KPIX Morning Show Mantra: If It's Great For Viewers Break It Up; First Kessler and Kohara, Then Mallicoat; 'Too Smart' And 'Make Too Much Money'; 415 Media Tuesday Perspective

Frank Mallicoat

 One of my frequent mass irritations about KPIX...and there's many...is their complete butchering of the morning show. Not just one but two morning shows-- shows that featured interesting, popular, and smart people that got the heave-ho with apparently no consideration of the viewing public. Of course when is that ever considered.

The nerve.

Smart is a dirty word at PIX, so too are those who make big money. The combination of those forces lead to termination and betrayal --not to just the people themselves but the consumer too.



Sydnie Kohara and John Kessler

PIX has done the seemingly impossible. They destroyed a couple of known commodities. They had mucho mojo in the morning with, first, John Kessler and Sydnie Kohara...and then later on, Frank Mallicoat (who, ironically, was brought in from Boston to replace Kessler and was then fired).

In the time writing this blog, I continue to get e-mail from folks who miss Kessler. And love Kohara. "Why did they let them go?" was a frequent question. "I'll never watch Channel 5 again" was also frequently stated. To this day, I still get mail bemoaning what transpired. A friend of mine (I have a few still) in the city who never watches local TV News swore by Kessler. "He was funny and smart." That's a no-no in the biz now and working cheap is the new edict.

The morning offerings on PIX weren't huge ratings bonanzas but they were popular and began to earn viewer bond and loyalty particularly in the A25-54 demo that advertisers covet. Moreover, Kessler and Kohara became so popular the station began running major promos highlighting both and ran them all times of the day. Women especially, loved Kessler and Kohara too. What a winning combination, and then POOF! Screw the viewers seemed to echo out of the CBS offices. First Kessler and then Kohara. Gone. Bye Bye. There was never any official explanation but money was high on the list. For both.

It seemed to set a trend at 855 Battery.



The current KPIX Morning Show

Mallicoat was the next PIX victim (he's now at KTVU) he too was let go because money was a factor, the only factor. And yes, Mallicoat had smart traits and a wicked sense of humor which automatically placed him on the hit list. His co-anchor, Michelle Griego, constantly bad-mouthed him too, which was never good. Maybe Griego was nervous about something or another.

Now KPIX has a bland, uninteresting, innocuous, ratings loser; a show nobody watches and is highlighted by a traffic reporter who consistently flubs her lines and mispronounces street and highway names. Oh, but she is a sight to behold and works cheap, BINGO!

It appears this is the new edict for viewers at KPIX5: Don't become enamored with this morning show because if it were to ever become popular and a hit, the suits will kick 'em all out the door.

What a wonderful strategy.

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