I GOT A LOT OF HEAT, you bet I did.
I've been highly complimentary of
KRON, the
new KRON and that's hard to do because I'm saddened by the loss of the
old KRON. Some would say the
only KRON. I know it's stupid of me and highly naive to think that the old KRON, even remnants can still exist.
Silly me.
I remember watching
KRON in the 1970's as a kid watching the great ones...and into the 80's and 90's--
Paul Ryan, Evan White, Bob Jimenez, Rita Channon, Belva Davis, Pete Wilson; remember
Ray Taliaferro as an entertainment critic doing the noon news.
Which brings me to present KRON.
They have improved. But they take a few steps forward and one step backwards. They try, for the most part, but still can't get it right.
I wish the current KRONvicts know the history of the station and how valuable and awesome the place used to be. It'd be great if someone told them, : "hey look, this is the place that you work. It's got a lot of heritage in San Francisco. Some real cool people used to work here."
That would be a relatively easy chore in my book but I know, yeah,I'm being way too naive.
Miss you, still, Sylvia Chase, Wayne Shannon, Tom Sinkovitz, Vic Lee, Jim Paymar, Terry Lowry, Rollin Post, Emerald Yeh.
Silly me.
Ah yes, the Era of Camelot at KRON. When Jan Wahl would let loose and make Henry Tannenbaum leave the newsroom.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the memories, Rich.
Good for Jan. Henry was more a TV personality than a newsperson. BTW it is "Tenenbaum".
DeleteThis is Frank Somerville. Thanks for this piece. I used to watch kron all the time. Pete Wilson was outstanding. Same with Jimenez. And I stole my salute from Jim paymar. . And just for those of you out there wondering. Pam asked me for the interview. I would never ever ask her. And I totally blew the answer on drinking. I don't drink anymore. Period. And that's what I should have said. So please no more bar comments or jokes. I take what I did VERY seriously. It was totally my fault. I've paid my price. I've done a lot of hard work. And now I'm a totally different person. And yes I'd like to work again. Why wouldn't I. It's what I do. And I do it well. But if no one hires me. I'll be fine.
ReplyDeleteA little late. Keep moving on.
DeleteMr. Somerville, I hope you can find an opportunity to get back in the news game. It may be in a different place than is your first preference, but I do think it's possible.
DeleteOne question: If, after two years, you don't see that door opening as you hope it to, what would be Choice # 1 and Choice #2 for you? You have a lot of energy and ambition still percolating. Had you ever thought of teaching? God Bless.
Frank! Cheers and good thoughts. Re your KRON interview, it's amazing how many anchors and reporters CAN'T "pronounce the names! " -- nine out of ten people last month called the flooding river "Pa-HAR-o" instead of "PAH-jarrh-o."
DeleteGood luck Frank. You’re a great anchor.
DeleteRich,
ReplyDeleteJust curious... Do you ever talk to management at KRON, KCBS, KGO, KTVU etc. to vent your concerns and your bloggers wishes for these once great stations? I wonder if any of them even care about thier stations anymore. I myself would call them up but I don't think it would do any good.
What can they do? Do you notice all the commercials for ambulance chaser lawyers and diamond warehouses at night in prime time? Think those local businesses are paying prime buck? When ads go for 1/10th of their previous rate because all the hot advertising goes to Facebook and Google—where smart people like me just block it with software—the stations can't afford to spend money anymore.
DeleteYou want the great days of news back? Destroy the internet. That's the first thing you have to do.
Always liked Wayne Shannon and watching kron when they had the NBC affiliation.
ReplyDeleteAlways thought Wayne Shannon's air time was a waste of air time. Real nice guy but not witty, insightful or funny. His "talent" was simply that he looked like Oliver Hardy. My opinion is based on having worked with the guy.
DeleteI've used the Tom Wolfe "You Can't Go Back Home Again" George Webber reference, but it bears repeating in its full context and literary impact on your lament. ""You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting, but which are changing all the time – back home to the escapes of Time and Memory."
ReplyDeleteI remember as a young kid in the 80's watching Evan White on KRON @ 5pm and then at the end of newscast he will turn to the little monitor and NBC Nightly News takes over @ 5:30pm
ReplyDeleteAlways thought Evan White and Carl Perkins looked the same
ReplyDeleteMore like the new KRON takes one step up and two steps back. Sorry, Rich, I don't see any improvement. Same sub-par reporters, same mediocre anchors, same superficial reporting, same news that one can get anywhere. I don't see anything that truly differentiates it from anyone else...there is nothing unique or uniquely good. I do agree with you with the belief that the station could stand out if it became a 24/7 local news and entertainment station, sort of like the NY1 (in NYC and done by Spectrum). Do a ton of news, and have special break out shows that are truly local and original. Have a show like Bay Area Backroads, or a Bay Cafe, or a weekly show on a specific City Council and the issues in that community, a show highlighting local entertainment, maybe a half-hour show highlighting unique bay area personalities. It would take a much larger staff, yes, and more money. Hey, GM Jim Rose, let's do this.
ReplyDeletePlease don’t hire KRON, the interview he doesn’t look too good and in tears.
ReplyDeleteKRON has not been since the NBC divorce.
ReplyDeleteI remember and was at the Real Old KRON. In late 1962, when I was a small child, I was one of the kids on the Mayor Art show. In those days the studio was in the Chronicle building and 5th and Mission, hence the call letters "KRON," as in "Chronicle."
ReplyDeleteI was there a couple of years after you. I was the "science commissioner" one day, wore a gray top hat, and did an experiment with Art Finger, AKA Finley. I could see anchorman Art Brown across the studio preparing to do the 6PM news.
ReplyDeleteAlso Paul Udell and Bill Orwig in the Sylvia Chase era.
ReplyDeleteKRON would be a powerhouse if it could have eventually been an NBC O&O. I guess there were a lot of years when the De Young ownership didn't play by all the network rules, and Young Broadcasting owner was never going to fork over that ransom, for affiliate renewal. So the Peacock chose KNTV -- which--just my thought--despite having a lot of good people, has never made much impact on the S.F. Bay Area market, lacks some kind of presence or identity, is still to a lot of City-centric viewers still a "San Jose station." Albeit without "The Perfect 36's" Carol Doda promos.
ReplyDelete@8:23AM Wow, you just brought back a memory with Mayor Art, as I was on his show in '65. Mainly remember the hat. Always thought it was funny when Agnos was elected SF Mayor, becoming a true 'Mayor Art'.
ReplyDeleteOn the Mayor Art show all the kids got gray top hats, and we got to take them home as souvenirs. They didn't last too long though, 'cause they were mostly made of cardboard.
ReplyDeleteHow do you write all of those words and not mention that the new KRON is only in the shape its in because NBC went to San Jose?
ReplyDelete