CBS/SF Heads Rolling...

[BossRadioDJ]

AllAccess and Billboard Radio Monitor reported earlier today that CBS honcho Joel Holander was lowering the "headcount" at CBS Radio, and several notable execs at CBS in LA and NYC were announced.

Now, AllAccess has confirmed several departures from CBS Radio in San Francisco:

· Talk KIFR, News KCBS VP/GM KEN KOHL

· News KCBS & Talk KIFR N.S.M. VICKY BIGGS

[EDIT: SEE ALLACCESS.com FOR COMPLETE LIST]

· KITS VP/GM STEVE DINARDO will add VP/GM duties for KIFR, while GREG NEMITZ will oversee Podcast-format KYCY/1550 (K-YOU RADIO).

...Noting that last item regarding KYCY, where does that leave Stephen Page, who had been managing the station?

D.J.

 

[spage]

still here and running KYOURadio. thanks for asking.

for SOX (sarbanes oxley) reasons the station needs a designated GM and Greg's the guy. fyi - new web site (beta) next friday (7/21) AND we'll actually be podcasting some programming. yeah I know...about time.

SP

 

[BossRadioDJ]

AND we'll actually be podcasting some programming. yeah I know...about time.

SP

Dammit. I knew you'd respond here. I shoulda email you straight up.

There goes my chance to float a horse-poop rumor that they're bringing in Imus/Don & Mike or going all-sports. Rats.

I mean, um, great to see that the Podcasting format will live on!

DJ

 

[sfradio]

AllAccess and Billboard Radio Monitor reported earlier today that CBS honcho Joel Holander was lowering the "headcount" at CBS Radio, and several notable execs at CBS in LA and NYC were announced.

Now, AllAccess has confirmed several departures from CBS Radio in San Francisco:

· Talk KIFR, News KCBS VP/GM KEN KOHL

· News KCBS & Talk KIFR N.S.M. VICKY BIGGS

[EDIT: SEE ALLACCESS.com FOR COMPLETE LIST]

· KITS VP/GM STEVE DINARDO will add VP/GM duties for KIFR, while GREG NEMITZ will oversee Podcast-format KYCY/1550 (K-YOU RADIO).

...Noting that last item regarding KYCY, where does that leave Stephen Page, who had been managing the station?

D.J.

dose this maybe mean the end for free fm?

 

[kinetic]

<<dose this maybe mean the end for free fm?>>

When did it ever begin?

 

[MikeAmatori]

The Genius of Ken Kohl is that he kept his job this long. Free FM, Free of talent,
Free of ratings, Free of listeners.

I work with many of his former collegues who all say he's a horses rear.

Keep in mind this was the designer of KNEW's wannabe KSFO format. 1.5 in the last book. Perhaps CBS thought that they would jetison him before he destroyed KCBS.

I gotta belive CBS though $90 million was to much spend only on the rear of a horse. Although I guess Darian, London and Kohl is technically a TriFecta.

 

[paulsecic]

AllAccess and Billboard Radio Monitor reported earlier today that CBS honcho Joel Holander was lowering the "headcount" at CBS Radio, and several notable execs at CBS in LA and NYC were announced.

Now, AllAccess has confirmed several departures from CBS Radio in San Francisco:

· Talk KIFR, News KCBS VP/GM KEN KOHL

· News KCBS & Talk KIFR N.S.M. VICKY BIGGS

[EDIT: SEE ALLACCESS.com FOR COMPLETE LIST]

· KITS VP/GM STEVE DINARDO will add VP/GM duties for KIFR, while GREG NEMITZ will oversee Podcast-format KYCY/1550 (K-YOU RADIO).

...Noting that last item regarding KYCY, where does that leave Stephen Page, who had been managing the station?

D.J.

dose this maybe mean the end for free fm?

For one thing there are far too many talkers with syndicated stuff that don't do good here.

 

[DyingMedium]

Not to say Kohl doesn't have responsibility for what happens the stations he manages, but keep in mind a lot of other factors about KNEW.

1) Budget...First choice wasn't to syndicate the Sacramento morning show.

2) Glenn Beck was a Premiere property and therefore basically rammed down KNEW's throat. They couldn't get rid of him even after a year of dismal ratings. Now, they've become the TRN network with Savage, Doyle and - coming soon - Rusty Humphries.

3) Word was Premiere promised Limbaugh to KNEW, but then re-upped with KSFO anyway.

4) Signal. Not a good one for a talk station. Goes dead in much of the East Bay after dark.

I do, however, think that Kohl made a mistake in going so agressive on the Scott Peterson trial. Especially with the promotional items and billboards. It did not result in any ratings and Nancy Grace was awful on radio. I think she sucks on TV too, but she was even worse in front of a mic. So, that was an all out expensive attempt at grabbing listeners. And it was mostly - if not all - Kohl's brainstorm.

Things, however, were on the upswing when Kohl left. Ratings were rising slowly, but were coming up even more with Jeff Katz on before Savage in the afternoons. Then Agnew threw Jerry Doyle in there and ratings went back down. I won't be surprised if KNEW is suddenly unrated in a furture book.

So, after Katz blows that popstand, KNEW will not have one live and local show. Sure, Savage broadcasts from the Bay Area, but he is hardly a local boy. The only real local talent will be the news staff.

Then Kohl got the offer from CBS.

I thought the whole concept of Free FM was shaky to begin with. Adam Carolla in the mornings? Who the hell is clamoring for that?

Hiring Darian O'toole was a huge mistake. (local)
Hiring Penn Jilette was a huge mistake. (national)


Anyway...can't pin it all on Ken Kohl. With that said, it's interesting they cut him loose after less than a year. Wonder when the winds changed? Over London?

-Peace

The Genius of Ken Kohl is that he kept his job this long. Free FM, Free of talent,
Free of ratings, Free of listeners.

I work with many of his former collegues who all say he's a horses rear.

Keep in mind this was the designer of KNEW's wannabe KSFO format. 1.5 in the last book. Perhaps CBS thought that they would jetison him before he destroyed KCBS.

I gotta belive CBS though $90 million was to much spend only on the rear of a horse. Although I guess Darian, London and Kohl is technically a TriFecta.

 

[MikeAmatori]

Well, Premiere is owned by CC as is KNEW. What brought Rush to KSFO is Money.
KSFO offered more. If the bucks had been there Premiere would have moved him over. And those Bucks would have to have come from big Ad $$$, since all they would be doing is taking money from one of their pockets and putting into another. With superior #'s on KSFO Rush's National sponsors will pay more.Plus pay to carry Rush. A Win Win for Premiere. 1.7 is as high as KNEW has ever been, One book as I recall. They have been a 1.5 mostly.

Kohl Hired Darian and London. Kohl had to take Corrolla and Jillette. Lykis too.I was part of the Free FM rollout. HOWEVER, When your 2 local shows self distruct, And you hired them, I think your decision making comes into question. This is a $90 million dollar investment in the 4th largest market. On since October 9 months no ratings, no growth,
no advertisers. Not highlites on a resume. I would assume since he was in charge of KCBS too that they may have had some problems there too. The GM and VP should be the one who takes the fall since he's in charge of the investment.

After Ed Kramph paid Savage 1 million bucks for SF rights to his show, I don't imagine that
there was money for anything more than syndication on KNEW.

As they say DyingMedium...Nothing personal, it's only business...

BTW, KNEW's Local News is nothing more than MetroNetworks stuff. And CNN Audio.

Now keep in mind that CBS also fired the GM of the LA station that is the Biggest Biller in Radio. So he's not alone.

I have never met anyone who had anything good to say about Kohl. And I currently work with 2 of his former employees. He may be a wonderfull guy, but as a broadcast executive
maginal to poor seems to be what I seem to be getting.

 

[DyingMedium]

I can certainly see your point about the hiring of O'Toole and London and their subsequent self destructions. I have wondered if that was a big part of it myself. Whatever happened, there was plenty of blame to go around.

I don't really think Kohl got around to KCBS. There may have been some initial discussions, but my sense is that the bloom was off the rose a couple of months ago. I had always heard he was going to be involved there, but I think the Free FM's failure to launch put that pretty much on hold.

Sure it's a business...I worked with Kohl at CC and I can say I never saw him be a jerk to anyone. And I worked with him for 2 years. Could he be demanding? Sometimes...but, it was never a power trip. I always thought he was passionate about the product. That's what I experienced.

 

[WordLife]

I may be beating fart out of a dead horse, but I think the Dog House probably could have saved not only Ken's job, but Free FM in San Francisco at least.

John London was #1 18-34 in his last book I believe, and he does not even have the cult following the Dog House does.

What still baffles me is why didn't they put Corolla on Live 105, and leave the dogs on Free?

We'll never know...

 

[DyingMedium]

Well, Free FM, on the whole, was CBS's response to Stern going to Sirius. And, obviousy, they had this nationwide plan that they were going to stick to no matter what. Look at the other side of the Corolla Coin - David "ME" Roth. Everyone knew that was going to fail, even inside the company. But no one could persuade the powers that be to change their plans. Although you can give them some credit for acting fairly quickly when Roth flamed out.

Moving Corolla over to Live 105 was never going to happen. He, apparently, was the lynchpin of the whole Free FM rollout. I thought they should've syndicated a mid-day show (Corolla or someone else) out of the gate, pushed that really hard, and let the individual markets choose their own morning shows. But, hey, who knows if that would've worked either...

 

[MikeAmatori]

Free FM's just seems to be Sucking Nation Wide. One show is not gonna save a station as badly concieved as 106.9.

 

[atwater kent]

Just to keep things slightly based in reality, in the Winter book, John London wasn't even in the top 15 with men 18-34. Hiring John London and Darien O'Toole should be all the reason anyone needed to fire folks at Free FM.

The Doghouse is lucky to have escaped.

Let's wait and see how long it takes for the exit of Rob Barnett, the poor sap in charge of trying to make Joel Hollander's mess into a plan, to affect programming and people in programming. The San Francisco CBS cluster is under-performing at almost every level. Free FM is nearly flatlined. Live 105 is still in shock from the departure of Howard. KFRC barely has pulse. KCBS ratings and revenue are way off the mark. The Alice morning show is propping up the rest of the station. And, don't forget about the Podcaster disaster.

 

[RadioStarOne]

Has the time come to sweep "nearly" everyone out the doors and start all over at the top in New York and let some real radio people have a chance to clean up this mess? Or is it time to just sell the radio group back
to Uncle Mel to clean up instead? Or Perhaps the folks at Entercom?

 

[apco25]

Your right on the latter. But it won't happen ....because the real estate of stations are higher then Mob hill.

 

[Leeanne]

What still baffles me is why didn't they put Corolla on Live 105, and leave the dogs on Free?

We'll never know...

corolla would do crappy on live too... his show sucks. he is a good side kick not a host.
he is doing horribly in all markets, and its just a matter of time before he goes away completely.

 

[NorthStar007]

The time has come to put the Doghouse back on in the bay area from 6am-10am..>Wow what a thought. The morning drive....They have a Major following in the bay area and many are still pissed that they are gone. Hello CBS they work for you in NY 9am-1pm, let them go live 6am-10am in the bay area. They might just save your station. They have been growing a major following in the NY area. Another thought....Market 1 and 4 with the Doghouse. Sorry CBS I know you know the business that is why your hired David Lee Roth and Corolla to replace Stern. Nice work......

 

[LMFAO]

A question for NorthStar007, as a listener in the Metro NYC area (as indicated in other posts), why would you want a local show to begin serving a market where you can't even listen to the radio? Wouldn't you prefer that the Doghouse be able to focus their entertainment on your local community? How would the listeners of NYC benefit from this move?