THIS IS HOW BAD IT IS AT KGO RADIO: the albatross 810 AM station saddled with more dysfunction then a New Orleans FEMA office is running old promos of Ronn Owens in the middle of the night. No, not the "Ronn Owens Report"--the "Ronn Owens Show from 10-Noon" --only problem is Ronn isn't on anymore from 10 -Noon. Yet KGO continues to run these promos --albeit in the middle of the night when only five people are listening, including a local media blogger. It's good entertainment for a few moments then you realize how pathetic that can be. KGO doesn't care anymore and why should they? Because KGO has turned into the House of Radio Ill Repute. The Temple of Dysfunctionality. The place that Jack Swanson barely lasted a month to fix up the old joint only to quit suddenly when it became apparent Cumulus had little money for the one-heralded news-talk station.
This is quite telling. Maybe an omen. Even the most hardened KGO people still working at the place have NO IDEA what is going on. None.
"I haven't heard a thing," says someone who should know, a seasoned worker who has been there long enough to at least gauge the crickets but even this person doesn't have a clue.
"They (mgt.) don't tell us anything", said the person who didn't want me to name them out of fear of reprisal only since no one knows who's actually running the radio station that might be for naught.
"I haven't heard a thing," says someone who should know, a seasoned worker who has been there long enough to at least gauge the crickets but even this person doesn't have a clue.
"They (mgt.) don't tell us anything", said the person who didn't want me to name them out of fear of reprisal only since no one knows who's actually running the radio station that might be for naught.
KGO is in free fall, (again) with no apparent leader; no director; no PD in reality but yes, on paper, Lee Hammer, who seems to have taken the position with about as much enthusiasm as eating a peanut-butter sandwich with nonfat milk. Hammer used to care about such things involving the Cloud Company only that probably existed for its sports station here (KNBR).
KGO now is a sea of the unknown. Its ratings actually picked up a bit last month but that was only the so-called beauty contest numbers and not what advertisers look at to buy time. Maybe they too have been caught up in the latest Theatre of the Absurd at K-GO, who the heck knows anymore.
When Swanson took the job there was some hope and anticipation albeit with a grain of salt because, you know, Cumulus is weathered on failure and a tenacity at screwing things up even when there's nothing to screw up anymore; in the case of KGO, with Swanson on board some hoped he could revitalize the shop and with some cash, make it (KGO) at least half-listenable and rescued from the abyss. Fat chance. Swanson lasted a month and decided to quit and opt for Stinson Beach.
Right now, no one knows what's the end game. A new year is six weeks away when earlier this month word was that a new, Jan. '19 rollout was being drawn up by Swanson --that seems to be in the toilet now and mysteries abound. Just what is the plan, boys and girls? I'd love to tell you all but like I said, nobody knows. More precisely, nobody seems to care.
Haven't we been here before?
Never mind.
Does anyone care? NO! KGO's ship sailed a long, long time ago.Surely, there must be something else to write about.
ReplyDeleteThe overnight is run in automation. So if stale promos are running, its the production dept. and/or the log scheduling (traffic) dept. making the error. Leadership vacuum and revolving doors in those departments have taken a toll too, and nobody really is in charge per se. It's a wonder we don't have more train wrecks. We're told that back-to-back repeats of the same spot under different network buys are "on purpose," so we can stop reporting that. And it goes on.
ReplyDeleteAny 50,000 watt clear-channel powerhouse licensed to serve in the public interest is most assuredly worth writing about. Since "the media is the message", the educational/enlightenment capacity of this easy-to-access AM broadcast outlet transcends state and international borders/boundaries. When a station fails to live up to the terms of its broadcast license, then someone should take them to court and demand that KGO's license be revoked unless they clean up their act ASAP. Potential remedy: If KGO wants listeners & ad. revenue, program foreign language/brokered shows by day with "live & local" John & Pat evenings (7-11pm), followed by Ray Taliaferro (11pm-2pm). "If you build these shows, the listeners will come". Back in the day, quite the similar approach/concept pulled 106.9 KMPX-FM out of debt when Larry Miller worked the graveyard shift and Big Daddy Tom Donahue let the air waves flow with free-form eclectic tunes from 8pm on. In lieu of music, John, Pat, & Ray's 'intellectual intercourse' could go a long ways towards enlightening the masses and subsequently attracting ad revenue to pay the piper. Give it a try y'all. What have you got to lose???
ReplyDeleteA 15-hour shift for the legendary Ray T. could be a bit demanding, so let's chase Ray's 11pm-2AM shift down with 3 hours of Randi Rhodes, some Sam Seder, Mike Malloy ("Watch your back!"), and then Thom Hartmann. Fill in graveyard holes with 'brokered programming', and the 50,000 watt powerhouse once again broadcasts in the public interest by stimulating brain cells and generating interactive intercourse. If you have better ideas, make some news of your own and state your case here & now.
DeleteI think most of these hosts are on 910 am, I have heard Thom Hartmann there, Mike Malloy use to be on the old 860, I didn't care for him. He seems the liberal version of Rush or Hannity, all liberals are bad, in his case switch to conservative, he also sounded very mean spirited, I use to like Randi Roades in small doses. Miss Alan Colmes, there are other good liberal talk show host, Bill Press would be a good fit, he use to fill in for Ronn and has Bay Area connections.
DeleteIs Taliaferro ready for a 15-hour weekday shift? It would definitely shore up some of the holes in the schedule. Big, if true.
ReplyDeleteMarshall McLuhan it is clear by your post radio station programing is not your area of expertise. Than again you appear to be a good fit with Cumulus management.
ReplyDeleteThe really sad part: KGO's Coast-to-Coast middle of the night talk show, focusing mainly on Bigfoots and Flying Saucers, is what seems to draw the most ratings interest among all their shows.
ReplyDeleteJesus Christ, Coast to Coast is utter rubbish and unlistenable!
DeleteHow much does KGO get paid for airing that?? Karel said he used to make ~$500 a show. Couldn't they put
Karel on and make just as much?
Rich if they told you to program the station right now who would you put on? Give us your morning drive up until 2 AM slots and NO KAREL!
ReplyDeleteI thought I was the only one listening to John Batchelor!
ReplyDeleteStations Pay for syndication...Not the other way around. They get some places to put local spots. Cumulus according to the Real Trade Papers is about to file for a 2nd Bankruptcy. Why do you think Swanson left...No money to do anything. Sell the damn station and stop trying to fix it with no money.
ReplyDeleteBring in Mike Malloy from Atlanta to right the ship. Add ballast with Bernie, intensive intellectual intercourse with John & Pat, call-in Gestalt therapy with Thom Hartmann, and reality flashes/news direction with Scoop Nisker. "Quality without compromise" and way fewer calories than Blum's Coffee Crunch Cake. Are we having fun yet?
ReplyDeleteLest we forget some righteousness with Ray T as we wait for the Midnight Hour when there's no one else around...
DeleteI am so disappointed and just plain sad. I can't bear life without the brilliant mind and velvet voice of John F. Rothmann; especially in these dark times. I had a glimmer of hope that he'd get his own time slot. He and we deserve better than this.
ReplyDelete