KCBS, are you serious? I've been pretty supportive of the all-news 740 AM (104.9 FM) outlet; in terms of breaking news and rapid-fire coverage, they are usually solid, go-to, as they say, only KCBS is oblivious to several developments on their Coronavirus coverage.
FOR ONE: why the heck is KCBS still running multiple traffic updates? I can imagine traffic reports when needed, but when there's NO TRAFFIC now, is there a law that says KCBS has to repeatedly run traffic "on the 8's" when no one is on the road? It's called being oblivious to the current events and it makes no sense. It's especially ridiculous when KCBS's own traffic anchors say so forthright, "there is no traffic to report" and, like morning traffic anchor, Kim Wonderley, says now with robotic repetition, "there's really no accidents to report 'because there is no traffic out there.'"
Duh!
It's not just traffic but sports too. Why WASTE time doing sports updates when there is NO SPORTS to report? Steve Bitker is an OK sports anchor but do I need to hear him 15 times say the Olympics have been cancelled? Would it not be more prudent to add MORE NEWS to his time, ditto for traffic?
I understand KCBS and Entercom don't want to kill the golden goose that has given them great ratings but simple, common sense is needed. It's too valuable a time when the public is begging for more information and all you get is worthless traffic information when all you need to do is check the roads to see few people are driving --there is no commute now, KCBS, c'mon get real.
*KGO Radio will be again running, live, weekend programming this Saturday and Sunday, with John Rothmann taking calls Saturday, 5-8 PM and Pat Thurston, Sunday, 5-7 PM. It's good, again, that KGO is doing the obvious, I just wish we'd have more time because the crisis is worsening and we need more coverage but I'll get what I can.
*The more we're into all this the more shtick is getting tired. TV News sets where anchors are sitting six feet apart. Great. It's nice to see this, but when some people try to joke when there's a lot of bad stuff happening? Give it a rest.
*KGO-TV doing a "4 and 4" --a split screen with four anchors? Nice touch but a little too cushy for my taste.
*KQED Radio sent a reporter to Oakland for a MOS interview only the reporter was sort of brain dead with dumb questions and more dumber questions. Bizarre.
*Yeah, the Chronicle print edition gets thinner and thinner. They have an excuse now but seriously, how thin can you get?
*KCBS running reporter stories with their kids is really kind of irritating too, I get human-interest but way, way, too early and crappy now.
*Frank Somerville and Julie Haener, at least six and perhaps almost ten feet apart on the desk, OK, KTVU, great, we get it, maybe separate news desks? Or would that be too logical. I defer to therest of you.
*"We're in this together." If I hear that one more time, I scream and scream even more. It's a phony statement because news people really don't give a damn and are only trying to cozy up to viewers --please, just give the darn news!
I think local radio stations whose programming has kind of tanked because of this virus thing, are merely looking for creative ways to stay viable as broadcast entities! KCBS is filling sports and traffic time with chit-chat, sports stories, the novelty of working from home, etc. - they need to stay on the air and not lose sponsors!! Leave them alone and enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteAND ONE MORE THING: I've heard lots of good "tips" on KCBS for how to cope with what we're going through....handling food, how to boost immunity, best ways to interact with others, things to do while you're confined, etc....
ReplyDelete"We're in this together."
ReplyDeleteAdd 'social distancing'. The second that comes out of someone's mouth, I'm out...not listening to another word.
Attention annoying people: you don't need make up or use an idiotic new acronym or catch-phrase for everything, please STFU with this stupid shit.
11:54 What are you so angry about? There is no one really to blame for the virus, I suppose one can say it came from China because of their poor hygiene practice, but no one in US can be blamed, although I believe a case can be made for how the government has responded, especially in the beginning, or even before that, by denying it was a possibility. Hanna in Concord
ReplyDeleteI'm watching MSNBC this morning and a reporter is doing his serious reporting from home. Maybe Mom's because, I see over his head rafters,fiberglass insulation and electrical wiring going through the rafters in loose curves. He's in the basement!
ReplyDeleteHe did have a couple of bookcases behind him..one book on Lenon..to sort of look like a stage.
KTVU anchors are getting further and further apart all right. Frankie is now working from home, which surprisingly, isn't the Motel 6 at the Oakland Airport. I guess Donna hasn't thrown him out yet.
ReplyDeleteNot sure that giving Rothmann an extra night is a good idea. They might want to reduce his on-air schedule. The guy can’t go toe-to-toe in a debate with people who disagree. First, I’ve got to say that’s it’s depressing to hear him politicize the coronavirus situation, with all these people dying. It’s one of the first times when I’ve heard Gov. Newsom and Trump on the same page about things. But Rothmann is so tone death, he turns it into a political dispute. My God, he could turn a baby’s open casket funeral into a political debate. But here’s the difference. KGO hosts in the past were able to debate people who called them. They turned it into high art. Think of Gene Burns. But tonight just before 8, a caller got Rothmann on a couple of things. All Rothmann could say is “I’ll bet you watch Fox News” and then he cut the guy off. No debate. No “two sides of the story.” KGO needs somebody who can carry their own weight in a debate and not cut people off. They really need to try out new talent.
ReplyDeletePolitically, I have little use or regard for Jackie Speier. She is as Liberal as they come in California. I still have great respect for her. Jackie is a survivor. She endured the Jonestown Massacre in Guyanna back in November of 1977. Jonestown was a religious/political cult lead by Jim Jones. I shall never forget the story as told in the newspapers back then.
ReplyDeleteJackie visited the island of Guyanna with Congressman Ryan. They wished to confront Jim Jones about certain financial questions.
Suddenly, they were branded as Enemy by Jim. They had to leave the island quickly. Congressman Ryan was shot and killed. Jackie was shot five times, but she had to hide and wait 22 hours before help arrived. Even with all that, Jackie has had a full career in Sacramento. That plus a family. For what she endured, I can forgive Ms Speier being Liberal.
This is not the only tragedy she endured. She married a doctor in 1987, he was killed in an automobile accident in 1994, not his fault. Jackie was pregnant with their second child at the time. I believe she has since remarried.
DeleteYou couldn't be more wrong about John. Apparently you don't listen often, he takes several calls from people who disagree with him, he lets them talk, but when they start spewing false news he looses his patience, I heard the call you mention, but the guy wanted to talk over him and his information was incorrect. I use to listen to Gene, I agree he was the gold standard of talk radio, but he was brutal to callers there was ill informed. What hosts are you talking about that debated with callers, Ray Taliferro, Bernie Ward, Bill Wattenburg? All was impatient with callers that disagreed with them. Ronn was pretty good, I and many think John is doing a just fine job, and he does debate, you just don't hear it, because you disagree with his point of view. What new talent are you suggesting? Please give us some names. By the way how many conservative hosts debate with their callers, Hannity, Mark Levin, Savage, Rush? I don't think so, never heard it, in fact Savage and Levin are so rude to callers that disagree with them. The only conservative hosts I listen to who take calls from someone that disagrees with them and lets them talk is Tom Sullivan (1530 a.m. Sacramento) and Michael Medved and Michael Medved was taken off the air in the area.
ReplyDeleteI doubt Newsom and Trump are on the same page, Newsom has just figured out how to play Trump, so he can get what he needs from the federal government. You praise Trump and pretend to agree with him and he is sold. It is possible they agree, but Newsom is not a talk show host that gets paid to be opiniated, he is a governor that is looking out for his state. I'm sure most of us has played that game at one time or another, praising a boss or manager etc. it is good politics, doesn't mean you are a phony as long as you don't go overboard.
John gets lots of calls and email and most are glad he is on the air, even those that disagree with him compliment him. He is not politicizing the corona virus he is telling the truth as he and many of us sees it. John has been on KGO since 1996, except for those few years when they mostly did news. He can't be all that bad.
Hanna in Concord.
Agree with you, Hanna. J. Rothman has a lot of patience. Enjoy his show. Great that he's also on the weekend recently.
Deletespeaking of radio people with annoying stories all the time about their kids, you have the queen ms. nikky medoro who is undisputed in first place..
ReplyDeleteHeather Hamann, traffic reporter on Kgo, Knbr often over the top, Always upbeat even when talking about accidents with ambulances on scene. Yesterday pointing out that victim couldn't move his eyes. Why telling us that? It's not showbiz!Just report the traffic. She's pathetic.
ReplyDeleteIn response to 10:21, I'm as liberal as you can get, but I find Rothmann to be boring ... and at times, embarrassing, when he gets his facts wrong, and then insists he's right. He may have been at KGO a long time, but he was never considered "prime time" ... until everybody else was fired and there was just the bottom of the barrel.
ReplyDeleteOkay so he is not everyone's cup of tea. I'm liberal, but many times I listen to Tom Sullivan instead of Pat Thurston. Tom Sullivan is interesting, he takes calls from those who disagree with him. I do like Pat and it is not because of her politics I don't listen, it depends on the subject. I would venture to say ANY talk show host who has a full time show at times gets facts wrong. We are all fallible, except for our President who Always tells the truth and NEVER gets his fact wrong. John was chosen to take over Bernie's show from 10 p.m. to 1 p.m. after Bernie was fired. It is okay that you don't like him, but many do, and he gets plenty of calls and emails.
ReplyDelete