Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Ask Rich Lieberman


Your TV/Radio questions --I'll be here until noon.

*You can also ask questions on Twitter

61 comments:

  1. For the past month or two, KTVU has delayed the start of The Ten O'clock News by an extra minute so they can squeeze in another commercial or two. Can I thank Fox for this annoying decision?? This reminds me of five years ago when networks would deliberately end shows a few minutes late in an effort to make viewers stay on their station.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, and since Fox now owns KTVU it's their call.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Do you ever listen to out of market talk stations (broadcast) over the air.
    And what do you wear to bed?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I listen to some of the NY stations like WABC and 1010 WIN for news because I like their style.

      As for your last question, not funny, but good try.

      Delete
  4. Hi Rich,

    Do you think there is a chance in hell that we will ever get a radio station like KGO use to be?

    Do you know if the guy that reads the commercials on KCBS is close to retirement? He has a very annoying voice...

    ReplyDelete
  5. No on the KGO question because talk radio, as a whole, is pretty much dead. Destroyed by the companies like Clear Channel and Cumulus who wrecked it because of a need to drive their overall business which is also pretty much dead, hence the current financial situation of both companies.

    Talk radio used to be a great local format but now it is largely a syndicated affair and very little LOCAL shows and stations which is a bummer.

    I don't know about the KCBS guy.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Do people really watch news to see weather or sports personalities? I don't think so thus I would hire good young talent to read sports and weather at minimum wage. Then use the money to hire real reporters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Locally, yes, they become a part of our viewing habits and rituals--more so yesterday than today but that's why they used to get the big bucks.

      Delete
  7. You said last week that others beside Liz Cook have help from Daddy to advance their careers. Who else?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, nationally, I can think of Jim Gray who's FIL was Marvin Davis --the Denver oilman who got Gray on the air and NBC/ESPN...Marcia Brandwynne's father was a big-time exec at some corporate and was influential in helping her--by the way, in her prime Marcia was good, so it's no knock. I'm sure there's others can't think of their names right now.

      Delete
    2. The person I can think of of the top off my head is ESPN's Hannah Storm, who's dad, Mike Storen, was a top ABA and NBA exec. Coincidentally, he was an Atlanta Hawks' exec when his daughter got hired at Atlanta-based CNN doing sports, He may have also just provided motivation to go into sports broadcasting.

      Delete
    3. 8:41
      Hannah Storm is HOTHOTHOT!

      Delete
  8. Will Clear and Cumulus be forced to merge?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No. But keep an eye out for a Cumulus / CBS Radio bid in less than a year. Then, a spin off of poorly performing Cumulus stations to keep the ownership limits where needed. AM's by that time will be less valuable outside the 50,000 watters not losing tons like KGO. It's in the cards. Cumulus is finding it doesn't need all there stations and CBS wants out of radio, so, Cumulus could end the glut, get great stations, dump so many non-performers and they would rule. There are also some high coverage FM's on the CBS side. It's in the cards. Imagine a Cumulus in Chicago with WLS AM/FM, WBBM-AM, WLUP-FM and others. New York with a WABC, WCBS-AM, wINS-AM. WCBS-FM. WPLJ. It would be huge. CBS wants to concentrate on TV with the changing of the guard with Sumner Redstone once he passes sooner than later and Les Moonves takes of. An LA with KNX, KRTH-FM, KWVV-FM, KABC-AM and two others. Lots of expensive possibilities and quite a cattle herding of heritage radio stations under one roof. Dump the medium and small markets and you've got winners from KMOX to wherever in any direction and Cumulus "could" do it ... but not at a $1.25 a share.

      Delete
  9. Will there ever be any circumstances/incentive strong enough for KNTV San Jose to move their transmitter from that San Bruno Mtn to Mt Suto? I could get buy with OTA TV instead of cable if it wasn't for NBC, many areas in SF are blocked from KNTV OTA due to hills. Or does the new streaming trend make actual broadcast operations obsolete?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a technical question. I have no idea but I'll bet someone who knows will answer your inquiry.

      Delete
    2. When NBC bought KNTV over a decade ago, after the furor of the lost signal for parts of San Francisco NBC went on record stating that it was going to move the transmitter to Sutro. As I don't live in 'Frisco (ohhh...did I say THAT? Yes I did!) I have no idea if the OTA issue ever got cleared up. NBC went in the toilet financially after the switch from KRON to KNTV so maybe they scrapped that plan. FWIW, I was in the same boat as Anonymous. Because of the location of the KNTV transmitter, I couldn't get KNTV OTA because of my location in the Los Gatos hills. When DirecTV added local channels we disconnected our antenna.

      Delete
  10. In regard to one of your previous posts about KPIX's Bruno and Rosenheim and the general dumbing down of anchor talent such as Mibach and Arnold(KTVU) Are you saying that if, say, a top notch Dana Bash or a Fredericka Witfield (CNN)applied for anchoring at KPIX Dan Rosenheim would STILL hire someone with less talent and experience like a Keba Arnold? Is this the way of the future? Thanks, Rich

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, Dan didn't hire Keba Arnold but I get your question. Generally speaking now, the MO of stations is hiring 30-something, young, cheap anchors/reporters. Of color helps. 50-plus white men have become eradicated from local TV news. That's just the way it is.

      Delete
    2. I disagree with the characterization that either Bash or Whitfield are top notch anchor talent. If they were they'd be anchoring M-Fr daily instead of just filling in occasionally (Bash) or stuck on weekends (Whitfield).

      Delete
  11. What do you see as the future of KRON 2 to 5 years from now? Since it's slimmed down to remove the real estate component aren't the frequency license and Sutro tower position worth something?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, they're a over-the-air TV station in the #6 market --and hopefully their owners will SELL soon. Otherwise they'll continue to be irrelevant like they are now.

      Delete
    2. KRON is a channel with NO BENCH. None. They have Moore, Heenan, Liviakis, and (if you are charitable) Folsom. All have one thing in common...they're on the wrong side of 40. When they leave, who does KRON turn to? Think about that.

      Delete
  12. Do you know how Ralph Barbieri is doing?
    Really miss that man on the radio, hope he is doing well...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ralph is doing about as well as one can expect. I'll try to fill you in more extensively soon.

      Delete
    2. Ralph recently did his first broadcast interview in three years on Tim Kawakami's Podcast. He still has THE Miata, only one mention of Amici's, has diabetes in addition to Parkinson's and, as Rich notes, is doing about as well as can be expected.
      http://blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami/category/the-tk-show/

      Delete
    3. I don't miss him at all on the airwaves but wish him well health-wise.

      Delete
  13. What radio stations are viable as on-going entities in their present situations? I can only think of KQED, KOIT, and KFOG as ones that their management hasn't screwed up beyond recovery.

    ReplyDelete
  14. It is not only syndicated with very little local hosts. Not only that my question is with this trend of the host being the focus of the show i.e. Joel and Corey, Drex, Spencer Hughes use to take calls, and at times his show was interesting, now he mostly banter about his life. Gill does interviews, but tells too many stories and his show is boring as well. My question is who is the genius who thinks the listeners is interested in the this format, the format is lame, and beyond boring.
    I thought talk radio and TV hosts )like Larry King) was all about the guest or the listener. These hosts do not have exceptional, interesting lives or thoughts, I'm baffled who in programming think this kind of format will be even moderately successful?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The morons who run radio right now are MORONS so you're right. Just try to listen to Gil Gross or the people you mentioned--it's just plain MUSH. Go on-line and check the Boston/NY stations. Local is bad talk radio.

      Delete
  15. Why are you limiting 415 Media topics to broadcast radio and TV? There's more new media out there in the internet. Will you remain strictly "old school"?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I'll tell you what, considering I'm on line most of the day and reading the net, you have a point. Then again, I have routinely lauded such sites as SFist and Deadspin--that said, you're right, sir.

      Delete
    2. You have a good eye/ear for solid broadcasting. If you can separate the alternative subject matter from the host, I would like to hear your thoughts someday on the broadcast of folks like Jeff Rense, Sean David Morton, John B. Wells...these guys do very good radio, imo.

      Delete
  16. What do you think of Doug McConnell's return to KNTV? That guy is like a cat with 9 lives. He keeps coming back over and over with the same stuff in a new show. I though he was done when he disappeared the last time but I think he's had some work done, doesn't seem as weathered as he appeared previously, or maybe he's added a make-up person to his crew.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Doug has a show and a dog--people LOVE dogs and cats. And Doug hasn't seemed to age.

      Delete
  17. Why is Scott McGrew stuck at KNTV? Is he too nice a guy? I would think with his business slant on Silicon Valley he would have moved on to Bloomberg, CNBC, etc but it hasn't happened. Is he just too nice to advance further? He doesn't seem to have the taste of an angry edge or desire for controversy we see in Herb Greenberg. What's he waiting for?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think Scott is perfectly happy at the NBC "O and O" (owned/operated) station in San Jose. People assume that because some air talents are not working nationally that their mush--in fact, many people want to stay in the Bay Area. Plus, it's not as if KNTV is some slouch--they're right in Silicon Valley.

      Delete
    2. KNTV...for all the slagging its gotten since the NBC affiliation switch...is one of the channels with the deepest benches...second only to KTVU.

      Delete
  18. What's the outlook for KRON with FOX now in town?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No future and sorely in need of a pulse. FOX would have helped but now pretty much death watch.

      Delete
    2. I don't pretend to know what the future is but I've been hearing about KRON's "deathwatch" since I was there, and that was a long time ago.

      Delete
  19. What do you make of KBCW (channel 44) importing that Sacramento "Good Day" on weekday basis starting later this month? Even though it's from Sacramento it strikes me that it's probably more interesting then the KRON daily dribble at that hour. My only criticism is that their female weekend staff includes a couple with more meat on their bones then we typically see in a major market.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They need content and thus, they have this. I don't think anyone watches but there's enough to fill time. FILLER.

      Delete
    2. Oh my GOD - I hope you're wrong.... Good Day Sacramento is AWFUL, You have to have a collective household IQ below 55 to watch this shit. THE worst "Personnel". This shit may play well in Newton, Iowa or Tucumcari, New Mexico. These are people who think that because they're on TV that they actually have talent (WRONG). KRON has to be better than GDS. You'll see - this show is AWFUL.

      Delete
  20. If Ronn Owens doesn't come back what do you thing will happen in the 9 to 12 slot at KGO? I have gotten into such a habit of listening to him that it took him being gone a couple of weeks to realize I don't miss him. I hope he has a full recovery and lives a long life, but I also hope he calls it quits.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, if you're listening of late, it's pretty obvious that Brian Copeland is the eventual long-tem pick, I would guess. Although I'm not a fan of Copeland, he's at least somewhat talented and a native Bay Arean --plus he's Owen's pal which doesn't hurt.

      Delete
    2. Yes I have listened to Copeland, but don't care for him. I don't need to be reminded every 15 minutes that he is black.

      I think you said a while back Franklin was brought in to work into Owens spot. I have given that guy a chance even though coming from San Diego I expected him to be a right winger. He tries to convince his listeners he isn't, but all that is an act to have a job in San Francisco. If they bring in someone new I expect it to be a dumbfuck like Drex.

      Delete
    3. Franklin brings up racial topics more than Copeland does. I can take or leave either one, my biggest complaint being neither let's callers talk without constant interruptions especially if they disagree with the caller's opinion.

      Delete
    4. I agree with Rich, actually I disagree a little, I like Brian a little more than Rich, back in the good old days, my favorites in the following order was, Gene Burns, John Rothmann (a very close second) Pete Wilson (I did say back in the good old days) then Ronn, and then Brian. Also liked Jim Gabbert when he was filing in. I listened to Bernie Ward, but he was hard to listen to if you disagreed with him, same with Rush or Savage, but he was intelligent and I often found his show informative. As many of these hosts has disappeared Brian has moved up on the list. He is local, he is intelligent, and because I'm not a paranoid while male (I'm a European white female) I have nothing against his take on issues that deals with blacks, at least he gives a different perspective, that is not often heard, besides just because he brings up racial issues, does not mean he is always on the side of blacks. I think he is fair and thoughtful in his analysis of many of these issues.

      Delete
    5. I highly doubt Copeland would take the job if it was offered. He still does comedy and performs his plays. I'd be surprised if he had time to do the gig longterm.

      Delete
    6. Yes, it would be much better to have someone on the air talking about how whites don't get a fair shake anymore. Gosh, why can't there be more talkers who address this important subject? There must not be an audience for it ... ah, once again not getting a fair shake.

      Delete
    7. Whenever Copeland is mentioned on this blog, someone (could be the same person, but there are probably several) always complains that he keeps mentioning he is a black man, and they resent that, I posted the blog at 6:28 p.m. and want to expand a little. First of all Brian is black, no getting around that, and what is wrong with talking about it. Most hosts bring up something about their situation or personal lives. Armstrong and Getty talk about their kids, and that one of them (Joe I think) has a band. Brian Sussman let us know he use to be a weatherman, Gil reminds us he use to be a newsman, Tom Sullivan us to a policeman, most host when they discuss racial issue will say mention their race. Savage talks about his degrees in whatever, I forget, but he has a couple of degrees I believe. No one ever complains about these hosts, only Brian because he brings up he is black. Sounds paranoid to me.

      Delete
  21. Jeff Bush & Dan Kerman have been 2 excellent, admirable, cogent news reporters for beleaguered KRON for over a decade yet lesser talented ex KRON brethren Dai Lin(KPIX) & Jonathan Bloom(KGO) have escaped KRON for rival stations. Are Bush & Kerman simply content to be at KRON or will other local stations, specifically KTVU with aging veterans Tom Vacar & Rob Roth eventually gone & with the addition of the 4pm newscast go after quality news guys like Bush & Kerman? Keep up the great work Rich!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You answered your own question--but I too have wondered why pros like Bush and Kerman have not been picked up by the other stations. Sometimes, even in chaotic places like a KRON, a reporter might like to stay there because they probably have mucho autonomy and they're probably not getting screwed with--that would NOT be the case at some of the other stations.

      Thanks for the compliment too.

      Delete
    2. Bush? YOU. HAVE. TO. BE. KIDDING. HE'S. AWFUL. CAN'T. READ. OFTEN. HIS.SENTENCES. DON'T. MAKE. LITERAL. SENSE. WAS. ONCE. INTERVIEWING. WOMAN. AND. SHE. SAID. DEER. WERE. IN. HER. BACK. YARD. DRINKING. FROM. HER. FOUNTAIN. BECAUSE. OF. THE. DROUGHT. AND. HE. ASKED. WHY. DO. YOU. THINK. THAT. IS? SERIOUSLY.

      Delete
  22. Hope you can make it noonish for comments. Dregs...any chance that they may give him the boot while he is out with whatever? That program should merge with the idiotic chef show...they both are about as relevant and such a reminder of how good things used to be and how terrible, terrible beyond belief how bad it is not.

    I have been enjoying Pat Thurston on in that evening spot. No, I do not agree with many of her view points but have really enjoyed that she does bring up things of substance rather than a version of "Entertainment tonight". She has had some great guests and do wish they would give her a chance. I also wonder if you have a problem with Pat. I remember quite a while ago that you let a particular vicious attack on her - personal not to do with viewpoints--stay on the blog. I know you do remove things that you feel are bad, or do not publish them. Also, you never really say much about her...problem there somewhere?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You do not have to agree with the host to find the program interesting. Unless you can't handle a different point of view. I agree with you about Pat, but then I'm a liberal, although a fairly middle of the road liberal. However, I often listen to Tom Sullivan over Chip Franklin, I listen to Glenn Beck at times, mostly to hear how outrageous he can be, which has it own fascination, it is all about make the show interesting and captivating, which is something in short supply on the radio these days.

      Delete
    2. What kind of attack? Inquiring minds want to know.

      Delete
  23. Found this Van Amburg broadcast on YouTube:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx7qxTjpoEk
    Watch the last minute. Apparently this was his last? Maybe from the anchor chair. Dated 8/29/86, although I thought he lasted until the end of the year. Maybe other assignments?

    ReplyDelete