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DavidKaye said:
I wonder if any of us will recognize radio after all this "fixing".... or even care?
Citadel would have to be crazy to cut staff at KGO. Maybe the consecutive #1 rankings don't mean as much as a few bucks on people to keep it #1.
Newsperson responds:
Ever since Citadel closed on its purchase of the ABC stations they have been in a no buying (stations) mode. In fact Mickey Luckoff told me that years ago he tried to get ABC to buy an FM and they would not go forward. However as we all know Mickey was sucessful in getting ABC to buy KSFO years ago.
So Citadel is in a non-buying mode and we will not see any new acquizations here.
As far any any changes in the S.F. market we won't know until production boy chimes in. At this time he may not know or may not want to talk about it yet.
Production Boy, what can you tell us now?
Newsperson
Ever since Citadel closed on its purchase of the ABC stations they have been in a no buying (stations) mode. In fact Mickey Luckoff told me that years ago he tried to get ABC to buy an FM and they would not go forward. However as we all know Mickey was sucessful in getting ABC to buy KSFO years ago.
So Citadel is in a non-buying mode and we will not see any new acquizations here.
As far any any changes in the S.F. market we won't know until production boy chimes in. At this time he may not know or may not want to talk about it yet.
Production Boy, what can you tell us now?
Newsperson
Geek-O-Rama said:
The problem is the declining revenue, due in part to the ageing demos of KGO and n/t on AM everywhere. KGO may be off in billing nearly 40% since 2000.
T
Talking Furniture
Guest
I would guess most SF stations are off from 2000, the final year of the dot.com bubble, but your point is well taken. The article says WPLJ cashflow is off 50% and revenues off 17%. Not good. Farid..."called for “management changes, format changes, programming changes and self-management changes so that we can recoup in a zero revenue growth environment the under performance that exists.”
Not exactly subtle stuff.
Here is a list of folks from WLS that have been shown the door --
Jennifer Keiper, news director
Bill Cameron, city hall reporter
David Jennings, reporter
Christina Filiaggi, traffic reporter
Nate Clay, talk host
.. also Jake Hartford.
Others included a sales manager, an engineering assistant, a production assistant, a producer, and several others.
Word from Los Angeles is that 10 people are out at KABC/KLOS.
Not exactly subtle stuff.
Here is a list of folks from WLS that have been shown the door --
Jennifer Keiper, news director
Bill Cameron, city hall reporter
David Jennings, reporter
Christina Filiaggi, traffic reporter
Nate Clay, talk host
.. also Jake Hartford.
Others included a sales manager, an engineering assistant, a production assistant, a producer, and several others.
Word from Los Angeles is that 10 people are out at KABC/KLOS.
Newsperson responds:
KGO/KSFO is cetainly not off 40 per cent since 2000 as they both have grown since then.
Citadel is looking at 2006 verses 2007 so let's look at that. In the case of WPLJ a 17 per cent loss of revenue meant a 50 per cent loss in cash flow. It is a different situation here in S. F.
KGO/KSFO and this market has a lot higher percentage of local advertising verses national advertising. Just listen to all the spots! If their gross business is off by 5 per cent, as we see with WPLJ the net loss of cash flow could be greater. We can only estimate except these stations cannot be off as much as New York.
Your comments?
Newsperson
KGO/KSFO is cetainly not off 40 per cent since 2000 as they both have grown since then.
Citadel is looking at 2006 verses 2007 so let's look at that. In the case of WPLJ a 17 per cent loss of revenue meant a 50 per cent loss in cash flow. It is a different situation here in S. F.
KGO/KSFO and this market has a lot higher percentage of local advertising verses national advertising. Just listen to all the spots! If their gross business is off by 5 per cent, as we see with WPLJ the net loss of cash flow could be greater. We can only estimate except these stations cannot be off as much as New York.
Your comments?
Newsperson
Well Now...
As of 4:45 PM I heard no shooting or saw no body bags. But the internal rumor , born out by Farid's comments in one of the trades, is that some streamling of sales dept. managment layers was being considered. But I have no numbers or names to share and I connot confirm that.
I don't think some of our long time employee's have ever been through a "Black Friday"...But those of us
who have saw the usuall signs. Closed Doors, Tense Faces, and Gallows Humor. It was a new experience for
many and a familiar one for those of us who have not spent our whole career at KGO. On the whole I can't recommend it
If your interested, check "Radio Ink" It explains very clearly what's going on...So it was Citadels Turn, and a month ago it was Clear Channel's, and Entercoms and 2 weeks ago CBS's. This is what happens when the economy sucks and that is more than a San Francisco Problem.
Newsperson, thank you for your "Thoughtful" last post.
I can only hope that we come through this reasonably in tact. My money is on Mickey and Jack, but just like me, they are only employees too.
As of 4:45 PM I heard no shooting or saw no body bags. But the internal rumor , born out by Farid's comments in one of the trades, is that some streamling of sales dept. managment layers was being considered. But I have no numbers or names to share and I connot confirm that.
I don't think some of our long time employee's have ever been through a "Black Friday"...But those of us
who have saw the usuall signs. Closed Doors, Tense Faces, and Gallows Humor. It was a new experience for
many and a familiar one for those of us who have not spent our whole career at KGO. On the whole I can't recommend it
If your interested, check "Radio Ink" It explains very clearly what's going on...So it was Citadels Turn, and a month ago it was Clear Channel's, and Entercoms and 2 weeks ago CBS's. This is what happens when the economy sucks and that is more than a San Francisco Problem.
Newsperson, thank you for your "Thoughtful" last post.
I can only hope that we come through this reasonably in tact. My money is on Mickey and Jack, but just like me, they are only employees too.
newsperson said:
None of the industry sources agree with you. Every year since '02 has been down for KGO vs the prior year. KSFO is flat since '02.
I think it was significant that the first market mentioned was San Francisco.
Questions for anyone with access to information;
Who bills the most in the market? To what are the intra-market comparisons made?
With all the markets where Citadel has stations (including former ABC) ranked 10th or lower, isn't it odd that an emphasis is on San Francisco?
I'll take my answers off the air.
Who bills the most in the market? To what are the intra-market comparisons made?
With all the markets where Citadel has stations (including former ABC) ranked 10th or lower, isn't it odd that an emphasis is on San Francisco?
I'll take my answers off the air.
I believe that Citadel knew exactly what they were doing when they bought the ABC stations. They run a "lean and mean machine" and saw ABC as bloated. Most takeover artists take good institutions and rip them apart from top to bottom, usually breaking unions, removing worker benefits, and otherwise screwing around with the workers.
I think they waited a couple beats before acting on this because they wanted to show a glaring p/l statement in order to get more consensus from ABC legacy management and get concessions from the unions.
But, from the get-go I had no doubt that Citadel purposely bought the ABC radio unit in order to "cut the fat" out of the operation. Of course, ad revenue is down; it's down all over. But Citadel knew that at the outset. It's been down for several years.
I just hope that they don't turn KGO into another KABC or WABC.
I think they waited a couple beats before acting on this because they wanted to show a glaring p/l statement in order to get more consensus from ABC legacy management and get concessions from the unions.
But, from the get-go I had no doubt that Citadel purposely bought the ABC radio unit in order to "cut the fat" out of the operation. Of course, ad revenue is down; it's down all over. But Citadel knew that at the outset. It's been down for several years.
I just hope that they don't turn KGO into another KABC or WABC.
Well, at least you guys aren't talking about Fixing KFRC anymore. :
"How about Citadel buying KFRC, then turning it into a talk station where the only subject is the old KFRC?"
Great idea. They could call it 106.9 FReeC-FM.
Great idea. They could call it 106.9 FReeC-FM.
gameon said:
You mean other than the fact that they'd just as likely blow up Karel and Ray and go "cheap syndicated talk show" from 7PM until 5AM?
---Michael Hagerty
Newsperson responds:
Gene Burns is the stong male personality that brings in that evening audience as he hits compelling issues of the day.
Karel on the other hand is a love sick fool (by his own admission) and that is not a cut. He is huge on entertainment and moves well between that subject and world news.
However the time slot (7-10p) is so accustomed to the news/strong male personality stlye that Karel would be more suited to the 10p to 1a shift if he were on weeknights.
There are so many syndicated late night talk shows that are not cleared in S.F. Theses shows would be happy to be cleared on KGO wihtout any cost to the station, only spot inventory. However that is contrary to Mickey Luckoff's style as the syndicated talk shows now on KGO are cleared becasue they are compelling, not becase they save money (they still cost inventory).
Having said that are there any late night talk shows not currently cleared in S.F. that would be compelling?
How about Joey Reynolds?
I will look for your replies.
Newsperson
Gene Burns is the stong male personality that brings in that evening audience as he hits compelling issues of the day.
Karel on the other hand is a love sick fool (by his own admission) and that is not a cut. He is huge on entertainment and moves well between that subject and world news.
However the time slot (7-10p) is so accustomed to the news/strong male personality stlye that Karel would be more suited to the 10p to 1a shift if he were on weeknights.
There are so many syndicated late night talk shows that are not cleared in S.F. Theses shows would be happy to be cleared on KGO wihtout any cost to the station, only spot inventory. However that is contrary to Mickey Luckoff's style as the syndicated talk shows now on KGO are cleared becasue they are compelling, not becase they save money (they still cost inventory).
Having said that are there any late night talk shows not currently cleared in S.F. that would be compelling?
How about Joey Reynolds?
I will look for your replies.
Newsperson
A
AnimatronicAbeLincoln
Guest
Since cost-cutting is Citadel's #1 goal, I wonder if they're going to go into each market, and, wherever they own both FMs and AMs, blow up an FM, and simulcast one of the AMs on it.
They don't have KKSF anymore, so it won't happen in SF, but I wonder if it might happen in LA, Chicago.. NYC..
They don't have KKSF anymore, so it won't happen in SF, but I wonder if it might happen in LA, Chicago.. NYC..
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