It's MICKEY LUCKOFF on the left; RONN OWENS on the right. Smiling together. FAKE. Owens HATES Luckoff and Mickey DESPISED Owens. Not professionally, they both respected each other but they were by and large ENEMIES when not at the office.
Yet they put on a FAKE persona as if they were darlings and that's plain old BS and you should know it if you already don't.
Luckoff was the VP of ABC/KGO Radio until the mid 2000's when CITADEL and CUMULUS kidnapped KGO and DESTROYED a legacy station. Owens, before he SOLD OUT and embarrassed himself and others, BRAGGED on and on after HE BEAT Luckoff in an arbitration case back in the mid 90's. Luckoff didn't like to LOSE, ever. He made it a point to never talk to Owens again. They eventually had a reunion and sort of made up. I say, "sort of" because Luckoff never forgot, Owens tried to be conciliatory but it wasn't enough for Luckoff. I'll give Luckoff credit here for seeing through the Ronnnnnn BS because it was never genuine, it was all fake. He beat ML and Luckoff will always have a grudge until the day he dies.
I'm not into PC crappola. I hate the fact that there are many people who still can't stand Owens and also despise Luckoff. They won't air the truth, I will.
Luckoff RELISHED in making people squirm and feel terrible. He would pressure and INTIMIDATE those under him. He was loyal to certain people. Underline certain. On the other hand, he LOVED to make others miserable and took a certain pleaure to hurt. It happened on an everyday basis at KGO. He was a MEAN SOB, I know 100 percent and I, fortunately didn't have to put up with his crap.
Owens, i'll give him credit, largely ignored Mickey and never took his DISLIKE for Luckoff on the air. But he'd KISS MAJOR ASS at various functions. At a KGO Christmas party in the early 90's (before he beat him in arbitration) he spewed a ton of BS about how Mickey was so loving and caring. Yeah sure, if you were a mega ASSHOLE like Ronn Lowenstein Owens. What a total SCHMUCK!
This has to be out: they BOTH DESERVED each other.
That's funny... I was there part of that time and while Mickey was respected by all and perhaps "feared" by a few, he was pretty much loved by all who worked under him. Unlike some radio outfits, he didn't lie to people and string them along; you either swimmed or you sank on your merits in his operation. As a "little guy" around the place I wasn't privy to the management conversations, but in terms of culture and an enjoyable work environment, it was better than most anything in the industry nowadays. People had careers at KGO, on air and off; many people with decades of service were let go after Mickey left. You only see the air talent side, but for every on-air name there were 6 off-air people working, not even counting sales. Mickey Luckoff was not the monster you now make him out to be, notwithstanding whatever went on between him and Ronn.
ReplyDeleteRich has a personal vendetta against Ronn, and I think his mental health depend on writing something negative about Ronn, if not every week, close to it. For those of us who read these post it is rather tedious, what new can he say about Ronn who is on the air for about 45 minutes a day? In fact I can predict that he will write that write that Ronn is a phony, not sincere in anything he does, vain and money hungry. Like us that read this blog really cares, Ronn had a good show and now he is in twilight of his career, I for one is more than bored with this personal vendetta.
DeleteHey Some Guy...I was there for 23 years. You are absolutely correct. He was feared by a few, but, Those few had reason to be. I was there for 19 Mickey years, which were the BEST experience of my broadcast career and 4 very sad Cumulus years which were the worst. NOW...Ronn is, and always has been a Kiss Ass. But these 2 men knew it was all a game...Sometimes Mickey would win, sometimes Ronn would win. but they both needed each other, If they HATE each other it does not seem to be evident when Mickey has Ronn and Jan over for his annual Open House Cocktail Party, which BTW is a VERY exclusive invitation only event.
DeleteAgree completely, and I have knowledge of this as well. This revisionist account of his longtime reign at KGO is grossly inaccurate. Luckoff arguably assembled one of the best talent lineups in radio history, with the ratings to prove it.
DeleteMeanwhile over at KRON we've entered week 5 of the "Where's Pam Moore?" sweepstakes. Rich was all over Sommerville taking a couple weeks off but not a peep on KRON's flagship anchor basically disappearing for the entire month of April.
ReplyDeleteMickey was a force who brought out the best work in people at the best talk radio station ever. It's really that simple. He didn't claim to be your pal or a creampuff.
ReplyDeletehere's hoping owens will bring on his yenta,hyper over the top shumuck/ cabana boy ryan scott on of his "reports"
ReplyDeleteI have been listening to KMJ out of Fresno in the mornings. Though Cumulus owns it, it seems unruined. More than half is "live and local," and the ag report is good.
ReplyDeleteFurther, they delay the inescapable Armstrong and Getty till 10 PM, when farmers are in bed
Rich addressed the missing Pam Moore a week ago.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you continue to focus on ancient history? There is so much to discuss about today's Bay Area media landscape, yet you're obsessed with gossip from decades ago. It's really too bad, since we could use a good media blog in this area.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you, as does others. For those of us who read this blog the Ronn "issue" is boring. Rich knew Ronn personally and they had a falling out, so I get that Rich has issues with him. However, to expect those of us that read this blog, and use to like Ronn's show to continue to care about it is just not realistic. It is boring and redundant, and I believe Rich would get more donations if he focused on something more relevant.
ReplyDeleteThere were producers making 50% of what other producers made while doing the same exact work for the same hosts. The off the record explanation given by middle management was that we weren't in the tribe and that "you're lucky you have a job"
ReplyDelete