-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
KGO's Karel -his take on the KGO changes?
- Thread starter MC
- Start date
I was hoping Karel would take on the topic, but that was just wishful thinking. He followed the party line that Ronn and Pat T did, almost word for word. The same old "I'm sorry to see my friends go, but this is a business decision that was necessary because the ratings were dropping". He only entertained calls for 30 minutes, just like Ronn and Pat, before moving to guests.
Even though he's railed about deregulation in other industries, when a caller brought up the fact that this change was only possible because of deregulation (or tried to bring it up), Karel dropped him immediately sand rudely. There was no discussion about how this change won't raise the ratings, it will drop the costs and raise the profits. No discussion about the many other all-news format stations crowding the airwaves. No discussion about management taking the easy way out instead of making bold changes that could actually attract more listeners. Basically, Karel was a wuss and sold out. It was almost as if the hosts have been told what to say and told to limit it to 30 minutes; gee, that wouldn't happen, would it?
Even though he's railed about deregulation in other industries, when a caller brought up the fact that this change was only possible because of deregulation (or tried to bring it up), Karel dropped him immediately sand rudely. There was no discussion about how this change won't raise the ratings, it will drop the costs and raise the profits. No discussion about the many other all-news format stations crowding the airwaves. No discussion about management taking the easy way out instead of making bold changes that could actually attract more listeners. Basically, Karel was a wuss and sold out. It was almost as if the hosts have been told what to say and told to limit it to 30 minutes; gee, that wouldn't happen, would it?
Interesting, thanks for the update. I think the people let go are the most likely to have money and can survive. Rothman does have a kid going into college, so this may not be good for him. Given the job market I can't blame people for wimping out.
Ratings were dropping (thanks PPM) but the changes are driven by the corporate feeding frenzy more than the on the air people.
Ratings were dropping (thanks PPM) but the changes are driven by the corporate feeding frenzy more than the on the air people.
MC said:
Uh, thanks for reality? PPM is a ratings method the listener cannot tamper with. The receiver listens to the audio signal for codes sent out by the station. The diary method was notorious for mis-remembered callsigns, DJs who weren't there, etc. The only trouble with PPM is the sample size, but since the sample size is larger than the diary sample size, it's *still* more accurate than even the most accurate diaries.
Someone brought up elsewhere that KGO's management had refused to believe the PPM results. That's just stupidity or a Luddite mentality.
Is it really a good idea to be talking publicly about what kind of money John comes from on a public radio board while the man has children in school? Rather tacky is it not? Much less to be talking about it on KGO!
kirksan said:
Karel (and anyone else not fired) has a choice: To continue working there or not. To go beyond what management dictated would be choosing not to work there. And while a public middle finger to the suits is occasionally entertaining radio, the honorable, professional approach is to tell them in advance that you can't live with the restriction and be prepared for the news that you're gone, effective immediately.
This is a hard time for anyone in any profession to be looking for work. Liberal talk show hosts aren't in demand at the moment, certainly in San Francisco. If Karel chooses not to be homeless and hungry, that's his choice and "sellout" is a pretty harsh judgement.
If you listen to the first hour of Karel's show saturday night on the archives page of the KGO website he took calls on the changes right up to the news break at the top of the hour. I thought he did a great first hour. The second hour with Pat Viducci the financial planner was really bad as Karel doesn't even let his guest's start a reply to a caller before openning his mouth which is very rude. Pat on the line hardly could say a thing before the hour was up or Karel openned his big mouth. This hour was a great way to teach new host's what not to do! Karel may be just getting to hang around until this seminar is done this coming Wednesday.
You'll love this ...
On his weekday show on 10 stations ... one in my market, Karel:
1. Told via his U-Stream web feed and to his producer "I get $1000 for the appearance with Viducci ... and $20 a head. If just 50 people show up, I make $2000 ... or more. I've got to get these people to respond. I am late with November's mortgage and may be able to pay December's by Christmas ... or I'm sunk."
2. He then publically railed ON AIR about his running feud with Dr. Bill Wattenburg on stations from his one hour stint in New Jersey to his station in Eugene, OR that has threatened to drop him like a bad habit if he dares change his clock of mostly PI spots. He fretted so about "off the air" during a commercial break.
3. He first talked about Dr. Bill wanting to see Karel fired and how he saw him in offices at KGO harping about why Karel is on the air ... for years. Then, Karel not only mentioned it to his producer during the break ... he then talked about ... call letters and all ... on the air on all of his mini-network of freebie stations. Then, he asked, "Is it wrong for me to LAUGH at someone who got fired after they have mistreated me so badly through the years? I think not." And ... he breaks up in that hyenic laugh of his. If I were Wattenburg, I'd have throttled Karel for sure.
Don't the people at Cumulus, who monitor morning sales meetings via web casts in their stations, drop in by the UStream site or Karel's web site to listen to this moron?
He'd be gone in two seconds. Maybe they can put Leo Laporte in that slot ... which is as lowly as Siberia is cold for a daypart.
It's not about his gayness, his blatant misinformation and lying about issues he has no clue about or his cutting off nearly every guest ... except the same one who call to fawn all over him ... it's his ethics.
He sucks in more ways than one.
He needs to be let go and fast.
Word is ... he will be if the 25-54's don't improve and fast.
Oh, a couple of weeks ago, Karel's insecurity so got to him that he actually called Gene Burns while Karel was on the air wondering ... "Am I going to have a job long at KGO?" Called the man during a commercial break from his I-phone.
Incidentally, the call to KGO's PD on Friday was also on the Internet while Karel was off the air. "Um, do I have something to do this weekend?" he asked ... via web cam.
And finally, it was just a few weeks ago that Karel ranted about "the terrible email I got from Jack Swanson about things changing ...." and then went on to say that he wasn't sent an email about Swanson's leaving and that he had to be told by other staffers. "What's up with that? I'm part of the team and I should have heard like everybody else."
Not.
Cumulus ... please. Take heed. Get this bozo off the air. He's irrelevant.
Check him out at http://www.radiokrl.com/radiokrl/Welcome.html. The guy's a hazard to broadcasting.
On his weekday show on 10 stations ... one in my market, Karel:
1. Told via his U-Stream web feed and to his producer "I get $1000 for the appearance with Viducci ... and $20 a head. If just 50 people show up, I make $2000 ... or more. I've got to get these people to respond. I am late with November's mortgage and may be able to pay December's by Christmas ... or I'm sunk."
2. He then publically railed ON AIR about his running feud with Dr. Bill Wattenburg on stations from his one hour stint in New Jersey to his station in Eugene, OR that has threatened to drop him like a bad habit if he dares change his clock of mostly PI spots. He fretted so about "off the air" during a commercial break.
3. He first talked about Dr. Bill wanting to see Karel fired and how he saw him in offices at KGO harping about why Karel is on the air ... for years. Then, Karel not only mentioned it to his producer during the break ... he then talked about ... call letters and all ... on the air on all of his mini-network of freebie stations. Then, he asked, "Is it wrong for me to LAUGH at someone who got fired after they have mistreated me so badly through the years? I think not." And ... he breaks up in that hyenic laugh of his. If I were Wattenburg, I'd have throttled Karel for sure.
Don't the people at Cumulus, who monitor morning sales meetings via web casts in their stations, drop in by the UStream site or Karel's web site to listen to this moron?
He'd be gone in two seconds. Maybe they can put Leo Laporte in that slot ... which is as lowly as Siberia is cold for a daypart.
It's not about his gayness, his blatant misinformation and lying about issues he has no clue about or his cutting off nearly every guest ... except the same one who call to fawn all over him ... it's his ethics.
He sucks in more ways than one.
He needs to be let go and fast.
Word is ... he will be if the 25-54's don't improve and fast.
Oh, a couple of weeks ago, Karel's insecurity so got to him that he actually called Gene Burns while Karel was on the air wondering ... "Am I going to have a job long at KGO?" Called the man during a commercial break from his I-phone.
Incidentally, the call to KGO's PD on Friday was also on the Internet while Karel was off the air. "Um, do I have something to do this weekend?" he asked ... via web cam.
And finally, it was just a few weeks ago that Karel ranted about "the terrible email I got from Jack Swanson about things changing ...." and then went on to say that he wasn't sent an email about Swanson's leaving and that he had to be told by other staffers. "What's up with that? I'm part of the team and I should have heard like everybody else."
Not.
Cumulus ... please. Take heed. Get this bozo off the air. He's irrelevant.
Check him out at http://www.radiokrl.com/radiokrl/Welcome.html. The guy's a hazard to broadcasting.
michael hagerty said:
Indeed. I have a lot of respect for Karel, even though I do not like him or his talkshow style. But he has chutzpah and a drive that has gotten him further than most of us here. He's had two hit music videos. Who among us can say that? He was a popular talkshow host on both KFI and KGO. Who among us can say that? He has had guest spots on CNN. Who among us can say that? He's syndicating a daily radio show that is continuing to pick up new stations. Who among us can say that?
DavidKaye said:
But you're missing the point that PPM measures exposure, NOT the impressions that the commercials make upon the listeners. A system that might work would require people who wear PPMs to also regularly complete a questionnaire that would include many trick multiple-choice answers. (Did the listener hear the ads that were broadcast on the station that the PPM recorded her or him listening to while s/he was supposedly listening? Trick answers would include sponsors whose ads did not air on the received station, maybe even fictitious products.) This technique could provide valuable information about the effectiveness of the ads but would probably be too expensive and require too much time and effort from the respondents to be practical. Other arguments against such a methodology include, "If the listener failed to recall the ad, that's irrelevant; it means that the agency that produced the copy and the spot did a lousy job. The station did its job if it gave the listener an opportunity to hear the ad." But PPM has the same basic failing as circulation numbers have for newspapers and magazines. I suppose the case can be made that the only meaningful measure of advertising effectiveness is how it affects actual sales of the products advertised. But then, how do you distill the information so that the data reflect, for example, the effects of using multiple media?
DanStrassberg said:
But diaries don't measure ad impressions, either. The common belief is that Mickey Luckoff simply refused to believe that PPM evidence was more accurate than the diaries. There's no way that can possibly be the case. If Luckoff really believed this, then he's the victim of old-fogeyism and simply can't compete in today's world. Diaries helped KGO because people knew "KGO" and maybe didn't know "KISQ" or "KKGN" or whatever. And slogans only go so far. At one time there was a horrendous misappropriate of diary ratings when KMEL, then known as "Camel" had its ratings misappropriated to KABL. People aren't going to remember slogans unless they're really unique. Okay, who had "Information Radio"? KALW. Who has "News and Information" now? KGO. In a diary world, people would confuse these slogans and the wrong station would get the credit.
Do you know how hard it was to get people to fill out diaries? They'd wait until the last minute and then fill in the entire diary in one sitting, maybe changing pens so it looked like they were writing entries at different time. Now you want people to sit down and answer questionnaires? No go, amigo.
Today, Wednesday, on his lightly syndicated show (which lasts for anywhere from one hour to 3 hours, depending on the station) ... he announced his hate for KGO listeners who cost him "$2000 for a forum with Pat Vitucci" ... and lost out because the sponsor canceled the financial semina Karel was to co-host tonight in SF. fBlamed the listeners "who would have caused a riot and disturbances ... so, they helped me lose $2000 today. Thanks, KGO listeners." Now, why is he doing this announcement on 9 other radio stations. Isn't someone in New Jersey listening to this crap? Or Euguene, Monterey, wherever?
Then, he talked again about his breakup with his latest boyfriend and why it became so emotional (he was given a diamond ring he said ... and showed on his webcam) and didn't do the show live, but "can't afford a guest host, so, I did a replay for two days."
But here's the good part ... this guy said just a week ago that he made $22,000 a year while at KGO ... for weekend and ocassional fill in work.
Today ... he claimed he makes ................................ $1200 a week doing part-time A WEEK on KGO. That's roughly $5000 a month or $60 grand a year for partime. Big difference for basically scale. $60k a year with his talent and ability in the Siberia of radio ... 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday & Sunday?
And he says this on 9 radio stations? What was Cumulus thinking ... and that alone merits keeping this guy on the ray-dee-oh? Man, oh, man.
I wished he podcast his daily show so you could hear this. Really. Is he kidding? Or just downright lying? Yet, making that kind of Jack he can't LIVE and owes so much money?
Then, he talked again about his breakup with his latest boyfriend and why it became so emotional (he was given a diamond ring he said ... and showed on his webcam) and didn't do the show live, but "can't afford a guest host, so, I did a replay for two days."
But here's the good part ... this guy said just a week ago that he made $22,000 a year while at KGO ... for weekend and ocassional fill in work.
Today ... he claimed he makes ................................ $1200 a week doing part-time A WEEK on KGO. That's roughly $5000 a month or $60 grand a year for partime. Big difference for basically scale. $60k a year with his talent and ability in the Siberia of radio ... 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday & Sunday?
And he says this on 9 radio stations? What was Cumulus thinking ... and that alone merits keeping this guy on the ray-dee-oh? Man, oh, man.
I wished he podcast his daily show so you could hear this. Really. Is he kidding? Or just downright lying? Yet, making that kind of Jack he can't LIVE and owes so much money?
Wow! Now (4:10 Pacific) he's blasting John Rothman as being "a professor, a dear friend who I love, but a terrible talkshow host. He is soooo boring." Says that "the ones fired were just boring and couldn't pull in the 25-49 demographic."
Also blasting "boring" Thom Hartman and Randi Rhodes, too! Says that on the pay scale, Ronn Owens makes "more money than God." And this from a guy whose only pay from syndication is P-I spots, outside what he gets for personal service endorsements in Monterey.
P-I won't pay the bills apparently.
OMG.
I've been in radio in great markets for a long time ... but I've never seen anything like this.
And he hates Dr. Bill Wattenburg with a passion. Dr. Bill was doing an interview on KSCO in Santa Cruz on Saturday. (Owens former producer, Mark Silverman works there now,) and it was the most absurd "interview" I've ever heard. Dr. Bill was great ... but the owner-led "interview" was horrid. It's on their website at KSCO.com
Also blasting "boring" Thom Hartman and Randi Rhodes, too! Says that on the pay scale, Ronn Owens makes "more money than God." And this from a guy whose only pay from syndication is P-I spots, outside what he gets for personal service endorsements in Monterey.
P-I won't pay the bills apparently.
OMG.
I've been in radio in great markets for a long time ... but I've never seen anything like this.
And he hates Dr. Bill Wattenburg with a passion. Dr. Bill was doing an interview on KSCO in Santa Cruz on Saturday. (Owens former producer, Mark Silverman works there now,) and it was the most absurd "interview" I've ever heard. Dr. Bill was great ... but the owner-led "interview" was horrid. It's on their website at KSCO.com
Just in at 4:30 ...
Karel is now reporting that in addition to saying Rothman is a "boring" host. Owens makes more money than God, and that Dr. Bill is "an evil, old, boring man" -- he now claims, honest ... that "I just got an email from the program director at KCBS ... wondering if I had a contract with KGO."
He says, "I replied and said, 'No, not really' .... why?" "Oh, we're just tossing around some ideas." This to a guy who was fired as entertainment reporter for KNX in LA?
Radio ... you gotta love it.
Karel is now reporting that in addition to saying Rothman is a "boring" host. Owens makes more money than God, and that Dr. Bill is "an evil, old, boring man" -- he now claims, honest ... that "I just got an email from the program director at KCBS ... wondering if I had a contract with KGO."
He says, "I replied and said, 'No, not really' .... why?" "Oh, we're just tossing around some ideas." This to a guy who was fired as entertainment reporter for KNX in LA?
Radio ... you gotta love it.
- Status