YEAH, some kind of "promotion"; Billy Burton was making over $300K as GM at KGO; he's headed to an unknown ABC exec gig and for his labors, will be paid slightly less than that plus he's leaving the Bay Area. His wife is such a big shot I guess she had to land him a gig away from her (reasonable) but less pay? Some promotion.*A KGO hack who frequently sends anonymous insults (brave of him) lauded Circle7 for its great Sweeps results; in fact, it was KTVU that killed and won big time in virtually all news time slots and digital platforms (except the early evening) Not that's great news except for the staff at KTVU who should be putting on a happy face but are morose and timid over the awful working conditions run by an egotistical GM asshole who loves people to quiver and a HR Boss who has all the warmth of a pre 2017 female intern for Harvey Weinstein.
*Billy Burton did NOT want to leave KGO but was forced to (albeit, yes, wifey took care of him) but before leaving for that promotion, his real estate agent was having lunch with him at Original Joe's the week before; why? Because Burton was looking at a condo in the Marina --yeah, he's just ecstatic to be leaving 900 Front. Apparently, some longtime KGOers fell for the spin. Not me.
*Hey, imagine this: Everyone in the world, every profession has adults that cheat on their spouse; it's a fact of life. Maybe it's bad but it's happened and will continue to happen. Every profession. Even top notch anchors locally too are not immune and that doesn't make them bad people. Just keeping up with the joneses.
*KTVU: run a few more promos, haven't see one for at least 5 minutes.
*KPIX would rather really butcher its reputation and not admit a huge mistake because they insist on trying at any and all cost to legitimize the joke known as Melissa Caen. The so-called political reporter with embarrassing blunders and no on-screen presence looks great on TV; too bad she doesn't know what the hell she's talking about. That Sunday morning show with her and Willie Brown looked like a Saturday Night Live sketch.
*Kenny Choi: all the charisma of week-old kale at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market.
*Tracey Watkowski: not a gamer babe but knows how to play the game. I guess.
*Chris Nohr: No Facebook picture; no LinkedIn picture; no Twitter or Instagram picture: yep, just the kind of HR boss that Fox loves.
*Larry Beil: if he and Brian Hackney get together it would be so stiff they have to call in the fire department and perform a Heimlich maneuver.
*Remember KGO-TV people: 2 words: "Blue Box."
*Kelley was a wrestler in college: figures.
*Two of the most powerful people at ABC7: Dan Ashley and Michael Finney. Trust me.
*Dec. 1, 2011: the first and deadliest KGO Radio purge, courtesy Cumulus, which recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy ; at the time, KGO Radio was down but still billing roughly $30 Million a year. Now, they barely break even and the Cloud Company was just de-listed off the Nasdaq -- Remember, this is the outfit that Ronnnnnnnnnnn Owens said "I'm excited; this is going to be a great radio company and it's going to be awesome for KGO!" Ronn's been smoking a lot of kale lately.
*New Year's Eve item: Brian Copeland and Chip Franlkin sharing the stage for a NYE gig in that showbiz mecca, San Leandro! Yeah, I guess El Cerrito was booked.
*Joke making the rounds: KNBR after 7 PM: Radio Romper Room. Only Romper Room had better actors.
*Bob Fitzgerald: pretty damn decent on TV; pretty damn AWFUL on radio.
*Kevin Frandsen: slightly more entertaining than the country version of 800-Kars-for-Kids
*Mike Anthony: working on Ethan Bearman's "15 ways to spice up Tofu" as the World comes to an end.
Shitz is barely less awful on TV. He's still a horrible blowhard shill, mostly for himself.
ReplyDeleteWould love to hear Ronnnn weasel his way out of those comments. He's the most disingenuous disaster, then and now.
Knibbler after 7pm, thank a dude named Crowe for that. A reject from the Game, 680 in their brilliance brought him in to "program" and make moves like the carp no one listens to after 7.
I’ll pay top dollar to see Karel open for Brian and Chip, and watch Karel grovel for spare change. I wonder if Karel still goes to restaurants and takes uneaten food off other tables and puts it in ziploc bags. He got busted for that before. Cheap Bastard.
DeleteCrowe is a clown
DeleteI would disagree with you about Fitz:he's as bad on tv as he is on radio. Smartest guy in the room and he'll be the first one to tell you.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Against the Hornets even Jim Barnett disagreed with Bob's "Great Defense" cheerleading/description of the Hornet's poor first quarter shooting saying "Sometimes shots just don't fall".
DeleteAgreed, he's horrible on TV, radio, whatever...I can't stand him.
DeleteI want to know what this "Blue Box" stuff is all about! I was hoping you would say what it is, today, but so far, you are only teasing! Good job, though!
ReplyDeleteand all this Stanton merry go -round. not even listening anymore. not gonna get him, why all this hype.
ReplyDeleteFitz is a much easier listen than the two KNBR morning morons.
ReplyDeleteFitz has a bit of an ego, but I think he does well on TV. Jim Barnett is great, so natuarally, Barnett props him up. What bothers me most about Fitz is that he is shorter and wider than Barnett, so he raises his chair up to look as tall as Barnett, and he practically pushes Barnett out of view of the screen with his girth. Barnett looks squished in his seat.
ReplyDeleteRich, what's going on with 95.7 and their 10-noon slot? No one is listed.
ReplyDeleteHey Rich - what’s going on with KTVU’s 4 and 7 pm team.... Ken Wayne and Heather Holmes off. Gomez filling in with Somerville last night and Mallicot tonight!
ReplyDeleteDuhh...it IS the end of the year. People DO take vacation days off, ya know.
DeleteI've noticed you've given the inept Disney princess lots of slack recently.
ReplyDeleteCare to 'splain?
Not in Cumulus' defense but even iheartradio is having major financial problems. Radio peaked years ago and its best years are in the rear view mirror. It will never be the newspaper but it is similar in many ways.
ReplyDeletePlease kill the composer of the Kars4Kids jingle. Then dig him up and kill him again.
ReplyDeleteDo a Google search. You'll find it's not there. Read it's for his safety. Nor are the "singers." Figures.
DeleteEastBayTimes/Merc now have gone to a pay wall AKA a limit on how many story's you can read for free per month. It didn't take long for them to jump on the soon to be costly internet bundling. Trump loves to stick it to customers.
ReplyDeleteSoon,back to what we did before the internet...or even cable.
Well,at least until 2020.
Vegas odds on next ABC 7 GM:
ReplyDeleteEven money: Current ND Tracey "Trixie" Watkowski. Despite Heather lawsuit, Disney likes em evil. Looks like a Trixie/Darth Mole Holiday bash.
9/5 ESPN suit: Done in other markets. Helps keep Bristol payroll in check.
10/1 Bay Area suit: Hard to keep old hands like ex KPIX GM Bruno Cohen in the pasture. ABC 7 numbers slipping, documented success might be a good pitch.
50/1 young blood: Current KNTV ND Stephanie Androuny. Hates Trixie, knows where bodies are buried at 900 Front following long tenure in ABC 7 trenches.
1,000,000/1: Current NBC/NY exile, and former ABC 7 ND Kevin Keeshan. Announced he was next GM in 2011 which pissed off Disney. Wants it the most but won't get it. Leading the charge of ratings loser We Investigate scares off most.
Leaving the Bay Area, making less than $300,000, I'd probably the same pay anywhere else!!
ReplyDeleteWhy did ABC7 hire Dion Lim when Katie Marzullo is a better anchor? She does not complement Eric Thomas? There is something about her voice and delivery that is annoying. She also had a slight head turn when reading the TelePrompTer. It is weird.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of head turns, Veronica DeLaCruz goes all spastic when the camera cuts to her. She's looking at the camera sideways, flips her head to look straight ahead and then wiggles it. So strange, distracting and affected, but she does it over, and over, and over, again.
ReplyDelete