The informant told me that either of the two is a goner as Cumulus continues to throw out high-paid talent at its all-sports KNBR. Cumulus would not be alone as Comcast, the local cable network is being hit by financial ruins as its rating are significantly down and it is losing money by the boatload, not only A's and Sharks programming but more ominously, SF Giants games itself.
Viewership is down 25% so far and it's about to get worse.
Papa would seem to be a safe bet to stay but his high, six-figure (roughly $300K per year) salary is being scrutinized. His 49ers play-by-play role would cause for an awkward situation as well as tick off the 49ers' broadcast hierarchy but nevertheless, Papa is considered vulnerable. Anyone who makes big money at KNBR is on the clock.
A rumor making the rounds: a doomsday scenario in which almost all the personalities, Papa, Tom Tolbert, John Lund, and "Murphy and Mac" get the heave-ho from Cumulus.
The financial state at Cumulus is even worse than it is at Comcast. Cash flow is almsot zero. All expenses at the Cumulus SF cluster are under the gun; anything even remotely deemed non-necessary, is a no-no and that includes live remotes, producer costs, miscellaneous expenses, etc.
*John Rothmann's positive Covid-19 test (he's resting at home) may have had a domino effect: newswoman, Kim Mcallister, who frequently makes in-studio visits with Rothmann, has been away from KGO's air for nearly a week. No explanation has been given, even off the air. Presumably, Mcallister was tested and is now quarrantining at home.
Rothmann himself is playing it safe and is resting at home, recovering from flu-like ailments and won't return to his air-shift at KGO until at least next week at the earliest.
*Both Papa's and imbecile, John Lund's, contract are UP this year at KNBR.
*To shake your head in disbelief and wonder aloud just how BAD it is at KCBS: the anchor shuffle took an embarrassing (again, again, again, and again)--Eric Thomas, nice guy, LOUSY afternoon/evening drive, fill-in, was back in the chair on Monday and today. Thomas is NOT a personality for AM drive; neither is woeful Jason Brooks; neither is Jim Taylor; neither is Holly Quan.
Monopoly KCBS is an abject embarrassment.
*Daffy Duck is rumored to be in the anchor try-out chair sometime soon.
Sorry, you keep trying to sell us on Cristina Rendon but I'm not buying it.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more. Methinks the author is besmitten/obsessed with a very average on-screen presence...
DeleteAllie Rasmus is more talented and versatile than Cristina.
DeleteKNBR should play Max Headroom reruns.
ReplyDeleteI thought Daffy Duck already was on 9-12 on 95.7
ReplyDeleteDang man, that's messed up
DeleteThe salad days of overpaid talent is gone. Get used to that Dollar Tree microwave burrito. Which isn't so bad? The economy is in the toilet,belts are being tightened and EVERYONE is watching their money.No exceptions.
ReplyDeleteCOVID isn't over, as much as we'd like it to be and as much as all the employers want WFH to end.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately yes. Hopefully covid ends soon, but at the same time, we got to take the right strides and do what we can to help end covid and the pandemic in general!
DeleteFire everyone and play old Steve Young interviews on a loop.
ReplyDeleteKNBR/95.7 -> boring hosts that regurgitate the same takes, afraid to criticize the local team, crowbarred in between endless commercials. And when they actually talk about sports rather than nonsense, the hosts won't take calls because most callers know more than they do.
ReplyDeletePodcasts -> next to no commercials, an option to fast forward, interaction with listeners, team-focused talk that's unafraid to be critical.
If you're a Giants fan that doesn't care about the Warriors, why listen to 40 minutes of W's talk, waiting for Giants talk when you can listen to a Giants-specific podcast?
Some of the KNBR shows are downright offensive with penis/crap/gambling/sex/drunk jabbering. These guys are rank amateurs who don't respect the listeners and vice versa. You need to destroy the village to save it.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more
DeleteI just cant see knbr cutting greg papa..unless 95.7 has some secret plan nobody knows about to steal the 49ers,which I think they still cant for a couple more years,papa is way too closely associated with the 49ers..knbr center's most of,if not all of their programming around constantling tooting their/papa's horn and boasting about being the flagship..they play him bellowing his touchdown call every two minutes during football season
ReplyDeletePeople are just sick and tired of all talk radio that does not let callers call in and talk. That is first. And then, people who go on and spout their political agendas hour after hour. Both on the right and left. Maybe KRON is doing the right thing by just presenting things as they are. But please, no climate change hoaxes. No endless COVID scares. KCBS has proven that will drive away listeners fast.
ReplyDeleteSo you tune in to a radio show to listen to callers? I never have
DeleteWe need more Rendon. Who needs the bored rich suburbanite (Haener) or the Queen of Botox (Holmes)? How about getting behind someone with some game?
ReplyDeleteKCBS is a radio s*** show. There's nothing else to say.
KNBR is annoying noise over the airwaves. Do they mouthpieces say anything valuable?
Love Holmes and Haener, the queens of Bay Area TV. KTVU is lucky to have them.
DeleteI kind of feel bad for Greg Papa. I doubt KNBR will let him go, but it's crazy how he's off gigs because of how much money he's making. If KNBR lets him go, hopefully it won't affect his Niners gig.
ReplyDelete"Touchdowwwwwnnnn San Fran cis co!"
With every station’s expenses being scrutinized by Cumulus, makes one wonder if long distance telephone interviews with issue experts, pundits and authors are on the chopping block?
ReplyDeleteIf so, that would be a pity. At least in the past, the only thing that makes Chris Merrill bearable when substituting for John Rothmann is his eagerness to do a phoner or two.
John himself, not so much. Odd that, because when John does conduct an occasional phoner—usually with an author—it makes for good radio.
John doesn’t do phoners because he thinks he’s the expert on all things. He says guests don’t add anything. I’m not kidding, he’s that arrogant.
DeleteCan do without the 2 frat rats - Murph & Mac. But if Greg Papa and/or Tom Tolbert, the only remaining personalities worth listening to are let go, then might as well change the station format. It's really sad to see KNBR being only a shell of what it was only a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Kim is playing it safe because she knows she’s been exposed and doesn’t want to put her coworkers at risk.
ReplyDeleteSince you've mentioned nearly every KNBR host as possibly being on the chopping block soon, maybe it might happen after reading in this space for more than a year of the imminent ouster of Lund, Paulie Mac, Tolbert, etc.
ReplyDeletemiler was talking 'seattle vacation'' talk duri ng the game--all fleming could do was the ''yuh hum'' answers...miller turning the game broadcast into another afternoon 'ho hum'' talk show! un-be-lieveable,tim, yah yum Tom!
ReplyDeleteI've come around on Rendon, she's good. She had a pretty sweet home set up too.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I hear the "Doomsday scenario" is in fact true. Papa, Tolbert, Lund AND Murph & Mac will be fired by the end of April if not sooner. This is what happens when you pay guys to sit areound, talk sports and do the same boring interviews week after week. No one listens! Sadly, radio is dying. Gosh I long for the days of free Giants baseball on KTVU (when they were independent) with Gary Park and Hank Greenwald. Good riddance to Papa, Lund (who is GOD AWFUL), phone it in Tommy T and the unlisteable Murph & Mac. Boom... outta here!
ReplyDeleteThe only thing is, if KNBR gets rid of those 4, what becomes of KNBR? It's still hard for me to think KNBR would get rid of Murph and Mac who are a Bay Area institution even though their show is not as good as it was during the Giants championship years; Greg Papa who is the Niners radio play-by-play guy and can still talk Warriors and Giants and is a very knowledgeable host; Tom Tolbert who is kind of the last link to what KNBR used to be and he can give Warriors insights as he calls the Warriors home games on 95.7.
DeleteWe'll see what happens but it's still hard to imagine this. Man, how far KNBR has fallen. I still feel KNBR hasn't been the same since Damon left.
Otis... CBS Sports or ESPN radio shows. Cheaper to air that stuff then pay these four guys. Radio is a dying medium. It's all about Podcasts. Let's the listener listen when they want.
DeleteWhat you hear? from who? fired knbr employees doing at home you tube shows?
ReplyDelete