IN MY POST ABOUT KGO (and specifically, Chris Merrill) I've often stated the gross practice of doing shtick for shtick's sake. Merrill is the prime suspect and doesn't think authentic radio can be had by being normal, you have to shout and act crazy.
Crazy radio, I call it.
It's a shame too because the few times Merrill is human and doesn't resort to cheap, un funny tactics--like, for example, talking to the audience, he sounds sincere and forthright. If he backed off on the audio hijinks, he could be reasonably sincere and effective. He wouldn't have to be a shock jock talk host and he would be far more compelling and reasonable. Instead, Merrill doesn't have confidence in himself and concentrates on phony bits and makes yelling and screaming into the mic some sort of ritualistic behavior. Maybe it's that element that got him the gig at KGO, I don't know but it's not the kind of radio I like and I get the feeling I'm not alone. The KGO audience, a marginalized but loyal group seems to agree with me.
Merrill isn't the only one that practices crazy radio. He's simply the leading advocate mainly because I hear him filling in all the time --KGO's brain trust seems to believe he's a keeper. I wish KGO had more faith in its audience. They are smarter than KGO thinks they are; they can't buy crazy radio unless they listen to the Ronn Owens Report every day.
Larry King had a great line. He said in order to make it in radio, make it in broadcasting in general, Larry said, "Be yourself." Don't try to be anyone else. Don't manufacture shock and fake emotion. The audience wil know you're faking and insincere. Sounds like life, sort of, doesn't it?
Merrill is doing a lot of fill-in. Maybe if he tried to be himself and cease the crazy radio, he'd be a regular. But he continues to yell, scream, make fake voices and shout real loud and hysterical; it's not funny or amusing, it's downright silly and goofy, which is why I can't take Merrill seriously, let alone listen to him on KGO.
I wish KGO had more faith in the Bay Area's listener core but damn, how naive I am.
Merrill and Thompson can be hot or cold. I agree they are better if they avoid shouting and shtick. Thurston has emerged as KGO'S star.
ReplyDeleteThough I still like him, Rothmann seems to be burning out. Instead of debating callers, he increasingly just gets mad and shouts. On the issue of CONID -19 vaccines, he is wrong. The vaccines have NOT been fully tested. Due to the pandemic, they were approved for emergency use concurrent with starting 3rd-stage testing. During normal times this would be deemed unsafe. Third-stage is the first testing that will include those over 75 and that will include the full range of those with preexisting conditions. However, these are the very groups we intend to first give the vaccines to!!!. Third-stage testing will take years. While emergency approval was the right thing to do, there are still a lot of unknowns about the long-term safety and efficacy of these vaccines. Rothmann saying otherwise is a sales-job, much like Dr. Fauci pulled when he told us we didn't need to wear masks when what he really meant was that we needed to conserve them so that healthcare workers could get them.
Nikki I don't mind & kinda like. She is what she is, a mother & not a father. I'm a guy that can respect that.
You expect a woman to be a father? Maybe if she tried harder. Lol.
DeleteI don't think John Rothmann gets angry as much as he gets frustrated with some callers, compared to how Mark Levin or Michael Savage treats callers they don't agree with, he has a lot of patience.
DeleteIt’s the holiday season. Imagine how difficult it is to cover an entire schedule during a corporate hiring freeze. You’re overthinking it. He has a style and you don’t like it. Every host has a personality and they aren’t going to conform to every expectation. You’re listening... and so are many others. Hell, you gave him and the station free promotion. Over time, he’ll either sink or swim.
ReplyDeleteKGO has no interest in any modifications. If they wanted to, they would.
ReplyDeleteFinal broadcast of Michael Savage on ksfo. 12-31-20. Bay area great. I will listen on his podcast.
ReplyDelete