KPIX Issues Far Beyond Talent Leaving

This much is certain: KPIX is not only losing some major air talent. At least in today's environment. More than that, try street cred.

It is beginning to suffer from wide-ranging incompetence by its lackluster news management team from the top to the bottom. It has a wide array of revenue sources --namely its O and O status and CBS can count on its Bay Area station to continue to make money amidst overall chaos on 855 Battery.

   BUT THERE IS MORE:KPIX is no longer a viable outlet namely because of its inability to find and promote a standard-bearing news team at 6 and 11 PM where the bulk of revenue is earned.





As I've said a gazillion times, KPIX has NO identity. There is still no Face of the Station. Anybody in management who can't execute this easiest of function deserves to be canned immediately. You don't have to be a brain surgeon to realize Ken Bastida and Allen Martin are way past their prime. Bastida is mailing it in having long ago lost his value as a Bay Area native and losing much of that only appeal he garnered.

Martin is a total failure; no personality; no redeeming on-air chemistry; an abundance of dead air persona that viewers have seen for years but KPIX execs seem to have suffered from denial stage. Martin is dried-up tapioca pudding with no hope. Harsh? Yes, but true.


Liz Cook has become increasingly better--at least on air but she has ZERO help from both Bastida and Martin alike. Again, PIX suits have known this for many years but have failed to alter the furniture --it's not difficult to hire a fresh face, there's several alternatives out there, yet KPIX can't seem to act, they just react.

Paul Deanno is leaving for more stable and greener pastures but this situation too had him steamed and royally ticked off. If KPIX tried seriously to make Deannu a more significant part of its platforms, be it weather or news, then it made unforgiving errors in dealing with Deannu in such reckless, amateurish dealings. I'm not saying Deanno left on this situation alone but I'm certain it had major influence.

If you want quality, then why offer peanuts? Deanno didn't like the recipe. He gone.

In related news but with significantly lesser shock value, Melissa Caen is splitting and so too, Christin Ayers. Caen wasn't a favorite of mine but was improving her political analysis and was something of a hit with younger, male viewership. She had a name too which couldn't hurt.

Ayers was an up and coming GSA reporter who occasionally anchored but whose on-air dynamic was worth watching. She is leaving to work at an unknown outlet but instead of nurturing one of its better street reporters KPIX took a deep sigh and punted.

There needs to be fundamental change at KPIX soon before everyone splits for a more secure, more structured environment.

KPIX and CBS you're on the clock.