'My Pillow' Gets It Comeuppance --Corny Pillow Ad on Bay Area Radio and TV; Local DA's: 'They Deceived You'

 YOU'VE all heard those snarky, ubiquitous ads on radio talking about the greatness of "My Pillow"--a non-stop cacophony of spots, that, with the aid of some local radio people, seemed to suggest the pillow was some sleep-aid wonderment that would provide miracle relief to your nighttime resting.

Many of you called out this crock of crap, including me.

We were right.

A slew of counties; Napa and Alameda to name just a few announced a settlement Monday taking MP to task.


Among some illegitimate items:

"...My Pillow made representations regarding the effects or attributes of its products that were not supported by reliable scientific evidence, including that My Pillow products could reduce the effects of medical conditions such as: fibromyalgia, insomnia, migraines headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), and restless leg syndrome."

The My Pillow schlock  featured some of the area's more popular radio people and those who couldn't resist telling how great they were (some people will say anything for a buck or two and get free pillows even if their nothing more than fluffy flakes--they might be having a poor night's sleep)

"Under the terms of the stipulated judgment, My Pillow agreed to pay $995,000 in civil penalties and to make an additional $100,000 in direct contributions to nonprofit organizations providing or supporting sleeping accommodations to the homeless or those who are victims of domestic violence."

Happy Halloween; Monday 415 Media Minutiae; KRON Bottom Line; KTVU Savidge Delivers; Raj and Janelle Humble Please; Hey, Joel Murray

 *KRON bigwigs (whatever that constitutes) are figuring their days of fat checks are history. That's the good news. The bad news is that anybody that makes more-than-average dough (and at KRON compared to other places it's really not huge) can kiss it all goodbye.

So people like Radnich, Moore, Liviakis, Heenan and the like are preparing. Or should be because the day of reckoning is nearing.

*I'm, uh, glad none of the TV stations in town had Halloween-themed shows this morning...I won't even bother talking about KTVU which has pretty much lost all semblance of news-gathering. Maybe they should just stop and concentrate on talking like pirates. Or, in Gasia Mikaelian's case, standard operating procedure. Gasia, the Fox2 cackler AM supreme.

*I will credit Channel 2 reporter, Alex Savidge, for doing a pretty good job covering the Oakland/Lake Merritt fire. Savidge was right on the scene shortly after 5 AM when the fire just started and the pictures said everything.

*Raj Mathai and Janelle Wang: way, way, too much taking yourself too seriously. Might want to hit the levity button.

*The city on Halloween night in 1975: Then chief Charlie Gain was all over the Chronicle and TV at the Hookers Ball at the Cow Palace. Supposedly for "research purposes." Hell, it was memorable. 1975, wow, time flies.

*1975: When Owen Spann was king; Jim Eason was in mission; Ronn Owens was just evolving Thanksgiving Night; Jim Dunbar was cool and Dr. Don Rose held court at KFRC.

*More 1975: Bimbo's, Alfred's, me at 13 at Bret Harte Middle School, Rick Barry and the Warriors, memories.

*KCSM on a rainy Sunday night with a bottle of Kendall Jackson: heaven.

*KNBR: "Thee Stealing Warriors content Leader!"

*Old KGO days in the sports record: Monte Stickles, Greg Jordan, Joe Starkey and Howard Cosell ..."speaking of sports!"

*Joel Murray: Hey, enough of the drama, you know what to do.

Sunday Scrambled Eggs; Secret 415 Media E-Mails; The Chronicle Warriors' Beat Guy Story; KTVU: House of Paranoia; Rothmann Saturday Night KGO Tour De Force; Greek Madonna Holds Court at Kokkari; Joel Murray Tells Me to Stay on Message

 MY E-MAIL server has revealed, according to press reports, that I may have received secret e-mails from Amy G and Jan Wahl. Hogwash. All I remember is that I've never met any of them and as far as I'm concerned, 7 days before the next 49ers game, this is all very suspicious.

*To be serious for a change, the Chronicle isn't very transparent.
Look at the sports page where the beat reporter for the Warriors was suspended, returned, and then switched to the Cal football beat. Meanwhile, the Cal beat guy is now the beat guy for the Warriors. No big deal, only the Chronicle hasn't said a word to its readers and the public. Maybe their new EIC way of doing business because, as we all know, only at the Chron are there "real journalists."

*KTVU: a virtual building with a bay-sized amount of paranoia. Their faces may look cheery and they may elicit loads of cackling and laughter but INSIDE Jack London Square is fear and loathing --between team players who don't trust one another; the snitches that work for management that have been foxified --and those that don't. The senior reporters, anchors, and producers have established semi-secret coffee meetings at the nearby Blue Bottle. Surprisingly, one influential senior anchor doesn't attend and is rumored to be the house #1 snitch. He should probably work out more up on Broadway where he can think out more Facebook posts.

*The Greek Madonna at KRON that just married a much-younger social stud is quite a hit at Kokkari with her outlandish sweet talk and overall demeanor; the younger guy had better pay more attention to her otherwise he may end up on Stan Roberts' hit list.

*Now that there's some real weather out there (for a change) the 70,000 weather reports every five minutes on TV and radio are slightly worth taking a look at. Or are you just immersed with Rosemary's dress.

*In all this e-mail/Hillary/Comey bouillabaisse --it was good to be home on Saturday night recovering and listening to a sea of civility on KGO Radio from 7-10 as John Rothmann was conducting the political orchestra. Maestro Rothmann saved the night, as usual.

*When the right-wing echo machine has issues with the press and complain about fairness, they refer to it as the "Mainstream Media"; when said MM breaks a story unfavorable to Hillary, Democrats, et al, then suddenly "The Mainstream Media" is just fabulous. What a coincidence.

*I had an October surprise: the hooker that I gave a card to in Union Square called me. She's scouting new material.

*I'm not even a professional political pundit but I'll bet you this: The news that hit Friday will not move pro-Hillary voters to the Donald; not in ANY way. It may make some Independent voters (all 10 of them) simply not vote for either of the scoundrels. Remember, the Electoral map hasn't moved much and its that map that actually elects our next POTUS. Assuming Hillary doesn't declare war on Canada she will win the White House.

*The crowd at Trump rallies chanting, "USA,USA, USA!" generally don't have passports.

*CSNBA: Wonder bread with cable lights.

*KGO Radio: KNBR's bitch.

*You know here I thought the 2000 Election was a circus but this 2016 deal is a night at the Opera. Times 20.

*BREAKING NEWS ALERT: My sources tell me a new video will be leaked showing Donald Trump french-kissing Darya Folsom.

*Chip Franklin Update: Chip's going to be talking about the health benefits of okra next week; Nikki will take to the streets and ask people if they eat enough broccoli too.

*Brian Copeland Election-Day Special: "Race matters in the Electoral College."

*Ronnnnnnnn has a busy Election day: his manicure/pedicure after the show then to Nordstrom for purchase of new ten short-sleeve animal shirts; dinner at North Beach Restaurant. Life hasn't been this good since the days with the secret brunette!

*My chief strategist, Joel Murray, has advised me to stay on message.

Fareed and Feldman May Be on CSNBA Hot Seats

 Ahmed Fareed and Dave Feldman--CSNBA anchors and worthy of a few loafs of wonder bread--are also on the hot seat at the SF Cable Sports shop.

This development may or may not be a byproduct of  Ted Griggs future gig in Connecticut.

Only time will tell but both Fareed and "Feldy" are rumored to be "expendable" by the new regime coming.

For one, they both make too much money, a no-no at Comcast. Second, in the case of Feldman, Jim Harbaugh is no longer in the Bay Area anymore as all of you know. And without Harbaugh, Feldman might as well be looking at rentals in Fresno.

We should know in a few weeks.

Ray Ratto Might Be On The Outs at Comcast

 

 Now that Ted Griggs is leaving CSNBA to take on an even bigger role in Connecticut --word has come to me that one of Griggs biggest hires may be on the hot seat.

That would be Comcast "Senior Insider", (whatever) Ray Ratto, who has a cushy job at the 3rd Street /SoMo studios.

Ratto has never been a favorite of mine; he's a good writer and generally moves the needle with his various opines but his eternal, pissed-off curmudgeon sports sage has never moved me. I've often thought, why is Ray always look as if he's always on the rag? Is a bad sandwich always? Is he playing the part down too honestly because generally, Ray doesn't have a positive look on life even when the world has treated him well; I mean there are worse things in life Ray could be doing if Comcast weren't paying him a shade under $300,000 for his opinion and daily missives.

Comcast has a new big suit on the way who doesn't know Ratto that much which in turn might be the reason (among others) that Ray might have to go out and once again work for a living.

Time will tell.

Larry Baer, The Giants, SF Power, Influence, KNBR, Cumulus, 415 Media, Friday Thought

 Lee Hammer is the Opps/GM/PD at KNBR -responsible for on-air content and client relations--including the SF Giants, but in reality, Giants President, front man, Larry Baer might as well be in that position: Baer virtually runs KNBR during baseball season and even when there's no baseball or if baseball conflicts with other sports, (hello, Warriors!)

Baer is the most powerful man in San Francisco --and that's including the mayor and Willie Brown.

Baer could have won the SF mayoral race had he wanted to run, he holds such significant power in city circles, social circles, broadcast circles --(like Cumulus, KNBR, KGO, etc) but Baer had no interest in running. He's perfectly happy doing his duties as Giants' front man as well he should be.

Baer saved baseball for SF and you have to give him credit for that. It was Baer who was able to get high-influence people like Walter Shorenstein, Charles Johnson, Peter MacGowan, and the like on board --the money men, really, to pave the way to create the waterfront ballpark and make the Giants the force they are, on and off the field. Nobody disputes the fact that Baer runs the town; Baer is the point man for many civic issues, land deals involving Giants enterprises, and a plethora of insider deals that few people know about; it's OK with the natives, for the most part, because the Giants are the biggest entity in San Francisco and beyond.

It's one thing to control KNBR; to insist that a spring training game take president over a Warriors' playoff game because it's in the contract and even though it looks ridiculous and plays a part in the Warriors telling KNBR and Cumulus to screw you guys, in essence, Baer has the juice to get away with it whether or not Lee Hammer or some white guy in a suit in Atlanta care.

Baer can pretty much do as he pleases...and frankly, KNBR is only a teensy part of the mosaic --there's a gargantuan tapestry here and Baer wields his sword of authority and influence like Springsteen during a 4th-song encore. Good luck trying to stop those forces. Only Springsteen doesn't have his hand in an area's political fortress, doesn't pick and choose who gets favorites and who doesn't; isn't involved in some of the more intricate inner dealings that affect a city and its people. There's a lot on the menu here.

Of course, you won't read or see anything about all of this in the local SF Chronicle because the Chronicle long ago dissed investigative reporting and besides, Baer and the Giants are a good client--why dig deep when you have such a wonderful relationship. Ditto too the Bay Area/SF/SJ TV stations that too have a cozy set-up with the Giants and Larry even if there's some smoke at the front of the tunnel.

To be continued...

Breaking 415 Media Exclu: Ted Griggs Leaving CSNBA

Ted Griggs leaving CSNBA

 CSNBA President Ted Griggs is leaving his post and headed to a similar job in Conneticut, 415 Media has learned, exclusively ...

A source close to Griggs, who has been at the helm for nearly a decade, confirmed the departure to me via e-mail.

Griggs has been a major player in the Bay Area Sports Cable business--his replacement will come to the city; a Comcast Exec whose name is not known at this time.

*Developing...

*415 Media Exclu

In a Nutshell

 Just get to the point and tell it like it is ...In a nutshell:

*KQED: The most overrated piece of shit on local TV only slightly better than KRON's furniture commercials.

*KQED Radio: The audio version of TV with "Forum" as an added bonus if you like hearing a guy from Cleveland interview  authors that are about as exciting as watching paint dry.

*The SF Chronicle: All the excitement of a Millbrae 7-11. Plus an editor-in-chief who thinks daydreaming of Hunter Pence is journalistic prowess. If you were a guy, Herb Caen would have kicked your ass.

*SF Examiner: You still around? No wonder fish wrap is still cheap.

*KNBR: 6000 hours of bullshit commercials; enough bs "updates" of 24-hour-old sports "news" to fill the stomach of the Bay Area Sports Guy; freshly new, smarmy asshole, and ghastly co-host putz in the 3-7 PM slot who thinks penis jokes are hip--other than that, just a brilliant radio station.

*"Murph and Mac": so one day on your way to the colonoscopy redo, they told you they needed two extra exams. Even that is better than listening to these frat boy jerkoffs better suited for a Boise, Idaho orgy of guys who wear creepy clown faces.

*Kate Scott: If only I were blond, gay, a woman, and said nothing --absolutely nothing at all, I'd be able to take a #2 on Lee Hammer's desk and podcast it.

*The "Shower Hour": Where's Charles Manson when you need him.

*"Gary {Radnich} and Larry" {Krueger}: Three hours of jackoff radio minus the commercial onslaught; one guy talks about his kids and family as a personal moral compass even though he cheated on his first wife; the other guy talks out of both sides of his mouth and can't stand the Tenderloin guy's eternal stupidity.

*KGO Radio: Let's see, we fucked up one format, now let's fuck up another one! Daytime: boring hosts who think millennial assholes listen to AM radio; good programming: hiring cackling middle-aged white women to supplant said boring hosts; bonus point: Byron Allen is Ronnnnnnnnnn's radio beard, just damn genius!

*Chip Franklin: mud bath mixed with rotten, week-old oatmeal is more appealing than listening to this pedantic fraud.

*"Armstrong and Getty": Branson, Missouri stew laced with velveeta cheese, melba toast, wonder bread and chicken feces; more fake laughs than a taping of "KRON's Back Story"; two buttheads with annoying, idiotic voices with all the warmth of a Pygmy women convention at the Burlingame Hyatt.

*KTVU News: Kidnapped by the Fox people and have been transformed into the "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", Oakland edition.

*"The Nine": "Today on The Nine", Gasia talks to Dr. Baldy McAssAnal about the positives of farting out loud at grandma's house during Thanksgiving dinner!"

*"The Four": "Today on The Four, Heather talks to a crazy woman who made love to a canary because her boyfriend left her!"

*Heather Holmes: How great legs and snot got me to market# 6! Plus, how you too can look like a hot bulimic chick!

*Gasia Mikaelian: "Look at me!, Look at Me, darn, just look at me!" Gasia has a cool project for the coming week. She's going to spray bacon hairspray on some scrambled eggs with Rosemary and eat it. Then? Selfie Time!

*Ross Palombo: KTVU's astute political correspondent has been sent on assignment to cover Gregg Kelly's ass --details at 10!

*Reggie Aqui: ABC7 Special Report: "Hockey Men in Heat--I'll investigate."

*Tracey Watkowski-Silva: "It's a good thing I have those pictures otherwise I'd be in some dump in Fresno!" --Wait a minute...

*Darya Folsom: "Hey honey, for another 30 grand I could have looked like Adrienne Barbeau!"

*Aaron Pero: "Hey, just shut the fuck up, bitch, otherwise I'll start yelling and screaming at you like I do the other ones!"

*Ashley Gold-Messina: "Hey asshole, it's Ashley GOLD Messina, not Funky Cold Medina--Get it straight, prick!

*Bill Burton: Working on new book: "How I Tweeted with My Wife."

*Dave Feldman: His looks got him the gig.

*Rod Brooks: "And to think, I'm not even Irish!"

*Chef Ryan Scott: "You know, if I had to blow Ronnnnnn Owens, shit..."

*The Ass man: Shit happens.

*Stan the Commentator: Next mayor of Hayward.

*415 Media: "Now, see, send me some dough because if you don't you will never see shit like this in the Chronicle!"

*Jan Wahl: "I'm the white Whoppi Goldberg!" No Jan, just some overweight yenta that loved "Yentl"

*Brian Murphy: Larry Baer's bitch.

*Paulie Mac: Kate Scott's bitch with a fake New Jersey accent.

*John Lund: Oh, just shut the fuck up and rub faster, courtesy Twittmeyer Productions. PS: Tolbert hates you-- he's just fulfilling his contract.

*Tom Tolbert: Tommie, because of me, you have more beer money.

*Tim Roye: Hey, Tim, if you're gonna be thrown under the bus, might as well be Knibber dudes.

*Damon Bruce: Damon, you done good, that's a lot of overhead --shiksa supreme! PS: Make sure that check to Ben Fong Torres is good.

*Bay Area Sports Guy: Do you ejaculate over all your sports credentials?

*Ray Ratto: "Really, I'm not a curmudgeon at all, I actually look, sound and act like this 24/7--seriously, this is me!"

*Tim Kawakami: Between Flunkster Dude and Jed York, you're a certifiable star! The Japanese Walter Winchell.

*Ann Killion: I heard Jameis Winston bought you a tuna sandwich.

*Ben Fong Torres: About time for another Bay Area Radio HOF copy and paste piece.

*Rusty Simmons: Speaking of copy and paste, Russ, Al took care of you, he could have switched you to the 49ers beat.

*"The Audible" : With 29 cents and free 7-11 coffee, you too, can create a KNBR morning show!

*Don Kollins: Do you think "Townie" could become the next John Lund?

*Allen Martin: screw the caffeine, get back to Jack, Black.

*Gary Radnich: Your new autobiography: "Bentley in the Tenderloin."

*KCBS traffic slogan coming soon: "We have traffic and weather together, live from Chicago!"

*Natasha Zouves on line six:  "Maam, I swear I'm not Julia Child."

*Stanley Roberts: look for a white guy in a Bentley in West Portal.

*Bill Romanowski: I thought I was wired.

*Carl Steward: Care for some after-dinner mints?

*Mark Davis: Just move baby.

*Greg Papa: you and Mark Ibanez in a dark bar, happy hour: more overhead.

*Rich Lieberman: In the Joel Murray Witness-Protection Program.

Catherine Heenan Wants ZERO to do with Radnich; KRON Drama; Star Anchors Seek New Homes; CBS Radio Cans Local Traffic; KCBS Affected; Wednesday Report

 That KRON veteran anchor, Catherine Heenan, avoids Gary Radnich like the plague isn't big news around the Battery Media gulch; it's more Heenan has had it with the Rad man trying to spin it around his circle of buddies that all is well with him and her; that they're that practically bosom buddies.

Not!

THIS AGAIN

Heenan is a proud and dedicated TV News woman and has profound respect from not only KRON staffers but Bay Area industry people as well. She tries to maintain a degree of respectability and cares not only about herself but her reputation and image too. She is no fool by any means even in the dark abyss at KRON and Raddy's tactics.

She wants ZERO to do with Radnich. She will only put up with his presence if she happens to be on the desk and he is working which is seldom if she has her way. She is profoundly embarrassed by his patronage and wants no part of his act. Heenan, the pro she is has maintained her dedication and grace under the most trying of circumstances while he giggles and belittles --everything is a joke to the Tenderloin twit who parks his car in the handicapped zone.

Pam Moore

*Add KRON: The big news is around KRONville is given all the uncertainty about its future, a few big time anchors have (quietly) sent out word they're looking at other options...Pam Moore could be going to another station if that other station needs a jolt (maybe KNTV--NBC Bay Area) I also wouldn't be surprised if Justine Waldman ended up at PIX or KGO. She's not spectacular but she could shine under the right circumstances.

*If you like listening to local KCBS traffic people who know the area and provide the very best traffic news and data even on non-prime days then you just got screwed. CBS Radio just kicked its national traffic team to the curb.  Ted  Anthony, Mitch Thompson --know these folks? Come April they're probably looking for work. It's a cost-cutting move (isn't it always?) with you folks, the listeners, who rely on good, concise, LOCAL traffic reports, being screwed once again.



Justine Waldman

KTVU Newsroom Steamed Over Palombo Vegas Debate Assignment; Heather Holmes MisDirection Illustrates Fox Hen House Incompetence

Heather Holmes and Ross Palombo

 From my Fox2 spy: they're still fuming in the KTVU newsroom because station suits (read: Fox buttheads) sent human joke, Ross Palombo to Vegas to cover the last presidential debate--No Rob Roth or Tom Vacar, both senior reporters..and now you know why Randy Shandobil left Channel 2 much earlier than anticipated. 

*Heather Holmes, the station star diva who is telling friends that she wants to be a "serious TV News journalist" is being used all over various time slots, much to the chagrin of veteran staffers, including Holmes herself.

Source: "they literally don't know where to put her! They just keep moving her here and there."

A competent news operation would have someone at the top cease such ridiculous behavior.

I'm not a fan of Holmes; I think she's mostly style over substance and way overrated --that said, if KTVU thinks so highly of her and apparently they do, then they should place her somewhere, maybe 5 o'clock?, and keep her there permanently --but that would require an act of leadership and direction, something foreign at the Oakland Fox hen house.

KNBR's 'Come-To-Jesus' Time; All-Sports AM Power Devoid of Warriors While 49ers Go South; Can The 'Leader' Stave Off 95.7 'The Game' FM Power Surge? 415 Media Analysis

 KNBR's Come-to-Jesus time began on Monday and will conclude in a few weeks; the all-sports AM 680 will be devoid of Warriors games (as the W's have moved to 95.7 FM The Game) and the 49ers (ugh!) don't play Sunday.

KNBR will have to rely on its talk-shows and outside of the afternoon drive minus one dreadful moron host, Knibber will be talk exclusively. That is, after the 500 hours of commercials and "updates" disguised as breaking sports news.

KNBR built a successful brand based on its almost monopoly of Bay Area sports. During baseball season and its six-month presence, the station's talk shows centered on Giants' baseball games and not much else (rightly so, in some cases). As the Giants began to have success in the post season, KNBR extended its talk and milked its prize asset sometimes to the extreme but it all worked well in the ratings department and revenues soared in the sales offices. Everyone got drunk rich.

After October baseball magic --the 49ers and Warriors took off --it helps that the 49ers were good and the Warriors were just beginning to become the model franchise they've evolved into but all of that is gone now and KNBR will have to be creative. They will be tested to the limit.

For one thing, they will have to figure out how to talk successfully without the benefit of the suddenly NBA version of "America's Team." Granted, in terms of popularity, the Warriors are still #2 behind the Giants but with the addition of Kevin Durant and the rest of the team, a radio station devoid of its winter bread and butter has to hurt the "Sports Leader."

The 49ers are lousy now and don't generate much caller traction other than for the leather lungs to berate Jed York and pray for a DeBartolo sighting in Santa Clara. "Let's go to Salty in Clovis" wears thin after the sixth straight loss.

KNBR will survive this phase having made loads of cash during the past six-plus years with ratings nirvana, low overhead, and the innate ability to reward its "star" announcers and screw the lower-level staff that do the heavy lifting. Now comes the hard part.

The Warriors radio home now is Game territory --a big hit indeed, but the Game still has a very poor signal and can't be heard in most of the city and parts of the Bay Area. KNBR's 50,000 watts and prime AM dial position will always supersede The Game's better overall product and talk shows but when there's nothing to listen to, what's a sports radio fan to do. Probably tune into Satellite radio or flip on ESPN.

Let's check the ratings in a month or so. I see a trend developing.

When ktvu was KTVU

From left: Claud Mann, Elaine Corral, and Mark Ibanez

 They just did their job; read the news; respected the viewer; had respect for themselves; didn't have to worry about dreaded social media; in other words, they connected.

And guess what? We did trust them.

What has Audrey Cooper, EIC at the Chronicle Accomplished?; Bay Area Radio Suits Don't Respect You; KNBR Off Air Hours Monday Morn; Warming to Azenith Smith of KTVU; Not so Much, Heather Holmes and Jana Katsuyama; Monday Opener



 SOMEONE, quick, tell me what Chronicle EIC, Audrey Cooper has accomplished at the paper? Cooper was appointed, with great fanfare, as the first woman Editor-in-Chief for the Chron --terrific, but after that, again, what has she done?

The Chronicle is laboring along --with its print edition, like most other major newspapers, bleeding red ink. Moreover, under Cooper's stewardship, there appears to be a huge wall of supporters and non-supporters alike; she picks her favorites and apparently likes to dump on those people she regards as "underlings."

Several star writers have left the building under mysterious circumstances; Jon Carroll retired last year but several industry sources say he was forced out. City columnist, Chuck Nevius is leaving in December after thirty-plus years but several sources say he too was forced out.

Cooper has been mum on the matter but for a woman journalist who supposedly has a lot to say, has said virtually nothing since assuming her post. Most EIC occasionally write Sunday columns or state of the paper pieces, Cooper has done neither. She is, according to staffers, a big Giants fan.

And she detests bloggers. "You're not real journalists," she said. Yeah, every time I see Cooper I think of the next coming of Maureen Dowd.

Hallelujah.

*I've been writing a lot more about TV News, less about Bay Area radio. Most of my lack of radio columns have to do with the further degradation of station, both AM and FM. The people in Bay Area radio, the people who run the business, don't respect you folks. They think of you as dummies and regard you as nincompoops --they are vile people and I don't care for vile people. Vile people annoy the hell out of me.

*The all-sports AM bleeder was off the air a good many hours early Monday Morning. Maybe the commercials went on strike.



Azenith Smith

*I'm beginning to warm to Azenith Smith, the street reporter at KTVU. She appeared to be a softie early on but has revved up the engine.

*Heather Holmes, KTVU's shoe correspondent, has told friends she wants to be considered a "serious journalist."

Heather Holmes

Then quit dressing like you're about to hit the nightclubs, Countess Heather.

And another thing: for god's sake, stop flubbing your lines and read the damn teleprompter --want to be a diva? Then continue to do what you do.



Jana Katsuyama

*What KTVU sees in Jana Katsuyama I have no idea other than PC quotas. The woman is a nightly embarrassment.




Sunday Impression: Alayna Gomez Fits Right on in at KTVU Weekend News

 It was quite a sight to see the dynamically beautiful and ultra-smart, Alayna Gomez grace the KTVU Weekend Anchor chair on Saturday Night.

Gomez comes to Channel 2 from the NBC Connecticut station.

Off the cuff, she looks and sounds like another young newbie but Gomez has a cool, calm, collective delivery and adds a much-needed sense of humor to her repertoire.

Here's hoping she makes a lasting impression on Fox2 and has even more play on KTVU's other news platforms.

I Need Your Help; Just a Thousand of You

 Over *50,000 of you click this page every week; most of you unique visitors come here and spend, on average, over two minutes and then some.

415 Media has become your go-to destination for reading about Bay Area TV/Radio --prepared, written, produced and distributed by Yours Truly.

I need your help.

415 Media is growing leaps and bounds --we get hundreds of new readers every day--but we are severely lacking in funds that will enable us (me) to carry on and to continue to put out new and fresh content every day of the week. Why? Because as many of you that come her and look forward to reading about the inside and exclusive dope I mostly give you, I can't survive on merely your kind words of "thanks."

415 Media survives on PAID subscriptions and donations --we have a modest source of advertising money from Google but that's not nearly enough.

If just a tiny fraction of you, my readers--say, a thousand of you, made a $25 donation --that would easily get us through at least the year and allow me the resources; the ability; the peace of mind to work even harder in bringing you all the great content and work you look forward to each and ever day.

One thousand. Think about it. That's fairly easy. Because I know that even at $25 --some of you are having tough times to make ends meet. I understand. That's why 415 Media will never go the way of a pay wall, --415 Media will always be free but I do rely on donations and subscriptions to pay my bills and breathe a little.

PLEASE: to keep 415 Media sustainable; to maintain this site's independence and free of outside interfering and for me to be able to churn out 24/7 content you get NO WHERE else, I ask that you make a DONATION and/or subscription today.

To DONATE: Simply click on the Pay Pal icon on the right side of the blog and make your contribution now. All donations and subscriptions are completely CONFIDENTIAL and you don't have to have a Pay Pal account to DONATE.

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Thanks to all of you current 415 Media Subscribers.

KTVU's Idiotic 'The Nine' Didn't Even Know About The Twitter/DDOS Attack Friday Morning; Silly, Insipid Mikaelian and Mibach Further FOXified

 Some of you watch KTVU's uber-insipid "The Nine" which could be one of the worst local TV News segments in the market.

Beyond having no clue of the morning major news events, they're just god awful.

Patterned after the Today's Show's 4th hour, The Nine is dreadful. It wouldn't be so horrid if it just tried to perform a basic function as it is (like normal, useless, waste of time-"features" that are in and out in a nano-second--TV News numb sensations); no, The Nine tries to make you think "they" care.

Hell no they don't care.

The Nine is led by nails-on-chalkboard disaster, me, me, me herself, Countess Gasia Mikaelian, who lost her credibility long ago and acts and sounds like the buffoon she is; Mikaelian embarrasses KTVU every morning but that's nothing new.

Mike Mibach, her co-anchor doofus is not only useless and banal, but uninformed too. Take today (Friday) Doofus Mibach was mentioning some story and said, "gees my Twitter is out, wonder if there's something up with Twitter?" Well, had Mibach simply checked the news he had discovered that, yes indeed, Twitter and many other techies were having issues all morning.

Imagine this! You're sitting at a damn news operation and YOU DON'T KNOW THE NEWS? Real good, Mikey boy, that should get you a prize from the Fox henhouse.

Sal Castaneda is the only reliable talent on The Nine but unfortunately Sal's levity gets washed away by the other two's incompetence --too bad.

KTVU needs a mass deodorant of Fox germs. A TV deep-cleansing but don't hold your breath.

Armstrong and Getty Phony Debate Prep on KGO Radio; Chip Franklin Verbal Masturbation; KRON Bye-Bye Within Year; Radnich' Secret $500 Contribution to Trump; Joel Murray West Portal Largess; Happy Thursday

Armstrong and Getty

 THE MORNING YAHOOS on KGO Radio--otherwise known as the Branson, Missouri Radio Motel 6 --were once again trying mightily to disguise their ultra-right-wing bias --called the debate a "winner" for Don Trump --almost every right-wing member of the echo machine said the same. (I have no idea what they're watching, but that's just me, I think Hillary cleaned his clock at best, held serve at worst)

"Armstrong and Getty" think their daily fish-wrap cacklefest is worth a listen.

I'd rather eat a bean casserole baked by a blind cook at a Clovis IHop.

*Three hours of verbal masturbation on drive-time radio: Chip Franklin and his cast of giggle-women who sound like they just smoked about ten joints before airtime.

Chip thinks he's hip; sort of the white Brian Copeland (redundant) although Franklin resonates on the radio with about the same tranquility as a Gilroy Howard Johnsons.

*KRON will be history --my prediction--in some way or another within a year probably broadcasting 24/7 infomercials --something like that.

Is it any wonder the Bentley man has suddenly turned to doing commercials --he's got overhead all right --it's a good thing he's got the Cloud gig.



*Raddy dropped off $500 in cash to the Trump campaign so you now know why his second wife loves KSFO, the Cumulus-Trump SF outpost.

*I began to realize the significance and moral largess of one Joel Murray when the 415 Media amen corner alerted me to his West Portal whereabouts --he's still a mystery but the local Herb Caen auxiliary society is scheduling a mandatory status meeting next week at the Italian Joint to assess the situation, stay tuned.

Joel Murray

KNBR Just Ran 14 Straight Minutes of Commercials; While Paying Slave-Labor Wages

 At 10: 53 AM PT, KNBR, the all-sports SF radio station owned by Cumulus, ran 14 straight minutes of commercials --minus a one-min tease, Knibber went back to programming at 11: 07.

Followed only a few minutes later with more spots.

This, by the station that pays most of its on and off-air staff minimum wage.

Sports Bleeder.

This, by the station that made north of $25M dollars last year yet refuses to pay livable wages to its call screeners, producers and various other personnel who have to drive Uber cars as second jobs to afford their "dream jobs."

This, by a station whose 10-1 PM host brags about paying 4 grand for a brake job on his used Bentley and sends interns to get him orange sodas at the canteen. No, the interns weren't tipped.

One such intern muttered about the hallway: "I'm ready to go right now."

Nervous Times at KRON; SF Web Team Axing Likely; Nexstar Consolidates Nashville; KRON Bare Bones Operation; 415 Media Exclu

 Not a good time at KRON as future of Bay Area TV News independent albatross gets murkier by the moment...

According to a 415 Media source close to the action, several ominous developments in the offing; to wit:

*In addition to everyone losing a week's worth of annual accrued vacation time, looks like the entire web team will be axed.

*Nexstar is consolidating all of its stations' web efforts in Nashville

The source is  pretty well convinced Nexstar is just waiting for the next Spectrum auction.

 "I'm told they couldn't offer up KRON this latest go-round since it might have jeopardized the MG {Media General} takeover. Corporate managers have been carefully going through every talent contract for ANY pending and long-term "windows" to either dismiss or DRASTICALLY reduce pay."


*Source: Three veterans at other soon-to-be-gone MG stations have already been told that they will not have their contracts renegotiated -- the new suits will replace them with cut-rate talent who all join the firm with ZERO accrued benefits. And the ones leaving are leaving with their last paychecks, no separation/termination fees of any sort.

*I see a situation arising sooner-rather-than-later where much of KRON (and other Nexstar local stations) just have anchors, MMJs, a couple of local sales people and not much else. I hear they want to be the first national TV group to "hub" just about everything from centralized office(s) -- MCR, national sales, assignment/planning staff and local team.

*Developing ...

KCBS Devotes Five Minutes on Tomato Study During Morning Drive

 KCBS, the all-news, 24/7 reliable radio outlet for breaking stories, traffic reports and weather, devoted five minutes --that's 5 minutes --at 9: 30 this (Tuesday) morning on a study saying it's not good if you place a tomato in the refrigerator.

It wasn't just a read-and-rip AP style story, it was a detailed, comprehensive live interview with some expert--and both anchors, Susan Leigh Taylor and Stan Bunger took part in the tomato paste, uh, piece.

Normally, the swell man that I am, I wouldn't deride a solid news operation like KCBS conducting such frivolity in the morning but this diddy took the cake.

Crazy as it is, we have an election in just two weeks; an ongoing war in Iraq and civil war in Syria; drought is killing California even after a wet weekend; two serious auto accidents overnight; real stories.

Yet, KCBS spent five minutes talking, giggling, to some woman expert about the hazards of placing tomatoes in the refrigerator --call the sandwich police.



Stan Bunger and Susan Leigh Taylor of KCBS

I've go to go now and get drunk.

The Crumbling Bay Area TV News Status; You All Pretty Much Stink

 415 MEDIA ALL DOWNHILL

I've never seen a market full of duds as blatant as THIS ONE.

The TV News scene is chaos. Good people, good reporters and anchors, good talent are either being phased out or leaving en masse.

The people running the show are about as incompetent as ever. There is NO direction, no movement, no leadership.

The market is run by a bunch of wimpy nincompoops with all the serenity and knowledge of a Vallejo Jack in the Box. The ding-dongs are running the asylum --Bay Area media is crumbling into a gigantic, unfixable mess. Grab that!

You all deserve better.

You deserve a hallmark station like KTVU to behave like the legendary outlet it once was and is now been taken over by the FoxHouse idiots--known in the industry, derisively, as The Firm, because it has transformed its staff into a bunch of neurotic and insecure miscreants who are afraid of their job status, afraid of the future, and won't even talk privately to their most trusted confidants. At KTVU, fear and loathing has become the daily mantra with a bozo, once-respected, newswoman, in charge of the circus. What a disgrace!

*KPIX: A bloated, garbage-filled fortress littered with enough human waste to fill the SF Zoo. Misguided, out-of-date, out-of-place anchors with no gusto; relentlessly boring and asleep at the wheel. PIX, as I have pointed out numerous times, has NO face-of-the-station. They're run like a Sacramento Sleep Train. Third-rate reporters, ludicrous, inept anchors guided by a News Director who still thinks he's hip because he used to be a reporter for the SF Chronicle. Like newspapers, KPIX is barren and CBS-SF is a rotting carcass. 

*KRON: A certifiable mess. An independent albatross with a bunch of lowlife sycophants in charge. But just what are they in charge of? The News Director is a yelling, screaming, human male weapon of mass destruction. If he were respected then at least his ranting could be semi-tolerated but KRON is a veritable wasteland with an unknown future. Its bugs are still aplenty; its cadavers supplemented by a nutty, goofy, ridiculous morning yenta with all the gravitas of a Lodi Arby's. The most compelling thing at KRON is the growing impatience of their doofus TV Sports anchor who continues to make as ASS of himself. At least he stopped parking his used Bentley in the handicapped zone.

*KGO-TV: The least of the insane media outlets in spite of another inglorious female News Director with all the people skills of s diseased yak. How she is able to keep her gig is the subject of many stories at 900 Front. Circle7 has decent, competent, anchors and fairly solid reporters and producers. Too bad management, (read: TW-S) just fragmented one of its sole stars by 86ing his veteran, well-liked producer. Way to boost morale. Maybe time to hire another weather anchor.

*KNTV (NBC Bay Area) They still don't know whether to be a San Jose station or San Francisco metro. It shows. Like PIX, they too do not have a face-of-station. I thought it would be Raj Mathai but looks as if Raj is more interested in his golf game than reading the teleprompter. Jessica Aguirre? Seriously? And Janelle Wang? Quit making more babies and concentrate on gathering the News Director's e-mails, it couldn't hurt. Another thing, guys, who hired the morning traffic guy? He's about as interesting as a Cupertino Subway sandwich shop. Please, KNTV, find a pulse! Get a grip. You're losing all the energy and are about as relative as a Trump rally in Berkeley.

The Second Presidential Debate

{SNL}

Big 'Secret Meeting' at KRON Next Week by Senior Nexstar Execs; Let the Rumors Begin

 Nexstar senior execs have planned a "secret meeting" at KRON next week to discuss?....well, there's a SF Bay-size amount of rumors making the rounds locally about what they'll be discussing and perhaps moving on.

415 Media has learned the execs will be bringing financial disclosures at the big powwow indicating this day-long affair will not be devoted to crab-dip recipes.

We'll of course be monitoring and get you all the meat and potatoes --if there is any and we think there is. As they say, stay tuned.

*415Media Exclu

Ask Rich Lieberman

 TV/RADIO/NEWSPAPER --Answering your questions about Bay Area Media --as always, please, name and town if you can.







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