Thursday, August 21, 2014

Aloofness at KTVU; Rosenheim's Salary at PIX; Surly Ama Daetz; KNBR Not Ready For Prime Time Players; Bastida and VLDC; Thursday Notes

 THURSDAY NOTES...

While no one will say anything publically, (duh!), a longtime KTVU staffer says the newsroom is completely out of the loop with a lameduck GM and News Director. "We're all in the dark and it's a guessing game."

Staff awaits the direction of the station once Fox takes over in October but clearly, the mood in JLS is tepid at best.

The Boy Wonder, Lee Rosenthal put his Eastbay house up for sale in June and now it's closed. Most likely, as I've said here, Rosenthal is headed to Boston with GM, Tom Raponi, who has already landed the GM gig with Fox25 in Boston.

*The Game, (95.7 FM All-Sports) has a morning show whose star jock, Aubrey Huff, has taken a lot of time off recently, (Mostly vacation), probably to count his Giant's money and update the resume because the program is clearly in trouble and so is Huff's radio career.

*A TV trade based in Florida questioned my report that KPIX's ND, Dan Rosenheim was making somewhere in the 'hood of $350K...a former PIX reporter told me Rosenheim was at about $330K six years ago. I'll take his word for it.

*Ama Daetz, new KGO-TV weeknight co-anchor: more than charming ON the air, a little surly OFF the air.

*Sussman: Drudge Report headlines, repeats stories, bash Obama, play stupid Joe Biden 7-11 actuality, repeat more stories, bash Obama, fake banter with traffic chick whose voice sounds like a gravel machine at the Hayward dump, end of show.

*Spencer Hughes/KSFO hate monger: Was I too harsh? No, kind of tame actually.

*That new KRON VP and GM: looks can be deceiving.

*It's pretty evident that when Gary Radnich, even in his sunset years, takes vacation, his KNBR show suffers from a case of the Not Ready For Primetime Players.

*Ken Bastida and Veronica De La Cruz: Not exactly chummy. The body language alone speaks volumes. More ominous for PIX: Bastida likes everyone!

*Follow me on Twitter


18 comments:

  1. Veronica de la Cruz (Veronica Schertz) doesn't seem to be all that they hoped she'd be. Perhaps a repackage as Veronica Tokuda might get her over with the Asian audience.

    While they're at it lets repackage Gary Radnich as Gary del Rio. Si? or no?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @9:48 All I hear is crickets from your comment.

      Delete
    2. They'd have better luck with Vanessa Del Rio.

      Delete
  2. Totally agree on the Gary Radnich comment! I like Larry, but I don't want to hear about referee fitness and endless whining about Tarpgate at 9 in the morning - I want to be entertained. Kate as usual adds nothing and seems incapable of carrying on a conversation. Whenever she speaks, she sounds like she's reading from a giant book of forgettable, obvious sports takes. Paulie Mac also sounds in over his head without Murph - but of course we already knew that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Larry is pretty good, but Kate is just hopeless. Her faux outrage, her pale imitation of Gary while simultaneously ripping him, her pride in being a drunk, just aren't good radio.

      Delete
    2. The interesting thing about the morning hosts is that they seem a bit thin-skinned. Last week, Murphy commented that one tweeter should listen to another station after the tweeter asked for less sound board. I'm sure the station loved that. Radio sports talk hosts should get that even if people are disagreeing with them, they're still listening (to the commercials).

      Murphy's an unabashed homer but there's a place for that on KNBR. Unfortunately, I hear more about UCLA football than Stanford, ranked #11 in preseason, or Cal (who cares) or SJSU.

      Paulie Mac is you or me doing sports talk. He's not even Robin to Murphy's Batman, who has the writing pedigree. He's more like Police Commissioner Gordon with a limited record collection and a sound board.

      Delete
    3. Agree on Larry and Kate not being entertaining.

      You can tell Larry is always trying to dig deep into sports articles and other sports media to discuss on the air. His information and opinion can be interesting sometimes, but often it just hurts the flavor of the show. Gary will even complain about it on air. I've also noticed Larry has a habit of not citing his sources. He tries to portray himself as very knowledgeable of the topics he discusses, but aside from football, he gets a lot of details wrong. And his theses seem contrived at times, designed to excite listeners.

      All of Larry's issues get magnified when Gary is on vacation. When paired with Gary, his knowledge derived from research and his passion for sports compliments Gary's more casual approach.

      Kate offsets Larry with her more levelheaded and measured analysis. When she speaks, she usually provides factual information. But she lacks a unique and enjoyable on-air personality. Krueger will at least voice controversial opinions and expose himself to ridicule. Kate is always safe.

      Delete
  3. Funny thing about Huff: as 2010 was unfolding and he started getting a lot of press, the gist of every interview was the thread of 'oh man, I'm not used to this, all my other teams we were out of it June, blah blah...' Then he shows up in 2011 lookin' like he laid on the couch and ate pizza for months and he ends up - basically - stealin' money for two years...an extremely lucky, anxiety ridden, radio no-talent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The current morning show on 95.7 The Game has been on the air less than 5 months and Huff has easily taken 5 weeks of vacation already. When he's actually on it sounds like he's home in San Diego. It's hard to imagine a multi millionaire having any motivation to deal with those early morning hours.

      Delete
    2. I don't know; he didn't look like much of an athlete in 2010. He had a pretty piss-poor 2009, which is why the Giants were practically the only team willing to give him a major league contract.

      More likely being in his mid-30s is what caused his skills to suddenly disappear. It happens all the time.

      Considering the meager contract Huff received in 2010 for providing all star numbers and helping the San Francisco Giants win it's first world championship, as well as make it's ownership richer, the new contract can be viewed as nothing more than a well-deserved severance payment.

      Delete
  4. > Sussman: Drudge Report headlines, repeats stories . . .

    Not to mention replay ad nauseam today of his dog's barking in background on Levin program yesterday. Broadcasting from his "bunker," as if anyone cares, he solicitously added that it was not as "luxurious" as Levin's.

    How does this radio host escape FCC censure for touting "KSFO Morning Show" as "highly rated"? When do such unsupported claims, heard repeatedly during fill-in stint, equate with false advertising?

    ReplyDelete
  5. My only complaint about Larry is that he knows too much about too many sports for my narrow taste. But were I looking to hire a guy with lots of knowledge, an engaging delivery, and the ability to fit in, he'd be my guy. I think he's done a great job fitting in with Radnich (no small challenge), and, to Gary's credit, he's made the best of it.

    As for Kate, she's peddling shtick and I am not buying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He's a poor man's Greg Papa. He lacks charm. He's a uber fan, trying to come off as an authority. Apparently he used to be a shock jock in the mold of Damon la Bruce.

      Kate has no shtick, that's why she steals Gary's. Keep searching, Kate.

      Delete
  6. Damon Bruce looks and sounds like a moron on the 95.7 Commercial..

    49ers next stop Lombardi!

    Dream on homer.

    ReplyDelete
  7. De La Cruz may not be long at PIX, if even Bastida is uncomfortable with her. Very ominous indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  8. KPIX used to be my favorite news media outlet, but I can barely watch them any longer.
    The way they have treated Roberta Gonzales, is a crying shame, and poor Lawrence Karnow can barely mention his favorite NFL team, the Raiders, because KPIX is "owned" by the 49ers ownership's Franchise lock, stock, and barrel...

    ReplyDelete
  9. KPIX pays good (A TON) of money to kneel at the belt of Jed York.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Let the RACIST Larry Krueger enjoy his 15 minutes while Raddy is away because that is as close as he's ever get to being given a slot of his own. It doesn't matter that it SEEMS like the bosses and listening public have forgotten his moronic comments. Big market radio is a serious corporate business driven by ad dollars. Even though many corporate executives may secretly harbor views that make Krueger look like Gandhi they don't broadcast them over the airwaves - they save them for county clubs where those who might be offended are not allowed except to mow the lawn. There is no way any station is going to risk a sponsor dropping out because somebody might remember what this idiot said. So enjoy your playtime Herr Krueger but get used to being second fiddle, it's okay somebody will always buy you a double Wild Turkey to cry in at the Philosophers Club.

    ReplyDelete