Sunday, June 1, 2014

Sunday Night Appointment Radio: Rothmann on Talk 910 8-11 PM; US POW Release; Hillary Book and Politics on The Agenda

 Lots in the news tonight including the controversial release of the US POW; the practical and political implications; and the forthcoming Hillary Clinton book--both subjects got a lot of play on the Sunday talk shows.


John Rothmann is guest-hosting tonight on "The Open Line to America" show on Talk-910 from 8-11 PM and will be talking about these and other issues.


Rothmann, the human encyclopedia is a must-listen if you enjoy politics and International affairs, most notably the Middle East. His insight and presentation is second to none, especially for those of you immersed in true news talk and information.


We tend to take Rothmann for granted in these parts particularly at a time where's there's a lot on the table, give a listen tonight while you enjoy your dinner.


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40 comments:

  1. It's great that Bowe i back, but it wasn't due to Obama's (lack of) effort.

    Anyhow, I'm so thankful that Bowe is home, now we have to get our other POWs home (including a Marine held in Meth-y-co, our neighbor and supposed ally.)

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    1. Typical America hating repubican. If Obama found a cute for cancer tomorrow you pricks would find a way to attack him and his beautiful family. No White House for you!

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  2. It's time for Obummer to get this Marine home.

    And for all the amnesty idiots, do you see how contradictory the Mexican government and many people are? They expect us to release anyone who even LOOKS Mexican because enforcing our laws is racist, but they hold one of our Marines for a minor "offense".

    How many gangbangin' Mexican illegals have guns in their possession here in the U.S. and are at the same time receiving our tax dollars, rather than being deported?

    Bring Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi home NOW!!!!!


    'San Diego (CNN) -- Punched. Slapped. Cursed at. Deprived of water and food. Shackled to a bed with a "four-point restraint for almost a month."
    U.S. Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi says that's what life was like for him in his first weeks in a Mexican prison. He ended up there after unwittingly crossing the border from California two months ago with several guns in his car -- firearms he says legally owns, but that it's unlawful to bring into Mexico.
    Tahmooressi told CNN on Friday that things have gotten better for him. He gets by on phone calls to his family, his faith, reading, exercise, sleep and -- perhaps above all -- hope.
    "I think that they will see that I'm not guilty of the crime they've (accused) me of doing," he said. "They'll just let me go."'

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    1. This is not a political site - it is 415 MEDIA, an area media site. Please take your potitics to the proper web site. Thank you.

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    2. Well-said, 8:57.

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    3. Rich takes his cues from Savage. Who do you expect to show up here?

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    4. It's OK enough for you all to accept political comments when people slam viewpoints that aren't Bay Area certified left leaning, isn't it?

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    5. No, not at all. Especially if those comments, like yours 3:42, have no bearing on local or area media. Get it? It's a media blog, stupid. Take your political potshots over to Politico and quit being so freaking desperate to make a point that has bearing on the thread or the blog.

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  3. Finally listened to the Memorial Day podcast of John on KKSF, looking forward to last nights podcast. Why is John not employed full time on the radio? Do these program directors think us terrestrial radio fans are a bunch of buffoons? I listen to talk radio for entertainment and an education, and John does both perfectly!

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    1. The PDs think 25 year olds with ADD are tuning in using their iphones so due to their short attention span they have guys like Frosty the snowflake and Gil Gross do 7 hour monologues switching from topic to topic with no calls. They also think 25 year olds are hanging on every word uttered by David Weintraub and that screamer idiotic chef Ryan Scott. Btw did anyone catch that fool at the artichoke festival this weekend? Screamer of the lowest order. Rothman deserves a spot on radio for sure. I just cringe when he goes all sanctimonious and in his mind Israel can never be wrong about anything.

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    2. John is outstanding and the programs you mentioned prove it. The problem is that in today's world of social media and conversation, John is not relateable to a wide and effective an audience as he was at KGO during it's leadership golden years.

      There is a stigma attached to AM radio, now, for being "to old and of no value to advertisers" who look for, in this economy, the younger demographics of 18-49 or, at most 25-54. The older core audience of KGO is dying off and does not serve the younger demographc which under age 40, has not even heard, relate to or like AM radio today. It is, virtually, non existant.

      Today, there are too many options for young, much more appealing audiences in the maority.

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    3. 8:07, I don't disagree with a thing you've said, but, 8:54 is correct. Radio is a business and before the ratings methodology changed over two years ago, coupled with the mistakes thatt'Cumulus Media made, the ship has now sailed.

      It's a business. Cumulus Media had never owned maor market stations before, only small and medium sized ones. It borrowed $2.2 billion to buy the ABC/Citadel stations and immediately went into debt very quickly. It thought that streamlining would stop the bleeding. It didn't. Why? Because as each year went by, coupled with KGO's awful 'new' format, the station sank to 30th place in the prime advertiser market. This, in an economy that can barely support the top 7-10 stations - most all of them (except KCBS). Even they have an FM station. KGO does not (yet).

      While loyal listeners so enjoyed KGO, understandably, there aren't, now, enough "fans" to make serving the older, 60+ age group and to make money. So, further and further unravelling of the business plan brought the ratings down overal now to where KKSF is beating KGO but one-tenth of a point at a 2 share, while the audience continues to disappear due to bad programming.

      It's a Catch-22. There aren't enough listeners to support a business plan in need of younger listeners and not enough progressive liberal listeners - as proven with such low ratings - and now, non-relateable personalities. The past won't come back, sorry.

      Your comments on Chef Scott are incredibly true. He screamed through the whole thing Saturday His audience was way elitest "young hipsters" and he's on KGO. No sense. In fact, I feel that he is "brokering the time" he's on, meaning, buying the time from KGO in order to be on the air. It's terrible, but KGO is making business decisions to put money in the bank to run the place. He's no "Dining Around" with Gene Burns, but Gene is no longer with us and so very very few like Joel. In fact, most people can't stand him. The numbers prove it.

      So, what to do? KGO needs to revamp it's format, quickly. Add an FM as soon as possible. Gear it for a more left of center, but not far left format of talk and news all week. It needs feature programming of interest to a wide audience like Len Tillum. John won't be a lasting personality unless he gets out of all politics all the time an the Middle East history, too. Too dry. He needs to be a "father figure" and talk about how, for instance, his two boys relate to "issues of the day" in a format presentation. Then, all shows must go to no more than one or two hours at most. More variety and less boredom. Gil wouldn't make it on KGO again, but I have hear him be relateable when he did a talk show for CBS Radio (which many have long forgotten) and he wasn't very successful, but a lot more than now. Gil has a news background as a great ABC reporter, and could, if directed, maybe make it on KGO with new direction and without his wife at his side. Gil worked for WLS in Chicago when it was a rock n' roll station and did quite well there at the time in news.

      No matter what, it's not about personalities. It's about a new overhaul of relateable talk against 50 or more compeitors. KGO is now hardly in the top 30. A tough climb ahead. Thank you.

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    4. PDs and others always try and get younger when they can especially when capturing a younger demo is harder to do. If you listen to savage or Levin they always put their youngest callers on, and PDs direct all their hosts to take them no matter what they sound like it have to say. Ryan Scott is terrible. Weintraub has better shows than anyone on that station. Matt Ray is vanilla and probably younger than weintraub. Then there's Ethan replacing Barbara and Hughes. Don't know how old they are but I also don't care if they perform well. The reverse agism is no better than the typical.

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    5. The post above is correct. Jon missed his window. A weekend show somewhere would be a good thing for him but it's still a tough sale nationally especially since the entrenched guard of radio is still conservative leaning.

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    6. It's Conservative Leaning ONLY because, for one example:
      The Tea Party Koch Brother's created "Americans For Prosperity" is paying big money for that PROPAGANDA/DISINFORMATION RADIO PROGRAM!

      "If you’re a regular listener of Glenn Beck’s radio show and you wanted to contribute to a political group that would advance the populist conservative ideals he touts on his show, you’d have plenty of reason to think that FreedomWorks was your best investment.

      But if you’re a fan of Mark Levin’s radio show, you’d have just as much cause to believe that Americans for Prosperity, a FreedomWorks rival, was the most effective conservative advocacy group. And, if Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity are who you listen to, you’d be hearing a steady stream of entreaties to support the important work of the Heritage Foundation".

      Don't believe me? Read it here:
      http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56997.html

      And RightWing Hate Radio are Rabble Rousing our beautiful nation into another Civil War!

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    7. Has nothing to do with it. Liberals are not listening to KGO and the audience as a whole are not listening to KGO. Tough sell? You bet. It's a 30th ranked AM station, not what advertisers want. On weekends, it's not worth John's time nor the expense to Cumulus. A good idea, but not in the cards. A very slim chance, as is Tillem. It won't be near enough to save KGO.

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    8. 1:02 needs to step into reality. I would bet more liberal leaning listen to KGO than right leaning. NO ONE is listening to KGO. The post two above is correct. Hannity and Levin are great examples of people who don't get ratings, and they have been on flame throwers. Stations don't care there if they're getting revenue, so if Koch Brothers groups, and others, are paying to keep these guys on the air they're going to remain on the air. The numbers are out there for all to see. Ed Schultz is a terrible radio host but if he had a group funding his existence he would still be on the air. Same for Karel or Randy Rhodes.

      Jon Rothman would never carry a 5 day a week show, and Len Tillem was a niche show, sandwiched around talent, on a station that was once doing billing. He went to KKSF and did nothing. I would also suggest Rothmann is a niche show as well.

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    9. 1:43, You're spot on!

      There's an interesting new article up regarding a reporter's infiltration of a recent Koch Brothers big-wheel $hindig.
      It makes you wonder...
      Is THIS the kind of America we really want? Where Big Money Buys Our Political Future? Where we, our children/grandchildren, our American Middle Class and Poor will definitely end up with the very short end of that PLUTOCRATIC stick?
      Citizens United is absolutely destroying America!

      Remember the last Civil War?
      The Dred Scott Supreme Court Decision helped spark that War!
      “Dred Scott turned people into property...
      Citizens United turned property into people.”

      Unless we reign in Citizens United...watch out!

      "Big Money, the Koch Brothers and Me"
      "Here’s What Happens When You Try To Cover The New Oligarchs of American Politics"
      http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/big-money-the-koch-brothers-and-me-107225.html#ixzz33WQyR7W5

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutocracy

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    10. 1:43, calm down and relax. I am in reality with you, but you are in mixed messages that are just not factual. Yes, more "liberals" listen to KGO. You are correct. Problem: Not enough of them to move the needle. Being 30th in the market with an older liberal audience still equals ZERO, or, unfortunately, close to it at a 2.0 share. 2 means two percent of the audience listening to radio overall, ages 6 up to sunset time for the elderly.

      Why? Liberal / progressive talk has lost its audience. The "stars" of liberal talk are gone, except for Thom Hartmann and Alan Colmes. Clear Channel is still in the process of changing their liberal / progressive talk stations to conservative stations -- bad ratings and all -- across the nation. Why? Because it sells better than liberal talk which has been unentertaining since long before the bankruptcy of Air America. A shame, but true.

      You point, however, untrue that "stations don't care if getting revenue ...." Yes, local advertising counts to go along with those national Koch Brothers groups and those George Soros bucks from your side. It works on both sides, don't discount or forget that. Be honest, now, OK. The local talent just hasn't been that entertaining and that important for large audiences to boost KGO from the depths to the top where it needs to be. To do thate takes audience, advertisers, high rates, higher ratings and good management. With a minority audience, KGO has none of the above.

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  4. Ryan Scott is not brokering his time on the radio. They pay him. Same deal as Gene Burns and the other Dining Show that was on sister station KSFO for a while.

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    1. You know this, how? He could be brokering the time and getting paid by the advertisers.

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  5. Ryan Scott does not broker his show. I'm told he actually has a contract! This weekend he had on Jon Favreau which is probably the biggest guest he has ever had, or will ever get. It was terrible! Thankfully Favreau was able to make it professional.

    Favreau was complimentary of Scott's cooking and the fact that he is "living the dream" with the food trucks, restaurants, tv and radio opportunities. Rather than be thankful and gracious about the compliments, Scott just went about doing what he does every show: promoting himself. Every time Favreau would compliment he would just agree with him!

    To think Gene Burns once hosted a similar program and now this is the program the station gives its listeners. I used to listen passively because my mother was a big fan of Burns, but now I hear the difference between amateur and professional. It is nearly impossible to listen to.

    My wife loves cooking shows on TV and radio, so that's how it ends up on the station. Usually we hear if we're driving to dinner or an engagement, and every time it's on I make her turn it off.

    Does KGO even know how to coach people on the basics of being good at radio? This guy not only represents what's wrong with their station, but he's indicative of what's wrong with society!

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    1. Brian, thank you for your spot-on perspective and the information provided. Listen, cooking and wine shows have been a staple of radio nationally and do so today. Narsai Davis legendary presence on KCBS is proof. Even Tom Leykis talking food and wine in LA on radio was impressive. There are others.

      Chef Scott is out of his league and doesn't know what "Theater of the Mind" means. As a broadcaster, I instill in "listening as a listener - not to yourself. Know what you sound like coming out of the radio." It works. What Scott does with his ego and the giggle heads of what sounds like a party of 20-somethings does not make good radio. Ditto for shouting above the crowd about yourself as he does.

      If KGO trained talent, as Atlanta's Randall Bloomquist was hired after he got fired from Clear Channel after dismantling a once proud news/talk station WGST - 560 there, then, things would be better. However, at KGO, training is off the wall, ineffective and surrounded inside the egos of many inside. Add that to the poor management of Cumulus and you hear the 2.0 result. Take the chef, Karel, Copie, Ethan Bearman, David Weintraub, Maureen Langan, Casey Bartholomew and Dallas based news, traffic and weather, and you bring back relateable personalities instead of one-sided breast beaters from one side or the other -- but both, you'll fill with good, experienced, local people who understand people and not just talk, but who also are capable of listening -- just like us. Until then, the imates are running the asylum and picking up paychecs.

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    2. I find your comments strange only because they don't seem to represent what you're suggesting. I do listen to talk on KGO and KKSF, but don't really listen to the conservative stuff. We're both bigger fans of KQED these days over most of it. You wrote "Take the chef, Karel, Copie, Ethan Bearman, David Weintraub, Maureen Langan, Casey Bartholomew and Dallas based news, traffic and weather,"

      I don't have a problem with Kare and Copeland as much as others do, and I'm not familiar with the rest. Are you suggesting they're all partisans? The people you suggest to bring back, or relateable locals, I think they were all quite partisan! As for the traffic and weather, I don't really care where it's from as long as I get it, and it's right.

      I'm not familiar with KGO's Atlanta guy, or the rest of that stuff, but I do think Ryan Scott is a terrible radio host that I cannot listen to. Pat Thurston is the most extreme of the liberals on the station, so I'm surprised you left her out of that mix. At the same time I largely agree with her worldview so it doesn't bother me.

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  6. Gil Gross does a real estate show for the Realtor group. The group buys the time from its biggest stations and they pay Gil for recording the show each week, not the stations. Smaller stations either get the show for "barter" or "per inquiry" but pay nothing.

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  7. @ 1:03 I know because I am a friend of Ryan's and worked at 55 Hawthorne.

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    1. Ryan Scott does not pay to be on KGO. A good cooking/food show in one of the country's best food areas would be welcome. Unfortunately the Dickeys have chosen this guy.

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    2. Thank you. You worked at 55 Hawthorne and are you a part of the Cumulus sausage grinder and the revolving door? Tell us more about what's going on with KGO, please. A friend of the popular TV chef is good and, again, thanks for your information. However, he makes no impact on radio with his act. Never has. Too abrasive and shouts. Too much "it's ME ME ME ME ME!" Thanks again.

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    3. It amazes me to see that there is so much talk on how radio needs to just be about politics, whether it be left or right. Uninteresting hate speech on not just the Republican side (which there is plenty,) but on the Democratic left as well. That's why talk radio is dying. Hate on both sides. The only reason for its success on the right is because there are more audiences listening and more stations carrying it. The left has no talk radio "stars" and lesser audiences in any of its stations. Fact. Why is the liberal left not doing better and why are their audiences so low?

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  8. @ 3:31 Yes, I still work at 55 Hawthorne and I do know Ryan pretty well. I can't say more than that or management here will know who I am, they already are monitoring our work computers apparently. Let's just say it sucks here and the minute I find another job I am out of here, much like everyone else behind the scenes here. F this crappy company.

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    1. 5:37 - Just what I thought. You know you're in the "witness protection unit" here, just keep us filled in on the edges. We've got your back. Any rumors of a format flip floating up and down the hallways? Honestly, no BS. You're not part of the Bakos, Sloan and Whynot brigade, are you? Thanks for your input. We take care of those who help keep us in the know. Good luck and we'll keep eyes and ears open for you.

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  9. Cumulus doesn't monitor computers in the office. Everyone there can use the same login, and the tech people would never go for it. Blatant nonsense.

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    1. Funny, so, why are certain trade publications like, under Citadel, banned from getting through the servers in the cluster. Inside Music Media is one and the publisher is not a fan of Cumulus, Clear Channel, or formerly, Citadel either. I know for a fact that the servers are monitored inbound and out. IT maintains the systems, the monitoring is software controlled.

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    2. Really? How about those TV cameras in sales? Are they for watching for sales rep safety, too? Is Rich's blog blocked at KGO or KNBR? Now, be honest. Or, are people getting it inside from their smartphones and tablets or personal ID'ed laptops? Come on, you can tell us. And each login may stupidly be the same, but the IP addresses to each monitor are different, that's for sure.

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  10. So, don't write on the company computers! Do it from home or mobile on your own email client. We mean no harm and empathize with you and others there very much. You're not the only one leaking. We know who's reading this blog. A good friend saw his entire daily trade banned in the servers there for years and still does. Be careful but keep us posted as you can. Simple answers.

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  11. @ 10:50 I'm certainly no tech or engineering expert but I've been told by engineers here in the building that they are monitoring our computers. So I believe those I trust. And 11:50 no I'm not part of Rene's world. How that skank ended up back at KGO is something none of us can believe here. Lynn and Susan are insignificant gnats here, don't let anyone tell you differently. We have not been told officially of any format change but we do know that Rene has been calling old employees asking about any on air talent that is younger they may know. Happy?

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    1. Well. You have the tri-fecta in the absolute right order, I'll give you that. Stay cool, keep those checks comin', and keep us posted from your unmonitored / camera free bunker compound. Happy indeed We're here to help you and to keep you and other out of the sausage grinder up there and away from the revolving door.

      Rich may have Savage bring VIP lunch by, courtesy of Lew & John Dickey for you. Does the name "Karel" flutter about in the recesses of minds up there on Hawthorne? Hopefully, those debate tickets, all 475 of them, are sailing off the shelves. I hear that Ticketron and Stub-Hub are upset they they were snubbed as brokers for this fiesta. Be well...and thanks. Happy ... as a room without a roof! (Pharrell Williams)

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    2. "Ticketron." You must be part of the prime demographic advertisers are seeking.

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  12. I appreciate John Rothmann and wish he had a regular show, not these fill-ins and a weekly spot with Gil. He's an exceptional host, listens carefully to his callers and doesn't insult them or disconnect if they are frustrating. I've heard him masterfully converse with people totally opposed to what he says, and he asks intelligent questions to make them think. Sometimes they change their minds, and other times they express their views in additional ways so you can see they are not repeating talking points but really thinking. It enlightens us all. I'll take that any day over endless arguing, ranting or a lone host talking.

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  13. He is terrific! I wish he would take over for that arrogant buffoon Dr. Bill. He's a punishing listen.

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