Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Ask Rich Lieberman 415 Media




I'll be answering your Bay Area TV/Radio Media Questions for a limited time today --you may also ask a question on my Twitter account.

74 comments:

  1. How much will Cumulus dictate or influence the CBS layoffs? I don't see much about the Dickys and the business relationship to CBS radio.

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    1. Rich, last night, I left $10 dollars on the kitchen counter for my lunch money today, and now it's gone. Would you happen to know anything about this?

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    2. Uh, actually I saw it in a mason jar in front of a hooker on 6th and Mission in the Tenderloin last night.

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    3. None. They are looking for asset takeover, not interfering with personnel changes. Cumulus has enough trouble managing its own business, let alone CBS.

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  2. If you could work for a local media outlet....which one would it be???
    And what would you like to do?

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    1. A PBS outlet where I could do a one-on-one interview --a la Charlie Rose, where I and the interview subject could talk, without commercial interruption.

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  3. Very little if any. CBS operates on its own corporate chopping and CBS is highly profitable and its stock valuable and fluid. Cumulus stock is penny stock and worthless.

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  4. According to insidemedia(paywall), tvnewstalk.net and wiki. Cumulus is directly tied to CBS radio in some strange way. I don't understand the relationship, and I'm too cheap to subscribe to insidemedia.

    Is there really a relationship to CBS Radio? I sure never knew there was, but it says they Cumulus and Westwood 1 control sales?
    What gives?

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    1. Cumulus is tied to CBS Radio, for now, as the satellite distributor of CBS Radio through Westwood One, which Cumulus owns, since last year. They assumed Westwood One that was Dial Global at one time. Cumulus also distributes CBS Sports Net and is drooling to get CBS Radio in their personal fold of properties, as CBS has been kicking the tires to see who may be interest. So far, the Dickey's are very interested, but this kind of move won't happen until Sumner Redstone is pushing up daisies and Les Moonvess takes over as Chairman of CBS. CBS still owns Viacom and National Amusements, as well as publishing interests and electronics interests as well.

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  5. That's Jerry Del Colliano's blog. Jerry used to work for Clear Channel and now writes a blog about broadcasting, mostly about Cumulus and Clear Channel. I don't know of any relationship between Cumulus and CBS other than there's been heavy-duty rumors in the past of Cumulus wanting to buy CBS Radio. Heaven help us.

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  6. Are Roberta Gonzalez and Randy Hahn split? She never posts about "The Voice" any more and family shots never include the other parent any more... and it ain't because one is holding the camera. Come on. There's lots of clues and she's opened up her personal life on air and on facebook.

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    1. Look, not to be rude, but I'll diplomatically take the 5th here being that's a private matter.

      I hope you don't take offense.

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    2. My cousin who used to be on FB until recently said Roberta Gonzales has always been open on there.

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  7. What is Tony Russomano doing these days? I always thought he was one of the best reporters at KGO and PIX. Do you know if he is still in the area?

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    1. Tony is enjoying retirement in the Santa Cruz area --I believe he's settled down after some issues with his knees --work-related. Damn good reporter, by the way.

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  8. Rich
    Female Anchor and reporters...

    Sleeves or sleeveless???

    Exposed bra straps or none(FOX only).

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    1. Sleeves, always. This is not the Playboy Channel. No exposed bra straps, only because my femme fatales would object.

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  9. Is Christine Craft related to "Chris Craft" the guys that owned TV stations and made boats in the last century?

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    1. No, I don't believe so but since Christine has been everywhere on the planet and sailed the world and knows everything, I could be wrong or may have committed a capital offense by misspelling.

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    2. No. Her sole function on Earth was to single handedly destory TV stations in Kansas City, Santa Barbara, Sacto and San Francisco. She tried to ruin CBS as a dish water blonde but she tired of that mistreatment and quit. It didn't get her anywhere as a bimbo blonde, either.

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    3. She does remind people of an old boat, though.

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    4. Ooops, sorry. I said "destory" and not "destroy." I'm not worthy.

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  10. Have you thought about buying an ISDN unit so you can do radio talk shows from home like other host have and do?

    Why or why not?

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    1. I was provided an Internet connection set-up very similar to an ISDN line --it sounded pretty good but not as good as an ISDN. The problem is an ISDN line is very expensive and I don't have the cash.

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    2. A Comrex unit is about $2-grand. The ISDN is about $100 a month.

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    3. ISDN is more than that if the host has to pay the bill.

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  11. Do you think Clear Channel/IHM will file for bankruptcy do get out from under the massive debt they have?

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    1. That's about $21Billion of debt --I don't know all the legal ramifications but a reorganization might be better planning even though the end result will be the same. That's a shitload of debt.

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    2. No bankruptcy until 2021, but then the poop hits the fan. Lots of iHeart station sales coming in the next five years. Bank on it.

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  12. What can KPIX do to fix their beleaguered morning show? I can't watch, especially the traffic. Also, do you know the TV ratings? I know KGO and KTVU reign supreme, but who is last?

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    1. I don't think the KPIX morning show is that bad; Mallicoat does a pretty good job; CBS Morning isn't a particularly strong lead-in and KTVU still controls the morning.

      KPIX has very poor numbers in the AM but they also have poor numbers in the evening too.

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  13. Can those Tommys Joynte sandwiches be Fedex'ed in dry ice? How long will they last in shipping? How big a donation for 5 pastrami and 5 corn beef?

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  14. No FedEx. Impossible to recreate the hofbrau taste...if you donate a sizable sum I'll have my aide, Sleazy Costamano make it possible for you to indulge in Tommy's via some travel device.

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  15. Why does the news show school kids in focus when the story is about good test scores....but when the story is about low income lunches or crappy test scores the kids are "out of focus". Is there some law or have kids been suing tv stations because they are perceived as "poor"?

    Why are fat people always shown from the neck down when the story is about fast food?

    Why are "gay people" always shot from the rear...holding hands...from the neck down on the news?

    I'ts a public place...
    Is it taboo to be fat and gay on TV newscast?

    Is that racist?

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    Replies
    1. Great questions. I look forward to some comments with actual thought behind them!

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  16. Why do you despise Gary Radnich so intensely? And please don't pretend that it's nothing personal because it obviously is.

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    1. I don't "despise" him: I just call him out unlike you and other ilk of his amen corner who take in all the stupid, ill-conceived shit he puts out daily.

      It's not personal because I have nothing personal against him, it's just that he's an insensitive, phony, disingenuous, lying, conniving sack of feces that has foisted and fooled the Bay Area for years, did I make that clear, Mr. Anonymous, by the way, what's your name? Wait, never mind.

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    2. Ah yes, the interns are awake this morning. Why don't you focus on more important things, like giving that lazy piece of shit news that he's too lazy to get. He's losing listeners who have brains. Do yourself a favor and help him help the listeners. But then again, he may be beyond help.

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    3. You must realize that Gary Radnich whom you consider "an insensitive, phony, disingenuous, lying, conniving sack of feces that has foisted and fooled the Bay Area for year,", nonetheless continues to be enormously popular here in the Bay Area.

      Why do you think that is?

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    4. Because when he's on his game and not being lazy, he can do a pretty good interview --check the archives, I've said that and I've complimented him numerous times where he's solid and is working. Just because he mails it in now doesn't mean I'll stop praising him when he does good work.

      "Enormously popular"? Yeah, 10 years ago. Today, not so much.

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    5. Thank you for your reply, Rich. My name, incidentally, since you asked, is Mike Hunt. I'm from Petaluma and read you everyday.

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    6. Nice name.
      Do you know Jack Miehoff?

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    7. "You must realize that Gary Radnich...continues to be enormously popular here in the Bay Area."

      @9:36
      With who? People who are as one-note as he is? Other Bay Area sports personalities--be it radio or TV--are far more versatile and knowledgeable.

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    8. Yes. He is a friend of my cousin, Dick Wacker of Freemont.

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    9. A lot of the Radnich bashing seems petty and jealous in nature. (though I agree he mails it in)

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    10. "A lot of the Radnich bashing seems petty and jealous..."

      C'mon. He's no victim. Even you know that, Swellen.

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  17. Uh, excuse me but you're a little BUSY this morning...too much info and too many questions, let me have another cup of coffee. Gosh.

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    1. Sorry....
      It's been building up.

      I will let others have a shot now....

      Besides, I like clicking on the captcha food pictures.

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  18. If you had to only pick one (regardless of how you feel about KGO in general), who is your favorite KGO weekend talk show host? Rank them.

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    1. 1. Michael Finney
      2. Pat Thurston

      That's about it from here, the rest are not even worth mentioning.

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    2. Kim Komando, actually. She's entertaining, informative and hot looking. Thurston is a flirty bore, dump the chef, Finney is good, dump the rest.

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    3. Finney? "read the small print and if a deal seems to good to be true it usually is"
      that is 80% of his show right there.

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    4. For me it's Brian Copeland. He can be a little too liberal at times, but he's by far the best interviewer and incredibly intelligent. He also knows how to hold listener interest.

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    5. @11:40
      Hilarious, but spot-on.

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  19. Are you going to unban Stan any time soon or at least limit his comments. The comment section needs some comic relief.

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    1. Actually I think the comments section is quite entertaining, Stan or no Stan.

      By the way, I've given Stan more lives than Fritz the cat.

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    2. Now, the "more lives that Fritz the cat" line is one of the funniest you have ever written, Rich! Well done.

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    3. Stan has been busy chasing speeders in his neighborhood and getting punched in the face. He's also been busy trash talking Lieberman on his blog for months. I checked it out a few times. It's like reading a manifesto.

      You think Christine Craft is bad? Stan has NEVER been wrong, about anything, ever. And everything that happens in local media and sports...he called it...according to.Stan.

      He's like your crazy uncle. Doing my best Larry David, "ehhhhh", I guess I wouldn't mind seeing him every now and then. If only for the laughs.

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    4. Rich shouldn't encourage or enable someone who is most certainly off his meds. A stalker if I've ever seen one.

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  20. In all my years of watching KRON weekday morning news, despite being one of their regular morning photo journalists, I have yet to see the face of Jackie Sissel. Rich as you reported last year Sissel was robbed at gunpoint of all his equipment on the 5am telecast. You would think KRON would finally give Sissel some face time as they have to their other morning photo journalists like Will Tran & Dave Giguona. Is Sissel shy & requests KRON not to expose his face or is he unfortunately facially disfigured like John Hurd in the "Elephant Man". Keep up the great work Rich!!-yours truly, a fan of Jackie Sissel.

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  21. No to all of the above; look, there's plenty of issues and things going on there to make fun of --like a lightweight "web editor" who has his nose up a certain sportscaster's ass. Sissel isn't at the top of the mast.

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  22. Hey Rich, do you take any summer interns for your blog? What are the requirements and expectations? You might think I'm a loser since summer is pretty well in gear but I could plan ahead for next summer. I'm sure I'll be even foxier then!

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    1. Thanks, now if only you were real and looked like my ex-wife, Molly Ringwald.

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    2. Molly is indeed a hottie. Check out the movie "Malicious", Rich. Just looked her up, surprised to see she's from Roseville and is only 47.

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  23. KGO podcasts and website - what is the story??? (rhetorical question) - they just posted Ronn Owen's podcasts for LAST WEEK Thursday and Friday...when you look at the website they have the guests for JUNE (that is last month!) 12th and July 1 and 9!! and the seven day archive link is there but broken!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!

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    1. Who is even looking for a Ronn Owens podcast?

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  24. Wait ? I'm late. Stan the Man is Stanley Roberts ?

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    1. No, Stan the Man is Stan Musial

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  25. Laura Garcia Cannon-Why is she still around?

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  26. Hope this isn't too late, but what happened to Georgie Porgie Rask on KRON 4 doing the traffic?

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  27. Here's my read on what happens at KGO radio, for what's it worth:

    Afternoon news is cut out within a few months. The morning news stays through at least the early part of next year. In it's place, the KGO afternoons from 3-7pm will have live top and bottom of the hour 3-4 minute updates, plus a quick line or two on sports or weather, and then the bulk of that time will be filled with either syndicated talk or local talk. The local talk show hosts will be part-time independent contractors, (think someone like Copeland, Karel or Pat Thurston).

    This will allow KGO to cut about 75-80 percent of its current news staff. Each of their full time reporters is making anywhere from 70-100 grand a year, and their producers are probably pulling in a little less than that. By firing all of the afternoon staff, getting rid of most of the reporters, and just keeping the morning anchors, plus say three or four part time and maybe one of two full time reporters, Cumulus will continue its practice of cutting costs as they also continue to bleed money.

    I'm not sure if they will pull the plug on the weekend news, which has only been around for about three years. There is not a lot of money invested in that, but they could save themselves some more by chopping that 5am-10 am Saturday and Sunday news segment as well.

    I really don't know too many people who listen to KGO from 5-10 am on the weekends to get news, so listeners won't really be missing much. KCBS has had a corner on news anyway for years. Why Cumulus decided to cut all of its talk show folks three years ago and try to compete with KCBS in news when they didn't have the staff, the resources, or the reputation as a 'news leader' is a mystery.

    But then, Cumulus hasn't shown much ability to understand 1.) the Business of broadcasting 2.) The Bay Area market and finally 3.) how to even run their own company.

    Hopefully the Dick-Head Bros (love how some of your posters use that term, because that really best describes these cretins), will sink in a sea of red ink and have to declare bankruptcy. The sad side-effect of that however, is that a number of hard working and solid broadcast journalists will lose their jobs. But t his has been happening in the media world now for some time.The changing listening, viewing and reading habits, (I think there are some people out there who still actually do read!) have turned things topsy- turvy in the media biz, but the biggest problem has been the government allowing predatory companies such as Cummulingus, (like my play on words?) to come in and ruin legacy stations in major markets around the country. Of course anyone with two eyes in their head could see this coming, after their 'game-plan' to downsize small and medium market radio stations "worked so well!" in the mid to late 1990s.

    "Lean and mean!" is what they like to call themselves. How about crappy and unprofessional?

    What's your take on this Rich?

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  28. I'm probably too late to get a reply, either from Rich or bloggers. I have listened to talk radio for more than 15 years, which means I have listened to the best i.e. Gene Burns, John Rothmann, Pete Wilson others, what comes to mind is that talk radio use to be ALL ABOUT THE CALLERS, now it seem to be all about the host Gil, Drex, Joel and Corey, and these people don't really have interesting lives or original ideas, certainly Gene would talk about his travelling, and host will relay some personal information, which is fine, and help listeners to feel connected to the host, but his 3 and 4 hours of hosts talking about themselves and what they think about an issue is not interesting, engaging and does help to make the listener think. Whenever Gene and John Rothmann, Bernie Ward for that matter too, discussed an issue, it made you think about the issue and your own point of view, even if you didn't agree, that to me is what talk radio should be about. This blog has a lot of negative comments about Christine, but she can present an issue in the same way as Gene or Bernie, Pat Thurston too, not all the time, but often, again many on this blog don't like Brian Copeland, but I find he can present an issue from a different point of view and he can challenge the callers. Certain Chip, Ronn, Brian, Pat and Christine is more interesting than Drex, Joel and Corey (double yawn) Gil (yawn).

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