unforgiving toward young players, Flores...well, he should be in the HOF but definitely not as a broadcaster.
DeleteRoss Palombo and Reggie Aqui are both watchable. It's the Dave Clarks and Fallon Smiths you should be ripping!
ReplyDeleteRoss Palombo is only watchable if you're puking into the toilet.
DeleteThe conspiracy to dumb down the bay area further...is working as planned.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your cooperation.
The Firm
2:11 Rich Litte CD? You must mean Rich Little 8-track... lol...
DeleteYou can pick the best..but none are Great. None. Some are comically bad- like Bob the"Jerkoff" Fitzgerald who is still in love with Monta Ellis..who would step over Bobs dead body in a second. Bob is a pure Homerphile.
ReplyDeleteKuiper? Oh boy..he calls 10 Homeruns a game.Except they are caught as fly balls. A real HR? laughable as he has to get revved up as the ball has bounced three times and is settling while the hitter is in his HR trot. 3 seconds too late for Kuiper. The worst trajectory caller in local history. I give him points for sense of humor though.
Ted Robinson? Uh,yeah in leather coat with elbow guards and a pipe. I think he once said "Tootaloo, a Touchdown!"
Papa? Good..and yet that's it. Call me biased as hearing him reminds of Greg the radio guy laughing at a true story of a sheep raped so bad,so injured and bloodied, it needed stitches by a vet. He was laughing after hearing that.
I take it Greg has never as much had a pet dog? His cold heart towards animals shows.
The A's? Who's Vince? I cant even remember his last name. A Billy Beane trade no doubt. He started last year? uh,seems like that's when they plugged in his generic talents.
Same for Stanford and Dave and Cal and ???..
> *Looking bewildered and confused every day: Julie Haener.
ReplyDeleteShe looked that way when i worked there too, back in the early 2000s. Deer in the headlights, and she has no idea.
Disagree with 3:48 PM and agree with Rich. Ross NOT watchable, only listenable. He belongs on radio. For now, 50/50 on Reggie.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't draw too many conclusions about 'shifting anchors' at KTVU. It is August, so it's perfectly reasonable to assume that the weekend anchors at KTVU want to take vacation just like the rest of us. And given how often they fill in for Frank and/or Julie, it's only fair they should fill in on the weekend now and then.
ReplyDeleteWe don't watch Mickey mouse club 7 anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhat a joke those 2 are
2 is heading same direction Only 4 and 11 are still news tho that prim Donna needs to take that stick out her a $$
Julie Haener is likely bewildered and confused realizing that being stuck on KTVU's Saturday 10 PM newscast is the equivalent of walking the plank.
ReplyDeleteKen Korach: Best play-by-play announcer in the East Bay.
ReplyDeleteRandy Hahn: Best hockey play-by-play guy in the Bay Area.
One could make a strong argument that Hahn is the best hockey play-by-play guy in North America.
DeleteAgree with all except kruk and kuip are extreme Homers and too aggressive,can even get mean
ReplyDeleteAs long as Vin Scully is around he's the best play by play guy in the world. No one else should even be in the conversation. He called the niners/cowboys 1981 NFC championship game and he was great on football too.
ReplyDeleteKen Korach is good, too back he can't a major league gig.
I'm ok with Julie, she just delivers the news. she doesn't offer a lot of emotion.
ReplyDeleteMy Favorites are Melissa Caen, Ken Batista, Ken Wayne, Ann Mackovic, Phil Métier, Pam Cook.
Content with Claudia, Kristen, Veronica, Julliette.
Least favorites: Ross Palombo & Elizabeth Cook, Natasha Gasia & Maria Medina....
Rosemary Orozco must have read the comments here. She is showing cleavage tonight. So is Heather (but that would be expected) and the two of them looked great working with Ken Wayne.
ReplyDeleteHere's my read on the local sports play by play and color guys for what it's worth:
ReplyDeleteRadio: Korach-excellent. Miller, Fleming and Kuiper-Excellent Roye-very good. Ruzonowski-very good. Papa-excellent. Robinson-very good to excellent Reece and Starkey-mediocre and bad TV- Krukow and the rest o the Giants announcers-excellent Glenn Kuiper and Fosse-Ok, not great but not bad. Drew Remenda-excellent. Fitzgerald-mediocre at best (too much of a homer). Jim Barnett-excellent. So the worst? Starkey, Fitz, and Reece. The best? Remenda, Papa, Korach, Barnett, Papa, Miller, Fleming, Krukow and Kuiper (no necessarily in that order)