CSNBA 'SportsNet' Central Soon Goner; Chicago Takes Lead; KNBR Playbook Post-Warriors ID; John Madden Year Anniversary Off KCBS; Unlikely To Return; 'Anchors Away' Format at Befuddling KTVU; KRON's Future Demise; The 1-800 Junk Fest Commercial is Disgusting; Chip Franklin Gets More Nauseating on KGO Radio; Wednesday Rush

 WEDNESDAY 415 MEDIA RUSH

Greetings from the medical/media underground where visiting hours have now begun.

*As I speculated last month you can expect CSNBA's "SportsNet Central" is going bye-bye soon...Chicago CSN much the same --Layoffs were inevitable too.

Comcast is recognizing the way of the world is moving more increasingly digital, i.e. social media, and local Sportscenterish content is no longer viable.

*KNBR has apparently thought out, right or wrong, that highlighting its once NBA client, GS Warriors, is to run programming before and after games. My question: wouldn't Warriors fans be listening to The Game where the W's are heard?

Knibber has apparently rolled the dice that says the typical Bay Area sports fans still prefers 680 AM over the Game's FM territory. Wait till the ratings come out next month. That'll be an early indication.

*Add KNBR: The Sports Leader is suddenly in the sports abyss with the 49ers freefall (its only winter client) and cash king, SF Giants three months away from start-up. So finally, we'll see if the Leader can make it on its sports-talk shows devoid of team association.

*For the past few days and nights while I've been doing part time nursing duty I was subjected to listening to those AWFUL, non-stop 1-800 Junk ads --a radio bedpan if there ever was.

*Yes, Greg Papa has been mysteriously absent from his radio duties the past few weeks; call it winter relief and time away from his Raiders and Comcast duties. Nothing sinister other than that but I'll ask Papa anyway.

*From all indications, (duh!) John Madden isn't coming back to KCBS to do his daily sports conversations It's been a year since Madden last appeared on the air --he's had a myriad of health issues including heart surgery and hip replacement surgery. Nothing is official but Madden's layoff during football season is especially telling.

*Once again the onslaught of Chip Franklin in the afternoon KGO Radio (4-7 PM) time slot is both nauseating and dreadful. Franklin, the human bullhorn, is like listening to a combination of Hugh Hewitt and Gil Gross. Oatmeal radio as I've described before and amateur-act, giggling female voices in the background only further muddy the situation--Franklin's voice is about as sanguine as a spam sandwich.

*Those in the know say the recent double body-blow of staffers leaving KGO-TV to join NBC Bay Area has jolted the 900 Front newsroom. And once again, KGO ND, Tracey Watkowski-Silva is at the center of the controversy --I can't believe TWS is still working; I thought this would be her swan song but the end of the year is close at hand when dreaded pink slips abound.

*KTVU: Anchors away-literally! The anchor shuffle is in full-throttle mode at Fox2 where no regular schedule of news readers are in place. If you watch Channel 2 on any given night you can see any given anchor--it's a hodgepodge of format and it's confusing at best. Who is responsible for this mess? ND Dana Hahn, beloved by most of the staff but soon to be called into the office by Generalissimmo Gregg Kelly.

*IMAGINE THE GALL of a local media blogger having the AUDACITY to solicit donations when he's taking care of his mom and away from financial solvency --Let's get this straight: yeah, it takes time and MONEY to write this blog --go figure.

*KRON as you know it: marginalized news with mass MMJ infusion and patio furniture commercials will go bye-bye come Jan. 1 Nothing is official but the handwriting is on the wall. KRON's parent company and its corporate goo-goo have come full circle. Grumpys can expect another wake after the holidays.

*The KSFO "Morning Show" has officially become a morning zoo endeavor with multiple cow moo sound effects; fart noises; host and hostess offering bizarre, makes-no-sense voice inflections ("I'll tell ya?") I've probably lost a friend over all this stupidity but so what. The show borders on cruel and racist elements with a boorish producer who thinks she's cute and irreplaceable --really? Cumulus has no such feeling, madam.

*KSFO: The Home of Lodi truckers and White Guys in Fremont with uber-sideburns. The same people who had a wake over the recent demise of Duck Dynasty.

Lee Rodgers is turning over in his grave.

*How'd you like to work at Costco today?

*Easiest prediction today: the usual banal live shots from the local TV grunts at SFO, how creative. Typical, banal set-up...Anchor throw to reporter Betsy Booboo --"Yeah, Steve, it's complete bedlam here at SFO where I just talked to Suzy from Walnut Creek" Betsy to Suzy: "Where you headed? 'We'll we're going to Grandmas in Texas and had to wait 9 hours in line!" "Well, couldn't you have gone out a day earlier to beat the rush?" Suzy: "Uh, not really." Back to the studio.


*Of course not to be outdone: the post-holiday, "Black Friday" radio/TV blitzkrieg commencing 4 AM tomorrow --when noncreative assignment editors have nothing to do and offer repetitious ad-nauseum shots of the usual idiots outside the Emeryville Best Buy standing in line to save 4 bucks on a big screen. God Bless America.

*Ben Fong Torres is about due for another Sunday Pink article about Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame Inductees, his 10,765th one to date.

Stan Bunger and Celeste Perry are going off!