I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR YEARS, 95.7 --The Game --All Sports FM-- needs to be blown up and have a major overhaul. That moment is about to place and then some...
Come September 16th, I'VE been told, a "significant" change will commence. Better late than never.
Among the things that are high priority:
*A basic redo of the morning show meaning the whole band of misfits will be goners. I don't know how they lasted this long to tell you the truth because they've NEVER have had any ratings and they aren't funny or creative. Other than that, they're just fine.
*Joe Shasky, the "butcher boy" is actually funny and is 20x better than the morning schlmiels --he might be in line for AM drive. Just a hunch.
*The Afternoon circus act, which includes the Indiana Bluster, Damon Bruce, and human blowhard, Ray Ratto, should be re-structured if not canned altogether, they too have zero ratings. Damon treats the interns and off-air folks like shit so I'll bet there's no sympathy for him--maybe he should go look for work at Salesforce where he could be a temporary clerk.
HERE'S THE PROBLEM with The Game:
Nobody had ever run the place like a real business. They need a leader at the top. They need someone who knows what he's doing and can disinfect the place and start over. Like now.
Much of the Games' incompetence stems from total mismanagement and ineptitude. They have no direction and it shows. For over ten years now.
I don't know why The Game just don't go to national programming. Their line-up has always been a collection of castoffs and amateurs and they need to upgrade. A national format would also offer more variety than the interminable "Go Giants" infomercial on KNBR.
ReplyDeleteNational programming just doesn't play as well out here. Plus, a lot of national sports talk radio shows rarely talk Bay Area sports. Whatever the Giants, A's, and Sharks do is just a footnote. They will talk Niners now that the Niners have a good team again, but the Niners don't get the national coverage like the Cowboys and some other NFL teams do. The Warriors get national coverage, but there's still that dislike for the Warriors in national sports media and talk about when their dynasty is going to end and all of that. National sports media kind of hates Bay Area sports to some extent.
DeleteYeah, on some of the national sports talk radio shows, there may be more variety, but when you listen to national sports talk radio shows, they mainly talk about LeBron, the Cowboys, or the same national topics that ESPN and other national networks beat to the ground.
Fox Sports Radio can be the worst at times because they are L.A. based since their studios are in L.A., so you know there's Dodger, Rams, and Laker homers working on the shows there. Who here in the Bay Area wants to hear Dodgers, Rams, and Lakers talk?
With that being said, maybe they can do national radio to take over the morning show if they can't find solutions there now, and keep the rest of the shows on 95.7 from 10AM-10PM
mid day show is okay. A decent mix. Ratto and Bruce are decent. Let Kolsky go. And be gone with Covay already. Horrible radio. If I hear about his wedding and "wife" again...
ReplyDeleteCovay is a miserable human being
Delete@1:26- haha. Yeah, Covay does talk about his fiance now wife a little bit too much, where it's kind of uncomfortable. Yes, it's great for him that he found love, but sometimes he makes it seem like she's his everything, outside of his dog.
DeleteNot sure if you saw the pictures of his wedding on Facebook, but he had on Nike tennis shoes for his wedding. LOL. I guess it wasn't as formal of a wedding ceremony, but seriously, tennis shoes bro?!? LOL.
Interesting stuff, yea blow it up. Although I have empathy if the existing talent has no clue who is going to go and it will be Dead man Walking for the next three weeks.
ReplyDeleteDo they have a token black guy? Asking for a friend.
ReplyDeleteYes Bonta Hill, Guru and Lorenzo Neal all on 3 different shows.
DeleteGet rid of Guru, who is absolutely painful on the ears.
...wait, LouisBrandels, a BLACK person named "Butcher Boy"?? Does the NAACP know of this abnomition?
DeleteDarryl johnson sells sex pills on the side and he got on the air because he won a "contest"
Delete@3:05- Seriously, you had to go there?
DeleteBonta, Guru, and Lorenzo Neal are worthy of their spots on 95.7
Mix96 fm
ReplyDeleteOLDIES 95.7 KFRC!!!
ReplyDeleteNow you're talkin'! Love the PBS My Music specials.
DeleteYes/No Radio 95.7 KLOK FM
ReplyDelete95.7 KGO FM
ReplyDeleteThey should team up Matt Steinmetz and John Dickinson. It wouldn't surprise me if they brought in Bob Fitzgerald.
ReplyDeleteSteinmetz, Dickinson, and Gleason are decent. NO to Fitz please.
DeleteCan they gather the folks from 910? Liked Clark Howard etc. Why go Black???
ReplyDeleteIf they let Damon Bruce go, how will he ever cure cancer?
ReplyDeleteDamon Bruce does come off as contentious, verbose and overbearing, but I cannot subscribe to the people who find joy in someone losing their job. Some of you people need to look in the mirror before you wish ill will (or in some cases, ill health) on people who have done nothing to you.
ReplyDeleteWhen Bruce got his contract renewed, maybe 3 years ago, why oh why did he bring it up to his listeners over and over again. It was quite childish and he is so presumptious and the redundant conversation that I am a Dad get's old along with Levi's Park having many short comings. Man has some talent,that being said I have not listenned much since being furloughed and now working at home for the last few month, I will listen to the Game when the NBA starts next season because I absolutlety can't stand Fitz doing the play x play and really the commentary too.
DeleteBased on your prior comments you are a pretentious assclown, "Ron". Not to mention a hypocrite.
DeleteI think you need the mirror. A full body one at that.
How about this format; "95.7 The Dork" Dork coming from "D"umbass "O"n, "R"adio and "K"ooks. My lineup, Karel, Brain Copeland, Bernie Ward and replays of Ray Talifiero.
ReplyDeleteSports talk radio, as a whole, completely sucks. The shows pick 3 topics each day to beat into the ground, in 15 minute increments. I called in a few years back when 95.7 was doing a whole 90's week. They had me on hold while Townsend told some long-winded Pearl Jam concert story. Towny took up all the call-in time so the call screener asked me to call back in the 6 o'clock hour. I call back and end up on hold... as Towny tells the exact same fucking story.
ReplyDelete95.7 is just built on 15 minute segments, bits, and repetition. The only host with any element of originality or danger was Damon before his wife put his balls in her purse. When you're giving regular air shifts to people because they won a contest, you've already lost.
FYI, Rich, 95.7 went on the air as full sports talk in Aug 2011 so it hasn't been "For over ten years now". But why let facts and research get in the way, right?
Chris townsend and long winded two things that never change..
DeleteRetain Dibley,Bonte, Steinmetz, Guru, Ratto, Neal, and Kos and jettison the rest. Bruce, Dickinson , and Kovay are cringe worthy.
ReplyDeleteThe whole station is discombobulated. THe mistake began when they put Bonta on with Papa and they kept him in middays. He's a night guy who should do his own show and take calls. He's not a guy who leads a show.
ReplyDeleteRatto is someone you interview. He's not a guy you put on a show.
Damon tries to hard and is really not that interesting.
Kolsky is more of an analyst and not so much an entertainer.
Guru is unlistenable to be honest.
Lorenzo Neal is trying really hard to act like he has a personality.
Joe Fortenbaugh is legitimately talented and that's why he left for ESPN.
Dibley is legitimately funny and entertaining but cannot run his own show. Should stay in mornings.
Butcher Boy is kind of all over the place. Deserves a role but probably as a lead with Bonta or someone else. Can't run a morning show.
Covay is pretty solid and can probably run the morning show but you have to test drive him for a while and find someone other than Lo Neal.
Stations is sloppy right now. They've turned KNBR sideline guys into talent better than what KNBR has. Now they have to figure out how to take the next step and they've not been able to do that.
Sports radio does kind of suck.
Agree with much of what you wrote. Guru is funny and gives a common-man's take. Lo Neal can be unintelligible at times. Butcher Boy and Covay are abrasive. Maybe the Bay Area doesn't have enough talent for two 24/7 sports radio stations.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteGuru is horrible with that whinny voice.Dibley is probably cheap and he is not bad, but not really good enough for morning show
ReplyDeleteCovay is pretty solid and can probably run the morning show????
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming he wrote this because Ryan Covay is the least talented on air host in bay area radio.
No, I wouldn't want to wake up to Covay or the Butcher Boy. I would press the Snooze button and roll over in my bed.
DeleteFortenbaugh is nauseating, morning show infinitely better without him.
ReplyDeleteGleason merits more airtime, funny,talented guy who doesn't take himself so seriously like most of the unlistenables on the station.
Yeah, Fortenbaugh kind of did. He brought East Coast style, kind of like Tierney did when he was on 95.7, but that doesn't really play as well out here.
DeleteYeah, Gleason is alright. He can be goofy/wacky at times, but he's a decent fill-in for all of the weekday shows.
correction KNBR castoffs
ReplyDeleteI think the problem with 95.7 at times is that there is no consistently. The past month or so, you've had Fortenbaugh leave that station, guys went on vacation, and then Butcher Boy, Covay, John Dickinson, and Whitey Gleason have been filling in on different shows. Yes, guys do need a breather, but sometimes it's hard to build a base when guys are in-and-out.
ReplyDeleteI do kind of agree with Rich that 95.7 hasn't been run like a real business. Look at all the people who have left the station for either other stations, or maybe other opportunities in another field altogether. I do enjoy listening to 95.7, but at the same time, it's kind of too bad people like Greg Papa, Gianna, Elena (that's not how her name is spelled, but she would normally do updates in the mornings), Greg Papa's son, Joe Fortenbaugh, and others, left the station, when they could've helped continue to build 95.7.
As far as 95.7 apparently changing things next month, it once again goes back to consistency as I mentioned in my other post. I think their weekday lineup is alright for now. I felt 95.7 could've built on that, especially since football season is coming up, and it looks like the A's and yes, the Giants, could be in the thick of things for the pennant races in baseball this year.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, I probably would make a few tweaks:
For the morning show, I would take out Kozimor, and just have him be a fill-in host. He's ok, but he's kind of a clown at times, and I think he might be better on TV when he's doing Kings or Sharks or Giants or A's pre and postgame on NBC Sports Bay Area/California. Not too many guys can make the switch from TV to radio. Not sure who I would put in Fortenbaugh's spot. Maybe put Gleason there? He worked with Dibley in the past when they were on in the mornings with Mark Kriedler. A lot of people were pissed when that crew was let go back in 2014.
This way, you would have 2/3 of the old Rise Guys show, and I would keep Lorenzo Neal around. Say what you want about him, he's unintelligible, you can't understand him, he's easy to make fun of whatever, but the guy gives great insights on what pro athletes go through since he played in the NFL. Plus, he has great contacts. The morning show usually gets all the best former NFL players and coaches for interviews. They got Jerry Rice for the second year in a row now.
For the 10-2 show, I would get rid of Steinmetz, maybe have him be a fill-in, or just relegate him to weekend duty. He has a good rapport with Bonta and Guru, but there's times when you listen to this show and you can tell there's a disconnect there, and then when Steinmetz gets on them, the optics look bad (an older white guy yelling at two black guys).
ReplyDeleteYes, they're cool with Steinmetz, but when Steinmetz does that, it kind of rubs me the wrong way. He's kind of toned it down since Bonta has carried the show and has become the main host of the show, but Steinmetz doesn't really fit that show anymore. Steinmetz does better with Dickinson, as they used to do the NBA this week show on weekends. I would maybe put Steinmetz in the weekend rotation and help strengthen the weekend rotation, and maybe he could be a guest during the week for Warriors or NBA topics.
I would probably put Butcher Boy in the 10-2 timeslot. I would hate to take him away from the night time show, but you could tell 95.7 was experimenting putting him in other timeslots filling in for guys who were on vacation or taking a day or two off here and there.
I think Butcher Boy is best with Bonta and Guru. Yeah, they all talk over each other from time to time, but they all have that sports passion, and they all get each other. It would be a show for diehard/true blue sports fans.
For Damon's show, I would definitely get rid of Ratto. I agree that he is someone you interview, and not someone you have on a show. He's too negative. Look at today for instance. At the start of the show, he mentioned how it might take until October until the fires here in Northern California are put out. Yes, it's good to find that out, but how does he know that for sure? Then later on in the show, when they were talking about the A's-Rangers series in Arlington, Texas, Ratto mentioned that there hurricane warnings in Texas. Once again, valuable information, but what a way to bring the show down.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think Damon should go back to being solo. That was what he did best, and it's what he prided himself on going back to this Sportsphone days. Just like what I would do with Steinmetz, maybe have Ratto on as a guest periodically.
With Kolsky, not sure where I would put him. At this point, maybe the night show to replace Butcher Boy, but I'm not sure how him and Covay would mesh on a nightly show even though they worked together on KNBR I think.
Regarding the night show, Covay could probably carry the show, but I would either pair Kolsky with him, or maybe put one of the Dream Job contestants there. A couple of those guys were kind of good and deserve a shot. Why not try them on the night time show, or maybe weekends?
Regarding Damon Bruce, he has changed since he's gotten married and had a kid. I'm happy for him, and you can tell that he's genuinely happy, but at the same time, he doesn't have that edge like he used to have back in his single days when he was younger and working at KNBR.
ReplyDeleteYeah, people change as they get older, but I do miss the old Damon Bruce. He had so many classic shows after games, and even in his 1050 days..... Also having two other hosts changes things for him as well.
Also, all the Bay Area sports teams are better now, where he doesn't have to rant about them like he used to. Back when he was on Sportsphone, that was before the Giants and Warriors won titles, and both teams were making the same mistakes every season.
Dang Rich on the Salesforce joke. His wife works at Salesforce and from the sounds of it, it sounds like she's ballin'.
Damon is still the man, but he has changed some. Still brings the passion, but he's not the Damon Bruce of 5-10 yrs ago.
Having a stroke at a relatively young age can also change you.
Delete@11:50- Yes, I was going to mention that, but he was still going hard after he had the stroke. I was referring moreso to the past year or so since he's been paired up with Ratto and Kolsky.
DeleteBottom line, even though he has changed some, I still think Damon would be good as a solo host.
My gawd Otis you are insanely clueless A dream job winner? Why bother with a real broadcaster that station has Blautarsky ratings ZERO POINT ZERO.. rearranging the deck chairs n the Titanic won't help that station
ReplyDeleteIs Otis a pseudonym for Stan the Observer?
Delete@5:14- LOL. I'm not Stan
Delete@2:37- I'm not clueless, I was just bringing up ideas. They eventually might have to get those contestants some air time if they plan on making changes to the station. We'll see what happens. Like I said, a couple of the contestants were kind of good, they weren't terrible.
DeleteSometimes rearranging things can be good.... It's hard to believe 95.7's are down. When I listen to the station, yeah, I think there's some things they can improve on, but overall 95.7 is not all that bad. We'll see how their ratings will be once the Warriors start back up next season and they will have more Warriors related programming centered around their shows.
Kolsky won't like Covay Because NOBODY likes Covay not even his pet cat..
ReplyDelete