KCBS has steadily maintained a firm lead in the morning news ratings and speculation from around town is this is KGO's first of many opening salvos designed to try to get back to the top spot it held in the market for over two decades.. Like many observers, I think KGO needs more than just extra traffic to seriously challenge CBS.
KGO is branding a new slogan, "First Traffic" and now has begun airing "traffic on the 5's", (to counter CBS' "traffic on the 8's.) Although the amount of hourly traffic reports remains the same, (six,) there appears to be more extended coverage and a great deal of updates around the traffic.
Anchors Ed Baxter and Jennifer Jones-Lee are still at the helm; with Rich Walcoff handling the sports and veteran Stan Burford at the traffic desk the essential format still remains; but there's only two weather segments, (with Lloyd Lindsay Young) and Lindsay Young seems to have lost time in the pecking order.
The news blocks seem a little shorter too, but the topical interview segments, (at : 15 past the hour and a real strength of Baxter) also appear to have been given greater emphasis, which is good. What is not good is the rampant, almost borderline incessant tabloid chatter that has overtaken the news blocks, punctuated by Jones-Lee extended giggles.
KGO has always been more heavy on anchor chit-chat and conversation, (a la 'Dunbar and Wygant,) while KCBS has stuck to the more no-nonsense straight-delivery news devoid of the constant chirping on KGO. CBS' version of "conversation" is the John Madden segment.
A broadcast friend jokingly told me that KCBS could conceivably counter KGO's "first traffic" by going to "traffic on the 4's"; (nope, don't think so, joke or no joke)
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More traffic is a start and a positive move. I don't usually listen to them in the morning or day so whatever they do there, I don't have much of an interest, but if they make any changes to the evening programs, I hope they keep Gene Burns and John Rothmann where they are at. Rothmann is a gem.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Pat Thurston in the overnight? I know Ray T wears a little thin even for this liberal and I much prefer a dialogue with callers rather than Ray's sermon and brand of "reality".
Ed Baxter stuttered and stumbled his way through every interview I ever heard him do. He was great at reading ad copy — that is, when he was given a script. He was AWFUL as an interviewer.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, concur with your take on the need for more 'straight news' and less inane asides and chit chat on KGO.
Anyone who happened to listen to Lynn Jimenez interviewed recently by Ronn Owens on his show can be left with no doubt as to how incredibly little Jimenez knows about the subject material she not only 'reports' on, but editorializes and opines about daily.
If more 'straight news' at KGO means more dimwitted opining by dunces like Jimenez, then the KGO changes may be 'new,' but they'll hardly be improvements.