 |
| Ronn Owens |
It didn't work.
My 415 Media contacts tell me Owens' fight for a gig was ultimately rejected because the suits (and pant suits) felt that Ronn's health would be too frail to consider him back on the air. (Although now, he does a daily "report" that he tapes at the studio but nothing as arduous as a tw-three hour talk show would require); in addition, 415 Media has learned, Owens' salary demands were deemed "ludicrous" by the Cloud Companies upper management staff.
Said an Insider close to the proceedings: "They felt sorry for Ronn and might have been willing to discuss an hour maybe, but Ronn let it be known he wanted 'top-tier' money for his services.'"
In the end, Owens wasn't wanted nor did any serious talks emerge because Cumulus wasn't going to hire back the 40-year veteran --health, its top reason, but furthermore, Owens' popularity has eroded and whose salary demands were off the chart. The Insider: "Ronn thought he had leverage; he didn't."
When it reshuffled its daytime Monday-Friday schedule, KGO suits found some Cumulus cash to court Mark Thompson (and to a lesser degree, John Rothmann and Pat Thurston) but Owens' input into that decision was nowhere to be seen. Owens friendship with Thompson didn't influence his (Thompson's) hiring; in fact, KGO was lobbying Thompson for years. Thompson ultimately took the KGO gig because he wanted desperately to leave LA and head back to the Bay Area where he lived and anchored the KRON weather for years. The Insider: "Ronn had zero to do with Mark's hiring."
**********************************************************************************
PLEASE SUPPORT 415 MEDIA: We rely solely on reader donations to provide honest and edgy Bay Area media information, scoops, commentary and strive hard for entertaining the masses who come here regularly.
TO CONTRIBUTE: Scroll down the right side of the blog to the "Pay Pal" "Donate" button; click on it and follow the prompters--it takes only a minute and you don't have to have a pay pal account to donate. All contributions are 100 percent confidential and safe and secure. I will personally call you/e-mail you thanking you for your contribution.
LOL. What a pathetic, vile creature. Wish he would just go away so I can forget he ever existed.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you just stop listening to him and reading about him.
DeleteVile, that is a little strong. He is out for himself no doubt, many people are, to a certain extend we all are, especially when it comes to jobs and money. However, he has not killed anyone, probably never swindled or stole money etc. He had a successful career that paid him very good money, now because of age and ill health he is on his way out, obviously he is having a hard time with that reality, which is not unusual.
Ronn had an excellent run, but at some point it ends for ALL OF US. Someone needs to tell him exactly that.
ReplyDeleteHard to believe Thompson spent nearly 30 years in Los Angeles.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit of a surprise. Listening to him in the last 15 years it really didn't seem like the effort was there from him. Clearly he enjoyed the gig - but he didn't seem to want to serve his listeners.
ReplyDeleteKGO, the longest flushing toilet in the history of modern sewage. In 2011 this station and the cloud made it very clear what it thought of its long time listeners, hosts and it's top tier status as a bay area icon. There was a time when my dial NEVER left 810 for 20 plus years. Sometimes I'd put specific, upcoming shows on my calendar in anticipation. Man, those days are over. As far as I'm concerned they can just disappear entirely off the air waves as they have in my home. I missed 810 for a while but not any more, there's nothing 810 can do that would bring me back as a daily listener.
ReplyDeleteRonnn can host 20 hours a day and i still wouldn't tune in. Does he want what he wants for him or the listeners ?? It seems that for the 8 years kgo has done nothing but dump truck on those still clinging to that station. Third rate comedians and soy boys with hours long "commercials" on the weekends. What a joke !!
ReplyDeleteKGO "rebirth" ?? More like after birth the station is a dead horse. When they put the listeners first I might tune back in.
ReplyDeleteHe was obviously getting back at cumulous when he was calling in sick every other day. That bit him in the @$$, in this case, but he is probably going to sue for discrimination.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see Ronnnn get a one hour show from 9 to 10 in the morning.
ReplyDeleteI thought Cumulus was on the verge of bankruptcy.
ReplyDeleteBut Rich says they're paying Thompson 300K ?!... I'd rather hear syndication.
300k for morning radio in this market? not a lot of money
DeleteRonn really did think he'd be back on the air full time and I suppose money is always an issue. I'd go away quietly after the great run he had at KGO and just friggin retire and get it over with. You know, some do have a hard time retiring. Ronn is perhaps one of those.
ReplyDeleteif he was begging to get back on the air, why was money an issue? he should offer his services for free. that is all they are worth now.
ReplyDeletestation owes him nothing
Any chance Len Tillem will be back?
ReplyDelete