Thurston, a Bay Area talk-radio veteran (at KGO and KPIX-FM during the OJ Simpson saga) was part of the KGO talk hosts let go when KGO abruptly did away with talk as a format on Oct. 6th and went to a sports-talk/betting format.
I've been uber-critical of KCBS but this a GOOD MOVE by the Audacy folks and ND/VP, Jennifer Seelig. Credit due.
Thurston as a news anchor is interesting --but whatever, I can hardly wait.
UPDATE, 5 23 PM PT
From a reliable CBS and Audacy source, the contact tells me a proposed edict is set to occur near the beginning of the year (although it could be later), I'm told Audacy --which owns KCBS and 95. 7 FM, "The Game"--will change from an "all-news" format at night (7PM- Midnight, probably) to a talk format --KCBS would be included as well as other Audacy stations.
The talk format, the source told me, would allow for shows to run live and be repeated on the weekend.
So Pat Thurston's hire would indicate that KCBS would have a "name" personality and talk host on board once the new night format would debut.
*In 1983, KCBS had a similar format at night with veteran newsman/talker, Chet Cassleman, at the microphone.
News anchor?? Love Pat, but she shines brightest in a talk show host format. Happy that's she's landed a new gig though in these perilous times where it seems everyone is getting laid off. Smart lady with great connections within the bay area community.
ReplyDeleteWhat KCBS should do is open up the afternoon hours to more of a talk show format. Thurston would be a great start for that. Thereby picking up former KGO listeners who who don't really catch a thrill hearing the same news stories being repeated hour after hour. That's why KCBS rarely gets my attention unless there's an earthquake, power outage or some other major disaster. Car GPS takes care of traffic in the direction I'm going. And I can look out the window or consult my phone for the weather.
Come on, KCBS...expand your horizons. Straight news radio is a bit of a yawn. I'd bet 810/The Spread money on a talk show format being a good gamble. (And all the sports betting propositions lost....Bwwwaahhhaaahaa!!)
Agreed.
DeleteIt’s Pat!!
ReplyDeletePeter and Julia Felch
Pat’s new coworkers at KCBS
If true, this will kick-off the eventual death of KCBS.
ReplyDeleteThe SF Bay Area is not like other markets. Not one of the top 10 markets have a news station #1. Even general talk radio in pretty much every format other than KQED dramatically underperforms here compared to those in other major metro areas. People weren't interested in Pat Thurston before, why would they be interested now?
I regularly listen to KCBS now for N/T/W and there isn't a chance in hell that I'd listen to a talk-radio version of the station featuring Pat Thurston. Not when I have an infinite number of options on satellite, streaming and podcasts where I can listen to genuine experts on every single topic that Pat might consider yammering about.
This story really makes me sad, because I believe that it's absolutely plausible that Audacy would choke the #1 station in the #4 market in the country just because they're doing it everywhere else in the country.
Morons.
7:16: Did you take special classes to be so mean-spirited and classless or is that a natural talent of yours?
DeleteAgree Nobody wanted to listen to Thurston at KGO, ratings PROVE that
DeleteWhat could she possibly add to a NEWS station?
The hiring manager must have been impressed with her bra size.
ReplyDeleteSuper Commuter at KCBS
I wonder if this is going to be a national talk show. Hiring individual hosts for each Audacy market is too costly. I'm guessing the host will sit in a DC or NY studio. Audacy would seem to be East coast-centric.
ReplyDeleteHow long can you listen to never ending loops of the same news, hour after hour. I for one will now tune in KCBS when Pat is on. Satellite radio fails in that it has no particular local focus. As for the popularity of Talk Radio in the Bay Area, KGO was #1 for decades. I know times have changed, but it is still a good market for such a format.
ReplyDeleteNobody listens to KCBS for hours at a time, other than (maybe) Rich. That's not the point of the format and it's why the fact that KCBS repeats stories isn't relevant.
DeleteAnd I'm sorry, but KGO didn't die over the course of decades simply because the hosts weren't good. It's because the bulk of people in the Bay Area interested in that sort of content literally died off.
The fact that KGO was #1 for decades before the advent of streaming audio, podcasts and satellite is completely irrelevant. It's like saying that they should have horse-drawn carriages on 101 because they worked so well in San Francisco 110 years ago.
"Satellite radio fails in that it has no particular local focus."
Delete^^^^ This. Yes.
I remember KCBS doing a talk format long ago then went back to all news. This time around it might work since KGO went to the useless sports/betting talk format.
ReplyDeleteI agree, we don't need the same news over and over again 24 hours of the day. I have been feeling lost since KGO disappeared. I listen to KCBS, but get bored. I listen to Tom Sullivan on 1530 Sacramento noon to 3 p.m. and sometime the one hour show that follows, with John McGinnis, he is a former sheriff, thus talk about
Deletelaw issues a lot, he is conservative, but I often find his take interesting. I listen to Armstrong and Getty in the morning, no other choice. The other conservatives talk show host I just can't listen to Mark Levin, Hannity, Prager etc. So if Pat and John are added to KCBS line up that would be welcoming news.
Try KMJ 580AM out of Fresno...live and local (to Fresno, of course) content 8am to 6pm...yes, it's conservative, but not always the "ditto head" stuff. And the 2p to 6p guy, Philip Terresi is quite good.
DeleteI cant see Thurston as a news anchor at all,..but I do wonder if what you report about a night talk show format next year, if they bring Rothmann on as well
ReplyDeleteI always listened to KGO beging with Ira in the 60's. Now I listen to KCBS and KALW, But it isn't the same.
ReplyDelete> Ex-KGO Radio Talker Pat
ReplyDelete> Thurston Headed To KCBS
Isn’t this kind of like saying Pat Thurston headed from the Lusitania to the Titanic?
Whatever flaws KCBS has I don't think they are going away, they are the only news station in San Francisco. 1530 am in Sacramento has a mix of news and talk, like the old KGO use to, they have morning news, not sure how many hours 3 or 4, and afternoon news from 4 to 7 p.m. They cover national news, and of course Sacramento, not the Bay Area for the most part, which I wouldn't expect from them, so I definitely think the Bay Area needs a news station.
ReplyDeleteHumans amaze me. They never miss the opportunity and chance to share their ignorance and arrogance
ReplyDeleteDear god, please bring back Rothman and Thurston with talk radio. 24 hour news is such an understimulating drag.
ReplyDeletePat should head back to KSRO where she was a nice person. She was mean and nasty to many callers on KGO. As was Chip , Nikki and Mark. Rothman just pretended he was a know it all lawyer. They misguided many of us with their Trump bashing instead of talking about bankrupt schools, no water, people leaving the state, taxes that are too high and a governor that passes whatever he wants and doesn't let us vote on real issues.
ReplyDeleteMake this your last hire of the evil 5. They were uncensored and they all showed their true human side. Some how Trump and the Republicans were to blame for everything in California. Maybe now Pat can interview Libby Schaff and get the real dirt on Oakland that Nikki Medoro never uncovered. 5 grammer schools closed in Oakland alone and Newsom could not give them some of the 72 billion dollar surplus. Talk about fake news ! Lol
I loved Pat Thurstan on KGO. So glad to hear her voice on KCBS. Would like her to have a talk show however.
ReplyDeletePat Chelini
Pat is an insightful infotainment host, I was elated to hear her on KCBS and won my admiration for the station and I would that she'll rebirth a new gig, I can't wait
ReplyDeleteIke
Love love love Patš„°
ReplyDelete