The end of 'Big name' talent in Bay Area TV/radio; Economic climate drives out high-$$ players; Monday media pulse

In the late 80's, Van Amburg of KGO-TV was the highest-paid anchor in the Bay Area with an estimated salary of nearly $800,000. His weatherman colleague, Pete Giddings, took in close to $400,000.

More recently, KTVU's Dennis Richmond, hovering around the 750-$850K a-year range, retired in May, 2008. His compensation late in his tenure was well over the high six-figures.

And Ronn Owens of KGO radio has an estimated contract of just over seven figures, (signed before the takeover of KGO and other ABC-owned stations by Citadel.)

That was then and this is now.

Although big-name talent in the SF-Oak-San Jose market are well-compensated, gone are the days of high, six-to-seven-figure deals, with a flat lined economy and an industry that has seen the 'big names take mgt.-offered buyouts and "retire" rather than working for significantly less money.

This is not just a Bay Area phenomena. It is happening in all big markets where 'bottom-line mentality is the new business model for all the owners, particularly when the economy is still down and despite improved ad revenue from car dealers and coming political ads, lots of red ink line newsrooms across the land.

Oh sure, there are occasional big name FM radio talent that still rake in seven-figure deals; ditto a few big-market news anchors, but that's the exception, not the rule.

More and more of the prominent talent are being induced to leave with an eye on the future, as ownership brings in cheaper, younger, and, to the non-benefit of the local viewer/listener, outside talent who often don't know the make-up of the local area and seem out of place.

A few months back, I referred to a traffic reporter of a radio outlet who called Doyle Drive, "Doyle avenue"; another oblivious younger female TV reporter mentioned Sutro Tower as "Sutro mountain tower." Yikes!

More ominous is the feeling among local industry analysts that things will get worse before they get better. Those big names that have recently re-upped are doing so, but with a mindset that may involve added chores and multi-tasking.

Sports anchors are now doing news. Traffic people are now adding reporter duties to their resume. Some, because they've been asked to; others, looking at the handwriting on the wall, embracing the idea of going in a new direction.

In January, longtime KTVU sports personality, Mark Ibanez, anchored the noon news on Channel 2. Ibanez, at the Oakland Fox aff since 1978, was refreshingly solid in his newsman role. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he held down a permanent gig in that dept., while still churning out his sports duties. Its to Ibanez' benefit, (and conversely, Bay Area TV viewers) that at least he's good.

I can't say the same for everyone else.

Welcome to the new business model.

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