Friday, October 25, 2013

Friday Questions From The Readers

FRIDAY QUESTIONS

What's on your mind?

Try to keep it short and simple and I'll do my best to answer.

Fire away.

128 comments:

  1. Rich - I drive home from work at around 10 p.m. and I will scan stations, and sometimes hit KFOG's 10 at 10.
    WHO does 10 at 10 now? The woman is AWFUL. Sounds like an amature who often cant get the song/artist name correct.
    Why has KFOG gone into the crapper so deeply?

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    Replies
    1. Don't know because I long ago gave up on KFOG b/c it's not really worth listening to, sorry.

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    2. Because Cumulus Atlanta decides what they play for 33% of the hour. That's right, San Francisco's KFOG takes cultural cues from someone in Atlanta about what to play on the radio. Everyone needs to hear the Avett Brothers 45 times a day.

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    3. 10@10 is now done by Renee, and yeah, it's not what it used to be. When Morey left, Annalisa did a fine job -- until Constantine came in and tried to eliminate the sort of music-geek obscurities that make 10@10 interesting. Since Annalisa left, and Renee took over, it has faltered badly, tho' the new PD has actually improved it a bit.

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  2. You once called your self "the King of Bay Area Media."
    What happened?

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    Replies
    1. I still am.
      Ask your favorite TV anchor. Ask your neighbor.

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    2. Sorry, none of my neighbors ever heard of you.

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    3. And I've never heard of any of your neighbors too.

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  3. could we get the names and emails of the local news directors so that we can email them re: their policies?

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    Replies
    1. Usually if you go to the station web site, there's info on how to get in touch.

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  4. Rich, you mentioned Pete Wilson in your last blog post. What was, if any, your relationship with him over the years? As someone who was born and raised outside of the Bay (In San Diego), but has Bay Area roots, hes greatly missed.

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    Replies
    1. Met him once at a golf tournament --didn't get to know him all that well but he was a nice man. I'm told he could be difficult in the newsroom but most talented people are that way. --I miss him too.

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  5. Since you asked, what do you think is the root of your insecurity?

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  6. what's the status on Lieberman Live?

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    Replies
    1. I'll address that in a future column but not much as changed.

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    2. What a fiasco. Nothing but bogus excuses from the hypocrite who ridicules others for not being honest.

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  7. Can you expand on the rumors in your comments section in the past about back alley doings and "ladyboys" involving someone you have a truce with?

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    Replies
    1. Yes the R@DUN#CH sure has his own interesting proclivities, no? Wonder if his wife and family approve...

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  8. Can I take you out to eat and pick your brain? Dinner on me of course.

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    Replies
    1. Only if you're a woman and slightly resemble Monica Bellucci.

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    2. With your looks Rich, you'd be lucky to get a woman who looks like John Belushi!

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    3. Thanks for proving comedy is not easy.

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    4. Impossible for Lieberman!

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  9. Will KNBR ever dump Giggles and Arsenio?

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  10. Where is Maggie Scurra nowadays?

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    Replies
    1. Probably somewhere near the San Jose city limits ...long gone from Channel 11.

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    2. Hi Rich, and hi, whoever was nice enough to ask. Yes, I am still "in the area," still doing occasional TV work -'Comcast Newsmakers' - along with the wonderful Jack Hansen and Barbara Rodgers, plus some other projects. Ready to step in where needed!

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    3. oh man! Maggi Scura! I lover her! I grew up with her and Doug Moore on KNTV 11. To me, that was how local news was supposed to be. I haven't cared to watch local news since they've been gone. I'd love to see Maggi Scura replace one of these yo-yos who are currently anchoring. I saw her at a big box retailer in San Jose but was too shy to approach.

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    4. Hi Maggi, Mike Pechner here. Compared to ANYONE in this market you still are the BEST! Loved doing the weather on 11 with you and Don. You folks were very patient with me, and I appreciated it. Sure miss the good old days, and they were very good, thanks to you!

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    5. I always thought Maggi was a hottie. And I'm the one who asked.

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    6. @6:49 agreed on everything you said. I never even look at channel 11 anymore. When they adopted the whole "let's have one of every nationality to cater to the growing Asian population" I tuned out. FYI kntv they watch their own channels with people speaking their language....

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    7. Margo Myers went from Salinas to Seattle where she worked at both KOMO and KIRO before starting a PR firm. http://margomyers.com/

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  11. I always thought Margo Myers was hot hot hot when I would pick up Salinas 8 on our local television back in era of 80's/90's cable in the south bay. Any info on where she is now or any tidbits on her from the past?

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    Replies
    1. Margo Myers left Salinas to take a gig up in Seattle at KOMO back in the early 1990s. I think Margo got out of the news biz- Last I heard she runs her own advertising / P.R. firm out of the Seattle area called Margo Myers Communications.

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  12. Any update on more layoffs at 7?

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  13. What's John Kessler up to? Anything going on with him other then the Saturday shift at KGO-AM?

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    Replies
    1. Kessler, as you pointed out, is on freelance basis with KGO and does Saturday and fill-in anchoring.

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    2. Kessler has another job outside of radio that pays the bills. He should be on full time on KGO.

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  14. What's up with Terilyn Joe?

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    Replies
    1. Last I checked she was in and out of the biz and trying to repair an image that was, well, tainted, slightly, sort of.

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  15. Any updates on the talks/meetings involving KRON, KNTV, FOX,, and NBC from a few weeks ago?

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  16. Rich a few weeks ago you had mentioned that some executives from Fox and NBC had planned on visiting KRON. Have you been able to find out what the outcome if any has produced?

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    Replies
    1. The execs decided not to buy KRON. But they're going to purchase Tommy's Joynt.

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  17. The NFL seems to usually get/allow local games to be broadcast in the teams home town but local college games seem pretty much locked up by ESPN and PAC-!2 Network. Is there any hope for regular local college games on broadcast stations or are they locked into pay tv channels (cable/satellite)? I watched (free) a local live Cal game on espn3.com but the commentary was in Spanish, was that just a token effort at public access?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. College game is vastly DIFFERENT than NFL in terms of TV...whereas NFL broadcasts LOCAL games in home market, (assuming home game is 85% sold out), then home market gets that game televised, (home game)...colleges here usually run by ESPN, Pac12TV Net, Fox Sports and FSports1.

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    2. College games area also broadcast in local markets, except when you're awful, like Cal. But nearly every other city in the country the local is always on.

      As far as making a point, you'd probably want to capitalize VASTLY, and not "different." Or BOTH.

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  18. What's the status of ATT U-verse TV service in San Francisco (as a competitor to Comcast)? I see a lot of advertising but whenever I check my address on their website it's not available? What's the status of those 700+ boxes they were planning to install on the sidewalks around town?

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  19. Does anyone ever watch those pay porn channels that run on Comcast anymore?

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    Replies
    1. Pay porn on TV took a big financial hit from the internet. It's free on your Laptop-that is if you can keep your laptop from falling off your lap.....

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  20. Is anyone making any money with all the "extra" broadcast TV channels like 4.2, 4.3 etc or are they still building a market/audience for them? Seems like they're usually always in 480. Is it really a matrixed signal that gets broken apart into multiple channels or are they seperate signals. Seems like there's some foreign language programs that "split" (?) a channel into 6, 8 or more signals. What's the max? How does it work?

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    Replies
    1. Uh, way too complicated. Sorry, but I'm hungry and tired.

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    2. All of the signals are modulated onto one 6MHz channel (the same bandwidth as analog). The maximum bitrate is 19.4 megabits of data per second, though the actual amount usable is less than that when accounting for error correction and overhead. You can squeeze quite a few channels onto one signal. 1080i uses the most bandwidth, followed by 720p. The more subchannels you squeeze onto the same 6MHz channel, the lower available bitrate you'll have to give to each subchannel and the more you'll need to compress each signal. If you look at KAXT, they have a lot of subchannels. However, the resolution is fairly low and it doesn't look as sharp compared to HD stations. It's highly-compressed. KPIX, by contrast, has no subchannels. So, they can dedicate the full amount of bandwidth to their 1080i signal.

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  21. Does XMradio/Sirius have terrestrial repeaters in the Bay Area? Where are they?

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  22. How come you live in a time warp and romanticize how great the way things used to be. A lot of the stuff you glorify from the past was just mediocre crap from that era and now you act like it was magnificent treasure.

    Van Amberg, Pete Giddings, Pete Wilson, you think they were so great? They were guys in suits with good hair.

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    Replies
    1. Because things were better--better talent, better product and better-informed people --unlike yourself.

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  23. Is there any local production by broadcast TV stations that's not news or talking heads public affiars? Are the days of local "Eye on the Bay" type programs gone forever?
    (Those pimp pieces on KRON don't count.)

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    Replies
    1. No more 'Mac and Mutley."
      EYE shows are still around...I believe Malou Nubla still does a show somewhere.

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  24. You make fun of the matress man but I bet you would not turn down Sleep Train advertising dollars from your show.

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    Replies
    1. You're right, I wouldn't...but he makes enough where it shouldn't overtake his brand--it has. Kind of tacky.

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    2. Don't always agree with Lieberman, but on this issue he has a point.

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  25. We're is your Radio Show? I had the day off today and no Rich L. ?

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    Replies
    1. I'll explain in a future column. Believe me it's not that interesting but I'll explain, really I will.

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  26. Whatever happened to Malou Nubula? Thought we was a rising star. Just sort of fizzled out. What happened?

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    Replies
    1. She's selling furniture on local TV.

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    2. People caught on that she is very annoying.

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    3. That chick (Nubula) had a high opinion of herself.
      Too bad for her it was not shared by many others.
      Keep selling that furniture sweetheart.

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    4. She was on one of those "Around the Bay" type weekend shows. Then she left because she felt her ideas weren't being listened to. I used to work with her when she was a traffic reporter at KRON in the mid-90s. Believe me, she's never had an idea worth listening to. She still doesn't get that.

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  27. Rich -- Following the Asiana fake name gaffe at KTVU, I thought Tori Campbell should have been fired along with the others. When she wasn't, she should have voluntarily stepped down. To keep working when others lost their jobs showed a
    lack of decency and character on her part. Am I being too harsh?

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    Replies
    1. No, but she's a woman and recently re-uped her contract --maybe they were afraid of her.

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  28. when are you going back on dino costa? you really killed it last time

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    Replies
    1. I think Dino and I have procurred our last rodeo.

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  29. I rarely visit my old favorite KSFO anymore, certainly not since the July Jump Off. What's Melanie up to? I t seemed to me they were trying to get rid of Rabbi Lapin, putting him on at such an 'unGodly" hour of 5am Sun. I wish Lapin and Barbara Simpson would go to a more viable station in the area, but perhaps there are no viable or up and coming type terrestrial stations anymore in the Bay Area.

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    Replies
    1. Melanie is enjoying life as far as I know. The others? I don't listen.

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    2. I'm one of the few masochists who tune in to Rabbi Daniel Lapin's show on weekends. He must be getting paid nothing because he takes the opportunity to peddle his web site and garbage books every chance he gets. I think I've been seduced by his wicked silver tongue and his South African accent. It is humorous to hear the same people call in the show week in and week out. There's an annoying Israeli Yenta who calls in every week to bash liberals and Obama and even the rabbi cringes and puts a stop to her mad ramblings. Rich if you never heard his show give it a shot, the rabbi loves wearing fedoras just like you!

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    3. Regarding Rabbi Daniel Lapin...
      Don't miss this interview Lapin recently had with Glen Beck:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP6fAff16Qw
      It shows how clearly disturbed this Rabbi is!

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    4. Petulant hate monger Brian Sussman recently posted on his website that he is getting out of the whole hate polemic game and going into the faerie tale business.

      http://www.briansussman.com/god/a-change-of-purpose/

      Any chance that his horrible morning show is coming to an end

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    5. Thanks for the video link! The first sign the rabbi is disturbed is evidenced by his oversized yamulka. I woke up at 5am for naught today. The rabbi was not in! Instead we were treated to another fill in job of Spencer "Jose" Hughes who antagonizes the regular listeners of the rabbi with his pro gay stance.

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    6. Wow...Brian Sussman, the Jew, is now becoming a Christian?
      Amazing...what do you think might have inspired Sussman's shift to Christianity?

      Rich, I love this new Question Topic, thank you!

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    7. Brian Sussman is just another typical conservative scoundrel. He's realized his act as global warming denier and angry white guy schtick is going no where so he's going for an image change. However, renouncing his Judaism is a bit extreme don't you think? Maybe it wasn't an act and the guy is crazy after all!!??

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  30. Who had a better mustache in the late 80's you or Mark Ibanez?

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  31. Is bullshit "Breaking News" ever going to go away?

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    Replies
    1. No, they screwed it up and can't fix it nor help themselves.

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  32. Off topic, but Ken Bastida is anchoring the 6: p.m. newscast while Allen Martin is reporting a story! Is Ken back at 6:00?? I hope so....

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  33. P.S. I am romantisizing about the good old days with Ken on at 6:00 and 11:00.

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  34. Where does ROOOOOOOOON "O" Really buy his mattress?

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    Replies
    1. Surely you jest. Ronn probably hasn't purchased a mattress with his own financial means since the 70's. As I recently stated here, he's a shilllllllll.

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  35. Since the newspapers are a form of media, I would like to chime in on my alarm at how thin the San Jose Mercury News has become. I used to look forward to the big Monday business section and the Sunday sports section, but those days are gone. I do appreciate smaller newspapers like the Tri-City Voice that provide local community news and a run-down of upcoming events.

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    Replies
    1. I noticed that as well.

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    2. Canceled my subscription last week

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    3. I'm hanging on for the crossword puzzles and sudoku.

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  36. Say Rich, what is your take on the greenhouse effect and global warming??? Science fact or science fiction???

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  37. Gary Radnich and his wife on KRON is about as exciting as getting a root canal. No, I take that back, a root canal is productive, it helps your teeth.

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  38. Will Dave Clark take a retirement soon? Puhleez?

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  39. Any word out of KTVU? Sounds like the employees were ready to revolt over the firings.

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  40. From Coco County...Did you hear about the Big Foot sighting in Walnut Creek? Probably just somebody in a suit, but at 3am? Tongues are wagging!

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  41. With Janice Gin at KRON does that mean Stacey Baier is gone? Aaron Pero? What's the scoop?

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    Replies
    1. If KRON was smart they'd get rid of both. But then again that's why they're KRON

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  42. Post the local news ratings----isn't KRON in last place in every time slot--I know they are the only news at 8--but they have to be last also up agaionst the networks
    So you don't knock Raddy anymore??? I guess---as he says--he is not important anymore

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    Replies
    1. KRON's morning show has actually been doing well, though I don't have any numbers and though I don't know why anyone would look at or listen to Darya, especially first thing in the morning. Kind of like getting a kiss from the dog as you're waking up.

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    2. The numbers are dreadful in the evenings. Their 11pm draws hash marks every night, and the 8pm doesn't even come close to anything on the networks. Heck they can't even beat anything on the CW.

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  43. I hear that at least a couple more people got let go from KGO this past week - Steve Rockwell (who has a great voice and was a solid afternoon traffic guy) and sports reporter Dave Fowkes. Know any particulars or if anyone else got canned?

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  44. How does that creepy leech Karel keep his job at any station and especially at KGO?

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    Replies
    1. Cause talk at KGO is pretty bad with the exception of Thurston and Copeland.

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  45. Why did Scott Ryan on his show today mention "Anonymous" on a well known blog (this one!) without mentioning the blog by name? The best part of the Chef's show today was when he informed us he'll be off next week. Hallelujah!!!!

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    1. I heard it too. It was during Ryan Scott's first half hour. He called out his critics on blogs and invited them to call in or come meet him in person. Never thought the chef was such a tough guy! Scott said his critics are jealous of him and he's better than his critics while his side chick cackled in to the mic. Rich, I think you have another feud brewing and this time it is with a chef with bravado who can make a mean chimichanga!

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    2. Ryan Scott is terrible on the radio. Rich is doing his readers a disservice by even mentioning that show on this blog. No one cares about it. They should not only fire him, but whomever it is who hired the guy.

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  46. I've got a question that has been niggling at my mind the past few weeks. Where has Steven Lightfoot gone? One used to be able to hear him calling in to a variety of talk shows across this country; I even caught him on Baptist Radio one Sunday, to my delight. I recall some morning show guys out of NYC (nine years ago?), mentioning his passing. I called Steven's folks from his whois to confirm, and that death notice ended up being a hoax in and of itself! The five bucks I spent on his treatise, ten plus years ago, is a definite coffee table conversation starter. Where is he Rich? Has he been heard on the radio lately? Anyone seen his van in The City?

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  47. What is the status of Family Radio? I think they should have thrown in the towel long ago. On another subject, I think KFRC should be back on the air in their pre-2005 form. It would be better than that dreck on 103.7FM. SF also needs a good Country station. What do you think? We already have too much talk on the air.

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  48. What ever happened to Sebastian Kunz, the entertaining one-man news resource on KNEW and KKSF?? It's like he was just swept off the face of the Earth by one of George Noory's alien spaceships.

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    1. I was not a fan of Seabass especially when he started talking on air about how flaming gay he is during his news spots. As I recall he left for "personal" reasons as stated by Gil "monologue" Gross. Now that we are talking about people who suddenly disappeared. What happened to Dave Weintraub? He filled in for Maureen Langdston a couple of times and then disappeared even from the producer's chair on Pat Thurston's show and the idiot Chef Scott's show. Not that we miss Weintraub but what happened to him!? Did Montemanure take him to Utah!?

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    2. Gil Gross tried to gloss it over as some sort of mutual parting of ways, but Sebastien's twitter account suggests otherwise:

      "sebastiankunz ‏@sebastiankunz 10 Sep

      Ouch. That's it then. I'm hunting for a job"

      Oddly enough, his page on talk910.com is still up, lol.

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    3. Cbas's Facebook page is sometimes hard to read, seeing how much emotional pain he is in at times. There is no way it was a mutual parting of ways, in my opinion.

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  49. How is Jim Eason doing? Will you ever get to interview him?

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  50. What was the reason why Rod Brooks stopped doing the sideline reporting mid season 2 years ago?

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    Replies
    1. Incompetence and his inability to answer DBruce's questions in post and pre game show.

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  51. It was never reported and Brooks fluffed it off on the noon-to-three show. I will never forget an "interview" he did by himself with Tim Brown. "Let's welcome to KNBR, Tim Brown. The last time I saw him, he was walking off the field at the Super Bowl in 2003 . . . blah, blah blah . . . the Raiders had lost . . . more blah, blah blah." Then after a minute of framing the question he asked, "How's the wife and kids?" REALLY? You put him on the air and that is your first question? So lame.

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  52. What's going on in Modesto. A young Pappas and radio rookie David Ferrell Jackson really going to bring KMPH back. What about Total Traffic and Lloyd Lindsey Young? What is the conflict for TTN in Modesto? How have they operated the station for these months with no income and why no sales people and ads? The music sounds good, signal is good courtesy of good engineering. http://kmph840.com/

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