Ronn Owens Demise: It's All About The Money

When it came down to crunch time, Cumulus didn't mince any words nor did they give any rope to one of their Bay Area legends: they cut ties to Ronn Owens without even allowing Owens the chance to say goodbye on his social media outlets. Although by now, Owens may be granted the time to say bye-bye.

In fact, it was KGO PD, Lee Hammer, who told staff it was Owens last broadcast, the "Ronn Owens Report" on Friday,that was a finale. Owens own show was in 2019. The new regime, the new financial reality at Cumulus' SF broadcasting center had severed less $$, Owens knew it earlier in the day. It was the end of the month and that is ugly in Bay Area radio biz. No one loves the end of a month when it involves Cumulus.

Owens "report" was pitched by Owens himself when he retired a few years back. In theory, it made sense. KGO could use his voice to do a daily "report" and Ronn could still be relevent. He thought. Only Owens cachet never materialized into hard money. Owens couldn't deliver any inventory to the station, like more advertising. The only ad that existed was for the Central Valley "River" ad but that was an old KGO account. And as for Cumulus, KGO, being able to seize on Ronn';s name, that ship had sailed long ago.

So, with little fanfasre, the "Ronn Owens Report" went kaput Friday night. It was all about the money. Or lack of in this case. Cumulus takes no prisoners. It never does.

Flash: Cumulus/KGO Puts Kibosh on Ronn Owens

Ronn Owens delivered his very last broadcast on KGO Friday night.

It was sudden and, considering the moment, sad and unremarkable. The "Ronn Owens Report" and his own talk show ended after 46 years. Owens came to KGO in the fall of 1975.

WHY NOW? What you won't read in the press release but will read here. The non-BS and NO SPIN. Any number of reasons why Cumulus pulled the plug now.

*It's the end of the month. That's a time for pink slips at the Cloud company.

*Owens little show at KGO, his "report" did nothing at all to move the needle. He was getting anywhere from a $100-300 a pop for each of his reports. Cumulus is trying to save as much cash as it can. Even Owens isn't spared in that dept. Both sides, I'm sure, decided it was ttime to end its dual relationship. Not even a fanfare for KGO's longest tenured talker but the handwriting was on the wall.

Friday Short Flash: Giants Re-Tooling 2022 Broadcast Booth

THE GIANTS WON'T SAY ANYTHING PUBLICALY--(they don't have to based on the BIG TRADE FRIDAY and their best record in baseball status) but they are uber-planning on a massive re-tooling of the broadcast alignment for 2022. All this BEFORE the Duane Kuiper situation emerged.

*NOBODY is watching the Olympics; it has under-the-radar ratings but it still is decent to make money for NBC and that is why sending Raj Mathai to Tokyo makes a little sense. If San Jose NBC didn't do anything but carry its network's coverage from Japan, there'd be a whole lot of speculation, including on this site.

*Jobina Fortson is staying at Circle7, at least for now nixing a move to LA and that's good news for the Bay Area.

*Michelle Griego is a month from packing her bags and heading to hometown Denver to work; the underlings at KPIX are partying like it's NYE. Yes, they're happy. So is the space under a bus parked in front of 855 Battery.

*KCBS, 10-3 --this week, literally a different anchor every day. What a trainwreck.

Shawn Estes, George Kontos and Hunter Pence Part of NBC Sports' Giants' Post-Game Show Have Great Hair But Nothing Else

THOSE POST-GAME SHOWS ON NBC SPORTS BAY AREA are BORING. Mostly because nobody says anything. It's a jock thing. They don't want to rip for fear of getting crap from the (Giants/A's) you name it.

Shawn Estes? Giants pitcher. One of the guys who appears on NBC pre and post-game shows. Estes is a good-looking man and probably why he's on the show a lot. Estes doesn't say anything of note which is standard operating procedure at NBC Bay Area. Another BORE: George Kontos, a former Giants relief pitcher whose main selling point is his hair. Kontos, another pretty boy, like Estes, says NOTHING of interest. He's set for life at NBC because they'd prefer it that way. And the Giants too, and yes, the A's.

Greg Papa, the host of these shows barked on and on and on about how great Kontos' hair is; it was semi-tongue-in-cheek, but Papa was right. Kontos doesn't say anything even remotely critical, therefore he's prime for the program. Which is good because I'm sure his hair cuts cost a fortune.

As a ballplayer, Hunter Pence is a great Giants person. He's damn colorful too and rode his moped to the park and said some wacky things. On TV, Pence is boring. He, like Estes and Kontos, don't want to be critical because they'd lose the crowd and piss off Larry Baer. Pence was overly flowery and fun-loving but hardly criticized the players. Papa thought he was great and awesome only the audience thought otherwise. One thing to note: Pence's hair was no match for Kontos.

Explaining the Greg Papa Voice Inflection Phenomena on KNBR

Greg Papa Voice Inflextion Meter

1. High tone, girl giggle, combo gargle: when he's either mocking someone, something: this is his standard MO.

2. Shouting girl-giggle, half gargle: the most popular. Usually good for two every minute. He used this voice describing Dodger's Bellinger who threw way high last night.

3. All-out goofy high-pitch, girly, double girl: when he's mocking or ridiculing. He used this voice on his rebuke of the Oakland A's and Coliseum state.

4. Dull monotone: occasionally does the straight, monotone dry voice when he tries to be serious as if he knows everything and you don't.

5. The basic straight voice: when he just talks naturally and girly-girl gargle goes to sleep.

6. Outright SCREAMING! gargle, girly, giggle: when he perceives disloyalty and insubordination: when Lund doesn't laugh at his jokes and refuses to utter, "...like you said...as you said..."No doubt, Greg"

KRON Looks to Hire New Anchor

KRON --more specifically, its Nextstar parent, is PLANNING to hire another NAME anchor. It may (or may not) replace an existing anchor who might be leaving. Don't know the specifics yet but am working on it.

The atmosphere in the current KRON newsroom at 900 FRONT remains calm and cheerful. There are those who expect some jarring news to come out of the Aaron Pero firing but nothing is of the case. Pero's 86 from the scene has taken full effect and so far, the sea of serenity is in full force. A few name talent have quietly expressed dismay over the current lack of cohesion. That may have accelerated the look for a new anchor. KRON also looks to hire a few more reporters. Thankfully, weather and traffic reporters are not on the list.

Ken Wayne and Pam Moore, the senior news anchors have executed the "mums the word" policy. Both have remained QUIET on the news front. The producers and writers are amazed. Only thing on agenda: GM, the new guy, Rose is about to meet with staff for a "rally the troops" encounter. Everyone but the mayor is invited.

KTVU Wars and Nothing To Do with Frank Somerville; Ibanez and Martin; Haener Issues; KRON Anghst; Raj Mathai in Tokyo Pisses Off SJ Crowd; Tuesday Taco Short

IT'S NOT JUST THE FRANK SOMERVILLE RETURN this fall (assuming it's all go) that is on the mind of KTVU brass; the growing disconnect between the other THREE that has The Firm and their network amen corner, WORRIED. Julie Haener is increasingly irritated by the whole "Frank thing," as a FOX2 source put it. Supposedly, Haener is weary of Somerville's return because she hates being drawn into the whole mess. Breathe deep, Jules, there's more. Mark Ibanez and Bill Martin are at WAR! Ibanez, for years, has grown to HATE Martin and Martin can't stand Ibanez. They're quietly worked together but the whole giggle and smile is a FARCE. Ibanez makes fun of Martin off camera and Martin likes to poke at Markie Mark when the camera is off. What a happy family at The Firm's Oakland compound and we haven't even mentioned Frank and Jupromientlie's personal deal. We will, soon.

*At KRON, a PROMINENT anchor whose seen both sides of the fence is pondering early retirement because the fumes are becomming too difficult to manage. It's not who you think.

*The older rank and file at NBC Bay Area is ROYALLY PISSED OFF. Why? Because at a time when NBC (San Jose is a O and O) is still busy cutting back and made it a point to CUT personnel, the suits sent Raj Mathai to Tokyo to cover the Olympics. "Why in the hell did they need to do this?!", an ANGRY staffer told my spy. The Olympis are an integral part of NBC's Summer package only the RATINGS Have been a DUD. Mathai being in Tokyo seems to be goofy --I heard just expenses alone, Mathai's Japan trip cost half a mill. Bronze medal for San Jose.

*ABC7 has a growing feud of its own: the number of folks ( a lot, off the screen) who are FED UP with "Trixie" (tracey Watkowski) the ND with the people skills of a diseased parakeet--looking at KRON: " if they can ace out him (Aaron Pero) why can't we ace out her?" --They have momentum now.

*Reggie Aqui probably didn't want anyone else to know he sent his resume to the San Diedo ABC aff, but I know. Good luck.

*Just what makes me wax poetic: Foodie Chap describing the luxory of River Islands. Yeah, that divine aroma of the Central Valley, hold me back.

The Mark Thompson KGO Radio Show is Still Lousy

Mark Thompson's 10-Noon talk show on KGO is now chock full of slop. I'd love for it to be a cohesive news-talk nugget. Thompson can't help himself there. There's NO newstalk really, just a barrage of fluffy minutiae and banal chit-chat with an insufferable news guy and an amateur producer who we're told is clever and funny but in truth is boring and insipid.

I've tried many times to like Thompson, I really have. But his show is baseless and just plain boring and dumb. I have no clue what Thompson's missive is. Is he an interviewer? Nope because he doesn't do many interviews. Is he a "news-talk" commentator? Hardly, because lately, Thompson doesn't talk much news-talk. His show is now prtty much Thompson playing off Bret Burkhart which is difficult because Burkhart is neither interesting or entertaining. Neither is Thompson so you get a combo deal. In fact, the show is basically Mark playing TV soundbites from YouTube and making sure his insufferable producer, "fresh-faced" Albert gets in a word or two. I don't care for Albert but at least he mutes out Thompson and less Thompson is good.

Thompson could do a good show if he just cared enough about his program but he can't help himself. He's too busy overly-modulating because Thompson is in love with his voice, that's a constant on the show. If Thompson were to examine news items of the day and void out the pop culture wonder bread, then the show might be worthy and good radio. Instead, it's a hodgepodge of the same nauseating crap we've heard the last few years.

KPIX's Darren Peck Has Options; KNBR's Tolbert Mocks Callers; Circle7 Jobina Gets More Notice; The Olympics TV Dud; KCBS Nothing Burger; Martie Lurie was Already Good; Vic Lee, Rita Williams Notes; Chronicle Food Section: Yawn; Sunday Scrambled Eggs

SUNDAY SCRAMBLED EGGS

KPIX weekend weather guesser, Darren Peck, wants a top gig. He's probably not going to take over the Mon-Fri gig so it's hardly any secret Peck might be wooed back to either Sacra-tomato or Seattle, places on Peck's resme and where there's relative tranquility compared to PIX's friction-central. Oh, and the money is probably better.

*The other day, KNBR PM host, Tom Tolbert, decided to take calls. Imagine that. A sports-talk station taking calls, what a novel idea! Only Tolbert did the unthinkable. After taking a doofus call from some bloated guy in Lodi, he (Tolbert) decided to mock his own audience by essentially saying callers are buttheads and questioned why he went that way. Tolbert could have done worse: he at least allowed a Bay Area sports fan base a break from his tired, relentless essays on beer. What are those odds, "Tommy?"

*Jobina Fortson is getting network demand from El-Lay, notably a KTLA-like outlet that loves her work and screen presence but my Circle7 spies insist she's quite happy in the Bay Area. That's what they all say.

*If Tolbert were smart, he and other KNBR tonsils would listen to WFAN and WIP, in NY and Philly, and see how intelligent sports-talk hosts mixed it up with equally intelligent sports talk callers. They would then discover how the back and forth can be extertaining radio and not hijackeed by insufferable and idiotic sound bites and host indifference. KNBR is saddled by mostly dumb white guys in Livermore saying the Giants should trade the third-base coach to the Angels for Mike Trout. You can make better callers by hiring good producers who don't moonlight at night driving for Uber.

*The Olympis are getting killed in the ratngs so NBCBay Area (NBC too) will lose BILLIONS. I'm not watching the Tokyo Gmaes, I'm looking at Russian women soccer instead.

*Word on steet wisdom: even if Frank Somerville returns to KTVU in the fall, he's probably gone in March, '22 when his contract is up and The Firm decides to look for another Ron Burgandy.

*I talk about KCBS quite a bit because not so long ago, they were instant
listen-to" when a breaking-news item occured. Now, KCBS is a giant nothing burger polluted with boring and tepid characters masquerading as news presenters. It's too bad. And yes, KQED Radio is much better alternative and lots more exciting and informative also.

*The guy lawyer, Omar, who talks about the judge and how the judge thinks he's a good lawyer, is beginning to really annoy me which is about the 10th reason I'm turning off KCBS.

*Martie Lurie got inducted into the Bay Area Radio HOF but I already liked Martin enough. He didn't need a BARHOF induction for my endorsement, thanks anyway. The BARHOF award is sort of NorCal Emmy-lite in terms of how you actually "win" an award. Ask Wayne Freedman.

*Is retired but should still be working, in my book: KGO and former old KRON reporter, Vic Lee. Miss you Vickster.

*And Rita Williams? You too. By the way, am I the only guy who thinks Rita and Jane Curtin are the same ladies?

*To think Rita Williams, Lloyd LaCuesta, George Watson, Dennis Richmond, Randy Shandobil, were once part of the KTVU family is mind-boggling only because KTVU has fallen so fast and furious.

*I've said this a million times, bears repeating: the Sunday Chron food section was appointment reading for the Mike Bauer restaurant review. Mow it's littered with some woman who thinks tofu is real food. And her "reviewss"are about as exciting as a Redwood City Shell station.

*Among other issues, the Chron wants Bruce Jenkins to retire and Bruce doesn't want to retire just yet. Bruce might want to ask his co-workers about how Jon Carroll "retired."

*The story was Duane Kuiper returjing to the Giants broadcast boot on Saturday night but the STORY should be about how dramatically DIFFERENT the booth will be in '22.

*Maybe the nicest man on planet Earth: Retired Circle7 news anchor/reporter, Don Sanchez.

*Miss you too, Dianne Dwyer.

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It's Chaos at Ratings Free Fall KCBS. Here's Why.

THERE'S CHAOS AT KCBS...

is I can't remember a time when so many bad things took place at KCBS, the all-news AM (740 and 106.9 FM) Bay Area radio outlet. Just as soon as you think it can't get any worse, it gets worse.

KCBS is in RATINGS FREE FALL Maybe someone in charge (if there is someone who actually IN CHARGE) should pay attention and mind the store because if they don't, the number of people who listen to KCBS will disapear and try a new source. It's already taking place and it will take a while before even the loyalists come back.. For starters, KCBS is a DISASTER in thr morning. The AM drive has been in DECLINE for months now and it has little to do with Stan Bunger's retirement in June. Before Stan split, KCBS's numbers were eroding. Now the ratings have slipped to a point where Bunger's leave is no excuse. Sloppy transition and TERRIBLE planning? You bet. Who's in charge? No one, apparently.

There's been a Jeopardy-like parade of fill-in auditions in the morning-drive (5-10 AM) and that's been a complete dud. Although, as I indicated, this has been a disaster zone for months. The fill-in barrage has only intensified the carnage. Revolving anchors do not help matter, they make it worse. And it shows. KCBS needs to make a quick decision: Dan Mitchinson was an early favorite but he's not a #1 guy. I was wrong. Mitchinson is good and solid but he doesn't have the name or the chops to command AM drive. Holly Quan is weak as it is and needs all the help she can get. Jeff Bell would be better but Bell sounds bored and his voice is grating. Maybe that's shy he's doing the afternoon. Either way, the most important time slot: AM is mired in a crater bigger than the Pacific Ocean.

Then we move to the next catastrophe: MID-DAY. I have NO IDEA who anchors from 10- 3PM. I thought Rebecca Corral was reading the news but Corral is either taking yet another day off or is on a medical leave. Either way, there's a whack-a-mole anchor game taking place. Either Corral is fit to serve or Jen Seeling, the ND has to act and get someone on permanently or else she's not doing her job. The mid-day revolving-door theatre sounds like crap. Time slot doo-doo and malfeasance are one thing. There's other things too. Patti Reising needs to lighten up in the afternoon (3-7 PM) Reising sounds mean and if that sounds harsh, so be it. I asked a KCBS contact and they agreed. Reising isn't helped by the already-mentioned Jeff Bell. I don't know what's on Bell's radar but excitment and optimism aren't a choice.

KCBS has another HUGE issue. In addition to the pop-up personnel, there's the issue of TECHNICAL GLITCHES. Oh my! What a DISASTER! Seelig still hasn't FIXED this EMBARRASSMENT. How can she IGNORE this daily tragedy? Most people would get walking papers if this plague weren't handled. Seelig seems to have been given a pass. No wonder the listeners are LEAVING IN DROVES. Every day, every hour, the wrong music is played. Traffic sounders for sports and sports jingles for traffic. Oops. Yeah, OOPS THERE IT IS. And wrong stuff is normal now.

Then there's the issue of COMMERCIALS. AM Radio, terrestrial radio is FREE but they need advertising to live. Everyone gets that. But KCBS has gone overboard on its ads assault. Between traffic and sports (yawn) updates, there's very little actual news reporting on KCBS. There is, however, a DAILY ONSLAUGHT of ADS, more than half the hour is full of ads. Every two minutes. And they go on and on and on...into the night and day and on and on they go. Listeners are LEAVING? Of course they are. If KCBS were to put ads in four separate clusters, then the ad assault wouldn't be as horrible as it is now. When you have to constantly listen to ads every other minute, even in the middle of the night, you turn the radio off and switch to KQED or KGO, or maybe you kll yourself. I don't know, neither does free fall KCBS.

When listeners sense a whole lot of issues and commotion, they leave. They have no faith. Mistakes happen. in life and in general. People are only human. But you eventually FIX mistakes and you ADAPT. At KCBS they didn't get the memo. Which is why everyone is bailing. Somebody at KCBS and their Audacy parents need to read the room.

Eric Thomas' Troubling Day on KCBS

IF YOU HEARD ERIC THOMAS TODAY ON KCBS (near the ending 20 minutes or so of his 10-3 PM shift) first you were shocked, then you were STARTLED, then toward the end of the 2 PM hour, you were generally frightened and concerned.

Thomas, the ex-KGO-TV anchor, sounded odd and befuddled. He had multiple gaffes and literally couldn't finish sentences and at the beginning of an interview, several times, was heard on-air having difficulty speaking. I don't want to be dramatic but when I heard Thomas struggling to speak, I feared he maybe experiencing a stroke. I was very concerned. Some of my readers heard what I heard.

I will assume Thomas didn't have a stroke because I would have heard by now. I'll then also assume he had a difficult day. As did KCBS. This was very hard to listen to.

Friday Flash

A GROWING CONCERN: the amount of reporters leaving to either go to another market or LEAVE the TV News biz altogether. PIX has seen loads of people go; KTVU too. And of course KRON and ABC7 has seen many leave. And it's only going to get worse. The pay isn't that great anymore, the workload is extraordinary and even the allure of working in a big market and SF is n longer considered a big deal Sign of the times.

*Word is now that the KRONvicts have been cleansed from the Pero perfume, can KGO be next on the list to rid themselves of the people-skilled impaired woman ND known as Trixie? It's being talked about in the break room.

*KGO Radio talk hosts, notably Mark Thompson and John Rothmann, are not aware of the term, "trump fatigue" because both talk, still, about Trump as if he were still in office. Rothmann mentions him virtually every night. "He's a former president." Yeah and that's about it. Only most former POTUS keep their mouthj shut as deference to the current pres, any pres. Trump is about as presidential as Mel Gibson is a Haddassah member. Rothmann, and so too Thompson, won't just come out and say that Trump for ratings and talk-show red meat is addiction-central. But most people would just as soon forget the guy exists. Not the case on KGO.

*KCBS is MIRED in free fall and has no clue what to do. They're losing half their roster. They have NO real star tlent anymore, not that they had ny such people to begin with but they have a real set of problems. They also need to 86 the BARRAGE of so many ads on the hour that people are leaving in droves. And a huge porential issue to deal with: the growing tension between Patti Reising and Jeff Bell for reasons that are easily discovered if you deal in common sense.

*COUNT the number of times John Lund says, "like you said." every time he talks. And after, "no doubt." His 2021 survival kit is about he being Greg Papa's little itch boy and if ever he deviates from that master plan, he could be sent packing to Akron where he could collect baseball cards every day.

Exclusive: Pushback at KRON; Staff Bitter Over Star Talent That Knew About Pero Excesses; 'They Were Quiet', Critics Claim; Early Glee Now Turns to Anger

SUMMER BURN AT KRON: MORE ANGER THAN ELATION

It's been a little over a week since Aaron Pero was fired as KRON News Director. The initial glee and euphoria has now subsided and turned into the exact opposite. In fact, there is genuine ANGER on the news set and in the newsroom and into the back offices where a genuine feeling of dismay and outright hostility permeate.

What's going on?

My contacts at KRON tell me staffers, particularly senior and a few lower-level personnel--including ON-AIR talent, producers, writers, reporters--virtually everyone except the janitor, are ANGRY over the apparent latest findings that has gripped the newsroom detailing Pero's abuse and intimidation factors. Not only that, which was prevalent. More so, say my sources: the DISCONTENT by staffers that the majority of STAR ANCHORS, including Pam Moore, Vicki Liviakis and Ken Wayne, like everyone else, not only KNEW about Pero's excesses, but looked the other way when they had the oppurtunity to report the abuses.

"They were well aware he (Pero) was living with Darya (Folsom) and that their relationship would be a conflict with the newsroom and the people that work here," a prominent KRON contact told me. Like all sources, the contact spoke only with the promise they would not be IDed becuase they feared retaliation.

KRON and its NEXTSTAR corporate owner 86ed the embattled Pero last week. There was no official reason for the termination but industry word and my own reporting indicate his ouster was because of his on-going relationship with Darya Folsom, the AM News anchor who he's been living with for years. The bosses were confronted with a CONFLICT of INTEREST case even though that relationship existed for nearly a decade.

The biggest GRIPE now, according to my contacts at the 900 FRONT fortress stems from the fact those that could have done something; those that held considerable POWER and influence; had the means to at least report Pero's affair and his endless confrontations and voilatile encounters with pesonnel and DID NOTHING.

One such encounter involved Pero's shouting and ridicule of anchor. Justine Waldman--a jarring incident that had Waldman exiting Pero's office in tears and anguish. The confrontation took place at the old KRON studios at Van Ness Ave but was so outlandish it's still talked about in the Embarcadero outpost. Waldman, who is married to anchor, Grant Lodes, was one of the "star" talent mentioned to me by various staff. As infuriating and toxic her spat was with Pero, she never reported it to management. Likewise, Lodes knew about the incident later but didn't say anything, at least officially.

Severall of KRON's most prominent on-air staff were aware of Pero's controversial actions and tactics but either didn't care enough to go to higher-ups or attempt to talk to Pero and inqiure about his managing. The general consensus was that the anchors were weary about what they might have perceived as "snitching", according to one particular source.

"They were all fearful of saying someting; they didn't want to 'rock the boat but doing nothing? If someone had said something, anything, we might have avoided all this." "Nobody that worked here then and are still here now will forget it."

This latest outburst from the KRON fortress comes amidst a future Nextstar investigation looking into the matter. KRON hasn't named a new ND but will look into the position in the coming days.

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Happy Wednesday--name and town please. Answering your TV/Radio/Newspaper/Internet questions.

KRON Side Benefit; Pero Sniffed in Sacto?; NBC Bay Area Olympics Back-Up Plan; Andrea Senior Moves Up Totem Pole at KTVU for Somerville Just in Case; Greg Papa Vacation Goo on KNBR; Happy Hour

KRON, despite its diminishing presence and lack of leadership (can only go upward) has a unique, non-human ally: if you go to places like car dealship waiting rooms, doctors/dentists offices, the airport? You'll see KRON and its morning/PM evening newscasts. The advertising dough that is generated by that deal pays for a lot of weather boards and bayside news sets.

*If, as the rumor mill is suggesting, Aaron Pero has an offer in his before-KRON days in Sacra-tomato, then the TV News biz is worse off than I really suspected. It's doubtful that anyone, any station will hire Pero and his much-pubbed excesses but in todays nutty world, who knows.

*The question then: where will Darya go? Nowhere. She's sort of stuck at KRON and for now, their sort of stuck with her and the bubbles. Darya, I'll give her this: she's been unusually subtle at 900 FRONT. Of course you might say, "we'll, what's she gonna do otherwise?"--Oh, Countess Folsom has many notes in her freezer and a firm idea where all the bodies are buried, 1001 Van Ness and Embarcadero included.

*Good idea NBC Bay Area has a back-up plan in place in case the Olympics are cancelled. I know all along some of you would rather watch Raj and Jessica talk the talk instead of Tokyo gymnastics. A few of you.

*KGO Radio's Mark Thompson does the show from LA and based on the ratings, Marko might vbe dong a new show for a LA talk station.

*KRON could be comatose and brain-dead, the station will always make money no matter what. TV stations, even in this marginalized world of streaming and the like, are infinitely proftable. Remember, three decades ago, KTLA sold for $500M.

*Greg Papa, thanks for your 20 minutes opening the show on KNBR detailing en fuego your LA vacation punctuated with the mutt, John Lund in the background, saying and laughing like a little girl, "oh dear, this is awesome!" I'm paraphrasing but that's the gist. I'm sure a few Jethros on 880 loved it but I'm also sure a few Ben and Marthas on 280 weren't so amused.

*Latest rumor out of Oakland at FOX/2-KTVU: Andre Senior is the FAV to take over for Frank Somerville when/if Frank is gonno. I still think it's too early to cancel Frank out; KTVU and the Foxies are looking and reading the Summer winds (viewers/ad buyers) on Frank. And Senior, who is a wee above average, doesn't have the name nor chops to take over the lead anchor position at 2. We'll see. Stay tuned.

*KCBS: 20,000 ads in an hour and anchor wack-a-mole, no wonder you cratered.

Anxious Times at KRON Post Pero--Tuesday Open

AT KRON, THESE ARE ANXIOUS TIMES...good and bad.

To their credit, you the viewer wouldn't know how anxious they are, the staff personnel. They are relieved, sure thing, that a tremendous burden has been thrown out to the street. Aaron Pero, the embattked ND and conductor of mass intimidation and confrontation is out of the KRON newsroom at 900 Front, but his presence is still felt even though he's 86ed.

Pero can't confront staff anymore but his ways and means are almost ghost-like in the newsroom. Lowel-level personnel haven't stopped looking over their shoulder. Paranoia? YOU BETCHA. And for good reason. Pero's hands-on, intimidation-central force hasn't easily been forgotten. "People are still freaked out," says a longtime KRON staffer. "Everyone's on edge." I can only imagine what'd it be like if Pero were still there.

Meanwhile, KRON continues to put forth a news product. Some how. Some way. And get this: KRON is actually competitive at the evening news platforms. KRON routinely BEATS PIX and has devoured KGO-TV (ABC7) in the 5-7 PM news slots. I've been critical of KRON and their sloppy look and amateurish style--the college reporters, the 47,000 weather boards, the KTEL-look news packages, etc. On the other hand, there's an abundance of occasional decent TV News at KRON. Even as they move away from Pero's rough play, they should be normal any day now.

NBC Bay Area's Lucrative Olympics' Programming Bonanza; Lester Holt's SF Ride; Bell Poised to Take Over AM Drive (Maybe) on KCBS; PM Break

NBC plans 7000 hours of Olympics and local O and O will CASH IN; how much? Try $5M and that's only anestimate; even with COVID dominating the Tokyo Games, the Games will draw plenty of viewers--Americans especially, love their Olympics.

I'll go a step furher: if anything, viewership will be even more than usual because many will watch out of curiosity to see if these Tokyo games will be hit by the virus' latst effects. It's a frightening scenario but one that will SPIKE ratings. Industry people tell me that NBC will collect a windfall either way; and NBC Bay Area will be a part of that.

*Lester Holt plans to visit SF in the fall with a MASSIVE crew with hin and enough camera equipment to fill SF Bay. Raj Mathai and Jess Aguirre will be informing you more in a few weeks.

*Jeff Bell looks like the favotite (with Holly Quan) to co-anchor the AM drive news on Kay -Cee-be-Ess--my the news desk.

question: why is Patti Reising so pissed off?

*KRON wihout Pero: like water without lead.

*KTVU is so messed up lately there's genuine cause for concern. The janitor in the building has about as much stature to fill in at 10 about as much as some of the schmucks KTVU has been parading on the news desk.

*COULD YOU TELL, I COULDN'T: Joe Ritzo's play-by-play on the Giants' KNBR weekend. Or was that Randy Winn? No knock. Both are good, just weird similar voices.

Exclusive: Nextstar-KRON Plans Formal Pero Investigation

NEXTSTAR wants to know, formally, what's been going on at its Bay Area/SF outlet, KRON. About time.

I'VE LEARNED, the mega TV broadcast company, will send a (quiet please, Nextstar requests) team out to SF and formally look into the Aaron Pero matter (who was just 86ed from KRON as ND)--Pero's relationship with Darya Folsom will be front and center (as in Conflict of Interest) but accusations of intimidation, personal confrontations and "abuse of power" by (Pero) will be examined.

Pero was sent packing last week but his legacy remains, a potential SOUR POINT for Nextstar because there's a few staffers at KRON (some still employed) who are considering possible legal action. Nothing is formal yet and Pero himself might be in the process of lawyering up.

Nextstar/KRON might also be doing a formal (and informal) internal audit to basically CYA itself: they understand the legal machinations that might be brewing at KRON's 900 FRONT offices and studios.

*415 MEDIA EXCLUSIVE

Hey ABC7, You Really Want to Build a Better Bay Area? Pay Attention

THIS LAUGHABLE KGO-TV (ABC7) Campaign: "Building a Better Bay Area" needs to be flushed.

Really ABC7? How about building a better newsroom. Because right now, your facility is flush full of disconnect, discontect. How do you have the nerve to want to build a better Bay Area when your building is rife with division and internal chaos.

I've noted this BS in column posts. It's a crock. And I know some KGO/Circle7 folks that are ASHAMED to have to read the promos for this dim-witted campaign. It's not only Disney-MUSH, it's an artificial attempt by the Mouse company to ramp up ideas they care. They DON'T. They should just try to report the news and cancel this fake BS that is laughed and scoffed at. How absurd.

Yo Disney: you want to really buld a better Bay Area? Give a few million to the Bay Area Cancer society. Fund juvenile diabetes. Start a monthly fundraiser to find a cure for dementia. Allocate money to help the homeless and give cash to non-profits who are involved in raiding down bad ass nursing homes. And don't stop there. Keep going and going. And giving and giving.

That's real. And that's really how to build a better Bay Area.

Saturday Brunch Report; KRON Senior Staff want Meeting with GM Rose; Darya Needs the Gig; All Quiet at 900 Front; Moore Indifference; A Few Darts

AS LONG as Darya Folsom still has a gig at KRON, I don't think Aaron Pero will think about calling a lawyer; I'm not a loyah mind you but I don't think Pero has a case. I could be wrong. I know this: I know KRON has enough goop on Pero that could fill Lake Merritt.

*Why should Darya go anywhere. I mean, it's not as if she's got twenty stations clamoring for her services unless you think swalling bananas and mugging for the cameras is a hot commodity. Darya has a ton of overhead anyway and needs the money to cover her expenses.

*KRON senior staff want an immediate meeting with the new boss, Jim Rose. They had a meet-and-greet but this is more than that. They want to discuss the immediate future of what's happening. Not just Post-Pero, but an overall plan, (if you can call it that) as to what Rose wants to accomplish. And Rose has a lot on his plate both formally and informally. He absolutely has to make it clear that there's a new regime and that old rules and ways no longer exist. He has to be totally transpaent and play ball otherwise he'll lose the building. And in that building, the newsroom.

*KEY DEVELOPMENT: Lost in the Pero shuffle: the total SILENCE of senior anchors, including, notably, Pam Moore. Moore has been visibly quiet during the past week and not just because of her recent fall. Rumor central is that Moore wants OUT and a few bye-bye presents but we'll wait and see. Catherine Heenan was also saying nothing but that's a common Heenan theme. Vicki Liviakis was too busy to worry about another drama deal; she's seen it all.

*Giants' fill-in broadcaster, Joe Ritzo, may have committed a cardinal sin: he had the audacity to say, "Jon Miller is off this weekend" as opposed to "on assignment." What a jolt for mankind.

*Gather this again: .07: the June rating for 95.7, "The Game" --roughly speaking, that means your backyard party had more action than The Game. Probably more interesting too.

*Pero once told a longtime KRON staffer that "I'll make your life hell", which is always a great way to make your people happy.

*If Rose were to coax Nextstar into getting a thousand dollar per-worker stimulas bonus, he'll have a good start.

*KCBS has had a rough few months and numbers don't lie. They SUCK. And don't think Audac doesn't knows they suck; a senior VP in NY is headed out to SF and about to meet with ND, Jennifer Seelig. And they won't be exchanging ccookie recipes, trust me.

*If you believe word on street: KFRC, its 610 AM dial highlighted by a dead guy for years, might be SOLD soon to an Indian billionaire; lord only knows why anyone would buy an AM terrestrial station but oh well.

*KRON current staff could be energized by just a normal boss who respects his workers and doesn't make them feel like eternal shit, yep, that could go a long way, almost as good as the cash.

*Pero tried for years (and others) to finger the people at KRON who were talking to me; had he just called and asked for a coffee, I could have saved him the stress and he'd probably have his job. I would have told him that I'm not interested in naming my sources but that if he wanted productivity, he could buy nice to people. Pero didn't get the memo.

*KSFO: the casket has arrived.

*Pero got a modest severance check because KRON/Nextstar really doesn't want to deal with LOYAHS!

415 Media Exclusive: Anger at KRON: Why Was Pero Allowed to Intimidate for Years?; Relationship with Darya (Folsom) Was Well-Known By Mgt.; Rank and File Think Cover-Up

Aaron Pero has left the building; well, KRON/Nextstar told him to take a hike, finally, after 20 (15 as ND) years at the Bay Area independent TV News station. Only now, a new story: THE STORY within the story emerges: KRON's various owner/management iterations were well aware of Pero's transgressions and his relationship with Darya Folsom, and DID NOTHING! Nada.

Heck, even I knew. Years and years of asking myself: "How can all these incidents of reporters, producers, various underlings who've had confrontations with Pero? How does he get away with it? And how does he deal fairly with staff when he's living with the morning news anchor (Darya Folsom)?"

SOURCES tell me there's already a MAJOR PUSHBACK at KRON. Nobody really believes that the whole Darya/Pero CONFLICT wasn't known. It was. It was essentially, say station sources to me, not only known but COVERED UP! News Bosses, assistant NDs were well aware of the conflict yet FAILED to do anything. "They knew, they just didn't want to do anything because that would have required leadership and they had none."

So the end result is that despite Pero's firing, conflict remains. Folsom, who is, according to my KRON spies, being decidedly QUIET botn on and off the news desk. "She's trying to be mum," said a spy. For goode reason. Folsom has been at KRON for over 20 years, one of few other senior-most individual tenured at the station. Her future seems up in the air now. We'll watch over that.

Meanwhile, the fallout continues at 900 FRONT; some of the folks that received the brunt of Pero's anger and intimidating are still angry and royally PISSED OFF. Some don't even work at KRON anymore. Many do. KRON/Nextstar new VP/GM Jim Rose, who officially canned Pero, is planning on meeting with staff to, presumably, clear the air and try to unite a newsroom saddled with deep resentment and DIVISION. Pero's 86 is a temporary dynamic and for now, a band-aid. The fact Pero was allowed to conduct his reign of terror won't go away soon. I'd imagine someone might call a lawyer and KRON has to be mightily worried about that. But it's more than just Pero's embattled way with staffers. More than just the usual folks crying and maligned after a run-in with him in his office.

Stories of reporters and anchor run-ins; reports of mass intimidation. Threats and suggestions about various workers permeate KRON from 900 FRONT to the old building on 1001 Van Ness. Pero was smart enough not to mess with some of the senior, STAR anchors but he also had vendettas against others too. That may come back to haunt him.

Pero's relationship and eventual living-in-home status with Folsom remains at the center of KRON's decision to oust him. Staffers were fraught with FEAR over dealings with Darya because of her liason with Pero. "it was like a 'NATO agreement--if you piss her off, are you gonna hear from Aaron?", a source told me. This was not a uniunique charge. It was prevalent around Van Ness and 900 Front. That it was never dealt with and apparently allowed to maintain and nurture is something that could be problematic for KRON/Nextstar down the road.

KRON: Free At Last (The Official Memo) Rose Lays Down Hammer

BULLIES and INTIMIDATORS are jerks, plain and simple.

Kronvicts, feel as if a new era has begun. You are free from the jerk and his cruel and arrogant behavior. Nobody in this world has a right to treat people like crap. I don't care who you are. You don't have the right and yes, karma is a bitch.

Pulse of the City; KRON/Pero/Rose Dynamic Post Ouster; Darya Still Present; Sze Not Really Loved at Circle7; Holmes is No Sondra Locke Bu Maybe Clint Thinks Otherwise; KGO's Mark Thompson Spends 20 Minutes on Britney Spears; No-Ratings KCBS Has More Glitches

*KRON/Nextstar Real Worry Now: While the machinations of the PERO FIRING dominate the newsroom cooler, the REAL INSIDE DOPE is that management is worried that Napoleon Pero and the company will become involved in an inevitable legal stand-off. Pero had more than 15 years at KRON and can say he's been a loyal good soldier and that his work was steady.. That any bitching and moaning was just normal underling criticism. KRON/Nextstar could open up his (Pero's) personal file and point to employee discontent and overall performance. Just a possible scenario, not the gospel. In addition to all that, the center of the storm remains Pero's relationship with Darya Folsom, a duo the bosses said was a bona-fide CONFLICT-of-INTEREST. Even if Pero has a legal challenge, his alliane with Countess Folsom might be a showdown of "who you want to go? Me or her?" I can see him outta here and she staying. Meanwhile, Jim Rose, the new sheriff has EXECUTED his first major move.

*I was actually too kind to the alleged all-sports FM 95.7 'The Game', which has cratered to a remarkably BAD, 0.7 RATING, talk about BAD, even the SF School Board has a wide margin over the DOOFUS Audacy yahoos; a station NO ONE listens to; no one takes seriously and whose AM annd PM drive shows are about as worthy as a Tracy Jack-in-the Box." Yeah, let's bring in more Kate Scotts and inflate Damon Bruce's ego and still, NO ONE IS LISTENING!

*Dear Kristen Sze, if my Circle7 spies are reporting on time, they tell me you're the most detested at 900 Front. You've accomplished the unthinkable: even Larry Beil is not as bad as you are. Congrats.

*MEANWHILE, the AM Audacy outlet with equally SAD RATINGS is KCBS, with its eternal Electronic GLITCHES and overall audio hell. Just this morning at the 7: 15 sports report, there was, YET AGAIN, another DEAD AIR moment when incompetent and boring Joe Hughes was MIA --no one could hear Hughes (maybe a good thing) and Holly Quan and Jeff Bell were forcd to ad-lib and say, AGAIN, "we have no Joe Hughes." If this were a high-school operation, it would be embarrassing. The fact it's KCBS makes it all the more unbelievable only this happens on a regular basis and n one is minding the store. Maybe why KCBS TANKED almost a POINT the past few months and why is that NOT surprising.

*KGO, you have some soul-searching to do also. You can start by looking to replace the mind-numbingly BAD Nikki Medoro and her morning midget, Bret Burkhart, the "wow" guy who has all the personality of a rotton kumquat. Medoro once again talked about her kids and today, how not being able to go to a concert in person. Very compelling Nik, maybe tomorrow, you'll do 10 minutes with a guy who likes to take his wife to fast-food restaurants --so Bret can say, "wow!" again." Great radio.

*Sal Castaneda is kind of in a pickle. He is OK with staying on at KTVU but is really IRKED that FOX wants him to take a PAY CUT (really? Yes) and Sal, who makes roughly $200K wants his pay to remain right there while The Firm is more on the line of a buck fifty and some coffee mugs. Sal is not amused but his wife is content to work a few extra hours to make up the difference.

*Heather Holmes: there's a huge sale at Ross today.

*If I were KCBS, I would just fire all the men at the station and hire more women because there's harly any women at KCBS and that's just a damn outrage.

*Megan Goldsby is hardly ever heard on KCBS and that's just wrong.

*KRON, look at it this way, at least they care enough to watch you and that's not bad in the long term. Pam Moore would like to go to Paris and chill and Ken Wayne would be content to take his lady on a helicopter ride over Marin so all is not lost.

*Heather Holmes should have met Clint Eastwood before he met the Salinas TV anchor chick, I'm sure HH thought she could be Clint's 2010 Sandra Locke.

*Mark Thompson, the only KGO talker that does an LA show in SF. Great stuff, Mark, love the YouTube and in-show teasing of your producer, how pithy. Gotta love your ratings. Spending 20 minutes on Britney Spears? Good live and local (why don't you just text it? Sure thing.

Breaking News: Pero OUT at KRON--Joy and Elation at 900 Front Studios--415 Media Exclusive

KRON TO PERO

Bye Bye.

And now the fun begins.

UPDATE 1 9: 06 AM--:

Joy and elation inside KRON newsroom; immediate question by staffers: "what about Darya?", (Folsom) Pero's gf and AM anchor; right now, she's still employed at KRON and presumably would want to keep her job, ( she makes OK dough and she loves her outfits)--I don't think she's going anywhere, for now.

Meanwhile, he's already updating his resume.

June Radio Ratings; 95.7 FM 'The Game' Draws Flies; KCBS Craters; KGO Falls Flat; KNBR Loves The Giants

HERE'S THE RATINGS.

Some observations: How does an outfit like all-sports, "The Game" get away with it? There's NO traction. The morning show, which had all the pub and bruhaha of the Second Coming, is a TOTAL DISASTER. Great, you have a woman who says NOTHING of substance and is a BORE. Go sell that, sales dept.

*KNBR: Yep, great to have the Giants, ain't it?

*KCBS: ouch. You need a facelift. And more. Maybe Bunger should have put off retirement.

*KGO: ouch times 20. Mark Thompson is a WASTE. Those numbers? You could hire a dead skunk and have the same numbers. Cheaper too. Maybe that's why Chris Merrill is lurking in the hallways.

Aaron Pero is Probably on Thin Ice at KRON. Here's Why.

WEDNESDAY REPORT

Aaron Pero has survived his asshole-ness at KRON mainly because he was considered a good ND and nobody in charge--be it whatever KRON owner (take your pick) bothered to check on staffers clearly affected by his crazy outbursts and intimidation. The toxic atmosphere got worse because nobody put a check on Pero's reign of terror.

One such outrageous incident, even more jarring today, involved a KRON vet, anchor/reporter, Justine Waldman, who had a personal confrontation with Pero in his office; Pero was heard yelling and screaming to the point, Waldman left his office and was crying. Visibly shaken. Waldman wasn't the only person at KRON who received Pero's wrath. But Waldman's was unique in this respect: she and Darya Folsom were bitter enemies and Folsom was just at the beginning of her relationship with Pero. Put two and two together. Conflict? You don't say.

Pero was known to humiliate other personnel, not just off-air people but on-air as well. He openly bragged to staffers he "ruled" the newsroom and was free to manage by intimidation. The little people at KRON dared snitch on him or report him to corporate and even if they did, their complaints were tossed in the wind. Nobody up above sseemed to care or have the chops to do anything. Sometimes it was just a case of laziness.

Today, there's a new sheriff in town, Jim Rose, the VP and GM hired in May. Rose hasn't implemented much of a policy yet, on the programming level, concentrating on getting his bags unpacked and looking over the inventory. KRON, via Nextstar, probably asked him to FOCUS in on Pero and his relationship with Darya, finally, even if it was years late to the party.

Officially, Pero is suspended. How long is anyone's guess but it might as well be indefinite. Rose and KRON/Nextstar people are more than likely buying time to do something far more punitive, like, say, blowing out Pero? It wouldn't be totally shocking. In fact, there's just enough rancor and division in the newsroom to warrant such a move. Pero's relationship with Folsom is the least of the issues but make no mistake, it's at the forefront.

A possible Pero blowout comes with trepidation; I'm sure he's got a lot of stuff written down (and so does Darya) but KRON, I'm sure, has lots of crap on him. I'd love to see his personal file. Which is all the more evidence that Rose is about to show what he's made of; he's suspended Pero, now he has the ammo to do the ultimate: send Pero, the ultimate Napoleon, out to pasture. It might be just in time to save the newsroom.

Frank Somerville Quietly Prepares for Possibility (Albeit Unlikely) He's Done at KTVU --415 Media Exclusive

EVERY INDICATION, STILL, IS THAT HE'LL BE BACK, BUT...

Frank Somerville, even if some of his co-workers back at the KTVU studios, are not as sympathetic as you might expect, (and they're not) has built up enough of a reservoir of good will with viewers, that everyone expects him back. Even in the unlikihood that he does not return to KTVU. Nothing is certain.

It's roughly six weeks since Frank's on-air incident; on May 30th, the Sunday night before Memorial Day, the Bay Area saw a troubled Somerville slur his words, look and sound uneven, under the influence of something--he swears it was a mistaken dose of sleeping pills. TV viewers and observers thought otherwise. We know what's taken place since. He was asked to go on a LOA (leave) and has been hiding out in his Oakland Uptown condo.

*KTVU and Fox2 are hoping, with time, the entire episode fades away. They've been using fill-ins at 10 PM and their early-evening newscasts. Conventional wisdom remains that pretty much no one can fill Somerville's position, at least for now. It's a good thing it's in the middle of summer when very few are watching the local news. I've predicted a fall, probably sometime after Labor Day return for Frank when the mood might be a little different on ALL fronts, but...

*A number of anchors here, and a few outside the markey say the whole episode will not ever fade awy. "That video will follow him the rest of his life," said a broadcast contact to me. One industry person here was more emphatic: "Disney, for one, would never hire him." At least in one sense, Somerville can be happy he works at FOX.

*As indicated, Somerville has been pretty much alone (with his kids) at home. He hasn't said anything publically since his response to me after the immediate incident. I've reached out to him (via text), at various times in the past few weeks and he's been silent. KTVU/Fox brass are not talking about anything Frank, leaving the matter for their PR spokesperson.

*There is the possibility, still unlikely, that both parties go their separate ways. Fox could always see the possibility that the entire affair is too problematic and decide to work out some sort of arrangement. They might be forced to be thinking long-term. In the nterim, mum's the word.

*Somerville has privately prepared for the possibility he might be gone from KTVU. It would be a tough deal. He has thirty years in the company, nine as lead anchor at the 10 o'Clock News. His contract is up next year in March. There's already a great degree of industry speculation on his future.

*A SCENARIO NO ONE WANTS: What if Somerville sticks to his story and Fox suits balk. What if Somerville decides he's OK and asks to come back and Fox says no? Would the lawyers be involved? Nobody wants to go that route.

*What station(s) if any, would consider hiring Frank? A good question. Right now, probably not a one. But we'll see. It's probably a moot question for now.

415 Media Exclusive: Pero Suspended at KRON--Conflict of Interest with Folsom Center of Storm? Strong Possibility

PERO SUSPENDED; NEXTSTAR PUSHBACK?

Aaron Pero, the combative, angry, and, some say, overly-intimidating ND at KRON was suspended by KRON Mgt. Namely, say sources to me, Jim Rose, the recently-hired VP and GM, in his first major apparent move since coming to the Bay Area in May.

A KRON contact told me the reason for the suspension may have been corporate (Nextstar, KRON's owner) was unaware of "a relationship with one of its SF management person and a staffer at KRON." Pero has had an on-going relationship with morning anchor, Darya Folsom.

The source indicated that Nextstar wil look into the matter "more specifically."

Pero has run the news dept. at KRON for over 15 years with a iron-fist and is known to be combative and unruly at times. In recent years, he supposedly toned down his act and has tried to be more conciliatory toward staff. That tactic might have intensified with the apointment of a new boss at KRON, more importantly, his boss, Rose.

The source told me, emphatically, "they don't want this out." No wonder everybody at Nextstar and KRON were tight-lipped over a request for comment. Why am I not surprised.

We'll follow -up when necessary.

*415 MEDIA EXTRA

Flash: George Rask is Retiring from KCBS Traffic Biz; Also Had Stint with KRON

George Rask, the traffic anchor with the raspy voice and ubiquitous pipes, has given notice to the KCBS high tops--he's LEAVING the all-news (740 AM, 106. 9 FM) radio outlet. Rask will be exiting within the next couple of weeks.

he's been a fixture at both KCBS and at KRON where he anchored the morning traffic reports for KRON's AM news shows.

There's no official reason as to why Rask is spliting now although recenly he was absent from the radio traffic desk to help deal with a family member's illness. That reason and Rask's own impending sunset years probably played into the decision to exit.

Some guy named Graham is New KNBR PD but Lee Hammer Snub is Real Story

Some human torso named Kevin Graham (pictured) is the new PD at KNBR but that's NOT the story.

The real story: Longtime KNBR/Cumulus suit and current KGO/KSFO PD, Lee Hammer did NOT get the gig.

You want to read the trades and inject yourself with a whole bunch of Press Release fish wrap? No, hell no you don't. it's BORING and the usual BS applies.

Lee Hammer WANTED the KNBR gig. He was internally TDed by a number of Cumulus people and that includes the SF Market MGR who all thought he wasn't cool for the job. That won't sit well for Hammer but cloud politics aside, he'll still be able to eat and have plenty of beer at Giants' games.

That's all you need to know, for now.

KRON Continues Down Mediocre Road; Circle7's Dion Lim Star Gets Brighter (Better Pay Her); The Game Needs a 'Sarge'; KQED Planning; Alex Bennett Internet NY Show a Hoot; Monday Open

MONDAY OPEN

WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE KRON has suddenly begun to revitalize and shed its dorky image. I beg to differ. On MANY fronts.

KRON is still the same old KRON. Wait a minute, the old KRON was out of sight and great local TV News watching. The current KRON is a sloppy Joe and Jane with globs of silly looks, 47,000 weather screens, doofus personnel and spotty anchoring.

KRON has a new GM, big deal. You can't hide away mediocrity. New GM and same old ND, a BULLY Pero who continues to RULE with intimidation and FEAR, a newsroom goon with all the serenity of a Union City strip mall. Mr "new GM?" You want to LEAD? Tell Pero to hit the road and take Darya with him.

To be sure, KRON has some good people. Unfortunately, they're wasted by a tw-dollar hardware store masqueraing as a Neiman Marcus. KRON's "KTEL-like" news operation is just so god-awful. The news jingles are out of date. The weather boards are obscene and comical. The addition of Ken Wayne has been a DISASTER. Wayne looks and sounds bored. Pam Moore appears tired and blase. Reporters come and go. There's NO mojo and very little direction and execution. Who the heck is minding the store? Never mind.

*RATINGS for radio don't mince words. Beauty contet numbers aside, the real message here is that the mediocre stations continue to just get by and maintain their boring FLATLINING status. If they weren't so dependent on their corporate breadwinners, they'd be put out to pasture.

*Dion Lim continues to get MEGA-DOUGH OFFERS from NETWORKS and outside Bay Area TV News stations which, given the state of TV News, is quite telling. Her rise at KGO would seem to indicate they (ABC/DISNEY) feel the same but as I've said numerous times here, you'd better pay her or risk losing her to LA or (less likely) NY. Lim could easily fetch a multi-million buck offer if she were to migrate to LA and network insiders have told me she's on their radar. I've become a Dionne believer even though her weird voice is occasionally uber-nasal. Her presence is undeniable, though.

*Yo, FM Sports station and Audacy SF folks, you want BUZZ and MEANING? You want to be taken seriously, then DO SOMETHING with ultra force, shake up the place and HIRE sports-programming wizard, Bob Sargent. Sargent, who currently runs the 49ERS broadcasting depot, was around KNBR in the early 2000's and knows a thing or two about how to program. He worked with Tony Salvadore and made KNBR into the powerhouse before some amateur lemmings invaded the place. There's NO ONE who could change the dynamics like a "Sarge"--he's not cheap but he knows his biz and he'd know how to take The Game (95.7 FM) and make it worthy. I would love an alternative to KNBR but all I get is spam when I'd love some meat and potatoes. Sargent is a sure bet to deliver. 100%.

*KQED continues to talk to would-be on and off-air people for its planned "NewsRoom" experiment in the fall. They are already planning a Star-Wars-like super studio that my spies say is eye-catching. Can't wait.

*Does Ronn Owens ask his "KGO Facebook listeners" if his voice can sound more gravel-like?"

*Alex Bennett, former SF comedy jock and media maven, ( a la The Quake and Live 105 in the 80's) is doing an Internet show out of NY and his spiel with Bay Area comic, Larry Bubbles Brown was a hoot--at least I saw it that way. Go to YouTube and observe.