KNBR's Come-to-Jesus time began on Monday and will conclude in a few weeks; the all-sports AM 680 will be devoid of Warriors games (as the W's have moved to 95.7 FM The Game) and the 49ers (ugh!) don't play Sunday.KNBR will have to rely on its talk-shows and outside of the afternoon drive minus one dreadful moron host, Knibber will be talk exclusively. That is, after the 500 hours of commercials and "updates" disguised as breaking sports news.
KNBR built a successful brand based on its almost monopoly of Bay Area sports. During baseball season and its six-month presence, the station's talk shows centered on Giants' baseball games and not much else (rightly so, in some cases). As the Giants began to have success in the post season, KNBR extended its talk and milked its prize asset sometimes to the extreme but it all worked well in the ratings department and revenues soared in the sales offices. Everyone got drunk rich.
After October baseball magic --the 49ers and Warriors took off --it helps that the 49ers were good and the Warriors were just beginning to become the model franchise they've evolved into but all of that is gone now and KNBR will have to be creative. They will be tested to the limit.
For one thing, they will have to figure out how to talk successfully without the benefit of the suddenly NBA version of "America's Team." Granted, in terms of popularity, the Warriors are still #2 behind the Giants but with the addition of Kevin Durant and the rest of the team, a radio station devoid of its winter bread and butter has to hurt the "Sports Leader."
The 49ers are lousy now and don't generate much caller traction other than for the leather lungs to berate Jed York and pray for a DeBartolo sighting in Santa Clara. "Let's go to Salty in Clovis" wears thin after the sixth straight loss. KNBR will survive this phase having made loads of cash during the past six-plus years with ratings nirvana, low overhead, and the innate ability to reward its "star" announcers and screw the lower-level staff that do the heavy lifting. Now comes the hard part.
The Warriors radio home now is Game territory --a big hit indeed, but the Game still has a very poor signal and can't be heard in most of the city and parts of the Bay Area. KNBR's 50,000 watts and prime AM dial position will always supersede The Game's better overall product and talk shows but when there's nothing to listen to, what's a sports radio fan to do. Probably tune into Satellite radio or flip on ESPN.
Let's check the ratings in a month or so. I see a trend developing.
KNBR: old and busted! Hahaha
ReplyDeleteIt's not like they aren't trying though. Rudy's on every other morning talking Warriors with the morning frat boys, and they're going to be doing a Countdown to Tipoff [on a different station] or something before every game. But with no Giants in the Series and the 49ers stinking up the joint what else can they do?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure this is as big a deal as you make it out to be. Basketball is terrible on the radio. In the old days, we had to listen to Bill King (which was great), because most games were not televised. Things have changed, all Warriors games are televised...and the sport shows well on TV. Quiet honestly, I'd rather listen to sports talk than a road Warriors game that's on at 4:30 pm (unless it's a playoff game). I'm guessing financially, KNBR will be better off without the Warriors. The Game may get some pop on their talk shows by carrying the Warriors, but as you mention, their signal is not good everywhere...particularly on the other side of the Caldecott tunnel.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, some of us are driving while Warriors games are on the TV. If I can't text while I'm driving, I can't watch the NBA.com feed. Personally, I think Roye does a great job on the radio. Maybe you're just not a hoops fan, @12:15.
DeleteWhile the Game has its 95.7 signal issues, it is important to mention that 95.3 will also be quite busy carrying the Warrior games. KRTY and KUIC will fill some of the holes. So I would be checking 95.3 before going to ESPN or Satellite. And I expect ratings and revenue will be good for all three stations.
ReplyDeleteHave you heard about CBS switching to Radiate Media for traffic? Lots of jobs are going to be lost.
ReplyDeleteGiven that their ratings took two big dips in Aug and Sept -- while the Giants were still in the Wild Card hunt -- I'm guessing the Oct book will be fugly.
ReplyDeleteyes , the broadcasts don't have that ''gym rat'' ball dribble atmosphere that the a. m. radio band had in terms of sound. on ''the game'' it is more like ''THE WARRIORS!- AT SPORTS CENTRAL 95.7 , THE GAME-it sounds like roye is stiffening up in his chair and going johnny carson big time. the sound imagery and attitude is much more like a national program.the craft brew stain on tolberts table vibe has been replaced by a ''quo vadis'' production. LOL- (if u don't print this, you gotta admit--it's funny).
ReplyDeleteGood to see KNBR take it in the groin. Their programming is so awful. They'll probably air the best of the Giants. Puke.
ReplyDeletebtw mr. rich, on knbr last night they highlighted the new warriors programming-the post game ''drive'' or something like that ,with ryan covay.and some pre game thing, forgot what it was.kind of bizarre,sort of like tailgating someone. look out ,KNBR is following you.
ReplyDeleteFor years now after each sports update one always hears a booming voice saying "KNBR America's Number 1 Sports Station." Really? Says Who? There are definitely all sports talk radio stations in New York, Chicago & Los Angeles that have much better ratings & definitely better hosts than the Knibbler.
ReplyDeleteI think KNBR knew they blew it. They're doing a pre and post game show for every Warriors game. They don't do anything like that for any team they don't broadcast. They're missing a special season. Heck, the Washington Post and ESPN have reporters embedded in the Bay Area for the whole season. This is arguably the most popular sports team in the nation when you look at jersey sales for Durant, Curry, Thompson and Draymond. They're all in the top 10 for NBA jersey sales for all players. Name me another team in any sport that can claim that. That's not even counting Durant and Curry shoe sales.
ReplyDeleteI think KNBR did that for the 49ers before they got the rights to carry their games. Of course, in those days the 49ers didn't suck.
DeleteIt is embarrassing to hear Tom Tolbert, Steve Kerr's friend, relegated to pre- and post-game duties. It's like not being invited to the party. See ya while we all turn the radio dial to listen to the game on "The Game" . . .
Delete95.7 The Game seems to be the place to be. They've got the Warriors and the Raiders, two of the Bay Area's hottest sports properties. They also have access to the Sharks, who went to the Stanley Cup Final. Meanwhile, KNBR is stuck with the 49ers and the Giants are in mothballs until February or whenever the program director, Larry Baer, decides they need to do something. Meanwhile, KNBR will be increasing the commercials run per hour and then they can lose more listeners. To make up for the loss, they'll start airing the 49ers on more of the media company's SF stations to artificially boost listener numbers. It's called How to Lie With Statistics. Go have a donut, Lee, loosen another notch on the belt and scratch what's left of your bald head. Couldn't happen to a "nicer" radio station. Hope the fun keeps on keeping on.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the A's are such a hot commodity?
DeleteKNBR lost (gave up) the Warrior's broadcasting rights because they had to pay their revolting production staff.
ReplyDeleteWhat would crush KNBR is if the rivals buy another station with a strong signal. Nothing to prevent that.
ReplyDeletebtw You know who went from stink to sweet? Lorenzo Neal..he's vastly improved from his first days on Raider postgame show where I thought he would never be asked back..to Mr. Dynamo on the Morning show and holds his ground with Papa when he's on the rare afternoon slot with him.
He chewed up one part time on air host when that guy told Neal he was overpaid at $40 grand for just being in the Super Bowl? Neal: It was hard,I had played 17 years and once made the Super Bowl. Its a hard thing to do and few make it in their careers". That left "that guy" (as Grant Lodes will always say) backtracking...
Agree with the Observer.
DeleteA smart team owner would start his own radio station on the AM dial. Period.
Get rid of the FM signal. FM is for Bach, not a sporting event.
Still don't understand why the Team executives do not see this.
Speaking of come to Jesus,Radnich is doing much bragging that he's getting sponsors while not mentioning why he lost all of them for months. Last night he bragged and Grant Lodes deadpanned "Can't you ever say no?" Raddy shot him the stink eye.
ReplyDeleteOne for Lodes.
btw- He also leaves out he's cheap to sponsor or that the other local Sports "Directors" have no need to do that.
Basketball on the radio? lol
ReplyDeletetunein radio app. KNBR isn't on it. Tried KNBR's app, got tired of hearing mostly commercials and deleted their app. At least this way I can get the Game all the way up north in Santa Rosa until they get an affiliate up in these neck of the woods, helpful it they can be reached out in West County.
ReplyDeleteKSRO 1350 is the North Bay Dubs affiliate.
Deletelistened to ray woodson's spprts phone tonight after WS game and heard ray + covay drumming up interest in KNBR's Warriors pre-game and the thing they are calling drive after the game which will run from 10p-12mn which just seems weird for a station that doesn't broadcast the actual games ! Don't care for Covay at all - he is curt with callers boardering on nasty. Someone called in to talk about Tim Royce calls and Covay promptly shut the caller down hanging up on him because "Royce works on another station - he's not here anymore". REALLY ??? It just all seems too odd.....
ReplyDeleteRyan Covay is not very bright, and it shows each time he opens his mouth.
DeleteThere is a reason why he is working nights.
Yes KNBR is desperate. The attempt to have Fitzgerald on a couple times a week in the morning is ludicrous. He's mostly detested in this market and will be tuned out, as happens when he's on in the afternoon.
ReplyDeleteAnd their attempt to pretend they are still Warriors central with pre and post game "shows", is a joke.
They have had their commuppance - they have become bloated, arrogant and insincere to we listeners: the constant and useless "updates" of sports and traffic, the commercials hogging 75% of an hour, the fat cat hosts who disdain listeners and callers, - it's poetic justice the Warriors fled them. After all, as Rich stated, radio people are a vile sort, and at Knibber those behind the mic and/or in charge are no exception.
It's all about satellite radio for me, unless KNBR or The Game is broadcasting a live game. All of it is mostly unlistenable.
ReplyDeleteKNBR lost all credibility with me right around the Giants' second World Series and the increased presence of Kate Scott. The morning show is beyond awful, even more cringe-worthy than a local improv troupe. I'm not exaggerating when I say at least 75% of the time that I flip the dial to KNBR, it's in a commercial break. Screw these guys. I'd rather pay for the content I want to consume on SiriusXM.
What it came down to is that Twitmeyer and Hammer don't know how to negotiate. How do you lose your Flagship title of arguably the best team in the NBA? Freakin' idiots. Pre and post game shows for something that airs on the competing station? You might as well just run some 95.7 The Game promos while you are at it. Another brilliant and strategic move by Hammer and Nit-witmeyer. JOKE!
ReplyDeleteKNBR goes through the motions and is lazy and not nearly as cutting edge as they used to be. Letting the Warriors go was a mistake, and having NO reporters at games or on the road is another mistake. The GAME beats them this winter if you're a sports fan, because that station actually talks about sports, (what a foreign concept!) not frat-boy BS nonsense. The 'Sports Leader' can still pull in the ratings because of the Giants and its huge 50,000 watt signal, but the quality of programming and the ridiculous number of commercials it carries give ample evidence that its best days are behind them. The company that runs them could care less however, ass they're only concerned with ratings and revenue. Luckily for them, KNBR delivers both, unlike most of the rest of the stations that failing company owns. It will be good to see Cumulus go bankrupt, which is bound to happen sooner than later, given the ghastly way they've ruined so many radio stations around the country.
ReplyDelete