Hi Rich, Do you have any idea why Darren Peck is working noon & 3PM every Monday & Tuesday? That should be the time Burch is working; otherwise rest of the week Burch is working at noon & Heggen comes at 3PM.
Does this have something to do with the fact that they did not want Peck to work weekend double shifts anymore? Sounds like there is no new meteorologist onboarded at KPIX based on that job listing 5 months ago.
You pretty much nailed it, KR, plus KPIX I think has a lower opinion of Peck now, like a utility man instead of a clean-up hitter ..he apparently thinks much of himself which spells Sacramento in the front view mirror.
Since Peck is not working double shifts anymore, the weekend morning newscasts (I watch them from my dvr after 10am) get quite boring to see less interactivity between Devin and Darren. I mean Darren is there Sunday mornings, Heggen Saturday mornings (just hate seeing him wear casual, tieless is okay without the jeans) but it looks as if they wrap the 11PM newscast and then record their own weather segments 3x to have Devin play them later. Is it possible they do that? Surely none of the meteorologists stay overnight just for that.
Honestly I do miss it because Devin had really great curveball questions and observations and kept a conversation going.
Other stations like KRON, KNTV, and KTVU still have a live weekend morning meteorologist and healthy interaction and live views.
Is it a possible sign KPIX may be eliminating their weekend morning show next?
On another note I should note that if I see Burch working noon on M & Tu, that means Peck will be filling in at 3PM and the entire evening like Presidents day. If Peck fills in during the morning and Heggen is available, then Heggen will come at 3PM.
What a strange schedule but I would think it may be a better idea to do something like this:
Let Heggen work Saturday & Sunday mornings, Tues-Thurs evenings and Peck work Fri-Mon evenings. That gives a healthy balance in my opinion. Fun fact - It’s been nearly 1 year since Mary Lee left the morning weather, can’t she be a fill in on weekend mornings? They don’t need to necessarily pick on Peck and Hackney all the time
You reported that Andria Borba has taken a leave of absence. Hope she is healing and doing well. She hasn't been on TV in over 6 months...is still employed by KPIX or do you think both sides will eventually come to a decision and part ways? Perhaps she'd be happier with another local station like KRON.
Andria Borba is exhausted and worn out, I'm told, and is probably headed for some extended leave and/or, yes, an exit not only from PIX/CBS but the news biz in general --she's not alone.
Similar thing happened with former KPIX anchor Veronica De La Cruz. She just disappeared one day. Lots of personal tragedies from what I read. I recently saw her back on the Newsy network, though.
Seems like the rigors of the news business can really take a toll on some peoples lives. KTVU anchors Frank Somerville and George Watson also with publicized alcohol and prescription addictions. I wish them all continued health and healing. Former KPIX sportscaster Dennis O'Donnel too. Although his issue was apparently more of a physical nature according to this blog.
It's tough when you see your local media personalities go through things. Reminds you they're human and fragile just like us. Always make mental health a priority no matter what you do. Everything else flows from there.
Former KPIX reporter Simon Perez also left the rigors of news reporting to go on to teach at Syracuse University. He was actually a good reporter for them. My favorite was when he pushed a drunken video bomber out of his frame during a live shot at one of the halloween street parties in the Castro. Classic...(and what I would've done as well. lol)
3:20 It is especially tough if you have kids. Back in the 80s and 90s I was a known as a "go-getter" out in the field....always chasing lead stories....volunteering for overtime if it involved big or breaking stories. But then I met (FINALLY) a woman--my first real adult relationship. We got married...and when our daughter was born, it was like my TV news switch was turned off. I don't know what it was, and I never knew it could ever be turned off, but it happened. Crime-and-grime stopped being appealing. I quit the station...and the biz...a year later for another more family-friendly career. Fast-forward to 2023. Every time I look at my now-17-year-old college-bound daughter and my 14-year old sports-loving, skateboard-loving "A" student son...and still see that my wife still loves me... I know I made the right choice. I wish the best for Andria. Your health and your overall "life" are way more important than chasing breaking news or Emmys. Shout-out to VDLC and Maria Medina, who've also moved on from TV news. I hope you're both doing well.
I was a competitive surfer in my much younger days . I have never been a “sunbather”. Well, maybe once when my boyfriend was an LA County lifeguard at Zuma.
poor 4:12...didn't your mama tell you that you could go blind playing with yourself? Sunbathing is unwise for anyone, unless you desire multiple mose surgeries or worse.Surfers get lots of sun without sunbathing. Wetsuits for colder water are a good thing for your dermis.
What’s your take on Live in the Bay! On KRON? I enjoy the local angle of showcasing folks from the Bay Area. Is it expensive to produce such a show? I harken back to the days of shows such as Bay Area Backroads, People are Talking, Home Turf etc. It doesn’t hurt that the host is HOT!
Henry from San Anselmo here. What happened to that darling of the weekends, Lisa Chan, on KCBS? Glad for the reprieve, but just want to make sure she's not coming back any time soon.
What’s your thought on somerville. On one hand he’s a freakin great anchor and I’d totally put him up there with dennis or Pete Wilson. But he did it in the age of social media. He has 580,000 followers. Do you think Dennis could have done that. At the same time he had mental health issues From going out on his own time and attending the funerals of seven black men and women killed on the streets of Oakland. He tried to deal with it on his own. But couldn’t. Yet he still stood up against the insane coverage of gabbi petito. And ended up being fired for it. I for one applaud him. He stood up for what was right. But I’m curious to get your opinion.
Yes, he did stand up for what he thought was right he just chose a crappy time --a series of life issues and personal problems galore--to do so. Timing is everything in life and Frank had the wrong time.
This is GuRah from Alameda, Hey Rich! You know, you are "The Man", when it comes to local media news! What I want to know, and there is never any mention or seeming notice of this, but Betty Yu at KPIX ALWAYS gets the plumb assignments! Covering the awards shows in person, they send Betty Yu. Doing a story on some elite item, such as private jets, megamillion dollar mansions, exotic sports cars, and who covers it? Betty Yu. I just wonder what there is behind this, because I am not saying anything about her coverage, she does a good job. But I would certainly think that other correspondents would notice that she seems to get preferential treatment when it comes to these plumb assignments! So I want to know your take on this, Rich! Thanks for all you do!
Betty is their closer and best performer; she's also been there the longest so it's no big deal. And given she's close to signing new deal, it only makes sense.
How long do you think that PIX will stay with their current "stand-up and walking around" presentation (with their anchors)? Or to put it another way: at what point do they return to a more tradition situation, where the anchors are sitting during the entire newscast?
As long as CBS says they're the ones pushing this brand and that's their call. It's gonna stay for awhile b/c CBS has invested too much in this look, for better or worse.
I hope they stick with it. Last night Sara Donchey walked around all newscast in her shiny leather pants. I enjoyed every step. Why hide that behind a desk?
Sara Donchey is fine with the 11pm gig. I just catch the end before Colbert and it’s lighthearted goofing around before Colbert. And she even says her name rhymes with Donkey. So, to the posts her pejoratively calling her Donkey she threw it back at you.
Sara Donchey is my favorite anchor. Kyla Grogan is my favorite meteorologist and Andrea Nakano is my favorite sports anchor. They are my dream News team. 🥰
Hey Rich. Just curious, approximately what % of Bay Area TV viewers watch via : cable, broadcast (over the air w/antenna), internet streaming, other ways? George/San Jose
Hi Rich ‘Mello in Carmello’ here. Judging by the increasingly louder pleas for Ca$h from listeners, do you think KQED radio has shot itself in the foot by giving us “who cares about that?” Radio? Not going to disparage any one program, but overall it went “wow that’s interesting!” to “so what…”. It seems like they are grasping at straws trying to appeal to a younger demographic. That tactic appears not to be working. In the vernacular of a now retired great host, “what say you?”
KQED TV is always having pledge drives. Where is the money being spent? It’s not on local news or entertainment programming except Check, Please Bay Area. PBS Newshour, BBC America News, BBC News and the music, nature and science shows are good, but they have too many English dramas and mysteries.
>>The FCC has no jurisdiction over Fox News. It does not broadcast over the air. Fox News operates the same as CNN, MSNBC etc., without an FCC license.<< You're right, @1:50, the FCC doesn't regulate >>Fox News<<. BUT, and this is really important, they regulate licensed broadcast stations AND their parent companies, which means Fox Corporation. And if Fox Corporation is proven to be a corrupt licensee, any or all of their (very valuable) licenses can be revoked or not renewed. So the unregulated entity could take down the entire ship, including the regulated ones. They are in very deep sh!t right now.
Is there any chance that the Dominion lawsuit against Fox could trigger FCC license revocations for stations (including Fox O&O's) that perpetuated false news about election results?
4:11 CNN and MSNBC do not perpetuate false news regarding politics. It may report on news that's critical of Republican party shenanigans. But these aren't lies. They may not be what you and fellow Republicans want to see or hear. But reporting on political failures, or rebuking political stances, is not lying.
10:32 Don't drink the kool-aid. Spin, spin and more spin to fit a narrative. All of those stations. Including the ones that you are defending.
If CNN was not spinning or lying, why when Zucker was ousted last year did the new man in charge state, "We're going to start reporting the truth. No spin, no lies"?
Hi Rich - Emma from Napa here. What do you think Mark Ibanez will end up doing? I was listening to our local Napa radio station the other day and I thought "whoever that is talking about the new baseball rules is doing such a good job. And sounds so familiar."
Took me a minute for figure out it was Ibanez. He sounded great!
I think Mark still misses the day-to-day sports grind. He is a big Giants/Warriors/49ers fan --so the fact he's doing a Napa radio sports show (he lives in Napa) isn't surprising.
Hi Rich. Tom in the North Bay. Probably in the minority here but actually think The Morning Roast on 95.7 sports talk is actually pretty good. Don’t like “The Street” intro but I think Bonta and Shasky play well off of each other, they have good content and take a decent amount of good callers/texts to keep conversations going. It isn’t Razor or Radnich in the olden days but it’s decent sports talk content considering a lot of the radio diarrhea out there. Keep up the good work. Thanks
Hello Mr Lieberman With streaming and the Internet in general being the future of news broadcast, Do you feel the stations and news outlets should spend more time and money in the digital arena? Most of the Alphabet Affiliates use the same crappy template when it comes to streaming & digital news!
The whole industry is changing--look at the decline of network news, sports, etc. Disney is going all out to sell its TV stations (and ESPN) to go fulltime streaming.
I don't know if it's a bad thing but it's certainly the trend now.
Stations can make a comeback by, rather than imitating the look of websites and putting "cool" chicks who are fashion-impaired as their 11p anchors, telling the REAL news and cutting the PC shit. I don't want to hear ONE SIDE of every issue because the suits are too afraid that if they give any attention to un-PC points of view, they'll get one angry phone call or an email. Until the suits realize that, all the stations will continue to bleed viewers. We have too many other outlets we can get real news from now.
Negin in Reno (formerly Castro Valley). Have you ever listened to any of the radio station's "HD Radio" sub-channel.
Until recently KFRC-FM had oldies on HD2 which was basically a server on auto-pilot playing oldies minus jocks. Back in the 2010s I got a special radio at Best Buy that could pick those channels up and found some interesting stuff.
Hey Rich- who is the putz who is news director at KCBS? That station used to be one of the best but sounds god awful these days. Technical errors galore and too many unproven youngsters, many of whom sound as if they were recruited straight out of college radio! And what has happened to Cumulus ‘lap-dog’ Lee Hammer, the guy who rubber stamped the big-wigs marching orders at both KNBR and KGO? He presided over the eviseration of the once powerful and highly respected KGO. KCBS and KGO used to be the standard bearers of local radio, but now they sound like shoddy posers with mediocre, minor league announcers. How the heck did this happen Rich? I cannot listen to either station anymore. It’s like fingernails on the blackboard. Horrible radio!
If you read me you know about my thoughts about KCBS and its terrible so-called, "leader", more like an incompetent boob who gets daily passes...Lee Hammer's position at Cumulus has largely been downgraded and now Lee's just hanging on until he has to go away and fight the sunset.
Dave Milner, President of Cumulus Operations visited in August and set things in motion with SF GM Larry Blumhagen. Lee was kept in the dark until a few days before the change. Lee actually cared about KGO and is the only reason we still had live local shows. He pushed for a marketing budget that they just wouldn’t give him. A year ago Milner wanted to kill most of the weekday schedule and it was Lee that fought to keep us live until 7pm. His hands were tied, but what was he supposed to do? Get himself fired right before retirement?
Rich! Thanks for answering our burning questions! Martin in SF When will the SF GIANTS and 49ers jump ship to a real radio station? KNBR has become unlistenable, as AB would say “those clowns are meat heads”. I figure the teams have to be aware that the lame banter of the 6am-10pm meatheads is hurting their brand. Do the meatheads actually generate money?
They do, sadly, Martin, but it's very small. As for the 49ers/Giants jumping ship? There's so few options therefore they are stuck with this mess much like Bay Area radio listeners.
Hi Rich: When Kyla Grogan left KTVU under mysterious circumstances it broke my heart, she's a far cry from "spooky" Roberta and when she showed up at KRON 4 I nicknamed her "Sunshine" because when I see her she brightened up my day; Oh, I've seen negative comments on Live in the Bay, hogwash, it's a fantastic after noon news programming and Ms Olivia Horton is fantastic and you get Kyla as well...
She didn't leave, they basically threw her out and treated her like crap and, thus, have today's mess. Good for KRON to have picked her up and let KTVU/Fox deal with the embarrassment of their current crew, yikes.
One of the reasons I enjoy Live! In the Bay is not only to watch the HOT host but her interaction with the equally hot Kyla who shows more personality in this format. She seems very well read and traveled. Yum!!
Hi Rich I work at KTVU and Kyla totally left us not the other way around. She only left because Amber was too stupid not to give her a decent contract. KTVU was expecting she'd stay forever in limbo land which never made any sense given her skills. Same reason others have left too. Kinda fun watching Kyla kick ass at KRON. We miss her but no one blames her for bailing out of a sinking ship. Looks like she's having fun.
"When Kyla Grogan left KTVU under mysterious circumstances..."
They kept her in day-hire limbo for over 2 years to save $$$ up front and she got sick of being disrespected and left. What's "mysterious" about that?
The interesting thing is, if they refused to pay Kyla the money, Roberta must be working for peanuts. She's probably sorry she left KPIX; had she stayed, she'd be making infinitely more than she probably is at KTVU now. Ah, live and learn.
Kyla just said on KRON the other day that her mom is here in the bay. I would guess that's why she stayed during the pandemic years. So very glad KRON snapped her up. Hope she stays a long time. She could probably go anywhere she wants.
Rich, do you know if Brian Hackney might retire? The reason I'm a little curious is because recently he turned 65 in November and around that point or so most people retire (but they also retire later on as well). I believe Allen Martin who retired is the same age as well. If he does not retire, do you know if he will move to any of the weeknight time slots?
Bastida was roughly the same age as well, so we have seen a pattern. Basically, Bastida retired in 2021, Allen Martin in 2022 (likely as you said, forced retirement). Could the same happen with Brian Hackney, despite him being one of the smartest guys in the world?
People retire for a few reasons: burned out, or don't need the money, or want to pursue other interests or be control of their own time, or they have family responsibilities that can no longer be avoided. Similarly with delaying retirement when they've reached that age: they need the money, or love the job and colleagues, or like the prominence it affords them (politicians, TV anchors, Ronn Owens), or maybe they have a mission in life (like Dr. Fauci). Different people, different reasons.
Just a few comments/observations from me. I caught a brief glimpse of Roberta G. again on tv in her rain-gear doing a great job combining weather and traffic; I liked her work as a reporter.
I didn't see anybody mention Julie H. was off all week. I suspect nobody really cares anymore. I don't watch KTVU every day, but today, 3/2/23 I didn't see M. Mibach either right now during the 5 pm news. I'm partly hoping one of these days soon the reason I won't have seen Julie H. is because she will have quietly quit.
Regarding a comment about Liz Cook, being "demoted". Is that really true or does an anchor make the same amount of money, as negotiated, regardless whether KPIX decides to change the times or which broadcast's time-slot? I suppose it's all negotiable, but she may also want the schedule change for various personal/family reasons when young children are involved (day care/family time/whatever) as someone else commented on here recently. Perhaps Ms. Cook will even boost whatever time-slot she was assigned to compared to where she was.
You’re right, Haener has indeed been a no-show since last week, and sadly no one cares. Shes managed to render herself completely irrevelant, so much so that her constant absences no longer have any sort of impact and no one cares. The irony is its news in and of itself when she decides to actually show up to work.
More than anything it’s sad she’s chosen to end her career in this fashion. It’s like the athlete who wins a championship and rather than going out on top on their terms, instead decides to hang on for a few more years, putting up increasingly abysmal numbers each year until they’re forced to quit because no team will give them playing time.
Throwing dirt on Haener’s professional grave. How classy.
You’re all so giddy to comment on her absences yet you know absolutely nothing about her. How do you know she’s not sick? Experiencing a difficult personal matter? Taking care of a sick relative? That’s right, you don’t. But who cares when you can sit around in front of a computer talking about a person who is infinitely more successful than you’ll ever be.
"Is that really true or does an anchor make the same amount of money..."
She still makes the same $$$ because that's in her contract, but it's an ego slap and makes it harder for her to jockey for top position in her next job.
They do that with Norah O'Donnell and the CBS Evening News as well. Soft toss from Juliette to Norah and she mentions Juliette's name as if they have some close personal relationship when in fact it's just pre-recorded New York or Washington to SF b.s. One big CBS family. (Insert eyeroll)
Meantime....Norah: Toss another dozen local affiliate's anchor names in the prompter and off we go!!! It's indeed so fake and transparent and most viewers with a brain can see that. But all the major networks continue to do it for continuity, I guess.
Commercials with Sarah Donchey and Colbert-why?? Is that supposed to make us think she is a journalist or comedian?? She os neither. Maryann from Alameda.
They’re trying to create the (phony) illusion that there’s some sort of rapport between the two, when in reality there is none. Everyone knows late night hosts are required to do these ‘lead in’ spots for all major markets. Colbert has no clue who Donkey is and doesn’t give a frog’s fat ass. They’ll spend a couple hours going down a list of anchors in major markets doing lead ins for each.
Embarrassing, aren't they? If that's all KPIX news has to offer, that they latch on to a late night show (and a lame one at that), then they have nothing. But as one reporter has told me repeatedly, their new GM hates news and their new news director is a pushover.
Absurd & stupid. I hate those ads. And I also miss those days when the 11PM KPIX news was actual news and not treated like a late night show before the late night shows at 11:30. Weekends are actually better at 11.
The whole news set does not need to be dedicated to just her, what if she leaves to another station? Just put the weeknight 11PM News as “From CBS News Bay Area, this is the Evening Edition” and get someone a little more decent to do that news and put Sara back to the field. With Donchey it is becoming absurd and a little too much but I watch it to see how far it goes.
Hi Rich, Do you have any idea why Darren Peck is working noon & 3PM every Monday & Tuesday? That should be the time Burch is working; otherwise rest of the week Burch is working at noon & Heggen comes at 3PM.
ReplyDeleteDoes this have something to do with the fact that they did not want Peck to work weekend double shifts anymore? Sounds like there is no new meteorologist onboarded at KPIX based on that job listing 5 months ago.
kr
Hayward, CA
You pretty much nailed it, KR, plus KPIX I think has a lower opinion of Peck now, like a utility man instead of a clean-up hitter ..he apparently thinks much of himself which spells Sacramento in the front view mirror.
DeleteSince Peck is not working double shifts anymore, the weekend morning newscasts (I watch them from my dvr after 10am) get quite boring to see less interactivity between Devin and Darren. I mean Darren is there Sunday mornings, Heggen Saturday mornings (just hate seeing him wear casual, tieless is okay without the jeans) but it looks as if they wrap the 11PM newscast and then record their own weather segments 3x to have Devin play them later. Is it possible they do that? Surely none of the meteorologists stay overnight just for that.
DeleteHonestly I do miss it because Devin had really great curveball questions and observations and kept a conversation going.
Other stations like KRON, KNTV, and KTVU still have a live weekend morning meteorologist and healthy interaction and live views.
Is it a possible sign KPIX may be eliminating their weekend morning show next?
-kr
On another note I should note that if I see Burch working noon on M & Tu, that means Peck will be filling in at 3PM and the entire evening like Presidents day. If Peck fills in during the morning and Heggen is available, then Heggen will come at 3PM.
DeleteWhat a strange schedule but I would think it may be a better idea to do something like this:
Let Heggen work Saturday & Sunday mornings, Tues-Thurs evenings and Peck work Fri-Mon evenings. That gives a healthy balance in my opinion. Fun fact - It’s been nearly 1 year since Mary Lee left the morning weather, can’t she be a fill in on weekend mornings? They don’t need to necessarily pick on Peck and Hackney all the time
You reported that Andria Borba has taken a leave of absence. Hope she is healing and doing well. She hasn't been on TV in over 6 months...is still employed by KPIX or do you think both sides will eventually come to a decision and part ways? Perhaps she'd be happier with another local station like KRON.
ReplyDeleteAndria Borba is exhausted and worn out, I'm told, and is probably headed for some extended leave and/or, yes, an exit not only from PIX/CBS but the news biz in general --she's not alone.
DeleteSimilar thing happened with former KPIX anchor Veronica De La Cruz. She just disappeared one day. Lots of personal tragedies from what I read. I recently saw her back on the Newsy network, though.
DeleteSeems like the rigors of the news business can really take a toll on some peoples lives. KTVU anchors Frank Somerville and George Watson also with publicized alcohol and prescription addictions. I wish them all continued health and healing. Former KPIX sportscaster Dennis O'Donnel too. Although his issue was apparently more of a physical nature according to this blog.
It's tough when you see your local media personalities go through things. Reminds you they're human and fragile just like us. Always make mental health a priority no matter what you do. Everything else flows from there.
Former KPIX reporter Simon Perez also left the rigors of news reporting to go on to teach at Syracuse University. He was actually a good reporter for them. My favorite was when he pushed a drunken video bomber out of his frame during a live shot at one of the halloween street parties in the Castro. Classic...(and what I would've done as well. lol)
Delete3:20 It is especially tough if you have kids. Back in the 80s and 90s I was a known as a "go-getter" out in the field....always chasing lead stories....volunteering for overtime if it involved big or breaking stories. But then I met (FINALLY) a woman--my first real adult relationship. We got married...and when our daughter was born, it was like my TV news switch was turned off. I don't know what it was, and I never knew it could ever be turned off, but it happened. Crime-and-grime stopped being appealing. I quit the station...and the biz...a year later for another more family-friendly career. Fast-forward to 2023. Every time I look at my now-17-year-old college-bound daughter and my 14-year old sports-loving, skateboard-loving "A" student son...and still see that my wife still loves me... I know I made the right choice. I wish the best for Andria. Your health and your overall "life" are way more important than chasing breaking news or Emmys. Shout-out to VDLC and Maria Medina, who've also moved on from TV news. I hope you're both doing well.
DeleteChristine Craft said she left Sactown to live on the coast. Any idea where?
ReplyDeleteLake Erie --a condo with views of a Costoc and 7-11 on 13th and Watertown.
DeleteDear Rich, I don't know what a "costoc" is, but where we live on the California coast, we never rent rooms to golfers, ever. There is a nearby Costco.
DeleteSanta Barbara.
DeleteCan't sunbathe in the backyard with that 2 story looking over it. ;)
DeleteI was a competitive surfer in my much younger days . I have never been a “sunbather”. Well, maybe once when my boyfriend was an LA County lifeguard at Zuma.
Delete
DeleteAnonymous: 2:45 PM, I'm going blind thinking of Christine sunbathing. OUCH
poor 4:12...didn't your mama tell you that you could go blind playing with yourself? Sunbathing is unwise for anyone, unless you desire multiple mose surgeries or worse.Surfers get lots of sun without sunbathing. Wetsuits for colder water are a good thing for your dermis.
DeleteGiven the overall mediocrity of our Bay Area news readers, who would be your in your "dream team" ultimate lineup of newsies?
ReplyDeleteReed Cowan, Juliette Goodrich, Dan Ashley, Alex Savidge and Vicki Liviakis.
DeleteMike from Morgan Hill, Why do you focus on one or two news stations and constantly bully the same people over and over? OCD or something else?
ReplyDeleteAcute case of focus -ism. (wink)
DeleteI pick on everybody and have criticized as much--as everyone who reads this blog knows...except you, obviously.
You're the one with "OCD: if you keep coming back to read here, guess you're just a little hooked, but it's cool.
What’s your take on Live in the Bay! On KRON? I enjoy the local angle of showcasing folks from the Bay Area. Is it expensive to produce such a show? I harken back to the days of shows such as Bay Area Backroads, People are Talking, Home Turf etc. It doesn’t hurt that the host is HOT!
ReplyDeleteI've barely watched and I'm told, that's probably the wise choice.
DeleteNo opinion.
Oh and Ms. Horton, you are correct, sir.
This show is terrible. It is sales driven, so many things are pay to play. Pretty cheap to produce, that is why KRON does it. TERRIBLE
DeleteBtw for the live in the Bay! Question this is Oscar in Berkeley
ReplyDeleteHenry from San Anselmo here. What happened to that darling of the weekends, Lisa Chan, on KCBS? Glad for the reprieve, but just want to make sure she's not coming back any time soon.
ReplyDeleteI think real estate sales is gig#1 and that's better, from my/yours standpoint...unless KCBS can't find a body on Sunday early AM.
DeleteWhat’s your thought on somerville. On one hand he’s a freakin great anchor and I’d totally put him up there with dennis or Pete Wilson. But he did it in the age of social media. He has 580,000 followers. Do you think Dennis could have done that. At the same time he had mental health issues From going out on his own time and attending the funerals of seven black men and women killed on the streets of Oakland. He tried to deal with it on his own. But couldn’t. Yet he still stood up against the insane coverage of gabbi petito. And ended up being fired for it. I for one applaud him. He stood up for what was right. But I’m curious to get your opinion.
ReplyDeleteYes, he did stand up for what he thought was right he just chose a crappy time --a series of life issues and personal problems galore--to do so. Timing is everything in life and Frank had the wrong time.
DeleteHe was drunk on set for god's sake!!
DeleteNo actually he took two ambiance instead of his regular medication and that 50 times worse than being drunk.
DeleteThis is GuRah from Alameda, Hey Rich! You know, you are "The Man", when it comes to local media news! What I want to know, and there is never any mention or seeming notice of this, but Betty Yu at KPIX ALWAYS gets the plumb assignments! Covering the awards shows in person, they send Betty Yu. Doing a story on some elite item, such as private jets, megamillion dollar mansions, exotic sports cars, and who covers it? Betty Yu. I just wonder what there is behind this, because I am not saying anything about her coverage, she does a good job. But I would certainly think that other correspondents would notice that she seems to get preferential treatment when it comes to these plumb assignments! So I want to know your take on this, Rich! Thanks for all you do!
ReplyDeleteBetty is their closer and best performer; she's also been there the longest so it's no big deal. And given she's close to signing new deal, it only makes sense.
DeleteHow long do you think that PIX will stay with their current "stand-up and walking around" presentation (with their anchors)? Or to put it another way: at what point do they return to a more tradition situation, where the anchors are sitting during the entire newscast?
ReplyDeleteAs long as CBS says they're the ones pushing this brand and that's their call. It's gonna stay for awhile b/c CBS has invested too much in this look, for better or worse.
DeleteI hope they stick with it. Last night Sara Donchey walked around all newscast in her shiny leather pants. I enjoyed every step. Why hide that behind a desk?
DeleteSara Donchey is fine with the 11pm gig. I just catch the end before Colbert and it’s lighthearted goofing around before Colbert. And she even says her name rhymes with Donkey. So, to the posts her pejoratively calling her Donkey she threw it back at you.
DeleteSara Donchey is my favorite anchor. Kyla Grogan is my favorite meteorologist and Andrea Nakano is my favorite sports anchor. They are my dream News team. 🥰
DeleteHey Rich. Just curious, approximately what % of Bay Area TV viewers watch via : cable, broadcast (over the air w/antenna), internet streaming, other ways? George/San Jose
ReplyDeleteGeorge, I'd guess cable rules with uptake in streaming like the rest of the world, don't have a clue on actual percentage.
DeleteGeorge, I'd guess cable rules with uptake in streaming like the rest of the world, don't have a clue on actual percentage.
DeleteHi Rich
ReplyDelete‘Mello in Carmello’ here.
Judging by the increasingly louder pleas for Ca$h from listeners, do you think KQED radio has shot itself in the foot by giving us “who cares about that?” Radio? Not going to disparage any one program, but overall it went “wow that’s interesting!” to “so what…”. It seems like they are grasping at straws trying to appeal to a younger demographic. That tactic appears not to be working. In the vernacular of a now retired great host, “what say you?”
Oh, do I have to?
ReplyDeleteLook. KQED, I will say this: great coffee mugs.
I wish I had their cash.
Give out coffee mugs for donations over say $50.
DeleteThe FCC has no jurisdiction over Fox News. It does not broadcast over the air. Fox News operates the same as CNN, MSNBC etc., without an FCC license.
DeleteKQED TV is always having pledge drives. Where is the money being spent? It’s not on local news or entertainment programming except Check, Please Bay Area. PBS Newshour, BBC America News, BBC News and the music, nature and science shows are good, but they have too many English dramas and mysteries.
DeleteDonate $50 and get a mug. 🤬
>>The FCC has no jurisdiction over Fox News. It does not broadcast over the air. Fox News operates the same as CNN, MSNBC etc., without an FCC license.<<
DeleteYou're right, @1:50, the FCC doesn't regulate >>Fox News<<. BUT, and this is really important, they regulate licensed broadcast stations AND their parent companies, which means Fox Corporation. And if Fox Corporation is proven to be a corrupt licensee, any or all of their (very valuable) licenses can be revoked or not renewed. So the unregulated entity could take down the entire ship, including the regulated ones. They are in very deep sh!t right now.
Is there any chance that the Dominion lawsuit against Fox could trigger FCC license revocations for stations (including Fox O&O's) that perpetuated false news about election results?
ReplyDeleteUh, YEAH!
DeleteEspecially now it's been reported Fox News knew the election results were pure as did Hannity/Tucker Carlsen and the like.
If perpetuating false news in regards to politics resulted in losing ones license, then CNN, FOX, MSNBC and others would close shop tomorrow.
Delete4:11 CNN and MSNBC do not perpetuate false news regarding politics. It may report on news that's critical of Republican party shenanigans. But these aren't lies. They may not be what you and fellow Republicans want to see or hear. But reporting on political failures, or rebuking political stances, is not lying.
Delete10:32 Don't drink the kool-aid. Spin, spin and more spin to fit a narrative. All of those stations. Including the ones that you are defending.
DeleteIf CNN was not spinning or lying, why when Zucker was ousted last year did the new man in charge state, "We're going to start reporting the truth. No spin, no lies"?
By the way the Julie Haener comment/question is from KJ I'm San Leandro. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Rich - Emma from Napa here. What do you think Mark Ibanez will end up doing? I was listening to our local Napa radio station the other day and I thought "whoever that is talking about the new baseball rules is doing such a good job. And sounds so familiar."
ReplyDeleteTook me a minute for figure out it was Ibanez. He sounded great!
I think Mark still misses the day-to-day sports grind. He is a big Giants/Warriors/49ers fan --so the fact he's doing a Napa radio sports show (he lives in Napa) isn't surprising.
DeleteCarly in Piedmont. So what is Aaron Pero doing these days and is he still doing it with Darya? Have they both been divorced by their spouses?
ReplyDeleteProbably looking for a gig somewhere--maybe in Sacramento where he used to work.
DeleteHe and DF are still living together I'm told.
Hi Rich. Tom in the North Bay. Probably in the minority here but actually think The Morning Roast on 95.7 sports talk is actually pretty good. Don’t like “The Street” intro but I think Bonta and Shasky play well off of each other, they have good content and take a decent amount of good callers/texts to keep conversations going. It isn’t Razor or Radnich in the olden days but it’s decent sports talk content considering a lot of the radio diarrhea out there. Keep up the good work. Thanks
ReplyDelete
DeleteI don't listen as much but I'll give 'em this: anything's better than KNBR Smurph and Smack.
Any chances Liz Cook leaving KPIX after demoted to a low rating timeslot??
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. Think she's set at KPIX. For now.
DeleteHello Mr Lieberman
ReplyDeleteWith streaming and the Internet in general being the future of news broadcast, Do you feel the stations and news outlets should spend more time and money in the digital arena? Most of the Alphabet Affiliates use the same crappy template when it comes to streaming & digital news!
They already have.
ReplyDeleteThe whole industry is changing--look at the decline of network news, sports, etc. Disney is going all out to sell its TV stations (and ESPN) to go fulltime streaming.
I don't know if it's a bad thing but it's certainly the trend now.
Stations can make a comeback by, rather than imitating the look of websites and putting "cool" chicks who are fashion-impaired as their 11p anchors, telling the REAL news and cutting the PC shit. I don't want to hear ONE SIDE of every issue because the suits are too afraid that if they give any attention to un-PC points of view, they'll get one angry phone call or an email. Until the suits realize that, all the stations will continue to bleed viewers. We have too many other outlets we can get real news from now.
DeleteNegin in Reno (formerly Castro Valley). Have you ever listened to any of the radio station's "HD Radio" sub-channel.
ReplyDeleteUntil recently KFRC-FM had oldies on HD2 which was basically a server on auto-pilot playing oldies minus jocks. Back in the 2010s I got a special radio at Best Buy that could pick those channels up and found some interesting stuff.
I have not but your endorsement sounds cool, I'll give it a try.
DeleteNegin, how's Reno? They're building so much out there. You name it, they have it.
DeleteHey Rich- who is the putz who is news director at KCBS? That station used to be one of the best but sounds god awful these days. Technical errors galore and too many unproven youngsters, many of whom sound as if they were recruited straight out of college radio! And what has happened to Cumulus ‘lap-dog’ Lee Hammer, the guy who rubber stamped the big-wigs marching orders at both KNBR and KGO? He presided over the eviseration of the once powerful and highly respected KGO. KCBS and KGO used to be the standard bearers of local radio, but now they sound like shoddy posers with mediocre, minor league announcers. How the heck did this happen Rich? I cannot listen to either station anymore. It’s like fingernails on the blackboard. Horrible radio!
ReplyDeleteIf you read me you know about my thoughts about KCBS and its terrible so-called, "leader", more like an incompetent boob who gets daily passes...Lee Hammer's position at Cumulus has largely been downgraded and now Lee's just hanging on until he has to go away and fight the sunset.
DeleteDave Milner, President of Cumulus Operations visited in August and set things in motion with SF GM Larry Blumhagen. Lee was kept in the dark until a few days before the change. Lee actually cared about KGO and is the only reason we still had live local shows. He pushed for a marketing budget that they just wouldn’t give him. A year ago Milner wanted to kill most of the weekday schedule and it was Lee that fought to keep us live until 7pm. His hands were tied, but what was he supposed to do? Get himself fired right before retirement?
DeleteRich! Thanks for answering our burning questions! Martin in SF
ReplyDeleteWhen will the SF GIANTS and 49ers jump ship to a real radio station? KNBR has become unlistenable, as AB would say “those clowns are meat heads”. I figure the teams have to be aware that the lame banter of the 6am-10pm meatheads is hurting their brand. Do the meatheads actually generate money?
They do, sadly, Martin, but it's very small.
DeleteAs for the 49ers/Giants jumping ship? There's so few options therefore they are stuck with this mess much like Bay Area radio listeners.
Hi Rich: When Kyla Grogan left KTVU under mysterious circumstances it broke my heart, she's a far cry from "spooky" Roberta and when she showed up at KRON 4 I nicknamed her "Sunshine" because when I see her she brightened up my day; Oh, I've seen negative comments on Live in the Bay, hogwash, it's a fantastic after noon news programming and Ms Olivia Horton is fantastic and you get Kyla as well...
ReplyDeleteShe didn't leave, they basically threw her out and treated her like crap and, thus, have today's mess. Good for KRON to have picked her up and let KTVU/Fox deal with the embarrassment of their current crew, yikes.
DeleteOne of the reasons I enjoy Live! In the Bay is not only to watch the HOT host but her interaction with the equally hot Kyla who shows more personality in this format. She seems very well read and traveled. Yum!!
DeleteHi Rich I work at KTVU and Kyla totally left us not the other way around. She only left because Amber was too stupid not to give her a decent contract. KTVU was expecting she'd stay forever in limbo land which never made any sense given her skills. Same reason others have left too. Kinda fun watching Kyla kick ass at KRON. We miss her but no one blames her for bailing out of a sinking ship. Looks like she's having fun.
Delete"When Kyla Grogan left KTVU under mysterious circumstances..."
DeleteThey kept her in day-hire limbo for over 2 years to save $$$ up front and she got sick of being disrespected and left. What's "mysterious" about that?
The interesting thing is, if they refused to pay Kyla the money, Roberta must be working for peanuts. She's probably sorry she left KPIX; had she stayed, she'd be making infinitely more than she probably is at KTVU now. Ah, live and learn.
Kyla just said on KRON the other day that her mom is here in the bay. I would guess that's why she stayed during the pandemic years. So very glad KRON snapped her up. Hope she stays a long time. She could probably go anywhere she wants.
DeleteRich, do you know if Brian Hackney might retire? The reason I'm a little curious is because recently he turned 65 in November and around that point or so most people retire (but they also retire later on as well). I believe Allen Martin who retired is the same age as well. If he does not retire, do you know if he will move to any of the weeknight time slots?
ReplyDeleteBastida was roughly the same age as well, so we have seen a pattern. Basically, Bastida retired in 2021, Allen Martin in 2022 (likely as you said, forced retirement). Could the same happen with Brian Hackney, despite him being one of the smartest guys in the world?
Have no idea what Hackney will do; could resurface on another station or just, yeah, retire.
DeletePeople retire for a few reasons: burned out, or don't need the money, or want to pursue other interests or be control of their own time, or they have family responsibilities that can no longer be avoided. Similarly with delaying retirement when they've reached that age: they need the money, or love the job and colleagues, or like the prominence it affords them (politicians, TV anchors, Ronn Owens), or maybe they have a mission in life (like Dr. Fauci). Different people, different reasons.
DeleteEver listen to the goofy Habbas lawyer ads? What in the world is that snapping sound in rge background?
ReplyDeleteDavid San Jose
Alleged "hip" music but yeah, ouch.
DeleteJust a few comments/observations from me. I caught a brief glimpse of Roberta G. again on tv in her rain-gear doing a great job combining weather and traffic; I liked her work as a reporter.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see anybody mention Julie H. was off all week. I suspect nobody really cares anymore. I don't watch KTVU every day, but today, 3/2/23 I didn't see M. Mibach either right now during the 5 pm news. I'm partly hoping one of these days soon the reason I won't have seen Julie H. is because she will have quietly quit.
Regarding a comment about Liz Cook, being "demoted". Is that really true or does an anchor make the same amount of money, as negotiated, regardless whether KPIX decides to change the times or which broadcast's time-slot? I suppose it's all negotiable, but she may also want the schedule change for various personal/family reasons when young children are involved (day care/family time/whatever) as someone else commented on here recently. Perhaps Ms. Cook will even boost whatever time-slot she was assigned to compared to where she was.
You’re right, Haener has indeed been a no-show since last week, and sadly no one cares. Shes managed to render herself completely irrevelant, so much so that her constant absences no longer have any sort of impact and no one cares. The irony is its news in and of itself when she decides to actually show up to work.
DeleteMore than anything it’s sad she’s chosen to end her career in this fashion. It’s like the athlete who wins a championship and rather than going out on top on their terms, instead decides to hang on for a few more years, putting up increasingly abysmal numbers each year until they’re forced to quit because no team will give them playing time.
Throwing dirt on Haener’s professional grave. How classy.
DeleteYou’re all so giddy to comment on her absences yet you know absolutely nothing about her. How do you know she’s not sick? Experiencing a difficult personal matter? Taking care of a sick relative?
That’s right, you don’t. But who cares when you can sit around in front of a computer talking about a person who is infinitely more successful than you’ll ever be.
9:15pm, ok Julie. Now get off your ass and get back to work.
Delete"Is that really true or does an anchor make the same amount of money..."
DeleteShe still makes the same $$$ because that's in her contract, but it's an ego slap and makes it harder for her to jockey for top position in her next job.
Who are the best Bay Area reporters?
ReplyDeleteThey do that with Norah O'Donnell and the CBS Evening News as well. Soft toss from Juliette to Norah and she mentions Juliette's name as if they have some close personal relationship when in fact it's just pre-recorded New York or Washington to SF b.s. One big CBS family. (Insert eyeroll)
DeleteMeantime....Norah: Toss another dozen local affiliate's anchor names in the prompter and off we go!!! It's indeed so fake and transparent and most viewers with a brain can see that. But all the major networks continue to do it for continuity, I guess.
Commercials with Sarah Donchey and Colbert-why?? Is that supposed to make us think she is a journalist or comedian?? She os neither. Maryann from Alameda.
ReplyDeleteThey’re trying to create the (phony) illusion that there’s some sort of rapport between the two, when in reality there is none. Everyone knows late night hosts are required to do these ‘lead in’ spots for all major markets. Colbert has no clue who Donkey is and doesn’t give a frog’s fat ass. They’ll spend a couple hours going down a list of anchors in major markets doing lead ins for each.
DeleteEmbarrassing, aren't they? If that's all KPIX news has to offer, that they latch on to a late night show (and a lame one at that), then they have nothing. But as one reporter has told me repeatedly, their new GM hates news and their new news director is a pushover.
DeleteAbsurd & stupid. I hate those ads. And I also miss those days when the 11PM KPIX news was actual news and not treated like a late night show before the late night shows at 11:30. Weekends are actually better at 11.
DeleteThe whole news set does not need to be dedicated to just her, what if she leaves to another station? Just put the weeknight 11PM News as “From CBS News Bay Area, this is the Evening Edition” and get someone a little more decent to do that news and put Sara back to the field. With Donchey it is becoming absurd and a little too much but I watch it to see how far it goes.
‘Doesn’t give a frog’s fat ass.’ LOLOL!!!!
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