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| Lee Hammer |
EARLY MONDAY, Lee Hammer had a decision to make: stave off going to Hawaii on a KNBR listener contest or remain home and work on KGO-related issues during an important period; a time to begin working earnestly on a radio station that Cumulus' own CEO, Mary Berner, deemed important enough as to forcefully call a SF meeting and demand immediate action.
Hammer chose to go to Hawaii.
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| Mary Berner |
Tense enough that the KGO matter was causing "extreme" chaos in the studios and back offices. The few KGO staffers were caught off-guard and thought to be wondering how such an important matter like the station's literal functioning was put on hold while its new PD was on the beach in Hawaii.
To be fair, the Hawaiit trip was already planned and Hammer didn't want the KGO job. He took it because it beats working and gladly accepts more money before retirement from Cumulus. But it underscored and reinforced the notion that KGO is considered the ugly stepsister in the Bay Area radio Cumulus hierarchy; while Berner insisted that it was time to make it happen at the 50,000 watt news and talk signal, she was helpless to prevent the current situation. Which is incredible indifference among station management. Way to boost morale.
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| Doug Harvill |
What a very sad situation.
In a normal company where this environment existed the logical action would be for the person in charge to do his/her job and remedy the situation; take charge; implement immediate action as to what is going on and what is being done to help the cause.
At Cumulus, this is foreign territory.
#415 Media Exclusive
Lee's been in radio a loooong time, long enough to know precisely how much he'll be appreciated and rewarded if he blows off the Hawaii trip and devote that time to fixing KGO. (Careful not to step in the puddle of dripping sarcasm.)
ReplyDeleteI'm getting sick of hearing about these Cumulus bastards. They don't seem to care about anything so why are they even in the radio business? These guys control THREE stations (KGO, KNBR and KSFO)?
DeleteWhere is the FCC?? What the fuck?
P.S.
Lee Hammer looks like a corporate boot-licking dick.
"...such an important matter as KGO's literal functioning..."
ReplyDeleteFuck's sake, Rich, that hasn't been an issue since 2011. And if Berner and company really cared, they'd have given Jack Swanson what he needed to make the thing fly. They don't, they didn't and it won't.
"Sad situation." Not really.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same routine turmoil Lieberman has been blogging about forever as if the sky is about to fall. Spoiler alert: It never does.
"Radio Rick", have you sold your soul to the devil? It most assuredly IS a 'sad situation' when 50,000 watts of clear channel power fails to honor broadcast license terms and primarily programs for corrupt corporate bastards rather than the public interest. Time to wake up, smell the roses, and understand that if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. Back up and scratch it, man. The current Bay Area radio broadcast situation could & should be much much better and is, in fact, a shadow of its former self. Keep on truckin', Rich, you're definitely on the right track. And "Radio Rick", it's high time that someone, somehow Light Your Fire before it's too late and, sadly, all over for you.
Delete"Lee "Baby" Sims", No, i haven't sold my soul to the devil.
DeleteSorry that you can't accept the reality that things change with time. That includes the radio business.
No matter how much you and Rich Lieberman reminisce about some long-gone era that was never as great as you recall, it's not coming back.
Remember when people got all their news from thriving big-city newspapers and bought books from their local book stores? Remember telegrams and the horse and buggy? They're not coming back.
Spare us the self-righteous indignation about fighting the good fight to bring back the good-old-days. It's not happening.
> Time to wake up, smell the roses, and understand that
Delete> if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
Okay, so how are you part of the solution? What concretely have you done? Please take all the space you need. Thx.
I practice what I preach by teaching media history to entitled self-absorbed narcissists, who, as you've noted, rarely read books or the WashPost/NYTimes. Yes, as things change with time, the tattooed shaved ones now opt for cyber porn, Face-Crook, & unlimited smart phone selfies which Trump a good book or a radio debate any old time. Concretely, my energy has gone towards turning folks on to The Guardian and Democracy Now! Hey, I've even suggested supporting 415 media and commenting on Rich's insider insights. Now, my good sir, what have you done for this Earth lately?
DeleteYou have got a lot of balls to use the name of the legendary (late) Lee Baby Simms for your posts. You may learn something about "media history" if you Google Lee Baby Simms and/or Claude Hall of Billboard fame.
DeleteIn the big picture, if he either did or did not go to Hawaii, it makes no difference. Maybe some staff members were upset but too bad. It is like expecting Dr Kevorkian to come back after a weekend to bring a patient back to life, just ain't gonna happen or make a difference.
ReplyDeleteFunny, Harvill reported he was in Hawaii last week too. a few days after the Swanson debacle. Maybe Lee is there to report to the boss.
ReplyDeleteMaybe both guys should stay there. Who would notice...Your Info may be a bit flawed Rich, Most staffs love when the PD is out of town.
Lee Hammer says No.
ReplyDeleteLee Hammer is a tool. Someone needs to tell him...NO!
ReplyDeleteclue: when air is unbreathable...only a fool who has a chance to escape...wouldn't.
DeleteSomeone needs to hammer him.
Delete> he's did his time
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he's did...
Christine thinks Lee went to Hawaii because of the air quality. This is brilliant take. Lee went to Hawaii for a KNBR event when he's no longer even a part of KNBR? What am I missing? Doesn't someone else run that station now? Doesn't he run KGO because he didnt know how to run KNBR? Lee is probably trying to get fired at this point since he has never know how to do anything except kiss peoples asses. He made sure Steve got fired by ratting on him to the Dickeys. he is the ultimate ass-kisser.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear Christine. Love to see KGO put her on again.
ReplyDeleteNo, the air is not "unbreathable" Christine. I went out and jogged for an hour. No problem. Of course those with issues should take care but lets not exaggerate. Being in a home breathing second hand smoke (like millions do every day) is far far worse.
One of the ways lung cancers begin is through exposure to toxic irritants. I agree that being stuck in a house with second hand smoke is one of those situations. Having no choice but to breathe thick smoke from a massive fire which contains particulate burned plastics, a million different airborne chemicals not meant to be airborne, and the literal bits of departed humans(600 now missing...same level as those killed in 1906 SF quake) and the consequences are foreseeable. So, "unbreathable" is an individual judgment.I usually swim every day, but not these recent days, for that reason. thanks for the kind words.
DeleteGiven what just happened at KGO with Jack, I'm hard pressed to imagine what Lee could have possibly worked on to help KGO had he opted to skip the Hawaii trip for the sake of the station:
ReplyDeleteLet's see... Would he coach Chip Franklin? (can't fire him, he's got a contract). Would he review the frequency of repetition of certain advertisements within stopsets, much less the hour, violating our own historical policy? Nah, traffic already claimed the right to do that over anyones' objections. Hire new talent? Change syndication agreements? Reduce paid programming? Throw Ethan deservedly to the curb?
Clearly NONE of that is gonna happen, so what exactly would he do, sitting in his office in SF, that would be of any benefit to KGO that exceeds the benefit to KGO of him sitting on a beach and letting people do their jobs? Frankly, Lee has been made the hamstrung captain of a doomed ship, and his authority gets exceeded the minute he tries to re-arrange the deck chairs, much less try to save the station. His job is to keep the station on the air and the commercials played on time. Over. Back to you, Atlanta.
heard some of tom tolbert and johnny lund and they came across as if they were getting wasted every night in hawaii..at least when they same someone will be on at 4 you can set your watch for 4:08 knowing you have eight minutes of commericals
ReplyDeleteMemo to Mary Berner - If you want a real station that people actually listen to - look at KFI 640 AM in Los Angeles. KFI is a station with market power and real live, local hosts and management who have been in the market for years.
ReplyDelete