Thursday Quick Bullet Points...1. Damon Bruce is only guaranteed the first year. Think of NFL "contracts" and then think of Damon. The "4-year" contract after the first year is pretty much null and void if "The Game" is no longer in action, (which could happen) and a whole host of developments take place. Entercom is said to be just happy to have a presence in SF but if the ratings continue to flatline at a 1, then it's bye-bye baby.
2. I knew Bruce got a considerable raise from about the $75G he was making at Knibber, and figured he would get about $150G from his new gig until I was told from an industry wag about the $200K-area and that makes sense. It sounds high in this day and age but again, after a year, it could be nothing too.
3. Fact and sad: Ronn Owens ratings on KGO are now lower or roughly the same as if a guest host was doing the show. That's not an opinion but a fact.
4. Even if The Game had approached Ralph Barbieri about doing a short, 2-hour show during the week, the Razor would have declined most likely to his health status and weakening voice. By the way, I'd listen to Ralph at his half-best them some of the flunkies working today.
5. Scoops are not "scoops" when the information is obtained off a press release.
6. Yes, I don't listen to KFOG and could care less they have a new morning team. KFOG was relevant about 15 years ago. When Morey left so did I.
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If Ronn went back to his original format of 1 topic per hour and then talking MORE than 5 minutes at a time I think things would turn around. One of the reasons I don't listen as much anymore is the fact that they talk for 5 minutes then break. Talk for 5, then break. Talk for 5, then break. All kinds of commercials. It really makes you turn the dial. That and 5 topics an hour. Way back when you'd turn on Ronn at the beg., hear what each topic was going to be for the different hours, then either continue listening or come back for the topic that interested you. Now...its such a hodgepodge.
ReplyDeleteThose breaks serve a purpose. That's when I brush, shave and shower. You're right, too chopped up and not enough time per topic. It used to astonish me how many people who were true experts on the subject at hand would call in. No more. Lots of repeat callers who like to get on the raaadio but don't have much to contribute.
DeleteRonn's long interviews were boring the last couple of years, and seemed like lazy radio to me. The guy seems about as sharp as an eraser on some days. I don't care for the KGO format at all and think the short topics are pretty annoying but it's better than him droning on and on. He is finished in my book. I stopped listening to that station altogether on the weekdays. I have Cumulus to thank for finding new alternatives.
DeleteRich (or maybe somebody else) Can somebody tell me how the three guys called the Rise Guys were actually fired?
ReplyDeleteI mean did they go to work and were ushered out of the building? If nobody really know could they at least let me know how it probably came down - literally without any ridiculous scenarios. Thanks in advance.
Little Lucca's
SSF
would say they were either told after their final show or got a phone call / email later in the day asking to come in for a quick meeting. regardless, once you walk into the PD or GM's office and see the HR rep sitting there you know it's not good news. most likely sign something saying you won't do any station bashing on social media or your compensation package is nullified. as with most workplaces, your building pass / computer access is immediately stripped and you do get escorted out.
DeleteThey don't normally give someone a chance to go on air AFTER being fired.. Imagine how fun THAT would be..
DeleteWEEI / Boston actually gave Glen Ordway (their Barbieri, but even bigger) 3 days on the air following their decision to part ways with him last year. You never see that.
DeleteKGO isn't really local radio anymore. I think that was a plan all along...to destroy it.
ReplyDeleteThere is precious little local radio left, anywhere in the entire country. The corporate media's agenda to continue dumbing-down and right-wing-radicalizing the U.S. population continues unabated.
DeleteI think the primary Cumulus goal was to eliminate KGO as a voice that mirrored the political demographics of the Bay Area. They think that if all they feed us aurally is the claptrap of their rednecked bullshit, we'll become as stupid as a typical racist redneck is, elsewhere in our country. And yes, there are plenty of red necks around that are being hidden underneath white collars.
Frankly, I think that on a national scale these ultra-conservative media corporations, like Cumulus and Clear Channel, fully intend to eliminate every public voice except for the "Sieg Heil on your dial" crowd, such as Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin, Beck, Savage, etc. That despite the crappy ratings that these evil hateful jerks generate.
Given that the U.S. population is pretty evenly split down the middle politically, in terms of liberal vs. conservative, they are essentially giving the finger to roughly half of the U.S. population. Well, you can take away our voice, but you can't make us listen to your evil vile bigoted talk hosts. Watch as your ratings die a slow painful death, in link to the old white people who run your BS corporations who are steadily dieing off.
To the Boards of Directors of these corporations I say, you're fighting a losing battle over the longer run. That's because the demographics of this country are shifting away from control by a cross section of bitter angry old white men and women to a broader spectrum of cultures. The day will come when we'll take back OUR airwaves... and OUR country.
We're tired of having your talk hosts' bigoted racist feet wiped on our faces, simply because your wealth and power as station owners and operators allow them to get away with it.
Ignorance is bliss. The more you know, the harder life is. Unfortunately ignorance has been bliss for decades here in the Bay Area.
DeleteWow, what a bigot.
DeleteYeah 4:23, we get that you're a troll...a very unamerican/socialist/race baiting troll, but what are your thoughts on Rich's TOPIC?
DeleteI don't see Damon doing much for The Game's ratings. His show isn't for everyone and those who consider themselves fans are probably already following him on 1050. These people will follow him over to 95.7 and basically replace the listeners who leave The Game due to Damon's "style."
ReplyDeleteTo answer 12:56 anon, who wanted to know how the 'Rise Guys' were fired, I'm sure the three of them were probably called into the PD's office who then very respectfully told them: "You've been great guys, but we have to make a change. We wish you only good luck in the future."
ReplyDeleteIt's the sad reality of our profession. Almost all of us who have worked for awhile in radio and TV have had this unfortunate conversation. Now Kreider, Gleason and Dibs have to look for other work. The thing is, they're not going to get anything over at KNBR because the 'Sports Leader' isn't hiring now now ("Lee Hammer says no!"), so they may have to make career changes which is never easy.
Dan burned bridges at KNBR and his attacks on Hammer after Dan left Knbr pretty much killed any chance for coming back to Knbr
DeleteRich, why the Despicable Me imagery on this post? It's funny because that's what I hear KTVU employees are calling their new ND
ReplyDeleteI ** completely ** agree with 11:27 re Ronn. I do think - in spite of his tenure and salary - that Cumulus "dictates" his format, but - yes, it's completely ridiculous that he talks for such a short time on any given topic. Granted, some topics draw fewer callers than others - but give the topic a chance! Heck - if you wanted to call in or FB on a topic, by the time you get to your device/phone, he's on a different topic! C'mon, Ronn - you're waaaay experienced. Be creative - develop the topic and have a discussion. And - I don't think there could BE any more commercials and still have a host that gets a word in.........completely distracting, disruptive, boring. I know - they need the income, but?????
ReplyDeleteKNBR would be smart to snag Whitey Gleason for mornings to help that anemic offering that they currently run. He's creative, knows his stuff and has a nice light touch for Morning Drive.
ReplyDeleteTo comment on 4:23pm's radical racists rant toward corporations and white people, you need to look outside your ghetto and realize that the United States of America is a conservative white country with corporations that provide all of us jobs and an opportunity to improve and advance ourselves. Wake up and take advantage of it instead of always trying to find fault. Stop being al loser all your life and blaming it on the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the attack on white women and men has been in effect for well over a decade now. Do we scream racism every chance we get like others? No. What would they do if we finally turned the tables and took that away from them? They wouldn't know what to do. They've relied on it for decades. They've created entire industries out of it. It's a HUGE cash cow. With whites becoming the minority in the next decade maybe we'll create our own NAACP. Except where you have colored insert Caucasian.
DeleteRaise your hand if you think Owens is going to stand up to management, or for anything that threatens his paycheck? Have we learned nothing from this man? Didn't he tell us a few weeks ago how well cumulus treats him?
ReplyDeleteRonn would have made a great slave.
Cumulus destroying the station before his eyes and he just makes sure the check clears each week.
A real hero.
I FINALLY gave up listening to Ronn when a couple weeks ago one of his topics was the Bay Area getting a new AREA CODE. Is that what this show has become? Trying to generate interest about a new area code???
ReplyDeleteRonn, you used to have some of the best talk radio in the area. I've been here since 1987 and listening to you since (or had been anyway). Once Cumulus took over and started dictating your show ... it now SUCKS BIG TIME.
I happened to hear that too. My wife was with me in the car and she said "is this what you listen to?" I started laughing about it. That might be the last time I heard his show.
DeleteIf Bruce was only making 75k annually in this market with his profile, I'm glad as hell I didn't go into broadcasting.
ReplyDeletedon't forget the giants store gift cards as cumulus bonuses!
DeleteRE 4:23: You nailed it. Conservatives want to control the flow of information. Thanks to Bill Clinton's telecommunications act, radio is just about dead. White men control the government and and every industry in the country but they want to be victims - of anything. White guys haven't figured out that it isn't blacks and Mexicans who are ruining their country, but other white guys who don't give a crap about them. Keep voting against issues you think only help brown people and you will end up with nothing. It's kind of sweet that you think Wall Street will share the secret handshake and take care of you.
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ReplyDeleteFact and sad: Ronn Owens ratings on KGO are now lower or roughly the same as if a guest host was doing the show. That's not an opinion but a fact.
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Interesting. It's great that people are tuning this guy out..., but why is the station keeping him on with this lousy ratings instead of dumping his fat ass salary??
Um, maybe because he has a contract??
DeleteKRON morning news shows ( WEEK DAYS AND WEEKENDS) seem to have switched the anchors/weather people - except for Marty G. - ...musical chairs for a short time???
ReplyDelete