THERE'S BEEN SOME BAD TIMES AT KGO RADIO ...REALLY BAD TIMES ..BUT NONE AS BAD AS NOW.Source: "It's now to a point where we literally are running out of bodies to keep this radio station going," says someone in the know who adds it's a great day when they have bodies available to work.
If you're a board op and need to eat, you may want to contact KGO immediately.
KGO Radio is in the midst of an internal calamity. The morale is at an all-time low, says one who works there daily and is in the trenches --mind you, even at its bare bone status, KGO still needs people to keep it going, however crappy it may sound and the natives who are there on Battery Street are finding it difficult to go to work.Program Director, Mike Anthony, is at the center of a brewing brouhaha --Anthony is universally hated by virtually everyone who works at KGO; talk-show hosts, except Ethan Bear!-Man (we'll get to him in a moment) Technical people, sales people, producers for the most part; even a janitor or two despise Anthony. Why?
Anthony seems to be a guy who has lost the team on several fronts. For one, his lame-brain business model --shared by Cumulus' SF Cluster Pres, Jason Wittmayer, of swearing off ratings and "selling lifestyle." It's a blueprint of bullshit and even the ass kissers don't like it. But it doesn't stop there.
According to a knowledgeable station source who knows the ins and outs, Anthony and Wittmayer not only couldn't care less about ratings, they are perfectly fine with an operation that doesn't give a shit about the news; doesn't really care about listeners and goodwill, has contempt for callers ('fuck em!) and want to run KGO on some flimsy plan even they (Anthony and Wittmayer) know has no long-term success."They preach this 'LifeStyle' bullshit' almost every day. Nobody has any faith in it, nobody. Almost all the talk hosts can't stand it and it's at the heart and soul of their daily message," said the source close to the situation.
Bearman, who does his show out of LA (Noon-2 PM) is on everyone's shit list. Seems Anthony can't get enough of his favorite brown-noser and has made it clear that Ethan is his prized pupil. Meanwhile, Bearman, whose ratings are terrible, seems intent on becoming Anthony's prime bitch. Bearman does some cable appearances on Fox News which Anthony views as some sort of valor. Only nobody that KGO is trying to reach watches Fox News.
If Bearman had any decent numbers the resentment might be tempered a bit but he doesn't. Furthermore, his taped, three-hour repeat at night (7-10 PM from his daily noon show) is a joke not only amongst the talk hosts but listeners too.
"Every day, we get bombarded in the newsroom from people screaming and yelling about the show at night. We're inundated and we try to defuse the anger but they end up really pissed off--they (listeners) are outraged --'it's us that gets it every day on the phone," said the station insider speaking to 415 Media directly.
Worse? The insider said both Anthony and Wittmayer don't care about the nasty phone calls. "They don't give a shit. They just say to move forward." The disdain for listeners by management extends to shows too because, said the insider, "they don't want callers--NO callers." That's not as outrageous a missive because caller-driven radio seems to be out of touch but Anthony's edict has taken it to a new level.
How bad is it at KGO? The source who knows where the bodies are buried has told me it's getting really hard to make sure the radio station is running. Every day is a challenge.
"People don't want to come to work here. It's a 'shit hole --they (workers) are making crappy money and facing challenges --the work sucks, the stress level is terrible and they're paying us peanuts."
The conditions are ripe for internal strife and malaise --combined with in-house bitching and moaning. Furthermore, when the ship has no leader and its workers have no faith in the direction and don't trust the conductor, you have a sinking ship, a KGO 'Titanic ...with not even an orchestra staying on board.
Where in the hell are the unions in all of this? Their function, at least in the popular media, is to support and protect their members. Its not going to surprise me when the pitch forks and axe handles appear; it's only a matter of time.
ReplyDeleteIt's not this bad in other markets, only acute here due to the high cost of living. There's no way to keep up with it, or at least no way that's legal.
ReplyDeleteWe're about to pop one hell of a bubble.
"Anthony and wittmayer could care less?" How much less could they care? Just asking.
ReplyDeleteThey could care less ... but they don't. That's the point.
DeleteThe real reason is not mentioned ... Nobody, but nobody, puts ketchup on a hot dog !!!
ReplyDeletethe ''mason mc duffy'' thing is the new KNBR catchphrase...say it loud everywhere you go..."Mason Mc Duffy!''.
ReplyDeleteGood point there 3:49pm.
DeleteGary Radnich for so many years, prided himself on not being beholden to commercial pitching.
When you are in need of money, do as Gary does, sell you rear-end to anyone for a buck.
What union? Many of the workers made a video lobbying for one.
ReplyDeleteWhat union? Go ask that union organizer, Ted Ramey.
DeleteThe weakest man at KNBR.
The minuet KNBR threaten him with termination, he capitulated.
Splineless thrives with this guy.
rothman filled in for copeland today. it was so soothing. even though he was forced to spend the second hour talking about carrie fisher. you could tell that he really didnt do any show prep for the topic
ReplyDeleteis there a cumulous station anywhere in the country that is actually doing well?
and how in the world did bearmen ever get a syndication gig?
he is beyond awful
KGO is going down almost as bad nd quick as the Democrat party. They lost Georgia tonight, too. Most expensive House race in history and they couldn't pull it off. Rich, typical of his lack of a backbone, won't print this.
ReplyDeleteThe Dems were kind of close in all these special elections which were all very strong GOP districts. Karen Handel and that POS who body slammed the reporter are horrible candidates. I'd be embarrassed if I lived in their districts. We'll see what happened next year when the whole country votes again. The Dems could pick up a ton, especially here in California. Darrel Issa is the asswipe I want to see tossed.
DeleteI know most of your readers differ on my opinion of the Armstrong and Getty Show because I enjoy it but the rest of the station is pure crap. I only listen about 1 hour and 30 minutes a day. I gladly listen to podcasts on my drive home. Something has to change
ReplyDeleteI tried but I can't get into A & G. Just cracking stupid jokes about Hillary, Obama and the Dems, not so much at Trump, who's the biggest joke around. It may play well in Des Moines or Fresno but not here in the bay. And they don't take in any calls.
Delete8:00 p.m. I somewhat agree with you. I can take A&G for about an hour, they certainly are better than Sussman and Katie Greene on KSFO. I don't agree that the rest of the station is pure crap, much of it is, but Ronn, Brian and Pat Thurston, and especially John Rothmann whenever he is on, are still worth listening to.
DeleteWhere have you gone Gene Burns? A radio nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
ReplyDeleteAmen, 8:18....I think about him so often. The epitome of superb talk hosts.....no one like him.
DeleteSo true at 8:18.
DeleteBurns did an excellent job even if you did not agree with his politics, you found yourself listening.
He was unique.
Ray Talliaferro(sp) had better ratings at 3am....I miss Ray, lol
ReplyDeleteI recall at the time that Ray had some of the highest ratings in the country from his 1am to 5am gig. Now we got bigfoot and UFO talk.
DeleteRay or George Takei? 1 in the same.
DeleteRay was unique a real personality, I rarely listened for long, since he mostly was on when I slept. Gene Burns is another story, I listened as much as I could and yes I miss him a lot. John Rothmann is on the same level. I always liked to listen to both Gene and John on an important subject, they didn't always agree, but both were capable of an intelligent argument and discussion. Current management seem unaware of what most of us listeners want, or as Rich has pointed out, just don't give a damn. Sound like a line from a movie.
DeleteI interviewed with their sales manager earlier this year to sell ad time- I'd a few clients that would transition over- and their model was flat out insanity with minimum quarterly contracts of 26 ads a day at prices that do reflect market rates- for a top-rated station. Deeper digging found a 70% turnover in prior hires due to failure to pay commissions or withholding them for 90 days "until the account is paid in full" when the client pays upfront. When questioned and pressed on these and other issues, I was told I wasn't a good fit for Cumulus and perhaps my time would be better spent elsewhere- and was told to leave, now.
ReplyDeleteNice.
Ethan Bearman. The biggest company on planet Earth.
ReplyDeleteNeed someone to stab you in the back? Simply call on Ethan Bearman.
it seems so perfect for radnich, you do your first endorsement in 80 years and you'd like something ''sexy'' like, ''hi I'm gary radnich for vegas international ''hot to trot'' tours, you'll see the greatest entertainers and more, with vegas international tours...''. instead he has to repeat the words ''mason mc duffy''' for 5 minutes! at the media parties , you don't wannna be the guy who says ''mason mc duffy'' all night. somehow the ''words ''mason mc duffy'' aint exactly ''skirt lifters'''(!)
ReplyDeleteafter listening to Tolbert and lund, you realized that lund sort of shores up the show. kind of a more 'ticker tape'' style as opposed to to Tolbert's more ''rumpus room'' atmosphere. lund has that ''strike up the band'' style maybe the station thought it needed. lund does freshen up the cadence a bit.thats it, Tolbert is a ''beer sipper'' type but KNBR wanted a more ''champagne spray'' attitude that lund gives.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you drinking sir? Lund is as unoriginal, weak and boring as day old seltzer. He's never fit in at KNBR let alone worked well with Tolbert. He's the sports version of A&G. Just another smarmy, pasty, weasel hack from the sticks.
ReplyDelete