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Changes at KGO

stewie

stewie

Star Participant
KGO in San Francisco is undergoing a change today. Switching from "news" back to "talk".

The entire morning drive team was let go along with many others.

Rumor is that Armstrong and Getty will be taking over the morning show. As for whether they'll continue to do the show from Sacramento is a mystery to me.

More news (or talk) to come. :)
 
stewie said:
KGO in San Francisco is undergoing a change today. Switching from "news" back to "talk".

The entire morning drive team was let go along with many others.

Rumor is that Armstrong and Getty will be taking over the morning show. As for whether they'll continue to do the show from Sacramento is a mystery to me.

More news (or talk) to come. :)
Click to expand...

They're stunting right now with music and drops.

Launching on April 5th at 6am.

They're also informing listeners of Ron Owens moving to KSFO on Monday.

Listen Live @ http://streema.com/radios/play/28797 OR http://player.listenlive.co/25931
 
I just heard KGO play The Chainsmokers, yes drastic changes indeed are on the way! We are most likely looking at a Millennial version of KGO here.
 
Ronn Owens will replace Mark Levin on KSFO. Armstrong and Getty move to KGO while staying on at KSTE in Sacramento. Meanwhile, KKSF will lean left in the morning with Stephenie Miller.
 
I quit listening to KGO after the last big "bloodbath", when Bill Wattenburg, Gene Burns, John Rothmann, Ray Taliaferro, Len Tillem got whacked. The Bernie Ward scandal along with time slot and format changes resulted in lots of interesting changes to the station, but it wasn't enough to keep me interested anymore
 
radiolife3 said:
I just heard KGO play The Chainsmokers, yes drastic changes indeed are on the way! We are most likely looking at a Millennial version of KGO here.
Click to expand...

Agreed.
Armstrong and Getty in the morning is the first clue.

Although what would make Cumulous think millennials will come over to the "AM side"?
 
stewie said:
Agreed.
Armstrong and Getty in the morning is the first clue.

Although what would make Cumulous think millennials will come over to the "AM side"?
Click to expand...

Nothing sounds like this is a Millennial play. It does look like it is a pure Gen X move, as opposed to the pure Boomer programming they had before.
 
DavidEduardo said:


Nothing sounds like this is a Millennial play. It does look like it is a pure Gen X move, as opposed to the pure Boomer programming they had before.
Click to expand...

Agree. If it was a "millennial play" they would've created an online channel. :)

Any thoughts David on it becoming a simulicast of KGO? Long shot, I know...
 
DavidEduardo said:


Nothing sounds like this is a Millennial play. It does look like it is a pure Gen X move, as opposed to the pure Boomer programming they had before.
Click to expand...

Yes indeedy...there are some many Gen X'ers into Ancient Modulation! How forward thinking of Cumulus. Wonder how much the land under KGO's xmttr & sticks would fetch? Some traffic noise, but nice Bay views! :)))
 
From what I've read - Millenials aren't really interested in Talk Radio, period. There's no indication that they can't figure out how to access the AM band - hence the still respectable ratings for KNBR - especially when teams are playing. If you remember, 106.9 KIFR was a big talk-flop for CBS just a few years ago.

Moving "Ronn with 2 Ns" (as Jim Eason used to call him) over to KSFO seems like a dumb move. Hasn't he been KGO's biggest draw since the "bloodbath?" Also - I'm assuming KSFO no longer has a right-wing branding, or Ronn wouldn't really fit in there.

As for me - I'm a baby-boomer, but totally lost interest in talk radio awhile ago - even before the so-called bloodbath. The subject matter either tends to bore me, or get my blood boiling in anger - neither of which I need at my age. : )
 
Well I can understand it feels like a bloodbath to the people who are there. But by the same token, the company gave those people a long time to build an audience, and it never really took off. And for the union to say the company has an "obligation" to do something is not really true. In fact the union has an obligation to take care of these people, make sure they get appropriate severance, and that they're treated with respect. I was once a member of that union, and that's what they're supposed to do.
 
That's a pretty expensive format for a 1.8 share (I know beauty pageant but I doubt sales demographics were much better). Not that much else will help.
 
DavidEduardo said:


Nothing sounds like this is a Millennial play. It does look like it is a pure Gen X move, as opposed to the pure Boomer programming they had before.
Click to expand...

Agreed, and with the additional thought that this proves Cumulus still has a lack of thought process, even with the recent changes at the top of their corporate structure.

"Hmmmm ... KGO isn't getting us the number of Boomers it used to, and the industry experts all say part of the problem is the increasing interference to AM. Let's try going after the next generation down, even though they're even less likely to put up with the interference!"

At this rate, in a few years Cumulus will be trying a talk format geared at seven-year-olds.
 
I heard the unusual announcements listening last night to KGO, and while it does sound intriguing, I'm not sure more syndicated political and "lifestyle" talk is going to make a sudden difference. The promos make it sound like it will be a bunch of Ted Talks and motivational speakers. Talk radio takes many months to attract an audience that makes it a routine for them, but it only takes a moment to lose them. So best of luck.

On the other hand, maybe it's time to donate the license for KGO to KQED. Or kit will be time, six months after whatever next week's surprises fail to bring quick audience and advertiser gains.

A KQED simulcast would overcome the serious terrain shielding multipath issues they've always experienced, and give them a steady nighttime signal from L.A. to Alaska. I think it's worth their own investment for the 50kw transmitter bill. The legacy talk audience would at least have Michael Krasney back, plus other talk and news programming, and an licensee who doesn't mind attracting listeners who are older than age 55.

It could also be a major tax write off for Cumulus, in case that kind of thing helps.
 
Goldilocks94941 said:
I heard the unusual announcements listening last night to KGO, and while it does sound intriguing, I'm not sure more syndicated political and "lifestyle" talk is going to make a sudden difference. The promos make it sound like it will be a bunch of Ted Talks and motivational speakers. Talk radio takes many months to attract an audience that makes it a routine for them, but it only takes a moment to lose them. So best of luck.

On the other hand, maybe it's time to donate the license for KGO to KQED. Or kit will be time, six months after whatever next week's surprises fail to bring quick audience and advertiser gains.

A KQED simulcast would overcome the serious terrain shielding multipath issues they've always experienced, and give them a steady nighttime signal from L.A. to Alaska. I think it's worth their own investment for the 50kw transmitter bill. The legacy talk audience would at least have Michael Krasney back, plus other talk and news programming, and an licensee who doesn't mind attracting listeners who are older than age 55.

It could also be a major tax write off for Cumulus, in case that kind of thing helps.
Click to expand...

There was some humorous speculation a few years ago when CBS was unloading 610AM; that it could be bought by KQED. We envisioned distinguished KQED morning announcer Matt Elmore intoning "KQED San Francisco, KQEI North Highlands, Sacramento, and KFRC, San Francisco, The Big 610!" Then he would read the weather in "San Raquel, San Panty-Jose and Sacra-tomato," and blow on a few of Dr. Don's old whistles. Too bad it never happened.
 
Goldilocks94941 said:
It could also be a major tax write off for Cumulus, in case that kind of thing helps.
Click to expand...

Generally, unless there are profits to offset, a write off is not of great value.
 
Armstrong and Getty are syndicated, and on in a number of markets, including Seattle and Portland.
 
bossbill said:
Armstrong and Getty are syndicated, and on in a number of markets, including Seattle and Portland.
Click to expand...

I wonder how their syndication will be affected by this move to Cumulus. Their home station, KSTE is owned by iHeart, so that's going to be interesting too.
 
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