Sunday, December 29, 2013

Sunday Forum: I Take Your Questions about Bay Area Media

 Sunday Questions and Answers.
 
This is quite popular. A sort of community shop talk. So go ahead and fire away and I'll try to answer as best as possible.
 
Please, as always, keep it civil.

28 comments:

  1. Who owns the call letters to KOME and KSJO? If someone wanted to start a radio station could they use those call letters since no-one is currently using them? Or are they intellectual property somewhere? KOME and KSJO would = built in nostalgia and audience.

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    1. They'd have to talk to the company that owns the call letters.

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    2. R.I.P. Mikel Hunter and Dennis Erectus. "Does your mother know you've got KOME on your radio? Hey, I've got KOME in my ear!" And back in the day, when you were traveling north, 98.5 magically became KZAP, so no need to touch that dial at all. Excellent sounds all the way up to Tahoe. Anybody remember the KZAP All Request Electric Lunch? Pretty tasty stuff...

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  2. Is the KNTV investigative unit more for corporate or government issues? Or are they along the lines of Michael Finney...consumer advocates we consumers can call for help?

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    1. I don't care much for the KNTV Investigate Unit, (as I've posted here); more fluff than guff, in my opinion.

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  3. Rich, you see us writing our opinions on this site every day in regards to who we do and don't want on the radio. My question is, are there any local stations now in existence that even give a tinker's damn what we, the terrestrial radio listener has to say? I recall the moment I truly understood the attitude many large corporations have for their customers; I was watching Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, decades ago, Lily Tomlin was on as Ernestine, the phone operator, and she laughingly said "Sir AT&T doesn't care what you 'think', because WE DONT HAVE TO CARE! Have a nice day!". Does it matter at all Rich, or is there more or a hive effect, with the central office in New York, LA, or Hong Kong making the big decisions, then hiring local managers in order to implement those pre-formed decisions. The manager who conforms the most to expectation 'wins' by keeping their jobs, at least for this fiscal quarter. Does anybody care what we say here besides us? The choir sings to itself.

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    Replies
    1. Sadly, no.
      Stations like KCSM, KALW, KALX, that rely on listener donations, yes, very much pay attention and respond to feedback.

      The others, owned by big corporations and pretty much devoid of FCC regulation, largely don't care about the public's feedback.

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  4. To what degree do the big corps care about ratings? or are ratings only for the sales/advertising types?

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    1. The ratings rule. They dictate the schedule and yes, of course, when you have top ratings, you get top advertising dollars, particularly demos in the 18-54 age range.

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  5. From the current lot of Television and/or Radio Personalities who, in your opinion, is the most misunderstood? Overrated? Underrated?

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    Replies
    1. Misunderstood: Michael Savage.
      Overrated: Larry Beil.
      Underrated: Ken Wayne.

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    2. Why do you feel Michael Savage is misunderstood? I don't like the man, for the most part, or his show, but I do believe he is what he portrays on the air, which for the most part comes of as a small minded, bitter, egotistical maniac. What is there to misunderstand? He even says himself that many people don't like him, and that he does not care. He is intelligent, and he at rare times show a human side, (at least he did when I use to listen to him) but for the most part not. I would at times be caught up in his rants (especially when it was against Levin, or Bush) then I would switch from Savage to Gene Burns, and Gene could talk about the same subject, and even in theory agree with Savage, but his explanation and treatment of the subject was so superior to Savage, eventually I stopped listen to Savage.

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  6. With Sean Hannity moving to lower profile radio stations, do you think it is a sign the sun is beginning to set on his radio career?

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    1. Yes.
      Hannity's radio ratings have been sagging for years and so has his FNC numbers, hence his move to a later time slot.

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  7. Hi Rich, when will the nightmare known as Karel be over & done with?

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    1. Probably sooner rather than later. The Christmas party antics didn't help his cause if he even has one now.

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  8. I've always been curious as to whether there is a limit to the amount of commercials a radio station can play per hour, or can they play as many as they think the audience will tolerate before changing to something else? Sometimes it seems like there are more commercials/promos per hour than actual programming on many of these stations especially on AM talk radio.

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    1. In the old pre-regulation FCC days, yes there were limits. Not any more and yes, it's way over the top and why people hate AM radio.

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  9. There was a guy on KSCO Sat. AM doing an imitation of you singing. I thought it was overstated compared to what you would sound like. Did you catch it and what do you think? Did he do a reasonable impersonation?

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  10. Who is this guy on KGO right now that's blaming the parents in the Mcmath story? UNBELIEVABLE! Is he kidding me!!!

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    1. The girls family has been using the heavy attention of local media to slam and manipulate the hospital. Other hospitals see this hysterical behavior and are scared off by it, they don't want all these impossible demands to come knocking on their door. The family would have gotten more cooperation with less marches. Someone needs to start helping the parents to accept that their daughter's spirit has left her body ten days ago. Stop trying to paint the two teams of doctors as mad monsters. I'm Catholic, and I say, it is time to let your baby go. All you have left is the container, the body.

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  11. What are you basing your prediction on that Karel will be let go?

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  12. Just read that Laren Nancarrow, formally of KPIX, has passed away. http://thenancarrowproject.com/2013/12/29/loren-nancarrow-september-27-1953-december-28-2013/

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  13. What's your take on Greg Papa's show? He knows more sports any one in the media. The dirty humor gets old but that's par for sports radio.

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  14. rich
    how much does a typical radio spot cost say like on KSFO or KGO. can you wheel and deal in the negotiations for price.

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  15. He ran out of opinions.

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  16. Rich, I just wanna know who is married? Thuy? Kristen?

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