A SAGE MEDIA Exec had a perfect take on KQED telling 415 MEDIA:"The TV side is overstaffed --I don't know about radio; there is next to no live programming produced locally on KQED, when compared to local broadcast network affiliates, yet Local 51 NABET convinced KQED that they needed to hire more people.
KQED has more employees on the TV side than KGO, KRON, KNTV, KTVU or KPIX, yet do less than a quarter of the workload, and for substantially more than the union contracts of all those stations listed.
KQED is a gilded fatted calf, and those with brains stay quiet as to not upset the apple cart lest be exposed as goldbrickers. Some have been there so long they couldn't function in a real broadcast environment if the Trust that KQED is held would be forced to show financials, or if the donors ever wised up and realized they are being taken to the cleaners."
Frankly, I don't watch KQED anymore. Why bother? Where's the local shows other than a news program and a restaurant review show. Where's the local late night entertainment program? Where's the local variety show? Remember when, in the old days, KQED used to run Alex Bennett's comedy shows? And that's when they had a fourth of the revenue they have today.
So now, KQED is a cash cow that keeps most of its cash in the bank; offers few local original programs; has more management than labor and rewards its staff by hiring more mangers --how swell. *I ASKED FOR YOUR HELP the other day. We need PAID subscribers!
It's tough.
I hate to harp on donations but it is what it is. Without it I'm mush.
I know it's the holiday season but if you like 415 Media then do this:
I need25 PAID subscribers ($25 a year) today and we're home free and REPEAT: NO More Pledge Breaks for the rest of the month.
You may also make a donation too. Some of you have already donated and I thank you.
TO SUBSCRIBE: Simply click on the Pay Pal Icon on the right and make your contribution --it is 100% confidential and you don't have to have a Pay Pal Account to make your donation.
I will PERSONALLY e-mail and/or call you THANKING YOU for your SUBSCRIPTION/DONATION.
The form 990 tax return for KQED (for 2014) is easily available at https://pp-990.s3.amazonaws.com/2015_08_EO/94-1241309_990_201409.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAI7C6X5GT42DHYZIA%2F20161219%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20161219T182101Z&X-Amz-Expires=1800&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=4ce2818a648e7874ecfba8f1134735fe79c33498427d85f8f51ec4a1f939da05
ReplyDeleteDig through it and you'll see executive salaries etc.
It is actually available directly from KQED. Most non-profits make their 990s freely available. Here is the 2014 990 for KQED. I had problems accessing it from the link posted by 10:24AM.
Deletehttps://a.s.kqed.net/pdf/about/kqed-form990-fy2015.pdf
Why not just print it in the clear?
DeleteWhat do you call Jan Wahl and Michael Krasny breaking wind at the same time? A KQED Pledge Break.
DeleteWhile I DO mind the overstaffing part, I don't mind at all the lack of local programming.
ReplyDeleteI don't care where the programming comes from: Local, national, or international. I just care if it's GOOD. If all of a sudden KQED would start airing local content, it would just be a bunch of talking-head news/community forum shows...or tired/cliched documentaries about Chinese immigration, the fight against AIDS, Silicon Valley trends, or 1906 Earthquake anniversary features.
ZZZzzzzzz
Good to see they have money for a rainy day...
ReplyDeleteDEFUND PBS!
Thank You...that is all.
The only thing on watch on KQED anymore is Washington Week. I used to watch "This Week in Northern California" every Friday, but stopped after it was replaced with the incredibly boring "Newsroom." I guess I'm just not interested in watching endless stories about transgender, people of color dance troupes.
ReplyDeleteI remember how often they were begging for money supposedly in order to afford HD equipment when TV was going digital. What, so they could afford to tape Check Please in HD? Or does that money primarily go to buying retread BBC shows?
ReplyDeleteBritish accents do make their programming seem so much more sophisticated than domestic programming, don't you know. Perhaps the new administration will think twice about government-supported TV being able to spend so much money on foreign-produced goods and PBS will have to come up with something original.
KQED and 415 Media...I always get the two confused.
ReplyDeleteIf KQED wants to improve their performance, start a "traffic report" segment and steal Alexis Smith from ABC7 to do it. When she comes to work looking as good as she did this morning, all I can say is (trying to be respectful), wow, what a woman, and I do mean WOW!! Go Alexis!!
ReplyDeleteWQED (their counterpart in Pittsburgh) has great local programming, mostly due to the influence of Rick Sebak. They don't have half of KQED's money and it doesn't matter. Pittsburgh for the most isn't an inherited money town. It used to be a blue collar town and today it's a white collar, middle class, bootstrap town.
ReplyDeleteRich,
ReplyDeleteI remember while in college taking a tour of two SF broadcast operations – our radio teacher at Ohlone College (KOHL) had arranged for us to visit KFRC and KQED on the same day. Our first stop was KFRC then located on Bush Street. This was in the late 70’s when 610 was one of the top-rated and top-billing stations in the market. The facilities were small, but impressive – very high quality gear, meticulously maintained and you could tell that RKO General knew they had something special in KFRC and it showed.
After lunch we visited KQED and in a word I was appalled. The profligate waste that I saw around me was astounding. KQED had studios that would’ve put KFRC to shame and needlessly so. There was no reason whatsoever for KQED to spend the kind of monies they did on studios and equipment – it was overkill to the Nth degree.
I decided right at that moment that I would never give dollar one to KQED. My opinion was they wasted members dollars on gold-plated broadcast equipment because someone was having their radio wetdream realized. From your column today I can see that little has changed in nearly 40 years.
That friend made some brilliant Observations!
ReplyDeleteWhen KQED used members pledge dollars to place their logo on top of San Jose's former Knight-Ridder building I decided they no longer needed my meager pledge $$.
ReplyDeleteNot only is the management top-heavy, they don't seem to do a damn thing.
KQED TV will be first victim of the Spectrum Auction. KQED is the most valuable TV Spectrum property with the most motivated sellers......The govt will make an absolute fortune and the revenue from the auction will disappear to line the pockets of our local govt officials. This is the TV property that will go away first, not the "For Profits" KOFY oe KRON
ReplyDelete