Johnson, according to the article, gave a six-figure contribution to 2020 election denier, Herschel Walker. The "Stop-the-Steal" advocate is a former NFL star running back who received the largest donation from Johnson.
So now you know all you need to know about state radio, KNBR, and who runs the show. Not the PD, but this isn't anything new.
*Meanwhile, on the Giants' cable telecasts, a prominant sports broadcast observer reminded me that in a recent production meeting, one of the team's top dogs asked that they try not to show as many empty seats at the home games and make sure the camera stay away from upper deck shots and down both right and left-field foul lines. Of course, NBC Sports Bay Area, which televises the games, concurred. Which is why you'll hardly see camera angles from those sight lines.
*A media figure locally, who suggested to the Oakland A's broadcast wing they consider buying KSFO to use as the team's new radio home, was tuned out. No dice was the essential answer from A's ownership. They could have used KSFO not only as a flagship outlet but an entire radio base to build around the team and market its various associations including all its games. The idea apparently made too much sense. Even though the A's could have bought the station for pennies on the dollar, a firm no-go.
*The eternal fill-in host on KGO Radio who can't simply talk and have a conversation was "filling in" this morning (again) for Nikki Medoro, who is home recovering from Covid-19 symptoms; she's been out over a week.
The screamer yells and yells to no end. And is aided and abetted by the "wow" news guy who laughs at all his unfunny lines.
I have no issue with KNBR not having it in a segment. It is a personal issue, one's matter of choice and really has no impact on the day to day game or sports in general. I DO wish KNBR would talk about more sports though and less blabbing about just about everything else. I am tired of all the non-sports stuff.
ReplyDeleteToday is a GREAT day to call out the idiots. The Athletics not buying KSFO is a bad move, unless they are planning to move to Las Vegas. Under 20,000 for the home opener? Joke. Shame.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Giants controlling the media, gee what a surprise? That's how things are all over. A team pays for the broadcast rights, they get to control the show. It's a trend you see everywhere. The media is bought and paid for no matter what the line of business is these days.
I think KNBR does a disservice to baseball. It's a dying sport that most people can only take in small doses. When they go to their wall to wall Giants coverage every February it reinforces all the negative stereotypes (too long, too slow, too much) that are driving the casual fan from the game. You have to really, really, really, really like baseball to listen to KNBR, and they don't seem to realize that group is shrinking every year.
ReplyDeleteIn a perfect world, the A's would have drawn more than 17,503 die-hards to last night's home opener. Also in a perfect world, Fisher and Co. could/would sell to people who are truly committed to (or, as they say, are "rooted in...") Oakland.
ReplyDeleteBut, we don't live in a perfect world. Fisher is toying with the Bay Area folk, and under his ownership the A's have been rotting in Oakland. And after last night's sad sight at the Coliseum, the team is one step closer to Vegas.
Do they sell flak jackets with each season ticket package?
DeleteGood riddance to the A's and to their owner and to that awful stadium.
DeleteThe A's are run by an idiot.
ReplyDeleteBilly Beane, Billy Owens, Forst are all amazingly smart but Fisher is a complete fool. Buying KSFO, like Rich said, is a genius idea. They pay horrible players millions but you can buy a great legacy station for next to nothing, then use that to create a brand.
They have Ascast which is fun. Plus, if it was not for the A's being on the Bloomberg business channel, I would never have found a great new option for learning while I am driving. Love Bloomberg. If the A's don't change, buy a big station like KSFO and build on the current site, they are dead. BUY FRIGGEN KSFO, and stay with this story Rich.
Have you ever wondered why Bloomberg hasn't bought KSFO for itself? 560/KSFO has got a much better signal, at a lower dial position, than 960. But it doesn't actually own 960/KNEW, it leases it from iHeart. No ownership exposure (like it has with flagship 1130/WBBR in NYC), no transmitter maintenance costs, no regulatory compliance issues, all of those are iHeart's problems. Bloomberg can drop out of the San Francisco market any time the lease comes up for renewal, if they start feeling it's no longer working for them.
DeleteIn the meantime, Cumulus has the ownership exposure of - count them - FOUR AM stations in the SFBA market (KSFO, KNBR, KGO, KTCT). These are rapidly depreciating assets, the modern equivalent of buggy whips. The AM band is dying, and except for a tiny handful of legacy standalone AM stations (like NYC's 1010/WINS or LA's KFI - so far), anyone who owns one is watching their investment being eaten away by termites. Bloomberg apparently knows better that to buy additional AM's, as does the A's ownership, no matter how clueless they may be about other aspects of running this ball team. In fact, their actions are pretty much screaming that they want to follow the Raiders to Vegas, and they're just building the case to justify it.
Yes, like you, I am now a Bloomberg fan too. Great idea on them possibly buying KSFO because, even though AM radio is dead, Bloomberg has billions and KSFO would be a great tax write off for them. I hear you on the current no ownership risk as it is now BUT if Bloomberg 960 had KSFO's reach it would be very popular. They have excellent hosts, super content, professional lineup. If they make money great, if they lose money less taxes. It is a no-lose situation because NY and SF are the two biggest business-related areas. They also have NO competition. Just keep the NY hosts for 90 percent of content and fill in with 10 percent more local info. I would love to be able to get it here in San Jose but I stream it.
DeleteYup. Bought a blue tooth water proof radio (35.00) and listen in the shower every morning. David weston at Bloomberg is fantastic. No more Niki or KCBS crap!
DeleteWhere do you live? How can you get it on the radio? Is it at 960 or 860? I found it online.
Delete@8:53, it's on 960 AM, or (if you have a radio equipped with HD) 103.7HD2. BUT, and this is important, 960's transmitter and towers are by the Bay Bridge toll plaza, and aim their signal across the Bay at San Francisco. So if you're in the city, it'll come in strongly, but the further away you are, the weaker the reception. And anyone in the South Bay, or north of Marin, or the inland valleys, is going to get a barely intelligible signal, if they get any at all. That's just the nature of AM reception.
DeleteCan't they have transmission that goes to SF, SJ, Marin, Oakland? I know nothing about radio. Why just SF? Seems like a waste cause the Silicon Valley is the real business area. Not real smart thinking.
DeleteSo what if Johnson supports right-wing candidates. He is entitled to do whatever he wants with his money and maybe if more people supported common-sense politicians this country wouldn't be so screwed up. Look at what the leftists have done to us. Not a Trump fan at all but the dude has some common-sense unlike Breed, Pelosi, Harris, Biden. Plus, you can hate the man for his awful attitude and they way he treated people but no one has ever worked any harder than he did. 20 hours a day, 7 days a week.
ReplyDeleteAgree about Trump.
DeleteBad guy, hard worker that understands how to get things done. My wish is that we had a president with Obama's grace and calmness and Trump's relentless desire to get things done that help make America stronger.
The current guy has failed in very way possible. Personally, I thought Biden was kind of clueless but a pretty nice guy, now I see him as a completely incompetent, deteriorating old man that can barely put two sentences together. Is he running this country? I really hope not.
3:11 Why on earth would you think that the orange tub of goo was ever motivated to get things done "to make America stronger"? His motivations are strictly in service of his own ego. This should be abundantly obvious by now. Like you, he never even could be bothered to read the constitution.
DeleteOh come on... people can hate Trump for a lot of reasons, but everyone has to admit that the man worked his butt off every day. We were energy independent and the border was secure. Not opinions but facts. Do you really think we are better off now than we were 2 years ago?
DeleteSure Pat Thurston is out, along with all those other hosts.
ReplyDeleteBut "What, me worry?" Just means we get another hour of those hilarious "drops"....as Mark stays longer.
I could listen to those "drops" all day long.
Way better than ignorant callers talking about Ukraine and inflation.
Why, its a "drop-a-thon"...
@10:58 AM I for one, love that baseball is a long game, a slow game, and plays 162 games making for a long season. That is the beauty of baseball and I am tired of hearing people complain about it. That is what makes it different than all the other sports. Baseball is meant to be slow. It is about controlling time and pace. It is about the small details and the sudden burst of action.
ReplyDeleteTrue, and well-put, 3:03.
DeleteYES.
DeleteThe A's buying KSFO would be a gigantic mistake! They won't pay for talented baseball players. What makes you think they would be willing to pay for talented programmers and on-air personnel? Plus, a stand alone AM in the Bay Area would have no sales power in the national advertising market. It all sounds good, but the reality is a nightmare. Especially with the A's ownership and management involved!
ReplyDeleteLook, Bloomberg could buy KSFO and do business related stories from early morning until three PM when Hong Kong comes on the air. Then hire local cheap business reporters until 6 or 7, followed by national Bloomberg all night. Or the A's could buy KSFO and hire Bloomberg on a lease basis with some limited A's content to build a brand. Also, they could stop their stupid plans to build a waterfront park with no parking. Never going to happen and tear down the current location with a smaller new stadium surrounded by parks, businesses and housing. It is a perfect location where it is. BART and 880.
DeleteCome on, it is so simple. Build it fast, buy KSFO, add business programming with local stories when needed to fill out non-baseball time. A win-win. Will it happen? No way. It makes too much sense.
Ads would be no problem with the Pillow Guy, Balance of nature, Kars for Kids, Relief Factor buying everything up. All total scams begging 24/7.
DeleteI actually used Kars for kids and it was everything they claimed I called they picked up car i got my deduction
DeleteBUT i do agree on the balance of nature stuff NO WAY that is all the veggies you need..
the pillows are pretty good too he's a lunatic tho
Lunatic. Hah. Actually on the crazy FOX ads I thought the balance of nature might be the least scammy. But for sure only a few capsules would not be enough and they are sure expensive for some fruit powder. I like the fact that they seem to be low in sugar.
DeleteRich - why would the A's even consider buying KSFO or ANY station for that matter? They have one foot out the door already, and KSFO sure doesn't serve Vegas.
ReplyDelete@12:12 oh sure Lindell's pillows -- just chipped foam -- are fine; he sells 'em at 50x cost of production and then uses the proceeds to prop up the likes of Sidney Powell, Rudy G and Donald T. If that works for ya, great.
ReplyDeleteCan barely give them away now. I can buy a perfectly good pillow for 19.95 at Macy's or steal one for nothing.
DeleteThe A's have the same seating problem!!!
ReplyDeleteYes If he only supported well grounded people like AOC and Kamala the acknowledger... Rudy was right about the lap top wasn't he? NYVC qwas safe when he was mayor... and I'll take DJT over Brandon Biden 24/7
ReplyDelete