The impending sale of Citadel to Cumulus is a few months away, but from a well-placed local broadcast source: "You want ugly?"--'This is going to be ugly.'"
"You have NO IDEA how 'these guys' operate."
The "these guys" are the Dickey Brothers. Lewis "Tricky" Dickey is the CEO of Cumulus. Dickey is a straight numbers guy. Calling him a 'bean counter' would be charitable.
Of course, locally, one of Citadel's prized properties is KGO Radio, currently in free fall, but still making money even though much of its cachet has long entered the broadcast black hole. Everybody and anybody over at 900 Front has resumes all over the town and beyond.
The only relevant and profitable entity is Ronn Owens in the morning. And even King Ronn's status is iffy. (Owens' personal-services contract is up in January, 2013.)
KGO straddlers like to smack me with my prediction a few months ago that the afternoon news would be gonno. They point out that not only is the PM news still intact, but that "we've added a noon news."
Yeah, KGO trolls dream on.
A little 'splainin: First off, Citadel's tightrope over its SF property was limited, (due to the early stages of the Cumulus potential buyout;) as such, the continuance of the PM news is merely but an eventual cease. Clearly, long-term, afternoon news will be bye-bye at KGO. It's far cheaper to have a talk show, (like KABC and WABC,) than it is to employ 50 or so people for a PM news show that is getting killed by KCBS.
And the "Noon News?" Again, KGO's trolls fell for that one. It's temporary at best. You don't believe me? Then why does nearly everyone in that building have resumes floating out there? Coincidence? You be the judge.
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