Luckoff/Swanson beginning of end of old KGO Radio; Monday dish

*Long before the mass kerfluncta at KGO/Cumulus, the handwriting was on the wall when ex-GM/VP, Mickey Luckoff left in October, 2010, and earlier this year, opps mgr/, Jack Swanson, took a hike.

It was Luckoff, the 40-year-plus VP, that had built and guided KGO Radio into prominence and was a key reason the station commanded over three decades as the #1 Arbitron-leader. Luckoff, in fact, hired Ronn Owens way back in 1975 from Atlanta. He also presided over the regime that included the late Owen Spann, Jim Eason, Art Finley, and both Jim Dunbar and Ted Wygant.

Jack Swanson's split, rumored for months, was not so long after Luckoff's departure. Both were crafty individuals who, temporarily, managed to keep the integrity of the station mostly intact, before Citadel and, now Cumulus, have essentially tore the core structure out of the once-dominant station.

Luckoff had a notorious reputation as a tough negotiator, particular in contract negotiations with Owens, but earned both local and national praise as a genius programming wizard who maintained KGO's success in spite of a growing change in the business. He was also loyal too, (even among those talents he had personal disdain for, but respected professional--case in point, Ray Taliaferro).

Swanson too had numerous allies inside the building and managed to be the last man standing before finally giving up and splitting.

*As predicted, KGO has begun cannibalizing talent from KNBR and KGO-TV. ABC7 weather guessers have provided as replacements for the fired Lloyd Lindsay Young. Ray Ratto's mundane commentaries have begun airing on the afternoon news and into the evening.

Damon Bruce, of KNBR 1050, has a weekly Saturday show following Pat Thurston from 8-11 AM. Stacey Taylor, a talk-vet from San Diego, is on Saturday evening, preceding Karel.

The real head-scratcher: Spencer Hughes, at least temporarily, holds down the 10 PM- 1 AM Sat/Sunday show. Hughes, a right-wing nut case on loan from Fox Radio and KSFO, sounded patently embarrassing in his inaugural broadcasts. He has a thing for ghosts and aliens. He's also asked, about 54,000 times, that "listeners, please, give me a chance." They already have spoken, Spence, (you're a farce--next question).

*Class move by KGO to keep playing commercial spots of both Len Tillem and John Rothmann, who were both let go...and the real topper, cancelling the Gene Burns cookie bake-off. Corporate grace at its best.

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THURSDAY, DEC. 15- 900 FRONT ST.
SAN FRANCISCO 11: 30 AM

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