Embarrassing KCBS Reaches New Low; Broadcasts Basic PR Event from Pier 39; Shameless Anchors Patti Reising and "Wow" Bret Burkhart Participants; Matier Detour; Welcome (Again) To The "Shit Show"

KCBS reached a new broadcast low on Tuesday night--the only good news for them was that it didn't involve technical issues.

The afternnon drive team of Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart anchored live from Pier 39. I know because they'd promoted it for at least a gazillion times. OK, nothing wrong with that but the entire broadcast was essentially a commercial for Pier 39 and KCBS anchors and reporters fawning over an event that had virtually NO NEWS and embarrassing conduct from some people who should know better.

As the night moved on, KCBS's conduct got even worse.

The calamity of errors during the PM drive news slot was filled with grotesque, self-serving ridiculous broadcast mayhem, that's what I'll call it and I'm being diplomatic.

Reising and shameless Burkhart must have repeated, every other minute, (I lost count), that they were broadcasting from Pier 39. It might as well have been a Pier 39 production. And the event? A Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, which is odd since we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving. But oh well.

KCBS broadcast --again, repeatedly, a story involving waste water in SF and San Jose that showed Covid-19 residue and a doctor from the health dept. advising people to wear masks and avoid big crowds --I guess KCBS didn't get the memo because they were broadcasting from...a BIG CROWD! How ironic and crazy is that? And yet, the carnival and its enablers carried on.

SF Mayor, London Breed, made a pit stop to the event and did an on-air interview with both Reising and Burkhart; I say "interview", it was more like a campaign speech for Breed who spoke on and on and on about how "great" and exciting it was to see the city and it's festive look, only you couldn't help but think, "is this right? and what about the state of SF, real state and not campaign speak, as Breed droned on.

Did Burkhart, in full "wow" mode, bother to even ask the mayor any kind of question that its citizens might have appreciated? No, not even a smidgen. Did Reising, between her on-air giddy state, think maybe she could have interjected, like, "Mayor Breed, is the city, Union Square safe from mobs stealing and terrorizing people who might want to shop and eat out?" Not a chance. Reising instead chose to giggle and ask PR, chamber of commnece questions, it was not only weak but embarrassing too.

Burkhart sounded like he was at his prom date's house before the senior ball. And Breed chirped on and on without so much an innocent question.

Excuse me, those who might say it wasn't the proper time to ask such questions, sorry but Breed is fair game, hell, she's the mayor! She's hardly given much access and therefore, yes, she should have been at least asked. But the giggle-force of Burkhart and Reising ruled the night.

Things got progressively worse --the gruesome twosome spent seven, 7! minutes talking to a Pier 39 PR woman about the sea lions that make the pier home. It was both tiring and laughable. It sounded BORING after thirty seconds so imagine 7 damn minutes.

Pathetic KCBS and shame on Reising -Burkhart and their taking part in such a blatant carnival act.

Later on, a phone interview with normally credible, Phil Matier, went awry at the beginning when Matier said it was "uncool" to say Pier 39 is uncool-- Seriously, Phil?

But again, KCBS is a monopoly and has NO competition. They literally can do what they do without anyone, any radio station challenging them because there simply isn't one in this area. KQED doesn't count and it's plain just truly sad.

Welcome again to the "shit show."

A KCBS/Pier 39 production.