Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Ask Rich Lieberman

YOUR Bay Area TV/RADIO/INTERNET QUESTIONS and MY ANSWERS.

Please, name and city.

103 comments:

  1. How can a smaller media market like Tampa have so many more polished and professional anchors and reporters than the SF Bay Area? It’s a breath of fresh air to hear competent journalists, even though they still tend to lean left. At least they’re not whiny, obnoxious or self-absorbed like the “influencers” in the other Bay Area.

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    1. Not just Tampa but Sacramento too as I recently wrote.

      The Bay Area is mush now and littered with incompetent fools.

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    2. Sacramento is and always will be podunk, a blast furnace podunk.

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    3. @12:34- Sacramento is not as bad as Galt, CA.... I felt like I was in Alabama (and I've never been to Alabama BTW), when I was in Galt back in 2018. It was awful. Couldn't believe that was still Northern California. Talk about podunk, Galt is podunk.

      I'm sorry if I offended anyone from Galt, CA in this post.

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    4. Because Tampa is a luxury market, that’s cheaper to live and closer to many more cities for more opportunities.

      Nobody wants to be here in media.

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    5. @12:34 Hey! I live in Sacramento!

      Christine

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    6. You win the genius prize Mr. 8:10PM. That’s exactly why I moved my family to Tampa from the no-longer-great state of California.

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  2. KPIX seems to be going through many changes. Any update on Andria Borba? Will she be impacted by these changes? She’s been quiet on social media and haven’t seen her on air.

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    1. I think Borba has taken an extended vacation--which is the norm these days for many.

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    2. Simple get offered $ 100K to live/work in SF and you'll starve, take $ 80K and work in Tampa Bay or SacTown and you'll survive. Biz models for SF based medias have crashed given the reduction advertising budgets. Their are different channels besides radio/tv that needed to funded

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    3. Not that simple. Ad rates in SF are much higher than most other markets so they should attract better talent. They did exactly that when I worked there from ‘85-14. Now the market is infested by sloppy work, lazy reporting and disinterested viewers. Just like the City, its media has gone third world, small market.

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  3. Hey Rich, will KNBR ever address its woefully bad programming? And are there any consequences for the overuse of dick jokes on Papa/Lund? I can’t believe the sophomoric patter on that program.

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    1. No, because KNBR is a joke and run by a joke PD and inept leadership.
      As for Papa/Lund, that ship has sailed. It is what it is and will always be.

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    2. I think it's time for KNBR to consider going to network (ESPN / FOX Sports, etc).

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    3. @8:26- KNBR goes to network late at night after the 7-10 show. They go to CBS Sports Radio. I think KNBR 1050 does ESPN Radio and CBS Sports Radio as well

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  4. Hi Rich
    Do you think either the Niners, Giants, Warriors, Sharks, Quakes or A’s would be wise to buy KSFO and create a real sports juggernaut? It has a long reach (50,000 Watts) and can easily wipe out the “competition”. Your thoughts please!
    Lou in South City

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    1. Lou, I've been arguing that for years, to no avail. It makes too much sense which is why it's probably why it's never happened.

      I said a few years back the A's should buy KTRB (860AM) a 50K-watt power next to KGO --they could have purchased it and used it to air games, program their own format similar to KNBR and their Giants-related shows. And all for the cost of a journeyman second-basemen --but it never happened.

      Too cheap and woefully mismanaged, then and now.

      But your idea is a good one.

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    2. Hi Rich... The problem with this one station sports format is flawed because what happens when game times conflict? Can't run two games on air when they are played at the same time.

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    3. https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/am-stations-at-night

      I don't know exactly what time the power reduction kicks in, but I do, all but, lose KSFO in the south bay in the evening. That may make a difference to any prospective buyer. I do like how KCBS has both 740AM and 106.9FM simulcast.

      I'm unable to consistently receive 106.9's #2 music HD sub-channel, however.

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    4. The Dodgers, for years, were on KABC which was 50K watts but not exactly a great signal except in LA, but strong inside the LA basin.

      The A's could do worse. KSFO would help. And looks as if they're staying in Oakland at least for the next five years.

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    5. The Dodgers' 50K watts station was KFI (640). KABC (790) was where they moved next, but it was only 5K watts, and was not heard in the Bay Area. They are now on KLAC (570) also 5K and cannot be heard in the Bay Area.

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    6. The A's are on 960/Bloomberg. Not sure how many watts they are but can't get them in the South Bay. I don't listen to the A's but I do stream Bloomberg for the business news from 7 till 2. Excellent.

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    7. They should band together and take KGO out of its misery instead. No-one will miss the political slant of that albatross.

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    8. KNEW's 5kW signal is directional to the WNW. Their power is the same day and night. You should have no problem receiving them in San Jose, but the antennas in AM radios are also generally directional as well (usually it's a ferrite bar). For stations with different day and night power levels and/or signal patterns, the change happens at sunset and sunrise.

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    9. Buying a radio station might have been the play a couple decades back, but it's all about narrowcasting now. The Sharks have their own audio network now that streams on their app. Each local team has multiple podcasts being produced both by media properties and fans. These podcasts have little-to-no commercials and when they do, you can skip ahead. Sports talk on terrestrial radio is largely dead at this point.

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    10. Bloomberg's signal in the south bay is weak all day,but it's really horrible at night..I mean it's nothing but pure static..another insult to the A's they only do one segment of Chris Townsends postgame show,which might not be that bad,because Townsend could be extremely redundant,is a windbag and always seems to want to rant about something.
      However,Bloomberg is not the right station to carry sports

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    11. Townsend is not a total homer like the Giants have. He rips the A’s all the time and I agree that Bloomberg is not the station to do all A’s all the time. Too weak a signal but if Bloomberg bought a ksfo type signal I think they could pull in a good audience.

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    12. hes not a homer, you are correct,..he just tells repeats a lot of the same stories and name drops all the time and reminds everyone he used to work for the Raiders

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    13. He has a lot of time to fill on the A'sCast. Overall, I like his candor and excitement. Much better than the fossils shilling the Giants 24/7.

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  5. TK from MV
    What did you think of Natasha Zouves being on News Nation this weekend?

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    Replies
    1. I haven't seen her but I'll stop my life and take a look. I'm sure it's groundbreaking (wink.)

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  6. Kevin from San Leandro, Where has Rosemary and Roberta been lately on your favorite bleep show "As KTVU Turns"? Also Roberta has been toning down her outfits but the Spanx aren't helping. Thoughts?

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    Replies
    1. Kevin, they're all bit actors in a short nobody zone and at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. In the context of life, a blip on the radar screen. Both of 'em.

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  7. Dear Rich, now that a share of Audacy stock is cheaper than a fun size snickers bar, do you expect audacy’s ownership to make high level management changes ? Thanks!

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    1. Don't have a clue on your latter question but I do believe Audacy will have to slim and trim--that may mean a BK move--to get its economic state in gear.

      Right now it is bleeding red ink and its market share is, as you pointed out, roughly the cost of a small candy bar.

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  8. Hey Rich! GuRah from Alameda here. I would love to see your opinion on KPIX' Devin Fehely, the sometime anchor for KPIX on the weekends. I mean, in my humble opinion, the guy HAS IT ALL, regarding being an anchor. He talks perfectly, seems to have presence at the anchor desk, and just seems like he KNOWS what he is talking about. that is what an anchor is supposed to be, in the vein of Walter Cronkite among others. I don't understand why, with all the moving and shaking going on at KPIX, that this guy seems to be overlooked.

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    1. He's OK, I've seen him. Nothing spectacular but given today's meager talent assortment, he's far superior to the dreck (for the most part) that KPIX (and other outlets) puts out.

      So in that respect, Devin might as well be Cronkite's left foot.

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    2. I went to school with Devin. He's late 40's by now.

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  9. Hello Mr Lieberman! Thank you for answering our questions.
    KQED radio has been dominant for years. I learned a lot from Dr Krasny. Do you know what he is doing now? Further, what happened to KQED’s ratings once he retired?
    Sheryl in Atherton

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    Replies
    1. Sheryl, Mike is retired and living in Marin --I do believe he has speaking engagements and is writing a new book.

      KQED ratings are still pretty high, by the way.

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  10. Rich, what happened to my girl Ann Rubin? I never see her on KTVU anymore....did she retire?

    Ray

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    Replies
    1. Ann Rubin is still free-lancing somewhere, I do believe.

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    2. I liked Ann Robin. She seemed to be a no-BS let's-just-get-the-story sort of anchor. She reminded me of Linda Yee. Too bad KTVU let her get away, but they do that there. (Q: How can you tell quality KTVU talent? A: They're no longer at KTVU!)

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    3. Also what happened to Maureen Naylor?

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  11. KSFO is 5000 Watts NOT 50000. 5000 K Days Non Directional. 5000 Nights Directional.

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    1. I know KSFO's wattage, thanks for the 5000, GOT IT.

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  12. You've referred to Sacramento TV recently why don't you do a in-depth piece on content, reporters and anchors? Perhaps it would even shame, if that's possible, the Bay Area media.

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  13. Rich: between Greg Lee, Greg Liggins, James Torres, Christian kafton, or brooks Jarosz Who do you want to see as weekend anchor with Cristina At KTVU? I say Brooks Jarosz based on what I have seen as it looks like him and Cristina have a good rapport. Want to hear your thoughts please.

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    1. All your list is pretty lightweight but I like Kafton the best which isn't saying much. But hey, it's KTVU, no big deal.

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  14. Hi Dickie, why is it that whenever someone comments on how awful Jessica Burch is at her KPIX job (which involves standing in front of a green screen) they immediately get reminded that she was a reservist in the California National Guard? It’s as though she can’t suck at her tv job and still know how to fly a helicopter if ever called upon. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.

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    1. Because I guess that's why KPIX hired her knowing that her military resume would make up for the fact she would be completely awful as a TV weatherwoman.

      Which she is ...and just as BAD on radio (KCBS) too.

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    2. I agree completely with what you said. It’s just odd that when you call out her on air incompetence people automatically feel like you’re minimizing her state national guard duties. The two have nothing to do with each other!

      Btw, it’s clear someone at KPIX has a fetish for blonde bimbo wannabe Instagram influencers. Amanda Starrantino, Katie Nielson and now Jessica Burch are just a few examples.

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    3. Why all the Jessica Burch hate? I think she is really good and also does a great job on KCBS weather.

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    4. funny how that "bimbo" got through flight school .

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    5. 6:07, yup, you nailed it: being a bimbo is exactly how she got through flight school.

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    6. Come on. Enough is enough about Burch. You have to really be skilled and intelligent to do what she did. She is no bimbo. Flight school is crazy hard.

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    7. I couldn't care less about her former military background and here in the Bay Area we're not all that gung ho about the armed forces. The LT on her graphic is just irritating

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  15. Hi Rich: KGO Veteran Weather Man Spencer Christian turned 75 years old last month. Now relegated to weekend evenings Spencer still delivers a quality forecast. But I have to politely ask- after a great 50 year TV career both local & national why doesn't Spencer stop & smell the roses & just retire to enjoy the remainder of his life. Because of his well publicized gambling addiction (according to various media reports he lost over 300 Thousand) is that still the reason why Spencer at 75 continues to work? Rich BTW since you wrote about Julie Haener's frequent absences she has shown up for work everyday for her scheduled shift going on the 3rd week now. The Power of Rich Lieberman 415 Media- the Absolute Best Blog in the Entire Bay Area! Cary SF

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    1. Thanks Cary, I've never been a huge Spencer Christian fan from his days at "GMA" and at KGO so I'll leave it at that.

      Thanks for the kind words.

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  16. Any idea why Bill Martin still does weather from his basement? He seems to be the only news person in the Bay Area who still broadcasts from home. Is he scared of monkeypox or is he just lazy?

    Bruce in Alameda

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    Replies
    1. I think Cat cat has more gravitas than Bill.

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  17. Is there a reason why Dan and Ama is distancing each other reporting in two separate location inside the studio? I don’t see other station following this path.

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    1. It's COVID related and it's hit ABC7, they seem to want to make sure it doesn't hit their own anchors --I've heard this, thus the Ashley/Daetz situation.

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    2. The same reason everyone else has been...Covid.

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  18. Rich,

    You've mentioned that Liz Cook isn't especially well-liked, at the station and by viewers. Are there any backstories to that?

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    1. Not sure who you spoke to years ago. But, Liz is wildly regarded as one of the nicest people in Bay Area media. She is nice to everybody I’ve never seen her be a diva and she works hard. I don’t normally comment on blogs, but I’ve worked with her for years and I’ve also worked with other anchors at other stations and shes one of the best.

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  19. All I'll say is a good majority of staff at KPIX--notably a few anchors (who happen to be women) do not like her and think she's standoffish and got to her position because of her father's influence.

    It was the case then and now too. They both told me.

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    1. Liz Cook is a female dog, first class. She thinks she's better than everyone thanks to daddy's money & influence. She is not well liked around here. Be nice if she got fired!

      KPIX Newsroom Staffer

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  20. Hello Rich,
    I’ve read various statements and comments on your blog that refer to the condo parking lot next to the ktvu building. What’s the significance of this particular parking lot?
    Ray

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    Replies
    1. Where the KTVU folks scmooze and tell each other how miserable a place KTVU is.

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    2. How pathetically fitting that they have to run off and hide in some random parking lot.

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  21. When are you doing an in-depth comparison of the Fresno vs Bakersfield TV news?

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  22. Any thoughts on the female anchor up in Canada who was fired for allegedly letting her hair go full grey?? Remember former local KPIX anchor Colleen Williams who used to sport that grey streak in her hair with pride back in the day. Then she went to the LA market and all of a sudden she discovered hair dye.

    The news business is a visual medium. But anchors like Dan Ashley don’t seem to catch the same flack for their hair color. Curious as to your thoughts.

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    Replies
    1. Funny, I was just reading bout this ..I'm sure it's a viral thing and I'm sure Ms. Canada will probably get her gig back.

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  23. Hey Rich, when someone like Yamamoto comes in to do the prime news slots then the station essentially Demotes him to the noon time. I guess they dont have certain time slots written into their contracts?

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    1. They do not , you are correct sir.

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    2. I saw this coming, just like Kenny Choi!!!

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    3. Kenny Choi is a good reporter and better anchor. He is competent. Management should assign the morning shift to
      Yamamoto. Yamamoto is FUBAR.

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  24. Hi Rich,

    Victor Zaragozo KCBS traffic guy now sports guy does the sports ok however at the end of his segment he throws in the heavy accent on his name. He has no accent during the sports segment. Not sure why it bothers me with everything going on in the world. I think a couple TV anchors do this too. I don't have anything bad to say about their nationality. What's your take?
    Heating Up In The East Bay!

    Great Blog!!!

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    Replies
    1. Maybe he's a fan of" Reeego" Chacon --old Circle7 days.

      I hear his style and I have no issues with that--he does a good job.

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    2. A lot of Latino/x journalist do this. Damien Trujillo come to mind. It's simply a self affirming not to who they are culturally. No harm. The only one who doesn't is Sal LOL. I'm a fan of Sal's but on here he's as mayonnaise as Frank Malicoat. Off air tho he lets his hair down and his Mission comes out

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  25. All I wanna know is how in the heck did James Torres land that blazing hot reporter from NBC?

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  26. Hey Rich, Any follow up on your 'not baseball related' come to Jesus meeting between Larry and Farhan?

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    Replies
    1. They talked.
      I think they're gonna go after a few "stars" in 2023--they have to. They are in the entertainment biz.
      Aaron Judge? No, the Yankees will not allow him to leave, I do believe.

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  27. Well Done Rich!
    2 questions: Mal Sharpe Man on the Street: can they legally replay these old bits? I miss witty, silly radio. Proposing a job for a guy to stand in a fiery pit surrounded by maniacs and bats was pure genius.
    Susan Blake. She was competent, clear, concise, and had a gracious smile. Why did she stop, where did she go?
    Thank you Rich!
    Ed in San Rafael

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    1. I believe the Mal Sharpe ads are avail on YouTube but free to the public as far as I know.

      Susan Blake no idea her current status but I agree with your opine, Ed, she was quite solid.

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    2. Last I heard Susan Blake was living in the North Bay (I won't say exactly where, but I've brunched with her) and enjoying retirement.

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  28. Here are the good TV folks. Cristina Rendon, Dave Clark and Gasia Mikaelian for mornings. The class of the Bay Area at night, Dan Ashley and Dion Lim. For weather, Mike Nicco. Honorable mention to Frank Mallicoat - a regular guy.

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    Replies
    1. I agree, especially about Dave Clark. He’s not the best anchor and he’s horrible at natural ad libing but he wakes up at 2am to go to work and goes home to take care of his adult son who has severe developmental disabilities (I’m sure that’s no longer PC but no offense is meant). It’s hard not to root for someone like that.

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  29. Thanks Rich, I forgot about Rigo Chacon.

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  30. Agree on Mike Nicco. Seems like a down to earth guy.

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  31. rich, can you post local news ratings ? Can't find recent sweeps ratings anywhere for kgo/ktvu/kron/kpix

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  32. Imaginary Question from Brian Sussman (formerly of KSFO)
    "Hi Rich, Miss Me Yet??"

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  33. Hi Rich, I still haven’t broken my KCBS habit in the mornings, despite the overwhelming ad load and incessant repetitive Audacy promos. Tried Bloomberg, but I got annoyed by too many non-local segments. This past week, I’ve been hearing Southern California ad blocks on KCBS, ads for what I assume are SoCal businesses, such as Spectrum internet, and KNX promos. Is this further ineptitude or are Bay Area companies just not buying ad time anymore?

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    1. KCBS is totally local with minimal stories, just traffic, sports and weather. If they do any stories in depth, it is climate change, global warming, covid, racism, fire danger. Bloomberg is more national yes but they do do sports, traffic, weather on a local level from 7 AM to 2 PM. So nothing is perfect around here.

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  34. How's Greg Papa"s toupee doing these days? That was the most talented part of his body. Does he walk around the KNBR studios as a bald guy? One look at Papa and I always think of Alan Brady (Carl Reiner) on the Dick Van Dyke Show.

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  35. Notice how 95.7 The Game is employing more on-air minority hosts? Bonta Hill, Darryl "The Guru" Johnson, Allen Stiles, Shomari Block.

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    1. and look at where it's gotten them....

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