415 Media Breaking News Exclusive: Greg Papa Gets Multi-Year Contract Extension with SF 49ers

Greg Papa will be your 49ers play-by-play radio broadcaster for at least another five years, I've been told by broadcast sources close to the 49ers and Papa.

Both Papa and the 49ers have agreed to a new, multi-year contract estension--the extension news will be formally announced later today (Tuesday) by the team and its broadcast partners, (including flagship, KNBR).

Papa joined the 49ers in 2019 after spending over 20 years as the play-by-play broadcaster for the Oakland Raiders.

He left the Raiders in 2018 due to a business conflict with owner, Mark Davis. He subsequently joined the Niners and has built up a winning broadcast formula--both with fans and the 49ers' broadcast hierarchy-- and color analyst, Tim Ryan --(who was also signed to an extension last year.)

Papa will continue to co-host his KNBR show (10-2 PM) and will also maintain his assorted hosting duties on the 49ers various in-house shows via their website and social media platforms.

*EXCLUSIVE

Clarity and Transparency: Shedding Light on the Dennis O' Donnell Story--415 Media Exclusive

The latest Dennis O'Donnell posting has caused quite a stir, both pro and con. Many of you have taken issue with me on whether I should have made public a situation that should be private.

So I want to address with you my feelings and try to explain both the O'Donnell situation specifically and other aspects with regard to my reporting in general.

It's important.

The O'Donnell matter is particularly sensitive and deserves furhter explanation and clarity.

I had no intention, now or in the future, of trying to either hurt or exploit Mr. O'Donnell and his very private (in theory) situation. That's not my MO. In fact, I had no knowledge of what was going on. I only became aware of something unusual when I got emails and tips from readers asking me "where was Dennis?" He'd been absent for a few weeks in August from KPIX and I assumed he was on vacation and I told people as much. I myself, reached out to a friend of his (O'Donnell) and the friend told me, yes, Dennis was on vacation (in early August).

Turns out that was either simply incorrect, deliberately misleading, or out and out a lie.

I became alarmed when I noted Dennis's absence from the first 49ers' pre-season game, at home in August. A game that is broadcast by KPIX. Its coverage includes O'Donnell on the sidelines and for which KPIX pays a lot of money to carry exclusively in Bay Area homes. The fact O'Donnell was not present sent out alarms and I immediately began to make calls and wonder aloud. Even at that, I figured, maybe he decided to take an extended vacation before the beginning of football. It made sense. Covering sports in the fall can be demanding. No big deal, I thought.

Then O'Donnell was MIA on the sports anchor desk at PIX. For a week and then, more weeks. And not a word from the station and not even any mention of his name. Weird, I thought.

So I reached out to some of my KPIX sources, some of whom work at the station, some, who are usually privy to what's going on and such. They knew nothing. Swore they had no idea, which triggered immediate red flags. Because some of these people always know, they'd have a direct line to the boss's office. They were always dependable in most prior circumstances, they HAD to know, at least that was what I was thinking.

I became frustrated because clearly, something was going on. I remember receiving emails earlier in the year ('21) from people saying O'Donnell was slurring his words; was he "drunk?"--was he OK? I didn't think anything of it at the time and passed it off as some over-reaction. Then I began to watch O'Donnell and he didn't look right but I put it aside.

Until KPIX hired another sports anchor. And O'Donnell's whereabouts were still unclear and not explained. By both PIX (sources) and my contacts. O'Donnell's invisibility stretched into the holidays and the new year with continued silence and mystery. There is something going on. Something amiss.

CLARITY and backgound.

I began to get info from various sources, mostly sketchy and nothing concrete. I put two and two together and began to realize, indeed, that O'Donnell had some sort of "medical issue"--he'd been gone now several months and he was nowhere to be seen, outside a dinner event in February and at a SF restaurant a few weeks prior. He hadn't said a word to friends at both locations but a source told me that he didn't sound so good and that "he was done at KPIX".

The source even told me that PIX continued to pay O'Donnell's health coverage so he could continue to receive a doctor's care. The source added that CBS (PIX) paid off O'Donnell indicating he would not be back at the station. There was no way of corroborating that part of my info but the source was dependable.

Even with all this information, plus, a detailed account, unsolicited, from a source with knowledge of O'Donnell's current and prior (health) status; an account that said he had some sort of neurological malady; I was hesitant to write anything. Even if I had total confirmation, I passed. I didn't want to write anything because I myself was sensitive to the matter, O'Donnell's and in general.

I understand both sides here. KPIX's responsibility to its employee and Mr. O'Donnell's right to privacy. But I also understand the very legitimate concerns of the Bay Area public who were mystified over Mr. O' Donnell's continued absence; where is he? what is going on? Is he OK? Where's Dennis? It's not something anyone was losing sleep over but there was a want to know what was happening--why are we not being informed? I know firsthand because of the lengthy emails I had received and continue to receive.

Of course, Mr. O'Donnell has a right to privacy. But there's no such thing as "absolute right." Maybe legally, but not in the everyday public domain.

I said if this matter took place in LA, NY, Philly, Chicago, or any other major market; a well-known anchor, sports or news, was GONE for many months, unexplained, no matter the circumstances and no matter what type of rights, medical privacy, etc, there'd be at least a story, some story. But no such thing in the Bay Area, not even an ounce of speculation by the papers or some local Internet news site.

Which is why you come here.

I don't normally post such lengthy articles but I wanted you to know what I did and reported on this matter. There will be those who will still castigate me because that's what they always do no matter what. It's their missive.

I want to, as I always try to, provide clarity on matters such as this, as complicated as they sometimes are.

I also want to say this too: I wish and hope for Mr. O'Donnell's speedy recovery.

*Rich Lieberman 415 Media EXCLUSIVE

415 Media Exclusive: It's Official: After 43 Years, Mark Ibanez Leaving KTVU; Joe Fonzi Expected to Take Over as Lead Sports Anchor; Ibanez Likely Retires and Takes Deal from Fox

What I already reported became official last (Tuesday) night:

The Bay Area's longest-tenured anchor, sports-director, Mark Ibanez is LEAVING KTVU to pursue other interests.

Ibanez's departure was announced by fellow Fox2 anchor, Joe Fonzi, on the 10: 50 sports report --Ibanez told friends at the Warriors' game he was leaving KTVU. And it looks as if Fonzi will take over the new lead sports anchor position at the Bay Area O and O (owned/operated).

Ibanez will depart KTVU at the end of the month.

Ibanez, who began his stint in 1979, has been working without a contarct for a year. He had hoped to get a one last contract extension, but KTVU management never offered any serious negotiations. In fact, Ibanez was rebuffed by KTVU to the very last moment. He'd been told by Fox2 suits that his status would be addressed "after the football season."

Only not only was his contract extension, status not addressed, KTVU brass never reached out to Ibanez directly or even indirectly. It was an amazing show of indifference by a KTVU already trying to move forward from the loss of veteran news anchor, Frank Somerville, who was dismissed in late January.

Ibanez, a Bay Area native, has told friends, he's inclined to retire but left open the possibility about going to another station in the market.

On the other hand, as I learned too, Ibanez might simply retire and might have made a deal with KTVU to exit and take a financial package benefitting him and his family.

Ibanez's last broadcast on KTVU is March 31st.

*415 MEDIA EXCLUSIVE

415 Media Extra: While 49ers Nation/KNBR Exults, Giants and Larry Baer Fuming Over Lack of Air Time; Meeting of the Minds; Egos Bruised; Talk of Inner Turmoil; 415 Media Exclusive

GIANTS BROADCAST BRASS FUMES OVER LACK OF KNBR BUZZ 

Historically, the Giants, most notably, Larry Baer, still its front man (although quietly) rely on their broadcast (radio) partner, KNBR to be a part of their PR blitz during the hot stove league, you know when it's winter time and baseball news is in the backdrop of football season.

No more.

In fact, KNBR has been all-out 49ers and that makes sense, right? After all, the SF 49ers are two wins away from the Super Bowl and the Niners are the talk of the local sports scene --national too. That may sit well with the 415, 510, 408 and 925 but it has the Giants' hierarchy FUMING! Like really and royally TICKED OFF!

I've learned the Giants' brass--again, namely Larry Baer, is quietly telling KNBR and Cumulus market honchos here their utter displeasure over their flagship station barely sniffing out the name, "G-i-a-n-t-s," let alone even benign mentions. This is not the booster club, mind you, but the team's front office and its main money men including its main front men and investors. And while it's been relatively contained, at least internally, the effect of KNBR cutting off the PR machine of its chief sports partner, has resulted in turmoil and friction over air time and PR nirvana drying up. The Giants really could care less about the 49ers' fortunes --in Larry Baer world, they never heard of the SF 49ers--it's 24/7 Giants and even a blip of anything else is off the radar.

The 49ers success wasn't considered in the 2019 blueprint by KNBR brass. The idea that the football team would hog the airwaves wasn't even a figure point in the sales office. In fact, just now the marketing people are scurrying to sell advertising should the Niners make it to Miami and Super Bowl Sunday. It's a financial goldmine if it occurs but that doesn't move the needle for the bosses at Willie Mays plaza. In the meantime, several egos have to be massaged. 

The Giants still have their annual "Fan Fest " scheduled for the Saturday after the Super Bowl and KNBR will still probably go all out to place its various talk hosts en mass at the ballpark for whatever that's worth--mind you it hasn't been a very popular off-season for the baseball team and not just on the field, but off too. 

Baer might be in a position of no-leverage, because, frankly, the Giants haven't competed in recent years  and the 49ers are looking to take over the Bay Area in a region that is a BIG NFL market anyway. 

That said, KNBR is in a pickle not of its own making nevertheless responsible for appeasing the ego of its historical cash cow, the SF Giants. As usual, meetings of utmost importance will commence at Knibber's will and ultimately, both sides will kiss and play nice. They have to. They both sort of need each other and have to get along. That's the rational thinking, right? Wrong.

The Giants big suits will remind the KNBR/Cumulus gang it is they that have the control and pay the bills and even a George Kittle TD run will never change that --unless there's a victory parade down Market Street and Kyle Shanahan and Jed York are kissing babies in the crowd come early February. Then what happens?

Oh, Nellie.

#415 Media Exclusive

#415 Media Extra

Why Greg Papa's 49ers' Touchdown Call Really, Truly, Sucks

Greg Papa (left) with Tim Ryan

YOU WANT BLATANT INSINCERITY? Try Greg Papa's touchdown call on 49ers' broadcasts. It's a wholly inappropriate, out-of-moment call that lacks realness and identity. Papa is lucky the 49ers are great this year (not withstanding Sunday's blip on the radar) because truly his call is, well, ridiculous at best.

I've always liked Papa on the substance meter and thought he was always terrific on the mechanics. He knows his pro football and his knowledge of players and teams is not questioned here. There's no argument on his fundamentally sound broadcasts but there's a lot to chew on his style and that's where he's a ZERO. Let me explain why.

LISTEN TO HIS CALL.

Papa doesn't know the meeting of the moment. That was week one in Tampa --his first 49ers' broadcast. Repeat: first. You come from twenty years of broadcasting Raiders' games so you have NO credit built up with the 49ers' Faithfull. You're a rookie in a new uniform. Therefore, what the hell with the truly out-of-place, "SAN-FRAN-CISCO!" It sounds phony. It has no rhyme or reason. It's also clear Papa doesn't know anything about his past identity which makes his call all the more disingenuous. I speak for those out of the booster club and fat white guys who wear Ronnie Lott's jersey.

Papa's call doesn't register any emotion other than severe ridicule. He hasn't built up any good will with 49ers' fans, the listening audience on KNBR, or those few objective fans who actually listen to the broadcast and that's not Papa's fault; he's in essence, a guest invited to the VIP party trying to establish himself in the Scarlet and Gold fraternity. Therefore he has to establish good will. After twenty years of Raiders broadcasts that takes time. So really, his touchdown call reeks baseless. It's like I said, out of place. If I were a 49ers fan, I'd be repulsed. Papa's lucky the team is winning because that saves more ridicule.

I want to repeat: I have no issues with Papa's technique. It's always crisp and clear. I'm sure, I know in fact, he prepares and studies his games like no one else. There's no debate about any of that but his call needs a massive amount of identity and structure --oh, and time too.

The Best Show on KNBR And You Won't Believe I Love It. Marty Lurie My Chicken Soup For Recovery

YOU READ ME A LOT. You have a hunch of my tendencies. What I like and dislike. You know I'm a sucker for originality and creativity --genuine people, even those I may disagree with on style or substance, I applaud because at least they're sincere.

WHICH BRINGS ME to

Marty Lurie

Many of you assume I dislike Marty's performance and whose show on KNBR is a hodgepodge of audio Giants minutiae run amok that I would despise --you're wrong on both counts.

Lurie makes me laugh and gives me unexpected pleasure. His radio show is a NY-flavored tapestry (big words) a table full of bagels and cream cheese --lox and red onions --the only thing missing is the Joe Franklin Show. If you ever went to NY or are an east-coast transplant you know the Joe Franklin show which today remains one of the very best and funny shows ever.

Marty is my Joe Franklin and I can't get enough of him.

You thought I was an Oakland/Eastbay fan and everything Giants was against my religion and you thought wrong.

Again.

Marty Lurie was my chicken soup for recovery shortly after mom passed.  I don't want this to be a downer because it isn't. I rip a lot of people on here and you often complain I'm never positive. I'm about to break one of my edicts because I'm about to stray to sunshine. Cloudy days are abated.

Lurie's brand of radio show is my cup of coffee --ok, so four hours of coffee, (sometimes) is not quite healthy but listening to Marty in the backyard is healthy for the heart. It's all baseball and Giants and while, yes, the calls can be long and laborious, they are funny and often entertaining and again, remember this word, "sincere." (For the most part) Because Marty Lurie is sincere.

Joe Franklin 

The best thing about Marty is he reminds me of my late Uncle Duddy. Duddy had a charm of being sort of negative but engaging. He would take modern day life and its jaded tones and somehow convey a sense of comfort and realness. Duddy cracked me up just like Marty does but in a nice way. Taught me a lot about life.

I know I'm being sort of coded here because I haven't even mentioned much that Marty mostly talks about baseball and the Giants --two things I don't really care for but Lurie's chicken soup supersedes both of those subjects. I'd call it comfort food radio --macaroni and cheese and a slice of meatloaf if you get my drift.

Marty is real and passionate. Which makes listening to him all the more pleasurable because he seems very happy in his element. I don't have to love the Giants but I do love listening to Marty Lurie.

Un-Baer-Able; 415 Media Exclusive; How SF Media Failed on Larry Baer Story; Video Highlights Dark Side; Tuesday In-Depth

POOR Larry Baer.

Not really.

Those of you that read me regularly know that I've been on the Larry Baer watch quite some time and not just about his Giants' influence.

Oh, there's so much.

Which is fine, I guess. Power is elusive and special and those that hold it usually abuse it.

So when the infamous Baer video showing him physically rip a cell phone out of his wife's hand and causing her to fall, became public, I wasn't shocked at all. I'm not suggesting that Baer is a domestic violence perp; whatever happened here is between he and his wife. But the video did one thing: it showed a side of this man that has existed quite some time but virtually ignored by the Bay Area media, sporting and news press too.

Baer has a dark side. Trust me, I know.

And again, I'm not alluding to his altercation with Pam. Sure, we all saw Baer in a light he's unaccustomed to: not the usual happy, chirpy, confident man who loves to mingle with the elite and rich and famous down near the Giants' dugout and at cocktail parties in the city. Truly, Baer was out of his element this time and there was no massaging from the lame SF media.

Baer loves Baer. Baer loves power. Baer is an advocate for Baer. He's also one of the most cunning, egotistical, outrageous jerks in the Bay Area if not the universe. The happy-face persona is a ruse. Baer is mean-spirited and petty too; how petty and mean-spirited? Just ask Dusty Baker, the onetime Giants' manager whose tax issues with the IRS were leaked by Larry Baer. It's known in the industry, especially locally yet Baer was given a pass.

Dusty never forgot.

Baer has every right to enjoy his social and political clout in this city but when he goes overboard he should also be called out. The incident involving his wife should have provided an opening to the local press to gauge deep into the Baer history but the pansies looked the other way. Am I surprised? Hell no.

Phil Matier, barely a word.

Ann Killion tried her best but swung and missed. Probably on purpose as Killion likes to pick and choose her fights but wasn't about to rock the boat especially when the editor-in-chief of her Chronicle newspaper is a dedicated Giants' fan.

Scott Ostler, who should know better and chews out villains on Sunday, had the perfect opportunity to nail Baer but even Scotty fouled out.

Hank Schulman? Are you kidding; gimme a break.

This is a new era in this city because in the old days even below-average reporters would have taken the time and do some honest research and examine Baer and his grip on San Francisco political and social circles. There's a lot to chew on, believe me. Baer owns this city. At one point years ago he considered running for mayor and he'd have probably won because his fingerprints are on pretty much every known particle, human and otherwise. And that extends from the ballyard to City Hall to the Hall of Justice.

Fear.

I suppose Baer is feared by the local media because they enjoy their Giants' privileges . The team has been sucking lately but doing business at the park remains on the to-do list and Baer, when he eventually comes back to China Basin (and he probably will sooner or later) still keeps tabs on those who continue to goose him and those who don't. Loyalty is a Trumpian virtue with Mr. Baer, who knew?

I do.

Coming soon: The Jeff Adachi story disgrace.

**415 Media relies on reader donations and contributions to maintain its daily presence covering Bay Area media and providing commentary. To donate, go to the "Pay Pal" icon on the right side of the blog and click on the "Donate" button --it's fast and easy to contribute and you don't have to have a Pay Pal account to donate.

415 Media Exclusive: Ahmed Fareed Leaving NBC Sports Bay Area for NBCSN in Connecticut

Ahmed Fareed

  FAREED LEAVING NBCSBA for NBCSN in Connecticut  --415 MEDIA EXCLU

I'm hearing from a good source tonight (Thursday) that veteran NBC Sports Bay Area anchor, Ahmed Fareed, is leaving the Bay Area sports cable behemoth and headed for NBC Sports Network / Connecticut.

There's no official word on why but the Greg Papa effect might be one reason as Papa is in virtual control on all three of its primary sports affiliates --49ers, Giants and Warriors pre and post game host --that's a lot of time allotted for Papa and some of the little people might be a little ticked off.

The official explanation will be the usual corporate spin but that's why you come here.

I was never a fan of Mr. Fareed but then again I'm no fan of a lot of people. The world will still survive.

D Day at KNBR; Kolsky and Hughes Get Heave-Ho at KNBR; Wittmayer/Cumulus Cut Cut; Inside Story from 415 Media

Matt Kolsky speaking at Sag-Aftra rally last year

 

ALTHOUGH he made it clear he didn't think his pro-union speech at a Sag-Aftra -KNBR rally last year, was keynote in his firing, it certainly didn't help matters. In addition, Matt Kolsky's  colleague, Joe Hughes, also involved in a pro-union video was also fired by KNBR late Friday.

Ryan Covay, an evening talk host and producer at KNBR with less tenure and vocal union talk, was not terminated.

Coincidence? Perhaps, you be the judge.

Friday was a telling day at KNBR. Cumulus' cash cow sports station --one of the few successful stations it runs in SF, was its usual self, only management was about to slash and dash two daytime hosts and put an end altogether to sports updates, which were nothing more than more commercials.

The first host to get the heave-ho was Joe Hughes which caught many staffers off guard, including Gary Radnich and Larry Krueger; Hughes was their own update guy and took part in their morning show. Beyond that, Hughes's dad was friends with station Opps Mgr, Lee Hammer and his job seemed safe. Only, Hammer wasn't directly involved with Hughes's ouster. Cumulus' SF VP and Market manager, Justin Wittmayer, 86ed both Hughes and Kolsky.

The firings weren't that shocking and their unlucky recipients didn't involve anybody even remotely "special" at KNBR but they did surprise staff inside the building and almost immediately, rumors hit that more layoffs perhaps involving even "star" personnel were on the horizon.

KNBR is still rocking and rolling for the most part in its key demographic constituency: adult males between 18 and 49 who love sports, beer, and boobs. In addition, its own cash cow, the SF Giants baseball games were just around the corner and that's where KNBR makes the bulk of its money.

Yet, the dual canning exposed the non-harmonious atmosphere inside the studios where the hungry, ambitious "little people"; those producers, occasional hosts and go-to guys who do all the heavy lifting and coordinate a lot of the station's weaponry; a station that took in over $20 million in revenue the past few years, weren't immune from being axed by the notorious cloud company from Atlanta.

Welcome to the real world.

It's not a pretty picture at the Cloud Company SF Cluster.





 

Joe Montana is Getting Paid for KPIX/CBS Super Bowl TV Work

Jennifer and Joe Montana have been on KPIX (CBS5) providing some Super Bowl content and looking like, well, Joe and Jennifer. Home-grown talent, MVP yesteryear is expensive though and 49ers Joe is no exception.


I've heard through my PIX/CBS eye that 415 Joe is getting a cool MILLION bucks for his work for the week.


That's enough money for lunch at Zuni with Les Moonves.




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Yes, KPIX is Flaunting its Super Bowl 50 Coverage But You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

 FEW PEOPLE would begrudge KPIX's incessant pre-Super Bowl blitz of ads, news, promos and presentation--after all, it is the Super Bowl, the biggest game in America and whose audience traditionally tops well over 100 Million people.

We get it, the unofficial national holiday on the first Sunday in February and this year, the special 50th Super Game.

OK, fine.

But then KPIX has gone over the top, no surprise here. Mildly, but just enough to cause mass irritation. Look, a Beyoncé addition to the halftime show is legitimate news, no problem there. But countdown clocks, repeated "stories" that are really no more than splashy advertisements gets to be a drag particularly when such news is driven down the throat on a daily basis.

Even Joe and Jennifer Montana, as big as they are, are not worthy of repeated plugs and notices.

Again, we acknowledge that PIX is lucky enough that the 50th Super Bowl happened to fall on CBS' time to air the game and yes, of course the game is in Santa Clara.  I can only imagine what KTVU would be bringing us had it been FOX's turn on the rotation. Thank God for that.

I'm going out on a limb that as the game gets closer you're going to see a helluva lot more stories about Santa Clara, parking lots, VIP booths and hospitality suites. That's about 20 minutes right there.

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SF Chronicle Suspends Warriors' Beat Writer Over Apparent Copy-And-Paste 'Article'; Chron EIC: 'We Take This Matter Very Seriously'; KNBR Ignores Story

 There's some trouble at the Sports Department at the SF Chronicle.

Warriors' beat reporter, Rusty Simmons, has been suspended for apparently blogging a news story which was copy-and-pasted.

From CJR:

"Rusty Simmons wrote the piece after the Warriors issued a press release announcing their purchase of land from the tech company Salesforce in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, where the team plans to build a new arena. The piece was posted to SFGate, the Chronicle’s website, on Monday morning, and stayed there until 5:45pm, when it was replaced by a much shorter version of the story. The new story had no byline and an editor’s note that read: “A previous version of this story was a lightly edited press release issued by the Golden State Warriors. The story is now written by a Chronicle staffer.”

Attempts to get reaction from Chronicle editor-in-chief, Audrey Cooper, were unsuccessful but Deadspin  managed to dig further and uncover some more disturbing elements to the story.

As expected the morning knuckleheads on KNBR didn't say a word about the Simmons suspension--I'm not surprised, as Simmons is a regular guest on the Bleeder--{also appearing on the Radnich-Krueger show}; this seems more on Chronicle management than on Simmons, who has covered the team since 2009.

Simmons told Deadspin that he can't talk now because of his suspension but said he'd talk afterward. My best guess is that someone is going to get the boom here --probably not Simmons--because as shaky as the Chron is, their new EIC is not very happy.

Bummer.




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415 Media
Wednesday Top Story
AM Start



 

 

 

Former KGO-TV GA Reporter Laura Marquez Succumbs To Cancer; Hal Ramey OUT at KCBS

 KGO-TV (ABC7) General Assignment reporter, Laura Marquez died late last week. Marquez succumbed to cancer, a battle she fought for over sixteen years.

Marquez also spent time at ABC News as their political reporter. Funeral Services are pending.

*Longtime KCBS Sports Director, Hal Ramey was fired on Friday, according to a 415 Media source. Ramey had been at KCBS for 28 years. (His bio was removed from the station's website) Former KGO Sports anchor, Kevin (The Rat) Radich recently joined KCBS and figures to become the permanent replacement for Ramey.

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It Was a Great day To Stage a Warriors Victory Parade; Oakland, Big Winner on TV Screens; Local TV Gives A-Grade Performance

 TV News loves a good parade--anything extra like super-duper crowd shots, spectacular scene-setters like a lake surrounded by blue skies in late June is even better.


Oakland scored a resounding 10 on the IT meter Friday afternoon as the Warriors celebrated their NBA Title deep in heart of Uptown and Lake Merritt with pomp an pageantry galore--the ultimate rally and parade on a picture-perfect day.


Moreover, all the festivities were captured live and done so with authority!, as ABC7's Larry Beil would describe --alongside fellow anchors, Dan Ashley and Ama Daetz. KGO's coverage was some of the very best on-scene reporting and the overhead chopper shots were just out of this world. In fact, KGO wasn't alone in the slam-dunk coverage; KTVU, KRON, and KPIX had reporters all over the place and provided an up, close and in-person account of the day's activities and they were riveting. Pure Chamber-of-Commerce heaven for The Town.


KPIX stood out as did KTVU. Fox2's Frank Somerville and Mark Ibanez, with genuine Bay Area roots to boot, gave vivid descriptions of the scene; Ibanez in particular was complimentary of the Town. "This is a great day for Oakland!", he said countless times and he was right. For a change the city and its centerpiece lake in the middle of Downtown couldn't have looked better.


Not everything was perfect --but the festivities viewed by anywhere from a half a million to over a million people(there were numerous estimates) were way too big to allow some nuisance to spoil the otherwise cool and extraordinary day. There were surprises galore; celebrity appearances; the speeches by the players were cool if some politicians couldn't resist yapping on and on even when some of the spectators began to groan.


Congrats Oakland, the Warriors--you did good today. And, get this, so did Bay Area TV.


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Bill King Looking Down from Heaven on 2015 Warriors NBA Championship

 "The Warriors are Champions of the World Once Again!---HOLY TOLEDO!"


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Winners

1. Oakland


2. Bay Area
3. KGO-TV
4. KNBR
5. Parade Planners
6. Chamber of Commerce --510
7.Oracle
8.Tim Roye and Tom Tolbert
9. Lake Merritt
10. Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area


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Only One Thing Matters Tonight

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Howard Cosell Told It Like It Is

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

KPIX Hires Joe and Jennifer Montana as Super Bowl 50/ NFL 2015 Season Contributors

 KPIX, which has begun pubbing Super Bowl 50 about a split second after the last one, has hired Joe and Jennifer Montana as "contributors" for the station's 2015 "Super Bowl" coverage" --not coincidentally, CBS, which owns KPIX, carries the game next year which will be played at Levi's Stadium.

In both his playing and non-playing days, Montana wasn't exactly a sound bite waiting to happen; let's just say even when he talked he didn't say much of anything which was (and still is) pretty much OK with Bay Area sports fans who still place Joe Montana in the permanent HOF charm department. Which presumably is the reason why KPIX went out and according to my station source, paid through the roof for Montana's gridiron growls.

Oh, and it probably helped too that Jennifer Montana worked as a contributor for KPIX News in the late 1980's.

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Jason Barrett Leaving 95.7 The Game As PD; Pens Cute Letter That Doesn't Provide (Real) Details; The Real Reason(s)

 Jason Barrett, the embattled PD of all-sports 95.7 FM The Game is leaving the station in June.

Here, he spells out in roughly a few couple thousand or so words why he's leaving...it reads lovely and cutesy and cuddly and all that but other than mentioning family, Barrett conveniently leaves out the specific reason(s) why.

Funny, I'm not surprised. I've been wondering for some time how Barrett has been able to hold down his Entercom gig despite the station's relative irrelevance and truth be told, The Game, while holding down marginal demos like adult males who covet beer, boobs and sports, has never reached a ratings crescendo --hell, hasn't even come close.

 You're probably going to read the press-release version of this and take it as the positive gospel but it's mostly bull. It's anecdotal verbal messing that's designed to imply that the honest PD misses him and wants to explore his next life. Which would be nothing out of the ordinary and make perfect sense only Barrett doesn't mention some of the things that more than likely accelerated his departure.

As I said, The Game has never registered any real traction in the Bay Area. Never. Its attempt to be an alternative to KNBR, which would have been nice, hasn't materialized. Part of that is sports-radio on FM doesn't work, especially when it's hard to actually listen to that station. The Game's signal is barely audible in most parts of the Bay Area. I can pick it up fine and even better on my car stereo but I'm in the minority. That's not Barrett's fault but it's on his ledger that other variables are and were--

*It was Barrett who hired contest winners--listeners--who became immediate air talent on the radio station. That would work well in, say, Tulsa--not so much in the Bay Area. Furthermore the idea of placing contest winners on the radio station speaks volumes about Mr. Barrett's style of management.

*Both the A's and Raiders want out on The Game. The Raiders have been looking for an alternative for months now because they're unhappy with their Bay Area flagship--so too the A's who have complained about promotion and are also unhappy with the signal. Again, that's hardly Barrett's fault but there's ways to schmooze the suits and get around this--Barrett didn't get the memo.

*The constant reshuffling of the air-talent. There's been a significant fallout on Barrett's every-other-day rearranging the furniture on The Game--his mishandling of the morning show features has been woeful and disruptive --the very best morning show, "The Rise Guys", were held out to pasture and replaced by a startling bad current program whose hosts like to talk about their penises --how thought-provoking and creative.

Simply stated The Game went kaput before our very eyes and ears. There's nothing wrong with that --hell, lots of radio stations are like restaurants --most fail even under the best of intentions. And while everybody would relish an alternative to wildly less-than-mediocre KNBR, The Game struck out. For now and more than likely, the future too.