Talk 910 Chooses Ed Baxter For 10-1 PM Slot; 'Safe Decision'; John Rothmann Gets Screwed

 Longtime Bay Area radio news anchor, Ed Baxter has been chosen as Talk 910 AM's new host from 10 AM- 1 PM.

I like Baxter. Good guy. Professional, interesting and compelling. Slightly.

Not a talk-show host though, my opinion.

I expected this gig to go to John Rothmann who is an outstanding interviewer, has a keen eye on the political arena and deep knowledge of the Middle East debate.

Of course this was a safe pick for the Clear Channel SF crowd and that is why its ratings are in the dumper too.

Choices like this will never move the needle.

Oh well.

It could have been worse.

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Three Finalists For 'NewsTalk 910' 10-1 PM Slot; Rothmann, Baxter And Hughes

 Talk 910, has been auditioning various hosts to fill its 10 AM-1 PM slot. A decision is expected sometime in the next few weeks but I've got the final three favorites, according to a local broadcast source familiar with the probable pecking order.

The "live and local" mantra is a key to the eventual winner; it's highly unlikely that Clear Channel would make an out-of-market hire but nothing surprises me anymore.

The 3 finalists, according to my source--

1. John Rothmann: the former KGO Radio talk host and frequent fill-in at Talk 910 is the odds-on favorite. Rothmann has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the Middle East, politics, Presidential Elections and current events. He's also a terrific interviewer and would make for an outstanding three hours of informative and entertaining radio.

2. Ed Baxter: Baxter spent over three decades as an anchor at KGO and did some sporadic fill-in both at KGO and 910 AM as a talk host. He also recently launched a website with content from Bay Area TV and Radio talent. I loved Baxter as a news anchor; I'm not so sure if I could listen to him as a talk host three hours a day--not a knock on Ed, just my own opinion.

3. Spencer Hughes: The weakest link, and the least-likely choice. Hughes has been all over the talk map bouncing from station to station. His most recent foray was at KSFO where he chose to resign rather than being fired. I'm not a fan of this guy; his annoying style, the faux outrage, the constant mumbling has never quite caught on with me yet Hughes keeps getting jobs. And keeps getting fired too. Go figure.

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Frosty OUT at Talk 910

  ...he gone!


Told his listeners at the close of Friday's show, "bye."


My question: Does anyone care? Seriously now.


Skinny: Both Clear Channel and The Snowman reportedly departed amicably.


Like, the ratings were.not.that.good. and so, get your ass outta here.

KGO/KSFO Sea Change Coming Soon; 'Talk 910' Gross and Frosty Likely Out; Ratings Free Fall Dictate Moves; KFOG Looming as 'KGO-FM'; Friday Radio Notes

 A Sea change is about to hit Bay Area radio and it's coming soon.


Among the notable items:


KGO Radio, mired in its worst ratings ever, will soon evolve into a news and talk hybrid.


The specific layout is still a work-in-progress but will be patterned after Atlanta's "News Radio", a Cumulus station that a mixes a news and talk formula.


We had it here first and, soon, others joined the party. The ring leader has been hired.


Inside KGO's newsroom, there's considerable trepidation, according to a station source but news blocks will be largely left alone, only reduced to drive time and hourly updates.


A morning and afternoon news show, (think 6-9 and 4-7), are probably in place. Again, specifics aren't known yet but the source told me KGO might morph an underperforming outlet on FM and create a KGO-FM to try and compete with KCBS.


Other than Ronn Owens, (whose contract runs out this year), expect a whole lot of new voices. New and "young", "Live and "Local." It's highly doubtful that any of the old voices will be back on the air so don't be expecting a Ray Taliaferro or Gil Gross anytime soon.


Speaking of Gross, it's all but certain he'll be out at Talk 910 AM, (Clear Channel's KKSF-AM)--Gross nor his early-afternoon buddy, Frosty Stillwell, haven't attracted much attention and this is ample proof.


**KSFO has reached rock-bottom. The once-mighty legacy station with a conservative, "Hot-Talk" format has been on the Cumulus market for over a year now. Its morning show is in a free fall and even new programs are floundering.


Expect wholesale changes.


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Gil Gross: My Two Cents; NewsTalk 910 Host Treads through Rough Waters

I don't know Gil Gross real well. We've talked every now and then. He told me many times that he doesn't read blogs; not insulting, just that he doesn't like to engage in feedback, good or bad, and I believe him.

A few months ago I told him that he receives a lot of feedback here. Mostly negative, unfortunately and he sort of looked the other way. My feelings are that Gross is a good guy; probably a better news man as opposed to talk-show host, and based on the comments here, only further validates that point.

Gross' current show, (heard on NewsTalk910 AM) has brought on a lot of criticism which, for the most part, is legitimate. The constant subject changes, the occasional inane chit-chat, the mumbling and fumbling, it's often difficult to listen to Gross even when he's engrossed or doing a 10-minute phone interview, which is his best asset.

Part of the problem is not Gross' fault. He's trying to conform to a format that is AM radio, (and FM, to a degree), biggest conundrum today: the short attention span theatre that qualifies the non-IPod/smart-phone gadget folks who still listen to terrestrial radio. Only Gross isn't reading the room and either doesn't care nor is willing to tweak his program so that it doesn't become further fodder for his ample critics, of which there are many.

One major facet of Gross' repertoire absolutely has to go: the absolute god-awful inclusion of his wife on his Friday show. Rhoda Bodzin may be a wonderful wife and mother. She is not a good radio co-host. It's the plain truth. I'm guessing, again, that Gil puts her on because he really feels she adds to the show-- she doesn't. She's neither informative nor enlightening and her awkward pauses and out-of-blue takes are just plain lousy radio. Truth be told, she shouldn't be anywhere near the microphone.

Gross isn't going to lose sleep over his shortcomings or starve to death. He's been in the business for over thirty years as a news anchor, talk-host and he still does a weekly real-estate show. But he also has a little pride, (I would guess), and although his latest position at Clear Channel's SF outpost isn't going to make or break his career, I doubt he would want this latest project to be morphed into the negative tunnel it's traveling through now.

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Rothmann and Baxter also dismissed from NewsTalk 910; Update: Both will continue to Fill in; Baxter Statement

Add John Rothmann and Ed Baxter to the list of those dismissed by Clear Channel's NewsTalk 910.

Rothmann, whose astute political commentaries has made him a Bay Area radio favorite, will continue to fill in for Gil Gross, (3-7 PM, M-F) and still function as the station's political analyst. Gross' added hour was made possible by Len Tillem's firing on Thursday.

"I'm disappointed, but this will not be my last rodeo, " Rothmann told me, "I'm going to still pursue a full-time radio position in the Bay Area." Rothmann confided to me that he had an offer from a station out of the market but isn't interested in leaving San Francisco. Rothmann is married and has one son in college and another in high school.

Clear Channel's financial problems have been the talk of the industry as it faces several debt issues confronting it in the coming years.

UPDATE: 12: 49 PM PT:

Just received this e-mail from Ed Baxter:

For me now, this is a very small part of my business.  I enjoyed having  my "Making Sense" commentaries on their air, but I had been doing the podcasts and posting them on my website  EdBaxterMedia.com for months before they asked if they could use them.   I just wrote two more today...one is up, the other will go up later.  Management has  pulled what it views as features and wants to streamline.  They have told me they want me to continue filling in.  I love the News/Talk format and wish for its success where it still exists....

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