KCBS has steadily maintained a firm lead in the morning news ratings and speculation from around town is this is KGO's first of many opening salvos designed to try to get back to the top spot it held in the market for over two decades.. Like many observers, I think KGO needs more than just extra traffic to seriously challenge CBS.
KGO is branding a new slogan, "First Traffic" and now has begun airing "traffic on the 5's", (to counter CBS' "traffic on the 8's.) Although the amount of hourly traffic reports remains the same, (six,) there appears to be more extended coverage and a great deal of updates around the traffic.
Anchors Ed Baxter and Jennifer Jones-Lee are still at the helm; with Rich Walcoff handling the sports and veteran Stan Burford at the traffic desk the essential format still remains; but there's only two weather segments, (with Lloyd Lindsay Young) and Lindsay Young seems to have lost time in the pecking order.
The news blocks seem a little shorter too, but the topical interview segments, (at : 15 past the hour and a real strength of Baxter) also appear to have been given greater emphasis, which is good. What is not good is the rampant, almost borderline incessant tabloid chatter that has overtaken the news blocks, punctuated by Jones-Lee extended giggles.
KGO has always been more heavy on anchor chit-chat and conversation, (a la 'Dunbar and Wygant,) while KCBS has stuck to the more no-nonsense straight-delivery news devoid of the constant chirping on KGO. CBS' version of "conversation" is the John Madden segment.
A broadcast friend jokingly told me that KCBS could conceivably counter KGO's "first traffic" by going to "traffic on the 4's"; (nope, don't think so, joke or no joke)
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