So, if you were driving home from a late dinner in the wee hours last Friday night/early Saturday, you missed quite a show. I mean, it don't get any better when a KGO Radio talk host makes fun of the station's 9-Nooner, Ronn Owens.
And not only did David Weintraub basically take out Owens on-air, he rather matter-of-factly destyoyed him, belittled him and made mincemeat of him, unless of course referring to his mattress man as "Ron Blowens?" Bam!
It got better.
Weintraub's out of-nowhere fisticuffs was in reaction to an Owens caller and Ronnnn's subsequent mea-culpa about the 2012 election. Actually the subject matter is a who cares.
Listen to this thing of beauty beginning at : 27 after.
And here I thought I was the only one who has tired of his highness act.
This should rankle a few feathers and not just Shakira.
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Rich that's a lot of build-up for a couple minutes of DW busting Ronnn's balls. Hardly an evisceration.
ReplyDeleteIf you know Ronn Egowens then you know something is being eviscerated. The last thing Ronn wants to deal with is a battle during his waning days.
DeleteI don't appreciate this type of radio but I do think it cuts to the heart of Owens. It's not a fire-able event especially with guys like Damon Bruce staying employed.
I thought the Shaira / Beyonce thing was hilarious. It was a reference to Ronn's commenting that coming up next they were going to talk about Justin Bieber. He said it multiple times as if that's going to make the younger people listen! I feel like some of the rest of you in that I think it's wrong to make fun of fellow hosts at your own station, but in this dog eat dog world it doesn't surprise me I guess.
DeleteLet's talk about something important...has Erica Kato been moved to weekends on KRON4? It is a total sausage fest in the morning show now...
ReplyDeleteYeah, what happen over there? Someone on this blog knows....
DeleteTrue, anon @ 11 am. Pulling straws here. No big deal in this opinion.
ReplyDeleteHere, however, IS a big deal that could cause Weintraub a problem. Last night, subbing for Mo' she-don't-know Langan, in the 11 and 12 hour, Weintraub got really bored and started criticizing the wall-to-wall coverage of both Fox and, especially, CNN over the plane incident.
That's ok and, frankly, he raised a salient point. "To much Breaking News that didn't have any Breaking News." Fine, no problem.
Until he decided on his own to cleverly have his fill-in engineer who obviously was clueless, to pull, as a joke, the ominous sounding "This is KGO Breaking News" that is only used by the news department during, well, a guess at what it feels is "Breaking News."
It was startling to hear, what with the plane story, the Crimeria vote, reaction by the economic markets (speculation) and other real news going on at the time. Weintraub would have the message played not once, but five or six times each hour, just to say, "Oh, we have Breaking News? No, no Breaking News." It was not funny nr appropriate for going after the station's "Bulletin" message when there was, no bulletin. Especially over and over again as a joke. Imagine if an earthquake had occurred or some other "happening of import" and the already misused "Breaking News" message had played and everyone thought it was a joke. Ask the people at KTLA (or watch it on many sites) how they felt when an earthquake made them dive under the desk at 6:25 this morning. No big deal ... but it did concern a lot of people. It was funny, in an odd way, but it was real and, in fact, properly done for the reaction to be as it was.
Making fun of the already disappointing formatics of KGO made Weintraub even more worthless. He, like Karel, should be fired. Ronn makes more money and can tell them to pound sand. No one cares. But making fun of your employer in the manner Weintraub did is uncalled for and fireable.
It seems he was making fun of CNN and FOX's coverage, and not KGO's. You should take life less seriously. You may even find you enjoy it.
DeleteHardly a game, set, match calling a Radio Host out for changing his mind.. He does have a point but an overwhelming victory? No.....
ReplyDeleteUnless Owens was present or on the phone, I'd hardly call it fisticuffs.
ReplyDeleteI don't listen to Ronn Owens a lot, but Mr. Weintraub's on-air gripe seems to be that no one who ever votes on the left side of the political equation may ever rethink her/his political votes or beliefs. Those who do are then rightly subject to scorn, ridicule, denunciation. There are righties who believe and act similarly. Fits in with my own current view that too many leftys, too many righties blow polemical donkey dong (figuratively speaking ......, of course). Political discussion is nigh on impossible these days in America, particularly on any kind of public forums ..... Sad freakin' deal ....
ReplyDeleteI think his gripe is that Owens is always straddling, as I mentioned in the post below. I guess that's what the Humpty reference was, which was probably the most insulting aspect.
DeleteI've made similar comments in this venue before, and will again: David Weintraub is an idiot. (I've only had the intestinal fortitude to listen to him on a couple of broadcasts....enough to confirm and solidify my view of him). Say what you will about Ronnnn. He is a long-time host who could retire at any time. A radio legend, some would say. My opinion is that he's finding it a bit difficult to fulfill the remainder of his contract by jumping through the Cumulus hoops, and having to disengage himself from many of his old (and somewhat timeworn) habits. But he's doing his best. And the bottom line is that Weintraub will NEVER be able to hold a candle to Owens - not in his wildest dreams. As for Karel: I think he's more intelligent than many people give him credit for. Tolerable? That's another question. He marches to his own drummer.......
ReplyDeleteRon ----> Please respond... Can KGO have Weintraub on the same station as Ronn and afford to have David mocking Ronn. I'm serious .... Has Ronn blown his stack over this?
ReplyDeleteWho is Jared?
I notice that not one poster has the guts to use his or her name. I think David Weintraub was right to call out Ronnn Owennns. I mean, Owens wishes ROMNEY was calling foreign policy?! What does Owens want -- war with Russia, Iran, Syria? All of the above? Owens just revealed himself as a rabid neocon, if he hasn't done so before. Kudos to David. It's immensely refreshing to hear someone call a spade a spade in this day and age -- especially on terrestrial talk radio
ReplyDeleteDear John: as long as there is an anonymous drop down menu - it's gonna stay that way for many but let me ask you a serious question: How is everyone assured that John Mainelli is your real name?
DeleteI think Rich knows it's me and, if he's not sure, I just sent him a friend request on Facebook.
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/john.mainelli
DeleteSeems like merely a joke which I found somewhat funny. Jared is Ronn's producer. Not exactly fists flying, but as I suggested a few weeks ago this guy is on the path to getting himself fired. Taking on Ronn Owens is probably not a great idea. The salient point in his comments about Owens is that Ronn straddles the fence and strives to be Mr. Every-man. That's what makes it funny. I don't think Weintraub is an idiot at all. He can be nonsensical quite a bit but he seems pretty sharp. Rich, keep us posted on the fallout.
ReplyDeleteNot only does Owenns "straddle the fence" but he's absolutely terrified of offending ANYONE -- especially a much-needed listener. (KGO hit yet another record low in the radio Nielsens today -- and is in danger of being a 1+ share station next month.) BTW, Ronn, you need to ditch your Bichon Frisé. The trendy Marin dog is now the Perro de Presa Canario, built to keep George Lucas' poor people in their place. If you get one, the Pressy will take care of the Bichon real quick.
DeleteWhy do you have such a curious attitude about Ronn Owens, one of the best talk show hosts if not THE best talk show host ever here in the bay area, Rich? Is it because he had you literally walked out of the building several years back when you were driving him nuts, or is it because you just need someone to go after? If you're going to get good and mad at somebody, Ronn Owens is not the guy. He helped you out more than anyone else in the local media Rich, and this is how you show your gratitude, with character assassinations and petty criticism?
ReplyDeleteToo bad your information about having me " literally walked out of the building" is untrue since it never happened.
DeleteMy issues with Ronn have to do with the manner in which he conducted himself, on-air, professionally, (or lack thereof) after the format change. Nothing else, and not personal, but since he's injected me into the debate, you too by the way, (and another anonymous poster at that), I'll fire back or write about legitimate news nuggets like this, in which a fellow host calls him out.
And another thing: Ronn didn't "help me" nor did I seek his "help"--Ronn cares about only Ronn.
"Character assassination?" I merely reported what the other host did and Mr. Weintraub, in my opinion, was spot on Ronn, circa, 2014.
Maybe you should READ before you chide, --who are you anyway? Oh, never mind.
Rich, don't dignify responding to the above Ronnnnn groupie. I've found Weintraub quiet annoying from the first show of his that aired last year. However I found his take on Blowensteinnnnn spot on. This is the same war mongering yahoo who cheered for the USA attack on Iraq. I don't think anyone has had the BALLS to go after mr softie since Bernie Ward. I give props to Weintraub. Who the hell is Lowensteinnnnn that he's above criticism? Rich thanks for providing transparency!
DeleteYou're judging a guy on his first show? Someone take away his PD stripes! His first show wasn't good at all but his fill-ins last year were largely good. Look forward to him being on at a regular hour before they fire him.
DeleteOwens is not so good anymore, but that rant wasn't insightful or funny. Bad radio.
ReplyDeleteI disagree.. I listened to Ronn for the first time in a long time a couple of days ago and by a mile he still is the smoothest, most confident, polished radio personality in this market. I had forgotten how funny he is and how comfortable he makes you feel listening to him...
DeleteWeintraub is wildly inconsistent. There are shows I hear and think 'he will be one of the big names in talk radio' and other days I just turn it off. He needs to find a consistent voice.
ReplyDelete"straddle the fence" That is a Ronn Owens trade mark.
ReplyDeleteTry to please everyone but please no one.
He has made a career out of taking and talking out of both sides of his mouth.
Good for Weintraub for taking that guy to task.
He even wrote a book about it!
DeleteAh yes that book. The voice of "reason". God I remember how smug the guy was when his book came out. Like he was above it all while everyone else bickered. He's been exposed as a spineless bum. The prototypical chicken hawk. Go Weintraub go!
DeleteWow I missed it ...... I got LOST ..... with "Mary Lees" traffic report.
ReplyDelete......Trows-dale avenue ? ......Where is that ?
The Bay Bridge accident at Hwy 80 ....? ......huh
Don't get me started...the traffic reports have been horrible. The readers can't pronounce place names like Los Gatos or Tuolumne; I know that's a hard one but find out the pronunciation before going on the air. Also all of Sunday afternoon, I listened to one of them talking about heavy traffic leaving Full Moon Bay.
ReplyDeleteOne traffic reporter on a weekend said there was an accident at I-880 at Gilman then said it was Oakland then said it could be Berkeley or Oakland. ??? These people spent gazillions on a radio station just so they could throw any old made up crap on the air. For looking as incompetent as they do, I hope they are making lots of money. I listen to KGO sometimes on Sundays and that's about all I can stand.
ReplyDeleteI remember KGO hosts would not talk about other hosts and would say as much to a caller if the caller brought up another host. This does not include Karel, as he doesn't have enough class or does not seem to know better.. Something I do find odd; first Karel, then Owens... Is Weintraub trying to score points with Rich?
ReplyDelete