KCBS Radio The Model Of All-News Consistency In San Francisco Under ND, Ed Cavagnaro; Veteran Exec Retiring In April; 'Remarkable Run'

 A "remarkable run"--that's what a SF-area radio consultant told me about the stewardship of KCBS News Director, Ed Cavagnaro, who will be retiring in April.

Cavagnaro has been at KCBS since 1977--as ND, 26 years, which is remarkable given the state of radio today.

Under Cavagnaro, KCBS has been the undisputed 24/7 all-news radio outlet with a brand that other stations would kill for.

The most remarkable aspect of Cavagnaro's run is the stability of staff at the CBS radio station. Nobody leaves KCBS and if they do, it's because of retirement usually. You hardly hear of KCBS personnel moving in and out because it simply doesn't happen. Look at the extraordinary list of people who have worked at the station: Stan Bunger, Steve Bitker, Barbara Taylor, Doug Sovern, Bob Butler, Kim Wonderly, Susan Leigh Taylor--almost all of these remarkable reporters and anchors have been at the station for multiple decades, quite a list.  And all under Cavagnaro's reign which best explains why KCBS has risen to the top of the SF Bay Area radio rankings which is a testament to their brand here.

 

Cavagnaro and his boss, VP, Doug Harvill, have largely let KCBS be KCBS--in other words, if it ain't broke don't fix it--and the end result is a very successful news operation that continues to be at the top of the Bay Area broadcast domain.

KCBS' success is largely due to the fact that it's consistent. It's not very splashy or excited and that's its main successful entity--you know when a major news event happens, you turn to 740 AM. I wish KCBS didn't repeat so much its news stories and I've complained about it but in a PPM world in which radio is a player today, I understand the business model. It's a small price to pay to enjoy the consistency that KCBS brings to the table.

The future of KCBS, minus Cavagnaro, seems to be destined for a smooth transition which is good news for a Bay Area audience that is lucky to have at its disposal a quality staff still churning out great content.

We wish Ed Cavagnaro all the best in the next phase of his personal life every 15 and 45 years.

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Lee Rosenthal Officially Leaving KTVU As News Director And Headed To Boston With His Buddy, Tom Raponi; Staffers Elated; Thursday First Take

 What we reported here, first, became official Wednesday: The Boy Wonder, Lee Rosenthal is headed out as News Director at KTVU and going to Boston with his pal, GM Tom Raponi.

Staffers at KTVU, including all the news talent and editors and producers, have been out of the loop and were said to be frustrated over the lack of information coming from lame duck management. Everyone pretty much assumed that Rosenthal was gone once Raponi was leaving for Boston but were still kept in the dark.

Rosenthal's short tenure at KTVU was marked by a particularly gruesome episode that might have sealed the fate of most other news executives. It was fortunate for Rosenthal that Raponi took most of the heat over Asiana Namegate.

Few people at KTVU ever warmed to Rosenthal who many saw as an eager-beaver, out-of-touch newbie exec clearly not ready for primetime in Jack London Square. Staffers complained of Rosenthal's over-reliance on 21st Century gimmicks like Facebook and Twitter models for news segments.

The shit really hit the fan when other news executives under The Boy Wonder were routinely tweeting Fox shows and participating in marketing department promos. This is, after all, KTVU, still regarded as the gold standard for local TV news stations in the Bay Area.


Obviously, Rosenthal didn't get the memo.


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KTVU Has A New ND; Dean Danos Gets Screwed By KCBS; Colin Kaepernick And Race Mix Into Bay Area Sports Media Hatred Of 49ers QB; Monday Coffee First Take

Monday Coffee

*Dana Hahn is headed to KTVU from Washington DC as the new Channel 2 News Director. She replaces Wonder Boy, Lee Rosenthal, who, as I predicted, is headed to Boston to work at the Fox station where soon-to-be moving, GM, Tom Raponi is taking him. I'm sure the Bostonians just can't wait.


*KCBS made a major mistake by firing overnight anchor, Dee Danos. Danos is at the top of his game. I know he's 82- so the hell what! It was Danos who comforted listeners after the Napa quake. It was Danos, the only one on the air at the time, who provided A-rate coverage and was commended by management soon after, only to be shown the door. KCBS ND, Ed Cavagnaro, contacted for comment, did not respond. CBS-SF radio, your brand has taken a hit and Dean Danos, a class act, was treated like shit. Don't think for a moment other personnel in the building and local industry people have taken notice.


*Let's cut to the chase and speak honest, got it? Colin Kaepernick is being chastised by the Bay Area Sports Media by the fact that he doesn't like the local press; they don't like him; and the 49ers are losing. Combine that with the fact that he's young and black, wears tattoos and sports an urban look that is quite threatening to a mostly White, middle-aged, out-of-touch, uncomfortable press corps. That's a fact. It may not be pleasant but it's the truth. For better or worse.


Kaepernick could do himself a favor by simply 'playing the media game' and conducting post-game interviews, it's not like he's performing surgery --but he has contempt for the writers. Based on some of the questions he gets, maybe he's right to cop a 'tude. In any event, don't think for a moment the underlying issue here isn't racial--it is. Yeah, they won't tell you that--I will.


That doesn't make Kaepernick a bad guy, but it speaks volumes about the real issue here. Like I said, out of touch. Here's a hint guys, why not simply ask Cap himself what's the deal? Maybe he'd open up then. Maybe not. Whatever.


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Whispers: 'Special Ed' Chapuis On His Way To Sacramento; Taking KTXL40 ND Job at Sacto Fox Outlet

  'Special Ed' to Sacto

One of my spies tells me Ed Chapuis, (Special Ed to his fans and foes), the former ND at KTVU, who was fired in January is on his way to KTXL-40, the Fox station in Sactown.

It's not Chapuis' first rodeo in the 916; he had a stint at KCRA before his gig at KTVU.

I'm sure the newsroom can't wait.

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KTVU ND Rosenthal Treading Rough Waters; Sorry, But KTVU 'Namegate' is Still Industry Talk Nirvana; Rolling Stone Cover

  KTVU News Director, Lee Rosenthal, has lost the trust of a good many of the newsroom, according to insiders at the Oakland Fox affiliate. Growing credibility issues have arisen over the Korean Airliner 'Namegate' imbroglio that has put the station through a difficult week. It doesn't help Rosenthal that his fingerprints were all over the now infamous press release boasting of KTVU's coverage of the crash a mere two days after the tragedy.

Moreover, the 33 year-old Rosenthal's fist-pumping never went over well inside the newsroom and this was well before the fake names la affair with Tori Campbell. Rosenthal might escape this major blunder that has forever tainted KTVU's gold-standard image and reputation but Cox Media, leading a low-key internal investigation of the matter, may not be so forgiving. As a leading station insider told me, "in the end, someone has to go." Indeed, and Rosenthal might have company. Stay tuned.

*Some of you have barked, "Enough of this, (KTVU), already." Really? I have news for you: This is the talk of EVERY TV news operation in the country. From big-market NY City to small-town Iowa! For better or worse, this indelible blunder has been THEE talk of the back room where anchors, reporters, producers, editors; the whole shebang. I know this because several prominent industry people told me. And when people like Stephen Colbert and the late-night comics are referring to this, you know it's reached cultural critical mass. I rest my case.

*My two cents: The Rolling Stone cover with the Boston bomber was intended to sell magazine covers and create controversy and buzz. They got it; that's the good news. Bad news is that Rolling Stone long ago lost its influence and cachet. The only relevant thing over there is Peter Traver's movie reviews.

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KTVU hires Rosenthal as New News Director; Respected Indy Exec; Tillem has lunch with Cumulus/KGO boss; Ronn Owens Salary

News, notes and comments...

KTVU has hired Lee Rosenthal as their new News Director. He's a respected and young pro out of WXIN in Indianapolis, the Fox affiliate. Rosenthal replaces Ed Chapuis, who was recently fired.

A veteran TV guy here told me that Rosenthal is well-regarded and liked. He's also only 32, but is supposedly known as a good solid pro. We'll see. KTVU is still king at 10 PM, but its early evening newscast ratings are still tepid, which ultimately led to Chapuis getting pink-slipped.

*Len Tillem had lunch with the new KGO OM, Ron Escarsega. What comes of it nobody knows but don't hold your breath. Tillem was bounced from NewsTalk 910 last Thursday.

*Ronn Owens new salary at KGO: $475K...two years with a third-year option.

*"Live....from the Conklin Brothers studio..."? Just when you thought it couldn't get any less sacred.

*April fools "jokes": so lame and utterly jumped the shark eternity dept.

*Since I've become a total wreck with a few things on my mind, good to know baseball is back, but really I don't get too interested until the fall. In the meantime, go A's and Giants, Meat!

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Paul Hosley OUT at KGO; News Director and PD at the Cumulus SF All-News Pariah; More Moves Coming

Paul Hosley

KGO Radio ND and PG, Paul Hosley, has been fired.

There's not a lot of talking going on, but a look at the ratings, specifically KGO's and you have to fire someone. Hosely is responsible for much of the current gobbledygook.

MORE NEWS: Expect a few more pink slips as the abyss continues at 55 Hawthorne.

*Developing...


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