The Unmitigated Bullshit of SF Chronicle EIC, Audrey Cooper

SF Chronicle EIC, Audrey Cooper

In Today's SF Chronicle, EIC, Audrey Cooper, spouts some of the most hilarious bullshit this side of the Onion which is a shame because the subject matter is rather serious. Like freedom of the press; protection of sources; reporting the truth; even reporting that includes lurid details and politically inconvenient facts surrounding sympathetic figures; the case of video journalist, Bryan Carmody and the death of former Public Defender, Jeff Adachi.

Scandalous stuff.

In her article, Cooper seems to defend Carmody, begrudgingly, because he is a stringer; a news freelancer if you will. Never mind it was Carmody who obtained the police report on Adachi's death; the same report Cooper's paper had obtained and didn't bother to do any follow-up coverage which is curious because in the report we know there are several controversial and mysterious facts in it.

That it took a video blogger (something Cooper thinks is akin to crooked used car dealers in the south) to search for the truth speaks volumes about Cooper, her paper's lack of real reporting, and the idea of a region as big as the Bay Area and San Francisco lack of real, honest-to-goodness newspaper reporting.

For days, this blogger, (not a real journalist, according to Cooper) railed on and on about why such little coverage on Adachi's death? I even called Phil Matier, the Chron and KCBS "insider" why he hadn't written any more details about Adachi and the night he passed. Matier laughed.  And this, mind you, was before the Carmoody incident in which SF cops broke into his house and office. Maybe they wanted to know who leaked the report to Carmoody; maybe they were concerned about details in the report; details the Chronicle chose not to publish; why? Have you ever heard of the word, "soft?" Look it up.

Cooper is downright divine today (Wednesday) but for all the wrong reasons. Figure it out. She's hellbent on applauding the Chronicle's decision to keep quiet but at the same time defending Mr. Carmody. Fine, we agree. To a point.

Yet Cooper's piece is unintentionally hilarious because she seems to inadvertently say in so many words--"look, trust us more than this blogger guy because he's not really a valid newsman; be more skeptical of this guy; he doesn't have many sources; we at the Chronicle have the most sources in the Bay Area."

 I'm not quoting Cooper but I'm paraphrasing what she's saying, OK, maybe interpreting. You get my drift. I call it unmitigated bullshit. I have several other adjectives but I don't want to take away the emphasis of my point.


He is at the center of an American journalism story that has opened the forum for debate. He brought a new respect for bloggers. I applaud that notion even if Cooper and her serious cadre of journalists don't. Sure, maybe there was no story. I tend to doubt that because it's hard to imagine why some uniformed guys in blue used a sledgehammer to break into Carmody's house. They had to have a reason.

Seems sort of curious to me. But not the SF Chronicle and Madame Cooper. Maybe she should hire Carmody. But then again, he's not a real journalist.

Bizarre.

415 Media Breaking: Former KGO Radio News Legend Jim Dunbar Dies

Jim Dunbar: dead at age 89

I'VE BEEN INFORMED by a local broadcast figure, that legendary broadcaster, Jim Dunbar has died. Dunbar passed away yesterday (April 22) cause of death unknown --Dunbar was 89.

Dunbar spent the bulk of his career at both KGO-TV and KGO Radio --the latter, as a talk-show host and for many years, the partner with Ted Wygant on the "KGO Morning News."

Wygant died in 2018.

I talked to a local broadcast veteran: "He was a giant in the industry and a treasure too, personally."

Funeral services are pending.

Howard Cosell Told It Like It Is

 Twenty years ago today, hard to believe. And to this day, nobody...nobody comes even close.

Bay Area Radio is Dead

 Bay Area radio is dead.

It was on life support until the final KGO excavation on weekends took place.

I was never a weekend KGO fan; outside of a few talk shows, weekend KGO was a certified dump --a place to store the trash. Hawks came down and ate the morsels.

Sad.

Gone now, formally, are the once mighty legacy stations devoured by a corporate broadcasting crime syndicate. They are not radio people. They're not even good business people. They killed KGO, KSFO, KFOG--and they really killed KNBR, took out its heart and soul like a shark on blood. Only because KNBR has phenomenally successful sports clients make KNBR survive the funeral because even mighty Knibber is on life support, figuratively speaking.

Bay Area radio is dead too because almost all the talent have either died, retired, or are just hanging around to get their last dance before sunset. Some sell mattresses and gadgets, others play to a growing crowd of imbeciles and act like sheep. They work to get that last paycheck until even they are kicked to the curb and they will be soon.

The rest are like the torsos in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"--they look like real people walking around and living life until you discover they have no emotion and are essentially zombies. The zombies mindset was hijacked by the cloud company who use them in their daily morsel, feast on their innate ability to work, make no trouble, and return to their quarters. No fuss. Resignation.

Sleeeep. Go to sleep. Sleeep.

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Where Was All The Love Before Kevin Metheny Died? Monday Morning Bullet Points

MONDAY BULLET POINTS

Boy, where have all of you admirers of Mr. Metheny been? It takes a man's death for most of you to come out of the woodwork and praise how great a guy he was which maybe he was, I never met the guy but I never heard all this love while the man was still alive.

The only thing I heard about Metheny here was that "he's actually a nice guy." That was it. Nothing else. Owens had him on his show for about ten minutes a few months back but that was the extent of his presence here.

I only judged the man on his management style and although it was brief it was definitely along the Cumulus model which called for putting crappy people on the radio like a couple of young women who said vagina and penis a lot.

Ground-breaking stuff.

*Metheny was given a six-month contract to get KGO on track. By Cumulus standards that's fairly long.

*Renee Bakos: Amateur-hour woman with close ties to the hosts. You have zero respect from the rank and file who think you're a complete idiot but I didn't say that, a staffer did. Keep to the stupid "talk handbook" and keep kissing major tuchas.

*You're going to hear a lot of bullshit today on the radio, ladies and gentleman --a whole lot. Again, I remind you, where was all this love a few days ago? My god even I was seduced.

* The man managed to get radio jobs city to city and elicit strong reaction. I feel for his daughters and family but that's about it. He passed. We all will some day.

*Karel: Well, what did you expect? That he was going to talk about his Apple collection. Wait, never mind.

*Christine Craft: Chris you know I like you for the most part but could you have waited a day before the body got cold about his dogs? For crying out loud, Christine, read the room. A human being passed away and you're kvetching about his dogs?

*Howard Stern: Those of you that think Howard is an asshole have a right to think he's an asshole but he's the only guy who stuck to his story and remained consistent. He said on Sirius Monday morning that Metheny "tortured" him. Over the top? Perhaps, but he didn't back down.

*Before I'm accused of being a stooge because I used "Pig Vomit" and "Pig Virus" and "backed down" on my statement, relax, the man had just passed. It can't be personal when you never met the guy but he apparently read the blog. Quietly I had worked for the possibility of a beer summit to meet him but it never came to pass.

*Randall Bloomquist: Let the bullshit commence.

*The rest of you: See Randall Bloomquist.

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The Sad Story And Demise Of Doug Murphy; Late KPIX Anchor/Reporter Was One Of SF TV's Best

 I got to know Doug Murphy pretty well. He was a good guy. A guy with a lot of personal problems but a good guy nonetheless. Murphy died in 2005 in a fire in his Lafayette home. When I first heard the news I was suspicious because I knew Murphy was battling a series of problems, most notably with the bottle.

He was both a news and sports anchor at KPIX where he began his SF stint back in 1982. Murphy was tenacious, tough, great on the air--hell, he looked like the proverbial anchor. More than just great on the anchor seat he was also great as a street reporter.


While at PIX he dated Kate Kelly--one of the most popular SF TV anchors at the time. After the pair broke up, (it was amicable), Murphy settled down and met an Eastbay woman. He was the father of two kids.


Murphy was a big sports fan. He hung out at the Kings X sports bar in Oakland and was quite a big Giants fan. Most remember him as a vivacious, engaging, and friendly guy. Big personality. East-coast type of character and quite the heart.


In the prime of his career Murphy was so good that he was primed to go to CNN and considered some prime anchor gigs in NY, but opted to stay in the Bay Area.


One of the very best in the business--too bad his sad demise at the very end.


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