Newstalk is sacred ground --especially on radio. We in the Bay Area used to have a very special home to talk about the news; discuss the day's events; vent and comiserate; argue pro and con about issues that were highly charged.
Like this, for example.
We had the delight that was the old KGO, not the last one that died and justifiably so because it was such a nothing compared to the original KGO, some would say, the real KGO pre Citadel and Cumulus. I'm talking Owen Spann, Jim Eason, Art Finley, Ronn Owens, Ray Taliaferro days.
To me, that was
classic KGO, not some butthead that was fetched up in the Midwest and was basically, artificial noise.
The old KGO didn't take off Saturday, night or day. The old KGO was a refuge for talking about issues; politics, of course, but local issues too that were worthy of debate and discussion. The fact that an area as rich and cultured and cosmopolitan and profoundly diverse as the Bay Area is, has no talk station is an utter disgrace.
A crime really.
So many topics, so much news both local, national and international, yet ZIPPO newstalk is beyond embarrassing. It's more than an insult, it's an OUTRAGE.
I'm angry. I'm sullen. I'm royally PISSED!
Here we are in an area that has the most billionaires per capita; an area that is the birthplace of free speech and great, intellectually-sound universities like Cal and Stanford, yet we don't have a newstalk radio station to talk about some very important issues.
Like I said, it's a CRIME.
Agreed. The demise of KGO has left a hole in the market, and in a great many hearts and minds locally and nationally.
ReplyDeleteAl Jazzbeaux Collins
DeleteJim Dunbar
Christine
3 great men of KGO
Especially when other areas like Sac and Reno have talkers that still break in for extreme weather events.
ReplyDeleteSacramento has nothing but predictable right wing talk.
DeleteThe only game changing talk show host was Ronn Owens. Everyone else was meh. Just noise.
ReplyDeleteRonn Owens sang the praises of the Iraq invasion. Never thought of him in the same way after that.
DeleteI tried a few times to listen to Ronn Owens, but never could. I liked Pervo's God Tal Sunday AMs, and RayTal was my constant companion through insomnia.
DeleteYeah, but the problem is that it always skewed in one direction or the other so that it only continues to misinform the morons on the far left and right who actually believe this stuff.
ReplyDeleteBullseye!
DeleteDitto EVERYTHING RICH, NOW WHAT ?
ReplyDeleteLocally produced programming made me us feel really connected to the area and station I reckon. It was Our station in many ways. There wasn't really anything like it anywhere else on the dial. Ronn wasn't always my cup of tea, but he was a pro, and he often had interesting guests. Miss a lot of the other Talk - Wilson, Burns, Copeland and most of the broader & specialized shows. - Edell, Tillem, On the Go and sometimes even Wattenburg was tolerable. Big loss to Bay Area in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteWattenburg was a wealth of information and was a true environmentalist.he was a bit harsh towards the end but I think he was done with the environmentalists and government that help destroy forests lands.
DeleteI agree that Wattenburg was often a wealth of info for sure. That curmudgeon thing was no schtick. He was always really helpful to kid callers too. I remember he had this stalker woman calling in pretty often. Good times.
DeleteThe old KGO was like a real conversation. Everyone had an opinion that you could agree or disagree with. It was a live education in which I learned a lot over the years. Didn't get much sleep back in those days because if it was a hot topic or just interesting you had to listen. I even called in sometimes. If someone had a few bucks to start something simular on the radio I think it would still get listeners. Well maybe some old farts anyway, maybe some of the young whippersnappers could learn something too. Someone please bring back the old KGO radio!!!
ReplyDeleteLocally owned everything is going away. Media, retail shopping, service centers...everything is being farmed out.
ReplyDeleteCal and Stanford are both part of the woke clown planet, far from intellectually sound and free speech isn't welcome there unless it is in line with the clown planet agenda.
ReplyDeleteApparently you feel threatened by intelligence, education, and free speech. Glad you can express your opinion here. It shows not everyone swallows the Murdoch elixir.
DeleteI am glad that you are using that Trump University diploma as a platform from which to launch your imbecilic diatribes.
DeleteShow me intelligence at Cal. I'll wait.
DeleteI remember signs on US 101 that tells you who's on the talk show on KGO circa 1967; how about fantastic talks and call in after every game on KNBR? Don't get me started on present KCBS, it's shameful how the mighties have fallen, yes, I'm outrage too
ReplyDeleteOohhh, you brought back memories, I remember those "live" lighted signs signifying who the hosts are and the guess at the moment, yes, those were the days
DeleteSomeone might counter there's still plenty of radio hosts on the air offering news and opinions. But I didn't listen to talk radio to hear the host's opinions. I already knew what they'd say. Instead I listened to hear what the listeners were thinking, especially about controversial topics. For example the recent news announcement on KCBS that natural gas hot water heaters may no longer be sold. There's currently no practical way for a bevy listeners to offer up their opinion on this idea. I expect if there were a way, the airwaves would be filled with "I have to replace my natural gas water heater with electric next time it leaks? hmmm ... What about my electrical panel? Will it handle the current requirements of an electrical water heater? If not, how much is updated the panel going to cost me? Will I need a new wire from the pole to my house too? It's going to cost that much next time my water heater leaks? OMG!! That's a very bad idea!!!". The end of politically-center talk radio is basically the same as the end of democracy.
ReplyDeleteBillionaires don't want people who disagree with them, they want sycophants who will kiss their a-- and tell them how great they are. And radio is a dinosaur. The tech people have convinced us that we can get what we need from a podcast, which disallows any kind of repartee or give and take. I miss good talk radio, from sports to news, but I'm afraid it's gone forever.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Armstrong & Getty?
ReplyDeleteThey have gotten more conservative, they use to be more libertarian and funny. They too are too much in Trump's corner.
DeleteApparently, except for us die-hards, there isn't much of a market for local talk radio. Just ask the radio advertisers.
ReplyDeleteDon't agree. KFI Newstalk is #5 in LA market and frankly they are not very good. There still is interest if the product is good.
DeleteMaybe it has something to do with the death of free speech on college campuses and other places.
ReplyDeleteCal and Stanford shouldn’t be mentioned in a sentence about free speech unless you’re talking about the lack of it, have you seen the very recent video of a judge that was invited to a Stanford law class to give a talk? Alan Dershowitz put out a video about it.
ReplyDelete@ 3:57 PM: Remind me to never hire a Standford law graduate in the future: what happened to free speech? Bunch of wienies, oh, and that associate dean, shame
DeleteWait is this the same Alan Dershowitz who enjoyed countless trips to Epstein Island and got him that sweet deal in FL? Such a “reputable” man to hang your hat on HAHA
DeleteSpot on Rich! Today is a perfect day for your post. We have the previous criminal president breaking news about his imminent arrest and calling on his supporters to basically riot. Yet we have nowhere to turn in order to hear a live discussion on the subject. Even that PUTZ and blowhard MZ down at KSCO who LOOOOOOOVES Trump basically ignored the subject on his Saturday show (during which he spends half the time phoning it in and coughing phlegm into the mic). On a Saturday the old KGO had some excellent hosts who would’ve had engaging discussions to keep us informed and entertained. Truly a shame and I’m just as outraged as you.
ReplyDeleteThey use to be funny and more fair minded. I listen to them, but they too much in Trump's corner. They are ok but like them better years ago.
ReplyDeleteRich,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if you are familiar with the local blog Claycord but they just started a thumbs up or down for each reply. That way your viewers can thumbs up or thumbs down the comments. It's kind of interesting to watch what people think about each others comments. Just a thought. By the way Great Blog...been here since KGO Radio flamed out...
Great blog. Been following for quite awhile.
DeleteEhh, Claycord is an echo chamber of right wing group think, led the the person that runs it.
DeleteMy personal experience is that they do not publish reasoned a/o pointed critiques that lean liberal, but the things that are predictably published are often gutter-level name calling and complaints from heavily conservative posters, bleating the same insults from one day and topic to the next.
10:14 so you're saying somewhat similar to here except reverse?
DeleteI live in Claycord territory
DeleteI comment quite often, l do lean left, although on some issues l'm more middle of the road. I do get a lot of flak from many other commenters, but at least my comments get published, wasn't always the case. Some conservatives, or rather Trump supporters get rather nasty. Call me daughter of a Nazi ( I was born and raised in Denmark) which is a total misinterpreted, since my parents risked their lives hiding a Danish police officer from Gestapo for 6 months.
I agree with Rich the old KGO was the best. There definitely a void. Even though when KGO disappeared last fall it left a void. Pat Thurston had some good show especially on local subjects. John Rothmann knew politics. I always found his show interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think eventually there will be a "local" talk radio station again soon...
ReplyDeleteThe one host I now somewhat remember, barely remember, was Bill Wattenburg, who was able to answer most any technical/scientific question. I did listen some to The Savage Nation (Michael "Savage") for some political criticisms (I lean Conservative, btw).
ReplyDeleteIt is a crime...literally...
ReplyDeleteThe Old KGO won't be coming back because there's not enough local ad dollars out there. Retailers who advertised in KGO's heyday are now part of national chains, who don't do local ad buys whether it's tv, radio or print. Without money, you can't pay the bills. Simple as that.
ReplyDeleteBTW, Cumulus kept KGO alive for one reason: Nancy Pelosi. She was angry AM radio was right-wing, so Cumulus moved KGO from center of the road politically to left wing in order to keep her happy and stop her from regulating right-wing talk stations, of which Cumulus has many. So losing money on KGO was a money-making proposition for Cumulus. When it became obvious her power was ending, Cumulus pulled the plug on KGO.
KGO had plenty of left wing and right wing views long before Cumulus
DeleteOnly in the Bay Area where one can find NO news talk radio shows and four sports talk radio stations (KNBR 680, KNBR 1050, 95.7 The Game, 810 The Spread). SMH
ReplyDeleteCorporations put one behind the ear of BA talk radio long ago! It simply costs less to produce & distribute syndicated content! The disconnect as I see it is a properly run station in a large market could clean up on ad revenue, but the guys upstairs never see that through their cost cutting measures! KCBS is still in the best position to pickup the all news ball but the GM is not interested in the big picture! Sad that most of us will be around to see the total demise of both The AM Spectrum and talk radio as a whole.
ReplyDeleteYou can blame deregulation which was signed into law by a naive Bi Clinton back 1995. It allowed predatory companies such as Cumulus, I-Heart and Audacy to buy as many radio stations as they could in each market, and then consolidate them, throwing away local broadcasters like rotten garbage and replacing them with corporate jackals such as the deplorable hate-monger Rush Limbaugh. Thankfully that insufferable egotist and chronic liar is no longer polluting the airwaves with his verbal puke. Anyway, it’s all a moot point now as. the ship started to list in 2005 and within ten years, it pretty much sunk to the bottom. Young people under the age of about 35 seldom listen to the radio anymore. They go instead to podcasts which feature amateur-hour egotists who faguinnrhemswkces as broadcasters, yet have ZERO professional training or credibility and can say outrageous, irresponsible nonsense any time they want. And a vast majority of our citizens, especially the young, spend more tine scrolling through nonsense on their phones than depending upon real broadcast journalism that was offered fir generations by trained professionals who were responsible and had integrity. There’s a reason why a dangerous fool such as Trump had a good chance to become an autocrat. Attention deficit citizens listening to outrageous ‘opinions,’ and bald faced lies excreted on the air to ‘create buzz’ and generate ratings and revenue are too intellectually lazy and not curious to learn what’s really going on. There are actually plenty of credible news sources out there, but you have to make an effort to find them. Most Americans are too lazy and prefer watching the pathetic FOX TV news, or read nonsense such as Newsmaxx. The bastardization of our media by soulless, bottom line mega-media corporations has been one of the most damaging things to happen to our democracy. A free press is an absolute necessity in a country such of ours. But now, most of the networks and local stations pander to lowbrow programs of people such as Sean Hannity, who spread misinformation that corporate America loves using in an effort to distract and confuse naive Americans about what is truly going on. Sad and dangerous!
ReplyDeleteYep. Thank Bill Clinton of Monica Lewinsky and Epstein Island fame.
Deletegood points, 1:12
DeleteI really miss KGO!
ReplyDeleteWhen the wind died down Tuesday, the power went out in my neighborbood, and I could not reach pge.com KCBS was the only source of information I had, and it was not forthcoming. I finally drove to a dive bar in Willow Glen, which had power.
ReplyDeleteIt started with deregulation. Once corporate conglomerates were no longer restricted on how many outlets they could control in any area, consolidation became the rule, and local content was shit canned for safe, sanitized, syndicated bullshit.
ReplyDeleteCable TV news (CNN, Fox, MSNBC, etc) is just mostly talk radio with video attached. If you listen to to just the audio stream, via streaming or SiriusXM, its talk radio but it ain't local.
ReplyDelete"It's a Goddamned Crime There's No News-Talk Radio in the Bay Area"
ReplyDeleteHow do I upvote this? This is 10000% true.
Times have changed folks - Media is increasingly owned by large corporations. It's all numbers to them. Young people don't listen to the radio, most people don't listen to the radio, especially AM radio. AD money has moved to cable channels, streaming channels, ship channels, any channels but radio channels. In the old days radio expanded our horizons, now it only confirms our horizons. We listen to what agrees with us. Different views have become anathema to us. The fiasco at Stanford well illustrates how myopic we've become. God bless us all...
ReplyDeleteThere were no cable channels during the power outage and the cable outage.
DeleteI was doing a road trip through Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah a couple summers ago. No lack of local talk radio in those states, although it was all very right-wing. If little towns like Billings and Casper can still do talk radio, I don't know why it can't be done in the Bay Area.
ReplyDelete4:13 because most potential lefty talk show hosts are smart enough to have "real" jobs (i.e. attorney, doctor, engineer, college professor) and can't afford to take a pay cut. Plus--they hall have lives to live...and are out-and-about hiking, walking, dining out, going to Warriors & Niner games, etc. Most conservative talk show hosts are angry White guys who don't have any real skills other than yelling/screaming right-wing ideologies. The smart conservatives/right-wingers that DO have great careers are, like their lefty brethren, smart enough to realize that they can't take a pay cut.
DeleteBoomers-talk radio’s audience are aging out, younger audiences aren’t loyal to radio let alone AM, EV manufacturers are phasing out AM due to interference issues. It’s not about politics or content, it’s a demographics and business.
ReplyDeletePirate radio. Need someone like Kinky Friedman.
ReplyDeleteMiss KGO terribly. Definitely a void in the local market. Like others have said, it is a forum for people of the community to speak out on. Please somebody step up and do whats right for the community.
ReplyDeleteI listen to Tom Sullivan 1530 Sacramento 12 noon to 3 p.m. He is conservative, but take calls from liberals and does not yell and scream. Also listen to Dave Ramsey he has good financial advice even if you don't agree with everything he says.
ReplyDelete