Yeah, Melanie Morgan And Brian Sussman Shouldn't Be Invited To Dinner Together

 This is apparently a hot-button item of late so I'll say it again even though it's sort of old news but yeah, Melanie Morgan and Brian Sussman are fire and ice.

And listening to Sussman, which I do from time to time to see if he goes off the deep end, I wonder how Morgan lasted as long with him as she did.

A long time ago I liked Brian personally before he began to wander off into the mad scientist circuit. Now it's just painful and sort of weird and I'm not even delving into politics because politics is so damn tiresome these days.

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Sarah Tells Vinnie to Put Up or STFU; Melanie Morgan KSRO and Past KSFO BS With the Suss; Leland Yee is BIG; KTVU Walnut Creek Fetish; Friday Media Notes

 FRIDAY MEDIA NOTES BUFFET...


*Sarah and Vinnie continue to pout off the air over at Alice Radio: on a recent lunch break over at Hunan she basically told him to "put up or shut up, and STFU!" He's been bitching a lot about her larger check but what else is new? She's supposedly fed up to the point where an ultimatum has been thrown into the spectrum. We'll monitor because that's our deal here.


*Melanie Morgan has been itching to get back into the wonderful world of independent radio and the time has come. I reported, exclusively, she's going back to work Monday as the new primary anchor on Santa Rosa's KSRO and its News Director too.


Side story: Without getting too personal suffice to say, KSFO's Morning Show devoid of Morgan has been greatly diminished since Mel split because she couldn't stand Brian Sussman's ranting and raving. In addition, or more accurately, less addition, the continued embarrassment called Katie Green was the last straw. Green is beyond irritating with the grating, shrill, sandpaper voice and she sounds like a cosmetics chick at a San Leandro strip mall. Check please.


*The Leland Yee BIG story is BIG because of all the Hollywood angles and sheer characters that make up the centerpiece. Combine that with the main honcho and his other affiliates and you have a major media story without any real sexy pictures.  Fed Courthouse building will be more crowded than usual in the coming weeks and months.


NEWS, NOTES and COMMENTS: The alleged "all-sports" FM radio station that hired Damon Bruce, (he starts Monday), for its new PM drive show has been having a hard time selling commercial spots, gees I wonder why...To a certain TV News Director in town, be careful, the natives are getting restless and your constant berates have reached a boiling point--they're simply tired of your bullshit and your buddy can't bail you out anymore...The phony KSFO 9-Noon guy who mumbled his way to the gig and uses a fake Anglicized name  has already pissed of one major player in the building. He's usually good for 90 days and then it's bye bye baby...More KTVU desperation: sending two senior reporters to go out to demo-friendly Walnut Creek to "cover" manufactured stories that wouldn't rate page 3 in the CC Times: a chamber-of-commerce piece about extra cops for the kids at school and an over-hyped test-pattern involving PG&E's plan to cut down some trees. My god who was responsible for that?!!...Snippy multi-Emmy prima donna reporter guy at KGO-TV was extra surly the other day before going out in the field. He thinks he's God, really more a Grumpy's reject with an ego the size of Tahoe...Ronn: sad, dull, flat voice and gadgets...KTVU weather tease Update: 5 a night. Really insulting to your viewers and waste of time extraordinaire. Combine that with Walnut Creek BS and you have your current Lee Rosenthal/Tom Raponi massive mud pie...More KTVU: Tori Campbell's three-year extension signed before Asiana/Namegate will be bought out probably a year before 2016 so you kind of see the handwriting on the wall...Grant Lodes at KRON looks and sounds sort of non-diminutive at first but the more you watch the guy the more he looks and sounds just fine...It's one thing to milk an event that is the dominant program on your platform but KCBS/KPIX relentless pimping of the NCAA tournament went way over the top. Fine, plug your prime red meat but endless bracket chatter involving your own air talent sounds tacky and third-rate...Tom Tolbert/Ray Ratto is a decent, often funny KNBR PM drive show littered with pretty good content and interviews--on the other hand, if KNBR goes to red-bull lungs embarrassment Eric Byrnes, they will LOSE listeners galore. Byrnes is a shrill, misguided, over-excited bore who only made it past the back office because he was a jock and looked geeky. That doesn't translate well on radio; Tolbert is undermined by Byrnes hyper gibberish. Ratto is too irritated and his uber-uptightness shtick wears thin but he's 20x better than the buffoon Byrnes.


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415 Media Exclusive: Melanie Morgan Returning to Bay Area Radio; Ex-KSFO Talkie Heads to KSRO as Morning News Anchor and ND

 Melanie Morgan will be joining KSRO Radio in her new capacity as News Director and primary anchor of the Santa Rosa station's morning news program.

The veteran former KGO Radio reporter and KSFO talk host left KSFO last July amid issues involving her business relationship with partner Brian Sussman.

She begins her new position at KSRO Monday morning.

Morgan spent a good part of her Bay Area radio career co-hosting the "KSFO Morning Show" with the late Lee Rodgers.

She also frequently appeared as a guest on the cable shows on CNN, Fox News Channel, and MSNBC as a conservative pundit.

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A Thought About Melanie Morgan And KSFO From The Radio Sage

 From a radio sage with a little more gumption than you think...

You know, if KSFO were really smart, (BIG IF), management would fire the current morning show and re-create America's Morning News, it's former lead-in as a center-right news show …John McCaslin is out of work and looking to move West…

 

Melanie Morgan is not under contract currently.

That way KSFO could get off the no-buy list.

 

But that is supposing that Cumulus really cares about ratings. Which most people agree they don't.

 

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Melanie Morgan's Creative Displeasures with KSFO Morning Players Led To Departure; 415 Media Exclusive

We all know why Melanie Morgan has split from KSFO.

You read it here first.

Morgan's abrupt departure from the station has been brewing for months and eventually got to a point where the Bay Area radio/TV veteran was ready to leave. A source close to Morgan said it was a combination of both professional and personal reasons.

The source indicated to me that Morgan had no personal animosity toward traffic reporter, Katie Green; in fact, Morgan has mentored many younger female personalities in the biz. Clearly, though it was well known that Morgan felt that Green was over her head and was misplaced in her increasing role on the program.

Morgan, according to the source, was not as impressed with Brian Sussman. The Morning Show had become a "morning zoo" lately and much of its antics; the ludicrous-sounding "app of the day", the hideous "hang up on myself" bit which has turned off many listeners came directly from Sussman. Moreover, it was Sussman who began to take over the program and in essence, push Morgan out the door. Morgan was not happy and missed most of last week and began working diligently with her agent to leave the program.

Morgan clearly was unhappy with the show's direction and it was that aspect that hastened her decision to get out of dodge. The ratings seem to indicate she picked the right time.

Morgan and her reps have negotiated an "out" clause with KSFO. It remains to be seen if KSFO adds a partner for Sussman, but clearly Green's future, (and possibly Sussman too), will be evaluated given this move.

Morgan is said to be going on a long vacation and don't be surprised if she is picked up by another station in the market.

*Rich Lieberman 415 Media Exclusive


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Breaking: Melanie Morgan Leaving KSFO Morning Show; 415 Media Exclusive

MELANIE MORGAN LEAVING KSFO

Melanie Morgan is leaving KSFO and is in the midst of negotiating an "out" from her contract, according to a reliable broadcast source.

Morgan was absent from her Morning Show duties virtually all of last week and on Monday. Her absence was never mentioned by co-host, Brian Sussman nor traffic reporter, Katie Green.

A veteran broadcast source told me that Morgan was unhappy with relations between her on-air partners and was especially displeased and upset about the direction of the conservative-oriented program. Morgan, according to the source, felt out of place and "ganged up." She was especially peeved about the added on-air presence of Green, the younger traffic reporter who has been more noticeable of late; she has been doing news and features in addition to her traffic duties.

Morgan was co-host of the Lee Rodgers-Melanie Morgan Show in the mid-nineties and also served as a reporter for KGO Radio and KGO-TV. She returned to KSFO to pair with Sussman in January, 2012.

Attempts to reach Morgan were unsuccessful.

It is not known if a replacement for Morgan is in the works.

*Rich Lieberman 415 Media Exclusive


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NOTES:

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Morgan No-Show, (Again), on KSFO Morning Show; Not Mentioned Monday; Rumors Abound

Melanie Morgan was absent Monday Morning on her KSFO show with Brian Sussman. She was absent most of last week also, (minus the holiday and Friday).

Furthermore, during Monday's broadcast, Sussman nor traffic reporter, Katie Green, never mentioned Morgan's name. (Now you know how KSFO feels about its diminishing listeners).

An insider of mine at the SF Cumulus cluster speculated that Morgan felt as if she was being ganged up on by both Sussman and Green. In addition, and given KSFO's paltry ratings, that some folks in the back office want a younger demo, therefore highlighting Green and her contribution to the show, may have been perceived by Morgan as slap in the face.

First off, although I don't agree with much of Melanie's politics, her overall broadcast style and performance is good enough to carry a show. She's not helped, (nor has she ever been since coming back nearly three years ago), by Sussman's style nor the amateur shrieks by gravel-voiced Katie Green. If KSFO thinks by inserting Green into the program with increasing participation, (in addition to traffic, news and the moronic "apps of the day") that's going to draw in a "younger" demo", they're insane. Young folks don't listen to AM Radio and especially a contrived, ultra-right wing show whose main host likes to talk about his guns. KSFO should concentrate on the White trucker crowd and those older conservative housewives that live in Pleasanton and the like.

Morgan supposedly told some of KSFO's sales staff that she was quitting, which she might be doing. Then again, the sounders and promos on the show this morning still had her name attached to it. Could this be a lame radio stunt? I doubt it but then again I wouldn't rule it out. Might money be involved? Probably not given the fact that Morgan's salary is a low six figures--not massive like the old days but comfortable enough.

My gut tells me this might be Melanie being not-to-thrilled with the show's direction and her interaction with Sussman and Green. Green's act wouldn't be tolerated anywhere else, let alone in market#6. She's perfectly capable to do innocuous traffic reports but beyond that her gravel-voiced tonsil is grating to the ears and kowtowing to Sussman borders on the embarrassing.

We'll know more soon.

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The Enigma that is Alex Jones; KSFO is for Sale; Morning Show Hijinks; Saturday Media Notes

Alex Jones is big and bad; the thinking man's Glenn Beck. Whether or not you think Jones is a goof, one thing's for sure: he has an immense following, real guru status and that catches my eye which is cause enough for an appearance on my KSCO radio show. Tentatively, Jones is scheduled to appear this Wednesday on the Lieberman Live Extravaganza from 2-3 PM for an interview you won't want to miss. It'll be fair, honest and explosive. The interview you'd never hear on conventional radio.

**KSFO erased some hours from its Morning Show with Brian Sussman and Melanie Morgan. We highlighted here the brouhaha with Morgan supposedly leaving the show in disgust over treatment from the SussMAN and traffic gal with the chalkboard voice. Truth is, the bigger story is that, according to my insider, KSFO is up for sale and Cumulus is trying hard to dump it.

As for the Morning Show, it's never registered a blip on my radar screen since the late Lee Rodgers and Officer Vic, (Tom Benner), left the show. The problem mostly centers around misplacement. Sussman is simply out of place. Katie Green is too awful to even bother to contemplate. Morgan is talented enough to have her own show, (or a better co-host to play off of); Sussman's mix of ultra-right wing politics and bizarre morning-zooish persona has never registered with local listeners outside the mad scientist crowd.

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KSFO Meltdown; Melanie Morgan has Issues with Morning Team Co-Hosts Sussman and Green; Tells Sales Dept. 'I Quit'

I've heard from an insider that KSFO Morning Show Co-Hostess, Melanie Morgan, went "ballistic" on Tuesday morning. (She was absent from the airwaves yesterday).

According to my insider, Morgan had it out with partner, Brian Sussman and traffic reporter, Katie Green, complaining that both treat her unfairly.

Beyond that, the insider said that Morgan told the station's sales dept. that she "quit."

Let's wait and see. Often times, the drama of radio supersedes realism. This outburst is not that uncommon in the biz but it's hard to figure out whether or not Morgan actually will leave. We shall see.

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