I see KGO has Ming Sze in the field at APEC. I gather the folks in studio are thrilled to be rid of her for a week. She can hang out at APEC with the other wannabee Dictators and Despots
You sure you're not looking at the Comical? The news site that has high school students writing headlines? The news site that has "reporters" who are more adept at rewriting news releases and trolling "X" for their stories? The news site that considers opinion pieces as "top of the news"? When is the Comical going to die?
Excellent rants Rich. Though Knbr does, has to, discuss the local teams it's peppered with so much dumb downed sophomoric giggling nonsense it becomes an unenjoyable experience. It starts with the lack of quality and qualified hosts. Copeland leads the way there, followed closely by Lund, and teetering is Santangelo.
KNBR has been a joke for awhile. . The sleazy and contemptible Tony Salvador, who helped engineer the Larry Krueger/ Felipe Alou fiasco some time ago, fawned over Cumulitus, ( Cumulus,) when they bought the station in 2006. After he fired Bob Agnew as PD, he brought in his unqualified henchman Lee Hammer, who’s favorite comment was, “Tony wants it that way!” Hammer stayed on seemingly forever, mainly because he managed to have his noise completely up Salvador’s ass and did much of his dirty work. Salvador’s blessing, Hammer rehired Supreme egotists such as the smarmy, insincere know it alls like Bob Fitzgerald. Salvadore was ‘brilliant’ in bringing aboard lazy posers such as TV hacks Mark Ibanez and Steve McPartlin who were eventually shown the door because they sucked. Salvador also hired other annoying noisemakers such as Rich Herrera, vanilla bland personalities such as Ray Woodson, and Rid Brooks, and washed up, cranky people such as the “Great!” Pete Franklin, ( Gary Radnich’s sarcastic title for anyone who appeared on his show..) Radnich’s poor-man Don Rickles act wore thin after a few years, as he Regurgitated the same inane jokes, Over and over and over again. But Salvador loved Gary because he thought he was such a comedian. The two of them could be heard after after shows chortling at some stupid comment by Radich. Then cheerleading, annoying personalities such as the unqualified egotist Brian Murphy, (who should have stayed in sports writing where he at least had some talent,,) and the second string Sacramento DJ ‘ Pauli’ Mac, who knows squat about sports were brought in Capable vets such as Kevin “ the Rat,” John Shrader, Bruce McGowan and Pat Olson were all shown the door, replaced by minor league talent like ‘Dibs!’ ( Dan Dibbly who sounds like Daffy Duck,) and the drug-addled Patrick Connor. Then of course they brought in former mediocre NBA player. Tommy Tolbert, , who weeks after arriving was sent to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, and spent most of his time talking with drunks on Bourbon Street and while quaffing pitchers of beer, ( which he seems to talk about ad nauseam) while his alcoholic producer stumbled around while holding ‘Mr T’s’ mic. Then the ‘Flying Dutchman’ of radio John Lund, who’s specialty was laughing at penis jokes was hired, the boring Mark Willard, along with the juvenile, skirt chasing overgrown teenager FP Santangelo, were brought in. Then finally, the most laughable, absurd hire of all; unqualified former board operator Adam Copeland, who’s hyper personality and hyena-like laughs and giggles were seemingly qualities that made him supposedly “ qualified” to run the entire Cumulitus radio operation. Cumulitus DESTROYED KGO, turned KFOG into a non-entity and created the vapid KNBR 1050, where supreme idiots such as “ Ron and Don” held forth. Those 2 brain-dead nuts proudly opened their shows with: “ we’re gonna talk about chicks and beer!” Ratings as expected, slowly slipped away and today KNBR is something like 19th overall in the ratings.
@ 10:44AM, all very good time lines and all the main culprits listed. I have a few adds. I recall Gene Washington hosting Sports Phone in '89 into the '90's and wasn't bad. Interviewed the local players etc. Pete Franklin was brought in in '93 and was really fun to listen to, a taste of old East Coast sports radio heard out here for the first time. Around that time, early 90's, was Salvatore GM? I don't recall. Radnich started in '92 and was good from the start. It did start to fizzle when the horrible Fitzgerald came in. He never had any rapport with callers or identity. Franklin was having health issues and was paired with Fitzgerald and that was bad, for Franklin and listeners. That didn't last long. By the mid 90's to early 2000's is when, as you mentioned, Kevin “ the Rat,” John Shrader, Bruce McGowan and Pat Olson had time on air and maybe should have been kept longer. Krueger had the Sports Phone slot and was enjoyable but then his quip in poor taste cost him and Agnew. Both moves over reactions and a detriment in losing them. Then Scumulus weaseled in and the rest is ugly history. But there were lots of maneuvers and changes the last 30 years, and I don't recall all the PD changes and when, just that it's hopeless now with Copeland new PD, a farce. An idea: Fire Lund, Copeland, for starters. Hire back Krueger. Try out Ibanez, Hire some intelligent people from the Athletic or a Bruce Jenkins, people with knowledge, local history, and who can speak well. Put M&M and Tolbert on thin ice, they have to change their old schtick , up their show IQ's, stop the dumbing down, reorder their shows or get shown the door. Another major thing, Scumulus has to be shuttered, blown up, get the hell out...and new ownership, radio savvy ownership has to take over....Well maybe Hell will freeze over someday!
All the same KNBR complaints as last time. Couldn't you just repost the last video?
ReplyDeleteI know right?
DeleteI see KGO has Ming Sze in the field at APEC. I gather the folks in studio are thrilled to be rid of her for a week. She can hang out at APEC with the other wannabee Dictators and Despots
ReplyDeleteYou sure you're not looking at the Comical? The news site that has high school students writing headlines? The news site that has "reporters" who are more adept at rewriting news releases and trolling "X" for their stories? The news site that considers opinion pieces as "top of the news"? When is the Comical going to die?
ReplyDeleteExcellent rants Rich. Though Knbr does, has to, discuss the local teams it's peppered with so much dumb downed sophomoric giggling nonsense it becomes an unenjoyable experience. It starts with the lack of quality and qualified hosts. Copeland leads the way there, followed closely by Lund, and teetering is Santangelo.
ReplyDeleteassuming page views WAY DOWN since he started posting videos, instead of writing his stories.
ReplyDeleteDon’t forget the morning shows over use of gangster! He’s gangster, that’s gangster blah blah - 2 white guys from mill valley - that’s gangster
ReplyDeleteKNBR has been a joke for awhile. . The sleazy and contemptible Tony Salvador, who helped engineer the Larry Krueger/ Felipe Alou fiasco
ReplyDeletesome time ago, fawned over Cumulitus, ( Cumulus,) when they bought the station in 2006. After he fired Bob Agnew as PD, he brought in his unqualified henchman Lee Hammer, who’s favorite comment was, “Tony wants it that way!” Hammer stayed on seemingly forever, mainly because he managed to have his noise completely up Salvador’s ass and did much of his dirty work. Salvador’s blessing, Hammer rehired Supreme egotists such as the smarmy, insincere know it alls like Bob Fitzgerald. Salvadore was ‘brilliant’ in bringing aboard lazy posers such as TV hacks Mark Ibanez and Steve McPartlin who were eventually shown the door because they sucked. Salvador also hired other annoying noisemakers such as Rich Herrera, vanilla bland personalities such as Ray Woodson, and Rid Brooks, and washed up, cranky people such as the “Great!” Pete Franklin, ( Gary Radnich’s sarcastic title for anyone who appeared on his show..) Radnich’s poor-man Don Rickles act wore thin after a few years, as he Regurgitated the same inane jokes, Over and over and over again. But Salvador loved Gary because he thought he was such a comedian. The two of them could be heard after after shows chortling at some stupid comment by Radich. Then cheerleading, annoying personalities such as the unqualified egotist Brian Murphy, (who should have stayed in sports writing where he at least had some talent,,) and the second string Sacramento DJ
‘ Pauli’ Mac, who knows squat about sports were brought in Capable vets such as Kevin “ the Rat,” John Shrader, Bruce McGowan and Pat Olson were all shown the door, replaced by minor league talent like ‘Dibs!’ ( Dan Dibbly who sounds like Daffy Duck,) and the drug-addled Patrick Connor. Then of course they brought in former mediocre NBA player. Tommy Tolbert, , who weeks after arriving was sent to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, and spent most of his time talking with drunks on Bourbon Street and while quaffing pitchers of beer, ( which he seems to talk about ad nauseam) while his alcoholic producer stumbled around while holding ‘Mr T’s’ mic. Then the ‘Flying Dutchman’ of radio John Lund, who’s specialty was laughing at penis jokes was hired, the boring Mark Willard, along with the juvenile, skirt chasing overgrown teenager FP Santangelo, were brought in. Then finally, the most laughable, absurd hire of all; unqualified former board operator Adam Copeland, who’s hyper personality and hyena-like laughs and giggles were seemingly qualities that made him supposedly “ qualified” to run the entire Cumulitus radio operation. Cumulitus DESTROYED KGO, turned KFOG into a non-entity and created the vapid KNBR 1050, where supreme idiots such as “ Ron and Don” held forth. Those 2 brain-dead nuts proudly opened their shows with: “ we’re gonna talk about chicks and beer!” Ratings as expected, slowly slipped away and today KNBR is something like 19th overall in the ratings.
@ 10:44AM, all very good time lines and all the main culprits listed. I have a few adds. I recall Gene Washington hosting Sports Phone in '89 into the '90's and wasn't bad. Interviewed the local players etc. Pete Franklin was brought in in '93 and was really fun to listen to, a taste of old East Coast sports radio heard out here for the first time.
DeleteAround that time, early 90's, was Salvatore GM? I don't recall.
Radnich started in '92 and was good from the start. It did start to fizzle when the horrible Fitzgerald came in. He never had any rapport with callers or identity. Franklin was having health issues and was paired with Fitzgerald and that was bad, for Franklin and listeners. That didn't last long.
By the mid 90's to early 2000's is when, as you mentioned, Kevin “ the Rat,” John Shrader, Bruce McGowan and Pat Olson had time on air and maybe should have been kept longer.
Krueger had the Sports Phone slot and was enjoyable but then his quip in poor taste cost him and Agnew. Both moves over reactions and a detriment in losing them.
Then Scumulus weaseled in and the rest is ugly history. But there were lots of maneuvers and changes the last 30 years, and I don't recall all the PD changes and when, just that it's hopeless now with Copeland new PD, a farce.
An idea: Fire Lund, Copeland, for starters. Hire back Krueger. Try out Ibanez, Hire some intelligent people from the Athletic or a Bruce Jenkins, people with knowledge, local history, and who can speak well. Put M&M and Tolbert on thin ice, they have to change their old schtick , up their show IQ's, stop the dumbing down, reorder their shows or get shown the door.
Another major thing, Scumulus has to be shuttered, blown up, get the hell out...and new ownership, radio savvy ownership has to take over....Well maybe Hell will freeze over someday!