While You Were Stuck In Traffic Lamenting The Bay Bridge Closure ...

  I was reminiscing about this.

It's hip, ya know.

What is hip? Cue the band.

*And follow me on Twitter

KPIX5 and The New Bay Bridge Safety Issues Part 2; Len Tillem, The Loyah, is on Ronn Owens KGO Program And That's Kind of Interesting; Friday Opener

I asked, a few posts ago, if KPIX should be more transparent with its viewers about its relationship with Caltrans and the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge.

KPIX has been doing a lot of bridge opening programming. They're also running a program on the bridge's much-publicized safety issues on Saturday night, all well and good, but how credible can PIX be when its also pubbing the Bay Bridge's scheduled Labor Day opening, which now, given the numerous reports about bad bolts and rods, seems pretty dubious at best.

I asked the PR person at KPIX5 to comment. I explained that the response to my initial post last week drew a considerable amount of response. Readers, journalists, many of you thought it was a legitimate question.

After repeated requests for comment, KPIX5 said nothing. Maybe they think everything is OK and it may be the case. But I'm not one of those. I think it would better if the station were to acknowledge their relationship with Caltrans, sort of like a disclaimer, but we haven't seen that and I find that inappropriate at best.

How can KPIX be working with Caltrans, whose contractors and subcontractors are building the bridge; a bridge that has lots of bad bolts and rods; a bridge that has come under considerable scrutiny as to its overall safety and more importantly, the safety of the public.

KPIX chose to ignore this whole matter and its arrangement with Caltrans. I think that's pretty lame but maybe it's just me. You all have spoken. Too bad KPIX doesn't think this is a big deal and has snubbed many of its viewers.

*Former KGO Radio legal minion, Len Tillem, the loyah, is guesting today, from 11-Noon on the Ronn Owens show. That's pretty interesting but there's a multitude of back stories here.

First off, insiders tell me that Owens would like to have Tillem back in his 12-1PM time slot. So too does advertising honcho, Deidra Lieberman, (no relation). Only logical since Tillem still has a hefty following and, god forbid, something relevant to listen to on KGO.

Another story: I was told by an insider that a few folks at KGO are worried that callers might ask on the air why Tillem was let go in the first place. Expect a lot of heavy screening by Lord Jared and be weary of potential house calls when The Loyah does his thing on KGO at 11.


*Follow me on Twitter and listen to my radio show every Monday-Friday from 1-4 PM PT on KSCO/KOMY Newstalk.

Gerald Celente and Dr Hassan Astaneh on Saturday Special on KSCO; My Guests on Riveting Radio

Gerald Celente

Gerald Celente is an American trend forecaster, publisher of the Trends Journal, business consultant and author who makes predictions about the global financial markets and other events of historical importance.

He joins me on the "Saturday Special" at 10 AM until 10: 30 on KSCO...From 11 -Noon, I talk to Dr. Hassan Astaneh, tenured professor from UC Berkeley, noted and esteemed civil engineer who says the new Bay Bridge is unsafe and could collapse.

Give a listen to both of my excellent guests and if you care to call in, the phone number is 831-479-1080. The show will be repeated at 10 PM Saturday Night.

*Follow me on Twitter

UC Berkeley Engineer/Professor says the new Bay Bridge is unsafe and I'll talk to him on the Radio Show

It's obvious Caltrans screwed up big time.

The new Eastern-span Bay Bridge is a colossal screw-up. All the experts in the bridge business say its an utter mess.

Bad bolts and bad rods. Lots of 'em.

It sure looks nice, but a whole bunch of people in the know say it's simply unsafe. One engineer, the renowned Dr. Hassan Astaneh, from UC Berkeley, says he wouldn't drive over the bridge.

I'll ask him why and you can too today from 1-2 PM on the KSCO/KOMY radio show, (M-F, 1-4 PM PT, Live)...Click the streaming audio link on the "Lieberman Show" homepage and call in/listen live or later on a podcast. The phone number is 831-477-1340.

**Follow me on Twitter

KPIX Completely Bizarre Post-Game Superbowl 47 Coverage on the Barren Bay Bridge

The 49ers guffaw in the last moments of Superbowl 47 was painful enough for most of the fans. At least they didn't have to watch one of the most bizarre, unintentionally funny post-game shows perhaps in local San Francisco TV history.

Let's set the stage: We know the final score. We switch from station to station and see the usual shots of bummed-out fans reacting to the crushing loss. Your standard fare of on-scene live shots of mostly empty streets and no bedlam, no bonfires, and luckily, no outward signs of trouble. Most of that could be attributed to the final score.

We now cut back to KPIX, the CBS O and O for their post-game "coverage" which bordered on both the absurd and stunning out-of-place, what the hell is this? dept. of questionable and indeed, unusual programming. While the other outlets kept it pretty much toe-to-toe from New Orleans and the Superdome to the Mission and Marina here in the city--quite expected and fairly timely and pointed--where was PIX?

On the eastern span of the new Bay Bridge. I'm not kidding. Was anyone there? No, not really. The governor switched on some sort of countdown clock that would signify that the bridge would open around Labor Day. Uh, OK. Now what?

Forget for the moment that what we were witnessing was sort of bizarre--at least those watching KPIX and given that a Superbowl had just ended, we again asked: Just what is this? Hello. To be fair, PIX had sports anchor, Dennis O'Donnell, back at the Superdome with the usual player actualities. Fine and dandy.

Then back to the bridge where aloof and alone reporters, (Ken Bastida and Stan Bunger, from KCBS) were cavorting on an empty platform with a lit tower in the background. Did it look nice? Yeah, if one were watching the National Geographic channel. It made no sense on Channel 5 and it looked damned foolish at best. Adding to this contrived "feature" was the fact that it was sponsored by an automobile company. Money is always the root of all evil and that was evident on KPIX's tortured screen on Sunday night. Whoever was responsible for this epic mess, the mother of all local TV quagmires needs serious therapy.

We like innovative coverage. We encourage something different than the usual after-game nothings from drunken fans and the requisite bar shots. But KPIX's blatant bufoonery after the game on a barren unfinished and uninhibited bridge was about as sanguine as the power outage at the dome.

I'm still scratching my head.

*Follow me on Twitter