IT WASN'T SURPRISING that CUMULUS has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy --it was bound to happen any day. Now it's official. The company that owns over 400 radio stations ...including KGO, KFOG, KSFO, KNBR and 107.7 FM "The Bone" here, has a rather favorable "reorganizing plan" that, for the most part, won't affect on-air programming. For now.But a long fight is probably in the cards still.
I've learned that MAJOR layoffs are in store in the coming weeks --(Happy Holidays, Cumulus workers) at KGO and KNBR. The layoffs will involve on-air people and salesforce --and will come in waves. Yes, they've finally hit a bump in the road too big for even these mutts.
*IT is so bad at KTVU that some staff has coordinated off-the-premise lunch spots to gather around and talk about the awfulness that has engulfed the FOX Oakland station. Nobody dares send interoffice e-mail about the morale; nobody dare talk openly, even benign chit-chat because, as one major anchor told another major on-air person, "you gotta watch what you say here." Yeah, 54 cameras, some with the ability to listen in on any and all conversations, will do that. Furthermore, because there is so much paranoia among staff and managers, nobody trusts anyone. The fear and loathing is prevalent and GM, Gregg Kelley and HR Boss, Chris Nohr, are trying to hone in the leakers. Should be a wonder Christmas party for the Bay Area outlet of "The Firm."
*I'VE mentioned this before but it bares repeating: if you want to see people in dread, then head over to Grumpy's near Battery and Front today around happy hour. It's the end of the month and the bar is FULL of folks who might not have a job soon. Yeah, the shots flow.
*Even more gruesome than her sophomoric behavior: Gasia Mikaelian's brown-nosing KTVU management but you know, she has to feed a family and hairspray is expensive.*If "2 Investigates" wants a real good story they don't even have to leave the office.
*When KRON becomes a better destination than 2 you know there's issues.
*Dear KTVU staff: please don't dare read me while at the office; go outside, smoke your cigarette and get your fix. They're (the bad guys) just looking for anyone gullible enough to break the rules. Don't make their jobs easier.
*NO, it's not that SOP for TV stations to have more than 50 cameras on the premises; NO, but yes, it is the fact at KTVU and you can thank FOX for that --FOX wasn't supposed to be their FOX rep and everything would be business as usual--we thought. But Fox, I guess, suddenly realized that the Bay Area ain't Waco, Texas and ain't that great.
*Kenny Choi is so harmless and uninteresting in the morning studio the numb nuts at PIX have turned him loose in the field in hopes of people noticing Kenny or seeing whether Kenny has a personality. It's not working because officials have not detected a pulse from Kenny since he arrived in the Bay Area.Good news for Choi: at least he's not Liam Mayclem.
THIS JUST IN: Matt Lauer is a man.
*It's a good thing that KTVU doesn't run any promos in and around their news because, you know, you can't just get keep running promos.
*KNBR: The sports intern leader.
*"The Game" (95. 7 FM) All-Sports, is celebrating its 478th Program Director in six years which is great if you're in the business of rearranging office furniture.
*KCBS: your Megan Goolsby and Jon Bristow Bay Area news station.
*Sal Castaneda: the human, shrinking-in-stature machine.
*Neda Iranpour is a better than average morning weather reporter on PIX and KCBS but her voice sounds like she's either got eternal hoarse voice or needs a lot more tea and honey.
Maybe the 54 camera installers could install a few in Kelley's and Nohr's offices. It seems only fair.
ReplyDeleteLike the old jingle said, "There's Only One 2."
ReplyDeletesexual assault and sexual harassment are not the signs of a "man", but rather signs of a sexually insecure bully...just so you know.
ReplyDeleteToo true! Thanks for the education sweet cheeks, now go and fix me a sammich.
Delete> her voice sounds like she's either got eternal horse voice
ReplyDelete> or needs a lot more tea and honey.
Or she smokes a hookah.
KPIX management are morons!
ReplyDeleteHow much worse can KGO get? Ethan Bearman, Chip Franklin, Maureen Langdon virtually unlistenable. Pat has been absent several week ends, although I like Pat, I was looking forward to have John Rothmann filing in, instead they ran best of Pat's show. Don't know if it is because they don't want to pay John or he was not available, especially since some of those shows were on Thanksgiving week end. I never care for "best of" usually I have already heard the show, or it is old news. The only people I listen to on KGO is Ronn, Brian, (depending on his subject) Pat and John Rothmann, John is by far the best, and to loose him completely would be a huge loss.
ReplyDeleteSimple, in the new economic paradigm, KGO is unwilling to pay a host anything more than the SAG min. of $ 44/hour. John (I like him too) I'm sure is welcomed to work for those wages.
DeleteI believe that filing for bankruptcy allows them to drop the union contract and any personal service contracts with people like Ron so they could probably tell him and Gary and anyone else that they they would have to work for the $14 an hour SF Minimum Wage that goes up to $15 an hour July 1, 2018 and replace them with syndicated programming or anyone willing to work for minimum wage.
DeleteThey could indeed use BK to renegotiate terms of the union contact. Cutting staff, wages and benefits would surely improve Cumulus' profitability
DeleteMatt Lauer is a POS. After he had Ann Curry dumped at Today blaming her for a ratings drop, he became a a large feces and I started watching GMA.
ReplyDeleteI always liked Ann and never liked Matt Asshat. After Ann was gone, I stopped watching Today.
DeleteYeah, get rid of the one thing that was right rather than face that you're the problem. He was an asshat all right. Hope his career is over forever, but he's made so much money by this point that it hardly matters; he can live like a sheik for the rest of his life, complete with harem.
DeleteCan't KNBR just fire Gary to help their balance sheet?
ReplyDeleteKGMZ is on their 3rd PD in 6 years. I get overstating something for comedic effect. However, your comment lacked any comedy whatsoever. Do better.
By just a wild coincidence today Gary Radnich extolled his love of the company that has been "So good to me".
DeleteBetter then Pam Moore he means. He didn't tell Cumulus that they can kiss his rear end. Pam? yes he told her that.
KFOG has been searching for a new identity since Cumulus took over, and it's been a huge failure. First it was an incredibly short playlist that made me feel like it was groundhog day every time I tuned in.
ReplyDeleteA couple of weeks ago while tuned to the supposed new and improved KFOG in my car, I heard such a long string of boring, uninspired and unfamiliar material that I decided to assign KFOG's preset to another station.
And finally, if I wanted to listen to bands that appeal to rednecks and alcoholics, such as Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats, a group KFOG has glorified, I'd tune in to KPIG. As stated above, hello, KFOG -- this ain't Waco.
big scoop on possible layoffs at KNBR-it gets the "Heather Holmes'' skirt award. A ''Thank You'' call from Radnich should be forthcoming in case he loses job and needs to get on board ''Over at 415''.
ReplyDeleteKenny Choi.. A man waiting for Michelle to plunge the knife in his back
ReplyDeletenow u can listen to KNBR and try to detect insecurity in their voices.makes more interesting radio knowing every thing they say might have a hint of whats going on at station. see how it affects the broadcast.suddenly KNBR is interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhat? Brick is shrinking?
ReplyDeleteIn light of the Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer types in TV news, I'll take plain old boring (but decent) Kenny Choi every time.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know anything about Kenny one way or the other?
Delete"THIS JUST IN: Matt Lauer is a man."
ReplyDeleteMen obviously don't seem to realize that his type of comment is what keeps them operating at the evolutionary level of Neanderthals.
Choi, the cardboard cutout. They sell those at the Dollar Store.
ReplyDeleteI hope Mr. South Marin is the first one out.
ReplyDeleteThe new Weather Woman on KPIX Morning Show makes me nervous...She is too high energy for that early in the Morning, & the total opposite of Kenny. Neda, your delivery comes off like you have drank a 6 Pack of Red Bull?! Calm down Girl, you got the Gig, just Mello Out..
ReplyDeleteAt least the 493 PD's they've had at The Game aren't the complete idiots the nibbers have
ReplyDeleteAs testament to the ironic joke that is life with knibbler, they hired Crowe, Hoffar, and other faceless wonders from their evil rival the Game. Ahh, the incestuous brilliance of our 2 sports stations...
Deletecrowe is an incompetent buffoon He makes Hammer look like he has a clue.
ReplyDelete