[In Edit, December 4, 2011: Bob Brinker announced that Moneytalk is moving from KGO to KSFO 560 in the San Francisco bay area.]
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December 2, 2011....The word is out that KGO, a station that has carried Bob Brinker's Moneytalk since Superbowl Sunday, 1986, has canceled the program. The station has changed its format:
KGO Radio (810 AM) announced to listeners on Friday, December 2, that it is changing formats from newstalk to mostly news. The weekday schedule will be radically changed. Talk show hosts Gene Burns, Gil Gross, Ray Taliaferro, Len Tillem and John Rothmann were all fired on Thursday, December 1. Repeat broadcasts were plugged in their place. The new format will start on Monday, December 5. Ronn Owens will be the only weekday show that will stay intact.
(SNIP)
Hosley told KGO-TV, Channel 7, "We thought that there would be a better opportunity to build audience by going to a semi-all news format. Our talk format has been wonderful over the years for KGO, but the audience really hasn't stayed with us. The audience isn't there. We believe that news will attract more listeners."
Weekend talk
The weekend shows will remain partially intact. Karel will remain 7-10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. According to the station's online schedule, Pat Thurston will take over 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on weekends. Spencer Hughes takes over the 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. weekend slot that had been occupied by Bill Wattenburg, according to the station's Web site. Wattenburg apparently among those who have been let go. Wattenburg's Web page on the KGO site had been removed.
Bob Brinker's Moneytalk show, which had aired on Sundays at 1-4 p.m. is no longer on the station's schedule and neither is Joanie Greggains. Read more at this LINK
25 comments:
I'm moving these comments here so we can continue the discussion:
Anonymous said...
Frankj:
Interesting news about KGO. I suppose those in the business understand it happens and they live with it.
December 2, 2011 10:36 AM
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Anonymous said...
KGO pink slipped Gil Gross, Gene Burns, Ray Taliaferro and John Rothmann
Rob in Pasadena
December 2, 2011 9:26 PM
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Anonymous said...
Gill Gross will probably still be shilling for NAR and CAR and their lobby on his weekend infomercial show on KABC and KSFO, Sirius/XM, etc.....Real Estate Today.
Rob in Pasadena
December 2, 2011 9:31 PM
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Bob S said...
When KGO fired its hosts, it left us in the dark about the new schedule, including the fate of Bob Brinker's program. The KGO web site now has a schedule posted, however, and it seems that Bob Brinker is gone.
Oddly, the "contact us" page still lists Brinker's call-in number. I think that KGO is still working on updating its web site after the Thursday-night massacre, but it looks as though Brinker has lost the huge audience of KGO. (Maybe I should say "formerly huge audience", since KGO's faithful listeners are very angry and are likely to abandon the station.)
December 2, 2011 9:48 PM
I'm copying this here from the other thread:
Kirk said...
Bob Brinker's Moneytalk show, which had aired on Sundays at 1-4 p.m. is no longer on the station's schedule and neither is Joanie Greggains.
Gene Burns' weekend Dining Around show has also been cancelled.
Joanie Greggains did a show about exercise and Gene Burns' show was about eating out, usually at fancy restaurants.
I guess Brinker's show did so poorly helping people make money that they couldn't afford to eat out and thus didn't need to exercise!
The good news for many of us is Ron Ownes, who was on weekdays from 9AM until Noon, will keep his popular show.
December 2, 2011 11:32 PM
Kirk,
The only program that I regularly listened to on KGO besides Moneytalk was Leo LaPorte, Computer Techie. He was on Sunday before Brinker and is fabulous.
Otherwise KSFO560 is my station. So far, no changes on it. If they do make changes we will know for sure that this is an all-out attack on talk show hosts.
"If they do make changes we will know for sure that this is an all-out attack on talk show hosts."
I don't think this is an all-out attack on anybody. It's a business decision based on ratings.
The ratings of these old talk show yappers was apparently declining so they went to a different format.
Ronn Owens has always enjoyed good ratings and I guess they decided to keep him. Maybe he will start using his real name....Lowenstein.
At least Gill Gross wasn't ashamed of his heritage.
ratmarket
KGO update: Yesterday KGO posted a weekly schedule that did not include Bob Brinker; but today they posted a new schedule, and that one shows Brinker in his usual spot (1 PM to 4 PM, Sunday).
Bob S.
WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON? I'll see if I can get a copy of it.
Bob S.
You are correct that Bob Brinker was not on KGO's schedule last night. I certainly checked before I posted this article.
Now he is back on it. I do not know what to believe:
Sunday
Start Finish Show Name
12:00AM 1:00AM Spencer Hughes
1:00AM 5:00AM Red Eye Radio
5:00AM 8:00AM Brent Walters
8:00AM 11:00AM Brian Copeland
11:00AM 1:00PM Pat Thurston
1:00PM 4:00PM Bob Brinker
4:00PM 7:00PM Guest Host
7:00PM 10:00PM Karel
10:00PM 12:00AM Spencer Hughes
http://www.sonomavalley.com/
KGO looks to be in a state of confusion. The weekly schedule they current show lists Brian Copeland from 9:00AM to 12:00PM
http://www.kgoam810.com/programschedule.asp
Here is Ronn Owen's page on KGO
http://www.kgoam810.com/sectional.asp?id=25704
where they say he's weekdays 9 to noon.
If you click on their "on air" box, Ronn Owens is the only personality they list.
If you want to read a scathing editorial on KGO's changes, try this: http://richliebermanreport.blogspot.com/
Not very flattering to KGOs fair-haired boy, Ronn Ownens. But pretty accurate as I heard Ronn feigning "sadness" over the loss of his "friends". Such BS!
They are keeping Pat Thurston and Potty-mouth-Karel? Ane letting Bill Wattenburg go? Unbelievable!
Dan,
Great commentary about KGO. Here's the LINK
That appears to be the link, all right. But it is very hard to read with the background. When I read it, it didn't have that annoying background and was much easier to read. Not sure why.
Yep, it looks like the blogger went a bit overboard trying to portray SF coastal beauty.
I found that if you go to that site, then bring down the Edit menu and click on "select all" it becomes much more readable.
I read through all the comments on Lieberman's blog about KGO.
I agree with most of them that say Ron Owens is a complete smug jerk. He has some kind of special contract, but says he "loves" what he does so he gets to stay --GAGGAMAGGOT!
If you want to listen to the first hour Owens did where he and the executive talks about this. He's excusing the radio station.
Now here's my opinion: When they silence talk show hosts (regardless of their viewpoints) and present "NEWS" that we all know is put forth with extreme bias, you pound another peg into the First Amendment.
Here is the link to listen:
Ron Owens Gloats
BTW: If you listen to the hour of Ron Owens at the link I just posted, you will be in for the thrill of hearing Lynn Jimenez give the business report. :)
I asked a KGO screener this afternoon and was told Bob will be on tomorrow as scheduled.
We shall see.
Birdbrain,
So you actually called KGO and talked to a program screener? Good for you!
Well, we'll all find out at 1:05 tomorrow. Is Moneytalk canceled or not?
I just checked the KGO website and Moneytalk is still on their schedule.
It would be a pity if he survived being cut.
tfb
Here is a list of radio stations where you can listen online to Bob Brinker's Moneytalk.
Some of them only carry portions of the program. For instance, WLS Chicago only carries a half hour of it.
It looks like KION, the Monterey station is the same time slots as KGO:
Honey's Station List
Right now, I'm betting that Bob Brinker will be broadcasting from KGO tomorrow. :)
TFB,
Unless he retires, at which time, I have some ideas about what I may do with this blog, I hope he stays on KGO -- for my own selfish reasons.
It makes it easy for me to record the program directly off of the radio. Otherwise, I have to depend on the internet to find the program.
So for my sake, please keep the good thought that he survived the big KGO slaughter.
Personally, I think what they did to all those people at the station is abominable, and I do NOT wish them good luck...
I recommend KSFO 560. They report enough news.... Most people get their news from cable TV or the internet now anyway.
Honey, it is part of the radio game. Everyone in the industry accepts the risk. There was a terrifc young man of faith and radio talent in Chicagoan named Cisco Cotto. He had a decent show, he jumped ship to try for a bigger audience, had decent numbers but some new talent came in (subbing fro another show and proved so popular the ended up bumping Cisco and he was let go. He took it in stride and started a church. The point is, in the radio game it is a dog eat dog world, no loyalty no nothing.
Brinker has been in the game for almost his entire life. He is the one who decided to "phone it in" years ago, and take his audience for granted so he could host his once 6 and now 3 hour infomercial.
Brinker deservves to get cut.
As for you afterlife, I would suggest there are so many positive things you could do recapping shows of merit, maybe Kudlow, maybe Edleman or someone who actually knows what they are talking about and doesn't sexually intercourse their followers like Da Brink does by peddling his snakeoil.
Love fluffy
The KGO article states"
"Ronn Owens is the most insincere, disingenuous, phony guy on the planet."
I know nothing about Mr. Owens but it is hard for me to think that anyone could be more insincere, disingenuous, and phony then Barrack Obama.
MarkJ
"maybe Kudlow, maybe Edleman or someone who actually knows what they are talking about"
Kudlow is a political blowhard and Edleman is a huckster just like Brinker only he charges more for his wrap fees. He tells you to mortgage your house and let him manage the money for a fee.
I don't want to hear about either one.
alldwan
Fluffy (TFB) said: "Brinker deserves to get cut."
I certainly agree with that, but unless he retires from broadcasting his snake oil on the national airwaves, I will make every attempt to report the whole truth.
And having him carried on KGO sure makes the job easier for me.
Thanks for the look at what goes on behind the scenes in the "radio game.' I know that you have personal experience in that field.
Gil Gross is horrid. He has sheared more people than Brinker.
If Brinker loses his infomerical he would, gasp, have to pay for advertisment.
Joey
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