France's 9/11 The Whole World Is Watching And Listening Except on KGO Radio

 KGO continues to keep dumbing-it-down while the world and nation monitor the latest goings-on in Paris.

Christine Craft is a Pain in the Ass and a Very Good Talk Show Host; Saturday Notes

Christine Craft and Al Franken

 Christine Craft filled in for Ronn Owens on KGO Radio Friday. Several of you informed me. I know. For once I actually listened to the radio albatross.

Craft is a royal pain in the ass. I told her. She's also an excellent radio talk-show host. Sure, her animal-rights stance borders on infatuation and much too much we're fed her dog stories. Oh well.

For a self-described "liberal", her gun-rights stance seems contradictory but again, she's consistent.

I'm also not thrilled with her steadfast anti-Israel position no matter what but I can deal with that because one thing about Craft--you pick a fight with her, she's more than ready to go at it.

On radio she's really good. She runs a smooth sailing ship and knows how to keep a show moving, there's no denying that. In fact, it's an embarrassment that Craft isn't a full time host on KGO--you would think one of the dim bulbs running the show would hire her and elicit some element of credibility. Only those who run KGO now are trying to reinvent the wheel and actually think 4th-tier comedians from New Jersey appeal to a younger demo and that morons who walk the red carpet and think they're entertainers are more suitable. Never mind that no one is listening but that's another story.

Even in this PPM and TSL era, Craft commands the board. She's incredibly adept at pacing. When a bad caller is much too much, she can cut and move along to the next Edna from Fremont. Now and then she's a little rude and curt with listeners but in trying to zip along the show, that's manageable. She acknowledges as much which is OK from this corner.

*Yes, you heard right: Barely three weeks into his SF run, KGO ran a "best-of" Chip Franklin on Friday. Many of you were shocked. Why not put a fill-in on? Live and local? Because, see, that would have been too logical --furthermore, Cumulus would have had to pay a fill-in, bingo!

*You guys are right--the True Car ads are annoying as hell but maybe that's what the client wants.

*Randall Bloomquist and Renee Bakos: symmetry. (Withhold laughter).

*Sorry, KRON, you just look and sound weird. And please, do something with that lighting! It's awful even by your standards.

*Just because one media blogger in town isn't in love with certain media people doesn't mean he has to omit them from his Christmas card. Hell, someone has to take the high road.

*From one of my KGO Radio spies: "Bloomquist will be fired soon enough. Mahanay brought in Bakos and the Dicks sent him to SF to reign it all in. He's like an ugly Abe Vigoda." Ouch.

*Any day now on the weekend, the real-estate shows and pre-recorded syndicated crap will begin playing because that's the Cumulus playbook. That, and cashing $25 million-dollar bonus checks for the Dicks are SOP. Chew on that, 55 Hawthorne zombies, and Happy New Year.

*Katie Marzullo: It's OK to smile. Ask Claudine Wong. And another thing: loosen up a bit.

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415 Media: Up In The Air

 Crossroads

*Developing...

A High-Pressure 'Wattage' at KPIX; Staffers Unease with High-Profile Consumer Reporter; 'She Treats Us Like Shit!'

 Julie Watts is the Consumer Reporter at KPIX and a good one at that although there seems to be a ton of friction between Watts and staffers at PIX, just enough to warrant some significant heat from those who insist Watts is a "control freak", and that's just the beginning.

Says one veteran station source: "There's been a lot of tension between her and others, especially camera people--she's real tough--it's an ongoing issue."

My spies tell me the issues with Watts and Channel 5 is that she simply doesn't get along with what she considers underlings. "She treats us like shit, offered a source.


"It's reached a point where she's impossible to deal with and they, (presumably management), won't touch her. It's bad."


Attempts to reach Watts were unsuccessful.


Wonder if this issue will be TRENDING at 855 Battery Wednesday night.


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The Curious Case of Airplane Stowaway Marilyn Hartman--Is She Nuts? Bay Area Media Coverage

I don't need the story--I already know the curious case of Marilyn Hartman.

Hartman is the airplane stowaway that has dominated both the local and national news.

It's not apparent whether she's crazy, quirky, eccentric or lonely, downtrodden or all of the above.

But you know what? I'd love to know. I'm curious because I sort of feel sorry for Ms. Hartman, given her status and that's pretty sad, who knows, maybe I've been duped.

Maybe she likes the attention.

You would think some investigative reporter out there in the TV world would try to talk, one-on-one with Hartman and see if there's a there there.

I hear she has plenty of time on her hands.

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KRON's Catherine Heenan Bay Area's Most Underrated TV News Anchor; Giant's Brass Peeved By Announcers Excess Absences; PIX 10 PM News Show Debuts Tonight; Drakes Bay Oyster Saturation Coverage; Monday Opener

 It's almost as if we take her for granted--and, come to think of it we do: Catherine Heenan, the veteran KRON anchor who has been at 1001 Van Ness since seemingly the beginning of time, is the most underrated anchor in the Bay Area TV News scene.


Heenan just shows up to work and does her job, effortlessly, gracefully, no matter the extraordinary circumstances that exist at the unpredictable environment called the KRON studios.


We've acknowledged that element recently.


Heenan is especially effective and no-nonsense on screen as she prepares for a personal milestone: she will turn 60 this October, usually a minefield for women TV news anchors. Not the case for Heenan whose presence on the SF TV airwaves goes back to the days of Evan White, Pete Wilson, and Bob Jimenez.


What I most admire about Heenan is that she's never changed. She's always been the same which in the news business is your greatest compliment. While some other anchors subliminally try to inject phony nuances into their presentation, Heenan has always been Heenan which is just right. And to KRON's benefit too we appreciate seeing her work particularly if there's a legitimate breaking news story--when her ad-libbing helps and when her news acumen is in full force, thank God.


NOTES From the Weekend--


*The Giants executive broadcast brass won't say so publically but many were none-to-happy over Mike Krukow missing Sunday's game in Miami where the team was playing the Marlins. Turns out Krukow missed a flight from Reno. He's scheduled to be back on the air Monday night in Philly where the Giants play the Phillies.


EXTRA Note: Have you too noticed, lately, the amount of absences from the team's broadcasters? It began in early July with Duane Kuiper who missed a week's worth of broadcasts due to an illness--not Kuiper's fault, but the Giant's front office felt Kuiper could have returned much sooner. He missed nearly seven games.


Soon after, both Jon Miller and Dave Flemming also missed games--Flemming, due to illness and Miller, who took some time off as he's done in recent years. No issues there due to the length of the baseball season, everyone needs a break, but combined with all the others absences, Giant's broadcasts have seen notable cracks in the routine and a few team officials are a bit annoyed.


*KPIX unveils its youth-oriented Bay Area Night Beat on its CW sister station tonight--this could either be truly ground-breaking or a monumental joke. PIX wants to try to gain some younger viewers with a newscast that's supposed to look unconventional --they'll be the usual news conduits like weather and sports but heavy emphasis on "social media" entities like Twitter and Facebook. I can only imagine the possibilities: "We'll get back to the scene of the fire at 4th and Market momentarily but we see once again, Justin Bieber trending heavily on Twitter..." Don't laugh and dismiss --that's the early speculation from the 855 Battery boys.


*This whole Drakes Bay Oyster Company story is beginning to reach to the depth of enough already! Granted, the idea of the Feds trying to dislodge the famous eatery and its oyster farm is important enough to warrant the attention of Bay Area media but there comes a point where saturation coverage has entered in to the equation--we've reached that here and then some.


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Anyone Seen Former KGO-TV Sports Maven Dan Lovett?-- I Have; Checking in With The Circle 7 'Love Machine'; Monday PM Quick

 Remember Dan Lovett? Surely you do. The guy that anchored sports for KGO from 1988-'98; the guy Gary Radnich called the "Love Machine?" Yeah, that guy.


I'm just off the phone with Lovett; we had an interesting conversation. He's retired now living in suburban Houston.


He spent over 40 years in the TV News biz and just wrote a book. It's a great read.


"I loved SF--one of my favorite cities." Naturally.


He worked with many personalities at Channel 7--Pete Giddings, (the famed KGO weather guy) was not one of his favorites. I ask why.


"I'm in the studio doing my first show and I see him, (Giddings), and I go up to him later and ask, 'How is it being the weatherman in San Francisco?'--He's beet red and screams back at me, "Do YOU know what the difference between a weatherman and a meteorologist is?--About 200 Grand!"


Whoa!


I tell Lovett that Pete has mellowed. Granted, with the passing of time we all do. I also tell Lovett that there's "so many stories about KGO--true?" Oh, hell yes, the mild-manned TV vet tells me--one day we'll go over some real winners.


Few losers too.


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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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Who's The Biggest Bitch in SF Media? Friday Poll

This is the dictionary definition of bitch: (1) Word used to describe the act of whining excessively.


It's usually associated with women but there exists guys out there who are also bitchy. I mean, serious attitude-central, narcissistic dickheads. Some of these bitches work in Bay Area media. I know a few. Have worked for many. They're all over the place.


I've been called an asshole, many times a bitch too. I know that's shocking to many of you but I took it in stride. It's nice to be acknowledged and loved.


That said, a new Friday poll: Who's the biggest bitch in SF media?


Be responsible when you post and try to limit any specific dirty laundry. I know, life's a bitch.


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Friday Ender Bender

 Thanks for participating. Stay happy and dry.

Time for more important things.

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Saturday Questions and Answers

This has become a popular feature and I'm going to begin a regular Saturday schedule.

Fire away. Be nice. And I'll do my best to answer most, if not all of your questions.

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The Most Powerful Figures in SF Media: Chronicle's Matier And Ross; KGO-TV Still Doesn't Acknowledge Stricken Reporter, Ishimaru; Thursday Opener

Phil Matier and Andy Ross, the Chronicle's Investigative dynamic duo, "Matier and Ross", are the most powerful figures in Bay Area media.


One of the town's leading PR figures, (the person asked for anonymity), noted Matier in particular with his multiple platforms, (KPIX, KCBS), carries huge cachet in SF media circles and beyond.


"On the BART strike and its aftermath alone, both the unions and management felt the wrath of their, (M&R), reporting. I'm sure BART was just thrilled the public got wind of the $3 grand cost of sandwiches.", offered the PR person.


Beyond the BART imbroglio, Matier and Ross were all over the new Bay Bridge fiasco and its continuing issues involving safety.


More than just having name access to some of the biggest and most influential politicians in both the city and Sacramento, the pair can often set the tone of the day's biggest news story and subsequent pick-up by newspapers and TV and radio.


Sometimes this access can be problematic particularly when it involves Willie Brown who is a frequent mention in Matier and Ross' column and appears regularly every Friday morning with Matier on KCBS and KPIX too. Then again, stories like this tend to lend credence to the notion that Brown tries diligently not to appear overly cozy with SF's Woodward and Bernstein. Skeptics wonder what would happen if Brown were to become the target of an investigation, how would Matier and Ross cover it, or would they? Of course they would.


*Whoever is responsible for the PR over at KGO-TV must be asleep at the wheel or severely incapable of doing their job. The ABC O and O station at 900 Front continues not to even acknowledge the situation affecting one of its longest-tenured reporters, Heather Ishimaru, who recently suffered a stroke and is unable to speak. Presumably, KGO is sensitive to possible pending litigation involving Ishimaru and management. That's understandable but saying nothing is both insulting and insensitive, not only to its viewers but employees too.


We hope this policy might be altered soon.




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Exclusive: KPIX5 Weather Personality Roberta Gonzales Moving to Weekday Mornings; Will Work With Karnow; Friday Starter

 Roberta Gonzales will be moving from the weekend weather duties, (and KPIX pretentious "mobile weather lab") to the weekday mornings, according to a reliable broadcast source.

The move, which is supposed to take place "in about a month" will see the enormously popular Gonzales work  with current weatherman, Lawrence Karnow. If that sounds awkward it should be, but reading between the lines, looks as if PIX wants to hit weather very hard and therefore, getting Gonzales back to give the mornings a jolt will accomplish that on a number of fronts.

As to how Karnow will react to all this is anyone's guess but my source indicated Gonzales feels a bit uneasy moving into his territory. In addition, the new move is not the only one on the horizon. Look for some more changes coming.

 The decision on Roberta back to a more prominent time frame was probably high-up, either NY and/or from GM, Bruno Cohen. Keep in mind it was not too long ago that Gonzales was aced out of the M-F front by the vanilla wafer guy, Paul Deanu. (And boy has that move turned out swell--I know, it's all about the money.)

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Cox Media Conducts Internal Investigation; KTVU Namegate Still Fluid; Fake Press Release Latest Development

Now that Asiana Airlines has threatened legal action against KTVU, the internal investigation in Oakland has shifted to Channel 2's corporate owner, Cox Media in Atlanta.

Which effectively puts both the GM, Tom Raponi, and News Director, Lee Rosenthal out of the loop on Namegate. Raponi, the GM, was the latest recipient of a fake news release that looked and sounded genuine until the very end. It bears to repeat that someone out there really hates KTVU. Who and why remains to be seen and investigated. The situation gets more bizarre by the day.

Inside the station the staffers remain tight-lipped, (as they should now that the legal arena has entered into the equation). Even a few of my insiders don't know what's going on. They just go to work and do their job although all of this has put a tremendous amount of strain on people in the newsroom.

There's growing belief that someone is going to take the fall. No one is immune. Rosenthal has barely been on the job for three months yet if the situation remains fluid and/or more embarrassing developments occur, he might get the hook. This is Cox mind you; a private company fiercely protective of its name and brand. They've never been in love with their progressive entity in the Bay Area but they also acknowledge it's still a cash cow. (At one point years ago KTVU's vaunted "10 O'clock News" alone accounted for 1% of the overall gross earnings for Cox Media).

**Developing...

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Siege Mentality, (Again), at KGO Radio; KTVU Not Trusting Itself; State of Bay Area TV News; Coffee Media Thursday

Despite the house cheerleader who shills for the cloud people in Atlanta, things are not too cheery at KGO Radio's offices and abode at the 55 Hawthorne cluster. Nobody has a clue what direction el (Sklenar,)  the new guy, is about to configure. Not a clue even.

A news staffer, (who asked that their name not be used because they need the money), says it's more dire straits than ever.

"We come in, (if we have to), and then we get the hell out of here asap.--There's absolutely no direction and nobody minding the store. Just simply awful." Gees, how stunningly wonderful. Yet again, dare I say that I'm not surprised. Same old story. And I've heard worse really. Lately, there's talk of a radical makeover, whatever that is.

Fact is, KGO has become so off the radar, so out of touch, so out of market. Is there a there there? Hell no. And the fact that the new guy is supposed to come in off his white horse and construct major change is not credible especially when it's been pointed out that he's never run a news/sports or talk station. That's always a great idea: make a "firm" hire and dole out the hard chores with a guy who has no meat experience in a market he knows NOTHING about but his Starbucks cards have been amped up. Maybe he should have an extra meeting. Meetings, once again, I'm told he's good at. Hey everyone, we're gonna kick KCBS' ass! Right, time to have my Sweetjack coffee.

**At KTVU, the mood is not that much better mainly because the story counts get higher and higher because the consultants insist so. There's a sense of artificiality there too. Notice all the new reporters you've never heard of? And here's a beauty: After reporters do their requisite live shot, orders have been barked aloud once again: NO PAUSE!--get your voice back to studio in nano-second otherwise you'll be hoisted over to the Emeryville Dennys.

**OK, I'll say it: The Bay Area local TV news scene is bland, bland, bland. Outside of a few fresh faces and anchors/reporters that are better than average, the bunch of 'yous look tired, blasé, and, frankly, out of touch, out of this league. And another thing? Get your location right! Pronounce the damn street right! It's not DOYLE AVENUE!--it's DOYLE DRIVE!, moron. Go to a dive and have a beer and talk to some of the locals. Talk is good. Think of it as an education. You're damn lucky to have escaped market#62 and land in #6--have a little appreciation here before someone from upstairs tells you to hit the road for your next stop in Toledo doing the nooner. Jesus Christ!

**Traffic, spots, traffic, minute news, traffic, spots, more spots, sports, traffic, 10 minutes of spots, nameless traffic uttered by some shadow traffic, blah, blah, blah....otherwise known as Bay Area radio in the morning.

**Pandora move: it's about time.

**The morning yutz at Knibbber took the day off so his betting fool and the yenta could talk to each other: immediately switch to mattress man, "live from the Conklin Brothers studio.", OMG, gag me and hit me.

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Attention SF Bay Area Media People: Project Reboot this Thursday

A Good Cause and a Good Party--Attend!

PROJECT REBOOT
Thursday, June 13, 2013

Media People, check this out. From a friend who used to man the posts near the 855 Battery gulch...

Project Reboot is meant to bring the industry folks together, veterans and newbies, owners and students, actors and behind-the-scenes characters into one giant fold for one day to, aggregate, celebrate and socialize face to face.  It isn't the farcical "likes" on Facebook, superficiality of following on Twitter or pinging on email.  This is true to life engagement, shaking hands, engaging in conversations, catching up with old friends, reminiscing about the good old days we all tend to romanticize and glorify and meeting new folks that you otherwise wouldn't meet.  This is the anti-Google 360 with no Pinterest and Reddit agenda.

I hope that it's an event that brings news media, film, video and Internet Arts professionals together for one day this year, to feel the strength of our industry, to strengthen our camaraderie and build business connections.

 

--On Thursday, June 13th, celebrate the Bay Area's vibrant production community with 26 of San Francisco's top production companies as they show off their abilities and facilities for industry professionals. Schmooze your way across town collecting raffle tickets from each location to win great prizes at "SOMA-palooza," a revitalization and networking after-party aimed at bringing the production community together. Join us for the raffle drawing, food trucks, bbq, beer, La Croix and some great spins from the DJ.

My favorite SF Media Hangouts/Restaurants; Tadich, John's Grill and Tommy's Joynt to name a few; Sunday Steak

My favorite media hangouts in the city are all legendary places; some a bit classy than others, and a few you might consider surprises.

*Tadich Grill has been around for over a hundred years--the food is great, we all know that, but what I love the most is the consistent experience of the place; the bread is always fresh and the butter is always nice, the waiters in their white uniforms with the old-fashioned food order checklist. Tadich also has a knack for giving you a great meal every time in and out and fast. Herb Caen used to love the private booth, but I still like the front counter.

*John's Grill: Always a winner in my book. Old-fashioned and a SF staple. This is where the Chron's entertainment and singles writer, Gerry Nachman, interviewed me. Like Tadich, the place is quintessential SF with great food and vibe, a certifiable throwback, located across the street from where the old Emporium used to be located. Best sand dabs in America and yes, again, classy waiters. No wonder it has Bogey edge.

*Tommy's Joynt: I joke always about Tommy's Joynt but it's still a hit. Hoffbrau food is my favorite but it has to be good. The old Hoffbrau in Oakland on Broadway was #1, at least until I devoured Tommy's. It's across the street from the KRON building. I've heard numerous stories. But I'll concentrate on the food: I like the hot turkey sandwich and the brisket is to die for. I'm not a beer guy but they have about 50,000 choices and the prices of both of the food and booze are reasonable.

What places do you like?



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Trouble brewing at KQED; Roberta Gonzales/PIX Dynamic; The Knibber Morning Frat Boys; Radu and Damon Bruce; KCBS; SF Posers; Media Notes Thursday

Trouble Brewing at KQED ...Media Notes Thursday

KQED, SF's acclaimed and highly profitable PBS outlet, has some egg on their face and some veteran workforce rank and file are none-too-pleased.


Seems the station posted six positions for work behind the scenes in master control and all the hires were white--no minorities were chosen despite the fact that at least two candidates, one of whom has been a 20-year veteran, were not picked. The 20-year vet was Hispanic.

 The shop steward at KQED-- upon seeing the three hires wondered why not one was of color. No plausible reason was given and a great case of hush-hush has ensued. I actually called KQED to inquire and couldn't get a call back to comment.

 

Another level to the brewing storm is that a few people who freelance there, (at KQED), are full timers at KTVU which is in direct violation of Channel 2's competitor clause. Not sure if that's what started it, but another twist to ponder.

 

And here I thought our lovely local PBS outlet was the personification of "diversified."

 

*It bears repeating: KPIX has made a monumental blunder in its dissing of popular weather woman, Roberta Gonzales. New weatherman, the bland and insatiably wonderbread torso named Paul Deanno --he may be a nice guy but his mayonnaise style has staffers perplexed and Gonzales' fans in a constant stupor. It goes to show the buttheads in upper management at 855 Battery still haven't got a clue. Except they do posses the craft of hiring more mangers with less and less reporters.

 

*The frat boys in the morning over at KNBR made an impromptu visit in the Giants clubhouse and were startled to learn, firsthand, that one of the team's star players told them directly that he's never heard of them and that he doesn't listen to sports-talk radio. Dude!

 

*A big powwow of a meeting took place over at KGO Radio Wednesday. My mole says a few people are worried because, in addition to the fact that nobody knows what the hell is going on and that the station is rudderless, everything else is fine. Except that Lew Dickey isn't happy and that is not good.

 

*"Celebrity" chef, Ryan Scott: maybe a couple cups of coffee--too much Red Bull. Maybe there's something in the water at Hawthorne St.

 

*Eric Byrnes is a colossal joke at Knibber, so much so that even the interns are laughing. One intern at least has the distinct pleasure of working with the frat boys which is cause enough to inflict pain and suffering. It could be worse: they could be locked in a room for an hour and forced to listen to "Paulie", the guy with the fake Jersey accent compose and sing his lovely song parodies.

 

*The "Who cares" dept: Betting fool, Larry Kruegar and traffic yenta, Kate Scott hate one another. In the meantime, the main circus performer continues his insecurity act with mail-it-ins every day. Maybe the used Bentley needs a tune-up.

 

*One person who absolutely can't stand the Radu: 1050 AM's Damon Bruce. Then again Bruce is a team player who while he detests the bloated one, also understands that it's best not to confront him. Speaking of which, I lauded Bruce's new gig at CBS Sports Radio only to be informed that the money isn't great and that the CBS folks simply needed a West Coast guy really fast.

 

*It bears mentioning at the good old KTVU Sports dept. that one of the assembled three anchors has been schmoozing just a tad too much and at least one of the three is none too pleased. Especially when the gossip has nothing to do with sports.

 

*Lovely market we have here: A group of relatively young to middle-aged posers just hoping they make it through the pecking order and not be subjected to a bunch of narcissistic assholes in the back offices. It could also explain why all of them have been turned into the 2013 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

 

*Worse than waterboarding: A. The weekend line-up at KGO Radio. B. Chef Ryan Scott. C. Eric Byrnes. D. Ann Killion. E. "The Saloon with Peacon." F. "Live from the Conklin Brothers studios in  the 'Sleeptrain mattress chair with the Gadget man at the microphone...

*How bad is "Paulie" and his sound tracks? An ex-Knibber worker told me: "I'd rather stare at a Byrnes bowel movement."

 

*The beer boys at PIX should know that the beers flow better when the ratings are better. Now? Not so good. (And try to tip a little better at the Old Ship--they tend to notice.)

 

*Dear Stan Bunger: I like you on the air but really, you're not God. Try to inject a bit of levity. And ditto Steve Bitker who acts as if he's entered into the Bryant Gumbel school of purity. Jesus Christ, you're on radio!

 

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Rancor at the SF Chronicle; Staffers fume over more Wage/Health Care Cuts; Take to Facebook to air Outrage

There is upheaval at the SF Chronicle.

A day after the newspaper announced it has begun a paywall, members of the rank and file took to Facebook to express deep displeasure and frustration over Hearst Corp., (the owner of the paper), and its treatment of the work force over more proposed wage cuts and increased health-care premiums.

Here's a statement from staffers:


"Hearst is insisting that we shoulder huge increases for an inferior health plan. Even offset by a meager proposed raise, this accounts to a pay cut of hundreds or thousands of dollars a years for most of us.

We love the Chronicle, and we love journalism, but we can't keep donating our own livelihoods to increase the profits of our corporate owners."

A columnist, who requested anonymity, told me that morale at the daily is poor and that a good deal of reporters and columnists are further outraged that management's proposed takebacks coincide with the announcement of the paywall.

"It's just very demoralizing and toxic around here,"said the columnist. Reporters posted a petition on the Facebook page asking the public for support.

A call into Hearst Corp. for comment was not immediately answered.

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The Ronn Owens Cruise Deal, Part 2; Commentary Thursday

I will try to make a point here--maybe it was lacking on Wednesday.

In either case, I'm not going to back down.

Owens can cruise free the rest of his life, I don't care. I mockingly made aware his comped cruise he's been whoring the past few months. Am I envious? Hell no. You heard about cruises in the news lately? Case closed.

As for the price, some people can make that judgement on their own. I've heard a lot of "celebrity" cruise pitches and they mention the price. This spot doesn't. Does it bother me? You make the call. But that's not the big picture.

I have a long memory. I know a lot of people that were and are still put off by Owens sellout and will not forget. They are mostly broadcast people that are regretful about the dismissive one; his careless, screw you persona and his lack of professional grace the day after the Dec, 2011 ambush. They will never, ever forget the cruise man's golly-gee, we're gonna be great and just wait falsetto. Some of them worked with this lout and I for one, ain't gonna forget either.

So, let him cruise till his heart contents. Let him sleep on 300 different mattresses every year. Let him have an orgasm with Jared over his latest gadget. That's him, the narcissistic one with a giant ego the size of SF Bay times 10.

He still doesn't get it. Of course he hasn't said a damn word on his own sellout because he knows the people in the back office and some of the former hosts can't stand his behind. He's apparently fooled a lot of you ladies and gentleman and that's fine with me. You can move on--I won't.

I don't listen as much anymore and only when I get an e-mail saying his show is loaded with mostly commercials and verbal sludge with his pet, Jared, KGO's most-despised snitch in the building, do I listen. He's mostly off my radar and now, I migrate to other options that are far more compelling and add some depth to my radio consumption.

Lastly, I have no vendetta. This is for the countless people on Facebook who possess far more umbrage for this guy that I do. He's got a lot on his plate and I'm just being real. You don't have to agree or disagree. I'm hardly the perfect one and I got a ton of flaws but I do have a few principles left as opposed to the Invasion of the Body Snatcher guy. He has ZERO emotion and he's paying the ultimate price. I'm wise to him and he knows it.

So I don't regret what I did nor do I harbor any grudge. The man will have to live with what he did, (or really, what he didn't do), and one of these days, when the REAL TRUTH comes out, will some of you understand. It's not just me. And even if it were me, I have absolutely no regrets. If that bothers some of you, then I'm sorry. For those of you that got it, cool.

Enjoy the cruise, Ronnnnnnnnnnn.

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