KGO Radio gets punked by the San Jose Merc; 'All-Star' debate gets a review from writer's 80 year-old mom

With lovely little journalistic ditties like this, KGO Radio thinks I'm the enemy?

Dick Sparrer of the SJ Merc , (via the Los Gatos Weekly-Times), writes a piece about KGO's Friday night, "All-Star" "debate" that took place last week in Redwood City. I hear good tickets were still available, (at $8.10 a pop--cute, KGO, very original) and that a lot of seats were papered. ("Papered" is a term that refers to tickets being given away).

In any event, Sparrer writes of taking his 80 year-old mom to the show so she can bag on the various talk hosts, Ronn Owens, Pat Thurston, John Rothmann, even Ray Taliaferro, (who wasn't there--shit, what a crying shame!)

I don't know if the Merc's Sparrer was intentionally trying to punk KGO, but it sure sounded that way. KGO keeps trying, desperately, I may add, to try to get the young demo; you know, like catering to the IPod, Facebook/Twitter yaps, but that's like inviting Mark Zuckerberg to an AARP convention.

This is not to suggest that all KGO's listeners eat prunes and watch "All in the Family" reruns. I listen a lot, probably too much because although I can stomach Ronn Owens even though he's slowed down a bit, the thought of three hours of Brian, "Copie", Copeland makes me want to induce vomiting.

KGO is what it is. The idea that suddenly, it can attract significantly younger demos is a colossal joke in the industry. KGO at its peak was a more vibrant Owens, a Secretariat of a newsman like Jim Dunbar, a guy whose politics I thought stunk, but made me listen: Jim Eason.

But that was then and this is now.

John Rothmann is first-rate--maybe a tad too much on Middle East issues and topic shifting, but pretty interesting. Gene Burns has suffered a myriad of health issues and is probably headed for retirement soon, but he commands the mike.

After that, slim pickings. I mean, Gil Gross? Seriously. And Karel? The talk-show host who complains that he's always depicted as the "openly-gay talk-show host", yet makes it an hourly reminder that he's gay. The fact that he's a shitty radio host is never mentioned. Perhaps "hack" and "sham" would fly too for Karel, gay, straight, green, yellow, or brown, who gives a shit.

KGO used to be the market leader and had winning Arbitron books for well past thirty years. They didn't have to resort to gimmicky shit like over-embracing Facebook or giving away tickets to U2 concerts. That's just utter nonsense.

Here's the facts: This is a radio station that is in severe decline; a sinking ship led by a rookie GM who doesn't have a clue; an over-the-hill opps mgr who's got one foot out the door, along with the news director, and about to be overtaken by a broadcasting company that makes Clear Channel look like Levi Strauss.

Wonder why resumes are all over town? And, oh, by the way, Jack Swanson, even bloggers can't make this shit up.



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