I resign from my non-existent job at KGO Radio
--Not much to say, really. With "Crime Time" and Maureen locked into the late night slots, there just isn't any reason to keep my nose pressed up against the KGO window any longer, waiting for their call. Nobody came to me and said that I was no longer in the mix. In fact nobody has said anything to me at all for weeks. I appreciate the shot that Jack Swanson gave me. The KGO listeners/callers were totally cool, and I have nothing negative to say about any of the engineers, producers, etc., that I worked with directly. KGO was the exemplar of local talk radio for generations, but that era has passed and I'm moving on. Simple as that.
Another words, adios Cumulus. And here's to your merry-go-round card with me and my well-being. I told Taylor he could now breathe again.
Although Taylor had a very short run at KGOne, he provided for an interesting mix of political discussion, provocative and entertaining discourse. That's a no-no at the clown factory.
Instead of providing a regular weekend gig to this talented ex-San Diego talk vet--who was just beginning to develop a following here, the clowns instead hire carnival barkers and UN-funny NY witch comics that couldn't move the needle if their life depended on it.
*One of my KGO-TV, (ABC7) spies informs me of some disconcerting news regarding the ABC O and O here in the city. According to the source, it's an uncomfortable mix of real news and promotional tie-in.
Says the source, who has worked in the newsroom at Channel 7, it goes like this:
Take a look at the current Channel7 News promotional tie-in with Sleep Train and money-raising for foster kids. Ch 7 has bought into the mattress company's ad campaign and is promoting it within the news portion of its newscast. GM Bill Burton has blown a huge hole in what used to be an impregnable wall between news and the sales department. The station is apnea doling news coverage in return for Sleep Train buying more spots. Sleep Train isn't the culprit here and actually can be thanked for raising money for foster kids. Channel7, Burton and News Director Tracey Watkowski, however, have sold out news department principles for a fatter bottom line. No matter how worthy, it's crass commercialism intruding into news content. What's next? -- tonight's lead story on the economy is brought to you by Bank of America? Shame on management for selling news content. Hope they sleep well on their money-stuffed mattresses. For serious journalists with solid ethics, however, this Sleep Train deal isn't a good night's sleep, it's an ugly nightmare.
Ouch.
*Follow me on Twitter
Actually the Channel 7 story tends to be a knock on the larger mattress retailers and suggests going to Costco or Ikea.
ReplyDeletehttp://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=8737866
I've been noticing this not only on Ch. 7 local KGO news, but on the network news shows too.
ReplyDeleteDiane Sawyer's newscast is almost shameless with some of the plugs for their 20/20 show or Good Morning America shows, or the shameless plugs for books published by Viacom owned companies on CBS and their nightly news or 60 Minutes show...
And BTW, note to Bill Burton and Tracey Watkowski. When I see your journalists doing the Sleep Train for foster kids ads, I immediately change the channel.
As journalists Dan Ashley, Carolyn Johnson and Cheryl Jennings must HATE having to do these shameless plugs on their newscast.
Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite are spinning in their graves
Watch Al Jazeera and the BBC for serious journalism, which left America a long, long time ago.
DeleteIf you think reporting "lead-if-it-bleeds" American-style news is serious journalism, that kind of explains what is wrong with America and with American-produced journalism, for the most part.
I cannot take any "news"caster seriously who night after night reports on the latest crime news. We all know in Oakland, they kill each other. In San Jose, they stab each other. In San Francisco, same.
Community-based journalism was lost a long time ago as TV stations and newspapers consolidated local coverage into regional coverage. You lose true community news that is relevant to the average person.
Thanks, Rich, for borrowing my carnival barker metaphor.
@1:25pm is right on. I also find it pathetic that many local newscasts report on the goings on at American f-ing Idol. What happens on that show is NOT news!!!!
DeleteI live in Carmel and the newscaster Marc Cota Robles and his wife Jasmine Viel get orgasmic talking about who got voted out and who the new judge is etc. I can not picture Cronkite hyperventalating that J-Lo and her big ass is leaving Idol...sad state of affairs all around....
I agree with the person from Carmel about Cota-Robles and Viel on the local news. KION/KCBA is a mess when it comes to news, local and otherwise.
DeleteWhere can we hear Stacey Taylor? Last week I stumbled upon Peter B Collins on KPFA, he was doing a show on Rosswell and UFO' s. Both of these gentlemen were great while at KGO, especially prior to the infamous bloodbath. Both offered intelligent, serious discussions of topics and treated callers with respect. They are pros. Compare them to the CSI hag on Saurday nights and the embarrassing comedian on Sunday nights. It is a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteSince when is Roswell and UFO talk "intelligent, serious discussion"?
DeleteDid you read the post? That was on KPFA. It was actually a very good show. He approached it as a newsman and did not go into little green aliens talk. You must be one of Jared Hart's henchmen/women
DeleteYou would expect that the "new" KGO would not want talented hosts like Stacy Taylor and Peter B Collins on their worthless station.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate when other readers of this blog lets us know where we can hear old time favorites and other good hosts. I miss John Rothman everyday, would love to hear his take on Romney's campaign and other political issues. Just heard Lloyd Lindsey Young on 910 right before noon, following by Tom Benner (formerly officer Vic), nice to hear Lloyd's voice again doing the weather. I don't think 910 is done evolving. They seem to understand, that listener's like to hear familar voices, be it news, talk, traffic or the weather. We are all busy, spending lots of time at work and/or commuting, the radio can be constant and comforting known in our busy life, thus radio personality becomes a familiar voice, that we like and depend on, something that seems totally lost on Cumulus.
Should 910AM add Michael Savage? I think they need each other!
ReplyDelete@1:51 910am is mostly Liberal except for Limbaugh & Coast2Coast, Savage doesn't fit in.
Delete1:51 and 2:38, Savage's program airs live at 3 pm PT. With Len and Gil holding down the 3pm-7pm hours, even if they wanted Savage (and only God knows why they would), he'd have to run on tape delay in the evening or overnight. Sullivan's sort-of an intelligent conservative, so why add Michael's brand of low-rent hate to a station that, excepting Rush, has managed to avoid it so far.
DeleteAgree with you 100%, I like Tom as well as I have written before on this blog, also like Armstrong and Getty, they are so much better than what Sussman and Melanie Morgan has become. Sussman has trouble letting Melanie talk, I can see why, she is much more intelligent than he is, he says stupidest things, and no one calls him on it, because most of his listeners don't think and don't listen to programs that would actually challenge their beliefs. Also 910 is not mostly liberal, Len does not espouse a political view, Wattenburg is conservative, as is Rush, Sullivan and Armstrong and Getty. Conservative hears one host that is liberal or middle of the road, and they think the media has been talking over by liberals. They are so paranoid.
DeleteSavage does not fit in on 910 am and I am a fan of his. He would've made a great propaganda minister for any authoritarian regime pre-1945. Today he took the audio of an Obama speech out of context and ran with it for two hours, painting Obama as the next Stalin. I get a kick out of him because he is so over the top. The funny thing is he complains that he is banned from Britain because his audio was taken out of context!!! Hypocrite through and through, but I tune in because the entertainment value is high. Savage conveniently failed to talk about Romney's tax return fiasco....
Delete910 should make a spot for Taylor...he was a solid listen.
ReplyDeleteHow does 910 make a spot when it has less ratings, less money and less signal to make any changes or improvements?
DeleteIt can't.
The revenue isn't there. It costs to put Stacy on the air. That ISDN phone loop costs money from San Diego and back.
Running radio stations -- even those we not dislike, including KGO, still need to feed a huge bottom-line. KKSF 910 has not the resources to do so ... that why it is so "syndicated." It, literally, owns the programs it syndicates -- including Limbaugh.
When you have ratings that place you 18th - 20+, you have economies of reality. Clear Channel is a big 800 pound gorilla that needs to make money in its large markets -- especially in markets like SF.
Why does it not work here? Because listeners here don't find it informative or entertaining enough. Not when there are 19 other stations and other choices (like Syrius) ahead of it.
Those are the facts and realities of it all.
No they don't, been there done that. I think they decided he was too much trouble. Anyway as I have written before on this blog, between Rush, Hannity, Levin, Sussman and Melanie Morgan, plus the awful Red Eye KGO added, we don't need another bombastic right winger, even though Savage a can be independent and entertaining at times. He is on in Sacramento and lots of the Bay Area (Contra Costa, Solana and Alameda, even parts of the Peninsula can get that station. Should be enough for all the conservatives.
ReplyDeleteWho else should you all blame this whole freaking f--king dilemma on?
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you all identify their names? Because you can't. Long Live the Cloud!?
You are an idiot. I'm not sure what your point is, but a good talk show host will make you think, rather than confirm you beliefs.
ReplyDeleteDiversity of opinion is what is called for, I listen to Tom Sullivan, because he does make me think, and he stands out from above mentioned hosts, who just seem to repeat the right wing talking points. Go and listen to the boring KGO and KSFO obviously you don't have an independent thought in your head.
Hoping 910 gets enough traction to add more local talent on the weekends. Would be a good fit for Stacey.
ReplyDeleteCollins does some of his best work on his own self-produced podcast, wish he'd get more play on the airwaves. Great interviewer.
Sorry to hear this. Before the debacle, I listened to Stacy and he seemed to be a great addition to the talkies. KGO is now the place where the newbies go to get internship credit. He's better off almost anywhere else. KGO has become a joke. Better not keep it on the resume any longer than necessary.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear Stacy Taylor is leaving. Now, which one was Stacy Taylor again?
ReplyDeleteThis is off topic but I tuned in to Alan Colmes and a certain Weintraub is filling in....Barry Weintraub...I almost had a heart attack thinking it was David Weintraub. What are the odds of multiple Weintraubs on the radio?
ReplyDeleteI listened to Barry Weintraub for about 30 minutes, have heard him before. Listent briefly to David Weinbraub when he was on KGO a few weeks ago. They are not the same, perhaps related, if so one is obviously more talented than the other.
DeleteIt was great to hear Gil bantering with Lloyd Lindsay Young today on News Talk 910. Gil commented that they are slowly building a local talk station and I know there are many that hope they are successful. Something comforting to hear familiar voices again and we can only hope that the ratings prove they are on the right track.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I've heard Stacey, whether at KGO or filling in on another show I've always been surprised he doesn't have a regular gig. Like Peter B. Collins, he is always prepared, smooth and seems to have a plan that results in listeners actually learning something while they are on.
ReplyDeleteYes, adios! I will not miss listening to Stacey nor Peter. It's a good thing that KGO is adding more women talk show hosts to balance things out.
ReplyDeleteWoman hosts are good, as in Chrisine and Pat. Bad woman hosts are just that bad. We don't need anymore bad host/s, especially on KGO.
DeleteThe CSI chick and the NY female comedian have set women back 25 years with their horrific shows
DeleteWhy KGO would pick Maureen over Stacy is a complete mystery to me. Stacy's afternoon show on the weekends was 'must listen' radio for this house. He is sorely missed!!!
ReplyDeleteComments to Julie and 11:00 I will miss Stacy as well and Peter. Who can understand the reasoning behind decision management at KGO these days. Other than they seem to want to go their own way, and don't care about the long time listeners. I have written many times askind for Stacy or Peter, last time Stacy was on, I even applauded them (in an e-mail)that they still seem to want to have good hosts on. Well, so much for that. I also write and complain about Maureen, Candace and others.
ReplyDeleteI will miss the classy Stacy Taylor. He is a really interesting host with a perfectly sane yet provocative point of view.
ReplyDeleteAmen, makes you wonder how much talent is out there that we never get to hear. Not sure why, money, different point of political view, makes you wonder. As far as I can see KGO is getting rid of most the liberal heavyweights, like Stacy and Peter B, and instead add the comic, who despite being liberal, no one who had gotten use the old KGO quality cannot listen to, too bad.
ReplyDeleteI listened to Stacy for years when I lived in San Diego. Then last year I turned on KGO and instantly knew who it was as soon as I heard a few words from him. He is one of the better hosts in the business.
ReplyDeleteKKSF has a long way to go before it is even close to what the old KGO was. Those idiots Armstrong & Getty I can't stand. I would probably kill myself if I had to listen to Rush, I hate the man. Tom Sullivan was OK when he was local here in Sacramento. Moderate host worth listening to most days. But, now he works for his good friend Rush and has moved way to far to the right for me.