Saturday afternoon was chock full of news dominated by the BART tragedy in Walnut Creek where two people were killed after being struck by a train.In addition, the strike presented traffic nightmares all over the Bay Area as freeways became congested particularly near the MacArthur maze near the Bay Bridge. Not surprising.
But the big news was the accident in Walnut Creek.
KCBS, as usual, was the go-to platform on radio with reporter, Anna Duckworth on the scene with the breaking news from the scene of the accident.
Later updates included especially pointed reports from Phil Matier, who on short notice provided early analysis on how the accident might get the unions and BART management back to the bargaining table and accelerate a settlement.
What was KGO, your "news and information" station up to? How about consumer shows and cooking with Ryan Scott. KGO managed to provide updates but all it amounted to was innocuous tidbits from its affiliates. In other words, unless you liked hearing a grown guy chortling over tapas and burgers, you didn't want to be listening to the KGOne albatross. That is, if you wanted to know about the on-going developments in Walnut Creek.
Utter clueless. You'd figure someone in the news dept. would have called the boss and said we might want to get an anchor down or reporter, but why bother with basic intelligence. Even by KGO's byzantine standards, Saturday's circus was beyond the scope.
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Utterly tasteless post. Two people died and take away is the coverage circus comment? Pathetic.
ReplyDeleteHow's about" Out of respect for the victims and families, any and all coverage comments will be delayed until an appropriate time. Please use good judgement when posting comments."
Prayers to the families of the victims, stay strong.
Are you kidding me? Out of respect for the deceased, KGO will no longer offer immediate coverage of any given event. KGO will decide when it's appropriate to air/print a story. You know, when they think the public can handle it. Russia has the very kind of press you could respect. In the meantime, KGO is going to teach us how to brine our turkeys. Oh, gaaawd.
DeleteAs for self operating trains, CPUC not only requires train operators they have to be regularly re-certifieed. What you know about BART is nothing. It takes more than TO's and station agents to run BART. There are mechanics, electronic techs, communication techs, electricians for the substations, trackworkers, cash handling personnel, and all the administrative support required to run any transit operation like planners, engineers, purchasing, accounting, etc.
How sanctimonius you are 10:20! It may shock you to realize that the reason we have news "coverage" of anything is because it matters. No one is happy this happened,but it has immense impact on the BART strike and negotiations.This is a major story affecting the Bay Area and reported all over the world, and being talked about this morning on KGO by Greg Gory and the listeners. Perhaps if you would prefer the type of media which"delays comments" until your feelers don't hurt anymore, you could try living in another country, one where the media is government controlled?
ReplyDeleteMy Dear Christine, as every Tea Party man or woman could tell you (were you one who listens vs reacts) the American Media is already largely under tight control and sanction from President Jarret, Oh, I mean Obama. Seven reporters are now under active investigation by the FBI because they haven't yet revealed their sources. More than in all other administrations combined till now. What's that? You are not impressed with these Hugo Chavez like tactics of intimidation? Quelle surprise!
Delete@1:07, aside from being entirely off topic, your comment is insane.
DeletePerhaps you are still smarting from the beat down, you and your fellow Tea Party lunatics endured recently as the vast majority of the American public, including rational Republicans, repudiated you and your hostage-taking approach to governing.
The influence of the Tea Party has been appropriately marginalized.
1:07-That would require listening to babbling idiots. When you have facts(who, what,where,when,why--you know, good journalistic practice) then come back and tell us the media is controlled by the government. And its President Obama to you, whether you like it or not.
DeleteMany "true" conservatives could tell you that the Tea Party is a fringe, divisive faction that is ruining the unity in the conservative movement.
DeletePalin's cranky and vacant expressions/reactions, and incoherent ramblings, aren't helping the cause. One could argue that Obama has those same traits, but why would the Tea Party even the fight by throwing a known weak link to the fore?
@4:48, yes of course Tea Party members are the only ones who know the real "facts" in spite of a general lack of education.
DeleteHow do they manage that? Just like Sarah Palin, what they don't know they invent. Ignorance is bliss.
I wonder what Brian Sussmann might have to say about this, he was on his morning show a few weeks ago saying Bart Train operators were not necessary, the train could be operated by a computer, and an operator was not essential, he also said any idiot with about a week of training could drive the train. Wonder if he would be willing to get on a train operated by either a computer or someone with just one week of training? I doubt it, in any case Sussman is an idiot, but I think we all know that.
ReplyDeleteBUt BART trains were designed to be driverless. They are automated now. Driver doesn't really drive the train. And yes it takes minimal training to learn how to operate an automated car. "Drivers" are mostly just eyes to make sure no one gets stuck in the closing doors and stuff like that. Notice that the train operators are often hanging out the windows while the train is approaching or departing a station. Certainly they don't need to be as highly paid as they are because it is a very non-technical and uncomplicated job. The first several months of BART operation in the beginning had no drivers and were operated strictly by computers. Then, due to a few glitches, they decided to put a "driver" on board as a back up.
DeleteOk 7:54 be our guest on your BART driverless trains. Be comforted by the fact you'll be left to your own devices when HAL 9000 takes a crap while you are stuck in the Transbay Tube. No doubt you won't mind pilotless aircraft as well. Around and around she goes, where she lands nobody knows. Eric Schmidt can serve as your chauffeur in your Zombie automobile. Have at it baby! It's your Brave New World.
DeleteSussman won't mind when they slash his overpaid non-union salary? Those BART workers actually do something he is unfamiliar with, it's called WORK. Does anybody care what he thinks? Who listens to him anyway?
Brian Sussman's job as a right wing nut could easily be automated. Any average Silicon Valley programmer could piece together 100 Sussman right wing phrases and Cumulus could play them tirelessly from 5-9am daily for cents on the dollar while his amateurish sidekick cackles at every quip! Think about it Cumulus! No need to reduce his salary. Just get rid of his ass and save the salary expense. He'd be happy to support you guys since capitalism is the survival of the fittest! What do you say!?
DeleteAll of this stuff about how the trains don't need drivers ..etc. overlooks the fact that a driver,even with the computer running the train, a driver can stop that train...manually.The management operator(s) on the fatal train.....did not.
DeleteI love that cooking show. Ryan Scott is hot. Caught him on Rachel R. as well as the Today Show. Rich is probably happy with his peanut butter sandwiches.
DeleteHaving 40 years of working railroad experience and currently working part time for two Bay Area Railroads ( Northwestern Pacific in the North Bay and Niles canyon in the South Bay), BART train engineers are highly trained and must monitor signals at 80 mph while making sure that the route the computer has programmed is correct. More importantly, they have to monitor in real time dwell times at stations in order to keep on schedule and more importantly make sure headways between trains remain constant. There is a lot of monitoring of wayside signals and passing trains for defects or dragging equipment. They also monitor closing and sticking doors as well as other mechanical problems including sticking breaks. The BART employee has many years of experience to keep an aging system in operation.
ReplyDeleteThe simple reason that KGO didn't cover the story is that they have very few people available to cover news on the weekends, because their weekend coverage pretty much shuts down after 10am Saturday morning.
ReplyDeleteYou may thank their parent company, Cumulus Broadcasting, for that. First Cumulus decided to go 'all news,' but then they designed it in a way that couldn't possibly compete with KCBS. Do they even have a plan or are they just treading water like so many other clueless companies out there?
KGO has no people to cover these stories on weekends now that Tim Monty is gone! He gave us the theory of the two planes during the Aseana crash. How come Ryan Scott can't just cover it, like when other shows cover tragedies outside their scope? Right, he's an idiot. A Paul Hosley special like the rest of them.
Deleteand montemayor was not an idiot?? Although he did some decent reporting on the Bart strike, but he was an intellectual lightweight, with mediocre command of the English language.
DeleteThank you Mike P. for a dose of reality.Some media types bashing the unions don't seem to realize that the average worker does not have a talent agent to negotiate their contracts for them.
ReplyDeleteAlso quite interesting is Steve Glazier the Orinda city council fellow supporting a ballot prop which would make transport workers unable to strike. Glazier is a terrific guy who wants the next big job in politics. He was stellar under fire when he was Chief Justice Rose Bird's top aide. I like him, and understand his need to become a household name before running for the legislature. I just think he's not being fully candid about the constitutionality of such a measure, which of course cannot be vetted by the courts,until it becomes law.(see US Constitution..case or controversy)
To 8:30, 8:59 I absolutely loved your response to my blog about Brian Sussman, I can only hope he reads this, but doubt it, he likes to live in a bubble where he thinks everyone is ultra conservative and everyone agrees with him. I wrote the blog at 6:13, I don't listen to him much, since I can't stand him, but once in awhile I like to hear what the wing nuts are saying, not regular conservatives, or regular republicans, but the extreme, it can be entertaining, but Brian Sussmann does not have much of a personality, nor is he very innovative, like 8:59 said Sussmann can easily be replaced, I hope they will replace him, he is always saying, how hard he works, how it is your own fault if you don't make enough money or is successful.
ReplyDeleteAlso loved the response from Christine and Mike Pechner. I don't want to ride a train without an operator,
It was like Timmy Montemanure all over again with the Asiana flight that one fateful day last July...
ReplyDeleteIf I'm Ryan Scott's live-in girlfriend, I'd be keeping closer tabs.
ReplyDeleteI think it is high time we reevaluate the worst talk show host in the history of Bay Area radio. Maureen Langston on KGO has held to the top spot for a while now but her colleague chef Scott Ryan is making a case for himself every Saturday he's on. For sure the segment: SECRET ASIAN MAN has to be the worst on radio bordering on outright racism.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, what is up with Savage? Gone two days in a row with an amateur filling in named George something or other. Sounds like a weasily douch.
Well Tim Montemayor is gone, so we can leave him out. Maureen Langdon is a tad better than when she started, at least she takes calls, and is not some right wing nut. I think Brian Sussman is high on the list, he uses the phrase "Listen folks, every few minutes, has no original thought, terrible sense of humor and nerdy boring personality, however Gil Gross might be the worst these day, this despite that I use to like him and his show, my beliefs are more aligned with Gill than Sussman, but Gil's 4 hours of no calls, is boring beyond belief, too many stories, where he hems and haws, use to many words (how else does he fill 4 hours almost by himself) he interrupts the news and weather person, and it adds up to too much of one host.
ReplyDeleteWhoever thought his up, and why do they stick with it? Is there anyone, besides a handful of listeners who turns into Gil' show anymore?
agree 7:49 pm on Gil. I can't believe how horrible 910 has become. It had such promise, with Gene, Gil, John, Ed, Rosie. It COULD have worked. I really liked the old Gil, but can't stand this new one. There is a part of me that wonders if he has a big management role and eliminated everyone for his own placement. Management has to see the numbers are FALLING... I'm afraid it has gone too far and if they do change the format, no one will know....because NO ONE is listening any more...except Rhoda and their son, and maybe Lloyd's wife. If he took a day to take calls..who would call? It is so sad, so sad BTW I swear I hear Rhoda as voice over on a few commercials. lc
ReplyDeleteI posted the blog at 7:49, don't know the story, not sure 910 management has an answer. Gil has John Rothmann on every Monday night, but even that is not that great, Gil interrupts a lot, and it is frustrating for those of us who like and miss John. I never thought of Gil as someone with a big ego, but I'm beginning to wonder, he just seem to want to hear himself and his wife talk. Lot of people are critical of Ronn, but he still does a good interview and let his guests talk.
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