Siege Mentality at KTVU; Gerston Sunday Media Powerhouse on KCBS/NBC Bay Area; Betty Yu on PIX Needs To Be Paid; Miller-Krukow Mellow; Sunday Brunch

IT'S NOT QUITE the Asiana Fake name backlash just yet but it's close.

The mood at KTVU is gloomy. Lately, it's that way more than a land of happy faces. Sure, TV newsrooms aren't any different--good and bad--than your aveage workplace but in an industry where positivity lends itself to productive activity, KTVU is sort of in the abyss. And the last thing tht wasn't needed was its leader (on the screen, at least) taking a leave over a bizarre, on-air appearence that is very difficult to watch, even today, a week later.

The gloom and doom in Jack London Square where KTVU operates is at least neutralized by its ratings lead, right? Wrong. KTVU still commands at 10 PM but in the early evening, it lags far behind the rest of Bay Area news stations. And many staffers at Fox2 (as I reported last week) are disillusioned with the lack of direction and incompetence by management. Now comes the Somerville crisis. The atmosphere is even more toxic. Outside of a very brief statement, the ND, Amber Eikel, has said basically nothing. And her lack of communications has irked plenty inside the newsroom. The uncertainty and chaos presents a new challenge at 2 Jack London Square. And with Somerville on a LOA for the next few months (my guess) that lack of tranquility could be massive.

*Larry Gerston is mister Sunday morning news powerhouse. He did his usual 7: 20 AM political chat on KCBS (with anchor, Lisa Chan) and then at 7: 45, a nice TV interview with NBC Bay Area's Kira Klapper. I'd like to hear more of Gerston's takes. He's profoundly interesting and blunt. Gerston called out, for instance, the San Diego judge (federal) who tossed out the state ban on assault weapons. Said the decision was overly political and probably headed to the Supreme Court.

*KPIX (CBS) has something to consider and me thinks they better act NOW or regret altogether. Their STAR reporter, Betty Yu, has resisted a whole bunch of network offers because she loves the Bay Area and would like to stay here. But when, say an ABC or NBC News, rolls out a six-figure OFFER(s) the temptation to migrate is mighty. Yu isn't a hardball player but if CBS tosses softballs her way, she might give them a royal thumb. Yu is one of PIX's most popular news people, a personality to boot.

*IRONY CENTRAL: When NBC Sports Bay Area is gonno and FOX televises the game (like Saturday) the radio broadcast is terrific--when Jon Miller and Mike Krukow stick to the basics on KNBR and broadcast without the gloomy Duane Kuiper) it's a pleasure to listen.

*Yes, Kyla Grogan is the clubhouse leader to take over for retiring Bill Martin (probably in September) as long as FOX doesn't pay her a couple cheese sandwiches for her compensation.

*CBS' "Sunday Morning" this morning had a very watchable segment (with reporter, John Blackstone) talking about the city of SF's new policy of NOT sending police officers to some 911 calls dealing with non-violent offenders; mentally-ill and drug users. It was great stuff. I thought to myself, "where's the LOCAL station(s) on this? Hello KCBS and PIX.

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