A FEW WEEKS AGO...a "BIG" meeting was hastily arranged by the GM, Bill Burton, at KGO-TV. Everyone but the janitor was told to be there and make sure your schedule was cleared. It was that important. Turns out the riot act was read to the ABC7 warriors.
Burton, more than likely feeling the heat, from this standpoint for sure, was emphatic:
"We're not producing. We're not profitable anymore. We need to shake it up ...a lot. This is serious business!"
"We're not producing. We're not profitable anymore. We need to shake it up ...a lot. This is serious business!"
A veteran station source told me exclusively that Burton's meeting didn't go well with senior staff who were livid that they were being singled out by management's failures. And this was before Burton insisted that the worker bees "make a list and come up with three ideas, immediately."
You could imagine how that went over.
KGO makes lots of money for ABC. Not as much as they used to but with declining numbers everywhere across the board nobody makes the money that used be the norm. That said, Burton and by extension, News Director, Tracey Watkowski, are hearing from NY that KGO is underperforming and needs to become more "creative", whatever that entails.
Expect more aggressive social media activity. Which seems to be the growing trend these days. I'm sure you're going to see more mentions of "be sure to download the 'ABC7 app'" and such and such. God forbid a missive to be simply better but we're in a different world.
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| Natasha Zouves |
*Some staffers are plain miffed and befuddled--a bit pissed off too over morning anchor, Natasha Zouves continued mystery medical ailment which has her leaving her duties at 8 AM instead of noontime. "She can dance and play giggles with 'Reggie (Aqui); that hasn't stopped her but she apparently can still leave early?" Zouves leaving mucho early has caused quite a stir.
*A North Bay woman was outraged over a KGO-TV crew up covering the fires the other day --seems the crew was unaware their mic was hot and was overheard making jokes that weren't very flattering. It isn't known who the suspects are but whatever they said was insensitive at best and totally pathetic at worst. I'm just wondering in this day and age how could anybody, especially those in a news truck with a mic present, be so stupid as to make jokes about something so tragic and devastating --but that's me.
*A KGO source tells me that they tried to hire Raj Mathai and when word got out, Mathai re-signed with KNTV. Timing is everything, I guess.
*A KGO source tells me that they tried to hire Raj Mathai and when word got out, Mathai re-signed with KNTV. Timing is everything, I guess.
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| Bill Burton |
MEANWHILE...
*I'm told KNTV (NBC Bay Area) tried to lure former Circle7 anchor, Carolyn Johnson, back to the Bay Area but that's never going to happen.
Johnson bolted KGO three years ago for KNBC.
Johnson has family in Southern California, makes a ton of money and is battling a serious health malady (seems she's winning) In other words, she's set being in El-Lay.
*Every station pretty much cleaned up in ratings during Firestorm coverage. KRON, unexpectedly, did very well and even managed to beat a few stations on some nights. Sure, KRON was firestorm front and center but still was AWOL during daytime selling patio furniture. I will give them credit for throwing out sports though which KTVU also did in its early newscasts.
*ADD KRON: If they didn't blatantly just reissue old stories run a few newscasts earlier, I'd be more an advocate of their news presentation. KRON has some good people working; some of their reporters churn out fine stories under some difficult MMJ (multi-media journalist) circumstances. And I didn't even mention the pain-in-ass ND who is still screaming and yelling at people, I'm still hearing. What a classy guy.
MY TWO CENTS:
*The habitual bad habit of people being interviewed who begin their sentence with..."so..." So annoying and lazy too.
*Damon Bruce of 95.7 FM (The Game) --please, Damon, enough with the pregnant pauses. It's pretentious and there's way too much dead air. C'mon man!
*AD OVERKILL: That obnoxious "800-888" legal firm making air everywhere and further maintaining everyone's images of lawyers.
*I don't give a flying phuck that "KGO (Radio's) hosts "were talking about the fire" ...as if that's covering for the albatross station that ran taped financial shows during the initial Firestorm horror. Hey, they're a damn LOCAL station that should have STOPPED their pimping and got some intern with a tape recorder to Napa! How genius that would have been but half-brain dead is a commodity at Cumulus' alleged "news-talk" station.
FINALLY...
The idea that I committed grand larceny by asking for donations last week during the height of the fires. As If I intentionally showed "insensitivity" by, god forbid, requesting a few bucks so my blog site could stay alive. Seriously folks, that was NOT my intention. One thing has nothing to do with the other. Should have I waited a week? Maybe, but I didn't so sue me. Those of you who know me know that my intentions were not meant to be insensitive, far from it.
*I'm told KNTV (NBC Bay Area) tried to lure former Circle7 anchor, Carolyn Johnson, back to the Bay Area but that's never going to happen.
Johnson bolted KGO three years ago for KNBC.
Johnson has family in Southern California, makes a ton of money and is battling a serious health malady (seems she's winning) In other words, she's set being in El-Lay.
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| Carolyn Johnson |
*ADD KRON: If they didn't blatantly just reissue old stories run a few newscasts earlier, I'd be more an advocate of their news presentation. KRON has some good people working; some of their reporters churn out fine stories under some difficult MMJ (multi-media journalist) circumstances. And I didn't even mention the pain-in-ass ND who is still screaming and yelling at people, I'm still hearing. What a classy guy.
MY TWO CENTS:
*The habitual bad habit of people being interviewed who begin their sentence with..."so..." So annoying and lazy too.
*Damon Bruce of 95.7 FM (The Game) --please, Damon, enough with the pregnant pauses. It's pretentious and there's way too much dead air. C'mon man!
*AD OVERKILL: That obnoxious "800-888" legal firm making air everywhere and further maintaining everyone's images of lawyers.
*I don't give a flying phuck that "KGO (Radio's) hosts "were talking about the fire" ...as if that's covering for the albatross station that ran taped financial shows during the initial Firestorm horror. Hey, they're a damn LOCAL station that should have STOPPED their pimping and got some intern with a tape recorder to Napa! How genius that would have been but half-brain dead is a commodity at Cumulus' alleged "news-talk" station.
FINALLY...
The idea that I committed grand larceny by asking for donations last week during the height of the fires. As If I intentionally showed "insensitivity" by, god forbid, requesting a few bucks so my blog site could stay alive. Seriously folks, that was NOT my intention. One thing has nothing to do with the other. Should have I waited a week? Maybe, but I didn't so sue me. Those of you who know me know that my intentions were not meant to be insensitive, far from it.
The mystery ailment is she is working on her resume and has been out interviewing.
ReplyDeleteRaj Mathai. As the kids today say, "ROFLMAO". Only in this ridiculous market.
DeleteTHANK YOU! The "so" phenomenon -- which has been plaguing interviewers for YEARS, if not decades -- is reaching critical mass. What's wrong with these people? When you're asked a question, the proper response is NOT "so..."
ReplyDeleteIt is happening because they have already been prepped on what the questions that will be asked and have already gone over the answers. When they are asked again, live, they restate as "So, yadayadayda." To them it's a restatement, reinteration, a "so, this was my answer then, and it's my answer now, so, I'm giving it to you, again." Or, "So, this is what I told you before, and I guess you want me to tell you again, now."
Delete"So" it signals...
DeleteStand by for the lies.
It's people who start off a response with "Look," that bug me.
Delete...and so it goes...
Delete> It is happening because they have already
Delete> been prepped on what the questions that
> will be asked and have already gone over the
> answers.
No it isn't, dummy. I produced many of those segments.
It's because people are trying to gather their thoughts. That simple.
"No it isn't, dummy. I produced many of those segments."
DeleteI doubt that, you idiot.
Celino and Barnes, "Don't wait, call 8" have broken up. It is now, 800, eight million. The Barnes Group
ReplyDeleteThe bald guy on the old Celino and Barnes commercials has a wonderful voice!
DeleteHow about the Handlery guy and his attempts at sounding cool and hip in his commercials?
DeleteThe latest has him talking about smoking a bud. That is what local radio has come to. Ridiculous.
Great Job, Rich, I'm very old-school (1960s-70s-80s) before bolting to Sacramento (home of MILFs at more than a few stations). Keep up the great work, your sources are tremendous, so thank you from this old-school newspaper journalist. Never forget: we newsprint look down our snooty noses at TV (alleged) journalists, LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteEither she has morning sickness or she is looking for a new job. Trixie, the ND who hired her and gave her a big promotion as a morning anchor is leaving KGO sooner or later, Natasha job might not be the same as before. Her absence on the Napa fire replaced by Jessica Castro is very unprofessional for her and the station.
ReplyDeleteWith a last name like Zouves I wouldn't doubt it in the least.
DeleteOne exciting inning in KNBR #2 carrying of the Yankee-Astro playoff game yesterday--2-3 voiceovers during the inning while the game was going on GET YOU LAZAR SURGERY WITH DR. SCOTT HIVER--USE YOUR PRETAX.....about 15 seconds of commercial blocked the radiocast each time until someone caught it.
ReplyDeleteOkay, so KGO-TV is up there with WABC and KABC making money for ABC HQ. But if Iger wants Trixie out ASAP and Burton refused to do that, shouldn't Burton also be sent out the door for insubordination, instead of getting away with the unnecessary and tiresome yelling at long-timers? What a knucklehead!
ReplyDeleteNatasha has a home away from home, I think.
ReplyDeleteBecause Carolyn Johnson ( what better generic name for a blonde anchor,the perfect looking archetype )left,Ama Daetz was forced to take the $1.2 million in three years instead.
ReplyDeleteI say everybody's happy.
So what if they get yelled at.
ReplyDeleteThey are getting paid...so why bitch?
If Natasha Zouves has a medical ailment, she should go on medical leave and have Jessica Castro take her place.
ReplyDeleteUm, KGO is not up there with WABC and KABC making money for ABC. It's the dog of the group thanks to relatively miniscule viewing in the smart, outdoorsy Bay Area combined with a large brick and mortar overhead at 900 Front. There are smaller market ABC O&O's (WTVD Durham) that make more money for the Mouse.
ReplyDeleteThen there's no excuse for KGO not to follow Iger's orders and dispose of both Burton & Trixie right now, especially if that's what the most respected staffers like Ashley & Finney want.
DeleteI rather watch Jessica than Natasha. Jessica is over qualified for the main anchor spot, great voice, great sense of humor and great looks
ReplyDeleteI miss Carolyn. Very much. As for “so,” I’d rather hear that than, “What I can tell you” ad nauseum.
ReplyDeleteMore of a sports thing, although its not unheard of in general news: Beginning an interview question with "Talk about..."
DeleteDo any of the female anchors have natural breasts? They all got boob jobs it looks like.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Secret is the hidden secret. Without it, disappointment for men.
DeleteCarolyn Johnson is too good for those bums.
ReplyDeleteIt always makes me laugh when management demands ideas from staffers to make things better. Isn't that their job and why they make the big bucks? These are usually the same bozos who never have time to listen to staffers about ideas when times are better.
ReplyDeleteSpot on. They're also the bozos who cause the problems that staff is supposed to solve.
DeleteDon't be so sure about Carolyn Johnson. She's healthy and wants to return to the Bay Area. The new GM, ND and asst ND at KNTV all love her. And Carolyn isn't too thrilled about being stuck as the Noon anchor at KNBC.
ReplyDeleteAlso, from what my friends tell me down at KNTV, Jess Aguirre's act is wearing thin (like it did at KGO). The last straw for management is the not-so-secret 'friendship' she has with a KNTV colleague...which is why her husband is filing for divorce. Getting ugly in San Jose.
Bruce is all hat, no cattle. He should be jettisoned,as should the fool from Philly, who pollutes the airwaves, early in the morning.
ReplyDelete