Layoffs Hit KGO Mainstays Gregg Jarrett, Greg Edmonds

[BossRadioDJ]

OK, Stop!

You know, in my original post I wrote "Right now, Production Boy has got his computer monitor in his grip and is shaking it mightily as he yells 'STOP! STOP! STOP!'"

I went back and deleted that line before the Radio-Info.com statute of limitations ran out...

#8 These are tough times for radio...Does anyone recall the entire staff of KFRC being dumped in early October? Mickey Luckoff is the best GM in Radio, I know because I work for him. He did not want to do this...he had to because he was ordered to. He answers to higher ups. We saw history yesterday at KGO...the first layoff in the 37 years Mickey has been there. It was done with compassion and Class, the way Mickey and his staff do everything. Everyone got an individual meeting, a personel letter from Mickey, and although I don't know for sure, I'll bet an apology from the managers who had to do it for this reason...
That sure as hell beats hearding everyone in to a conference and firing a staff on mass.

Amen to each and every thing you just said. And I'm glad you said 'em.

#9 Folks, you can guess all you want, you will probably guess wrong. This is over for now, but if it gets worse there will be more. As they say in the MOB...Nothing Personal, Just Business.

Duly noted ... but it's not going to stop us from guessing or positing about KGO (which I know nothing about) any more than we're going to stop predicting what the outcome of Sunday's Eagles-Cardinals game will be (and I know even less about that).

The worst part of this is that KGO from top to bottom is as classy an organization as you'll ever find in any business. You walk through those halls on Front Street and you can feel the pride of the people working there. It shows in the work they do: they simply make a great product.

And the fact that the industry has changed is not KGO's fault; a rising tide raises all boats, and an ebbing tide has just the opposite effect: everybody goes down, regardless of how good they are. If one of the greatest stations in the history of radio is feeling the pain, everybody's feeling the pain.

I hope that Mr. Luckoff isn't beaten down by all this. If he ever decides to step away from KGO, there's a broadcasting museum that could use a CEO with his immense skills. (Actually, there are a couple of broadcasting museums that could use him, based on a talk I had with Bruce DuMont.)

 

[weav]

OK, Stop!

Just a few things you may want to know about KGO.

Good bits. Thanks, Mike...

 

[LKellerIII]

OK, Stop!

The worst part of this is that KGO from top to bottom is as classy an organization as you'll ever find in any business. You walk through those halls on Front Street and you can feel the pride of the people working there. It shows in the work they do: they simply make a great product.

And the fact that the industry has changed is not KGO's fault; a rising tide raises all boats, and an ebbing tide has just the opposite effect: everybody goes down, regardless of how good they are. If one of the greatest stations in the history of radio is feeling the pain, everybody's feeling the pain.

I hope that Mr. Luckoff isn't beaten down by all this. If he ever decides to step away from KGO, there's a broadcasting museum that could use a CEO with his immense skills. (Actually, there are a couple of broadcasting museums that could use him, based on a talk I had with Bruce DuMont.)

Well said - but of course, what fuels all the worry and hand-wringing on this board is the reality that KGO may be a "classy organization" - but the jury is out (at best) regarding whether or not it is now owned and operated by a classy organization.

I recall that when Capital Cities bought ABC back in ancient days (early 80s, was it?), there was a lot of trepidation because Cap Cities was considered a provincial, penny pinching corporation. But other than Van Amburg losing his high-paid gig at KGO-TV, Cap Cities didn't do much cost cutting in the Bay Area that I'm aware of. As far as I know, Disney also gave Luckoff free-reign at KGO - no doubt because he produced such spectacular results.

But a lot of things have changed, including Citadel ownership, and the worst economic conditions in 75 years.

 

[MikeAmatori]

Lew, DJ,weav,Oaktree...GUYS,

Thankyou for the kind words...I tend not to post here very much. Some of The Experts and Faux Experts who post here (they know who they are) make me nuts.

However...

If YOU GUYS need an answer from me, you know where to find me. So just ask.

This has been a very tough week, I'm happy to have a job at SF's Last Great
Radio Station.

I'm going away now. Take Care.

 

[RadioStarOne]

Personally I think the time has come for ABC/Disney to buy the place back, damn its only one radio station and it would fit together with KGO-TV quite nicely! No Brainer!

 

[JEREMIAH]

Yes, Mickey is a class act and so is Production Boy.




Jerry Gordon KNUU Las vegas

 

[oaktree]

The best promo in all of radio today ... anywhere ... is KGO's "AM Hymn". It's classic ... and it appropriately fits. "A-M, brother ... A-M sister" -- and Amen to one of the industry's best ... Production Boy.

 

[EastBay]

Open letter to radio management everywhere (but especially at KGO):

I am a lifelong radio fan, the person who you are trying to attract to your spot on the dial, the one who fills out the diaries and adds to your ratings numbers. I am diehard radio; I'll listen to the radio all day and/or night. I drive sometimes hundreds of miles a day; the voices on the radio are my only companions in the car. And even when I'm in the office, it's radio that's in the background, not the TV. I hear that radio is a dying medium...but you've apparently never met me. And I'm not alone.

While I listen to many radio stations, the one that is at the top of my favorites list is KGO. The reason is simple: the on-air presence of the news staff and the talk show hosts is second to none in the industry- and I listen to radio all over the country. When I listen to other radio stations, I often subconsiously (or consiously) compare what I hear to the programming I hear on KGO. Many stations have made drastic changes (KFRC being a recent example) in an effort to somehow find that magical audience that will boost their ratings. But those stations are more often that not effectively shooting at distant targets at night while blindfolded. KGO has always been a rock in the radio industry because of their CONSISTENCY- the highest quality news staff and talk show hosts, regardless of timeslot. Their ratings reflect that.

Now it appears that things are changing even at the best radio station in the country, KGO. Yes, I know times are tough, and I'm positive this was not a decision Mr. Luckoff wanted to make- I'm sure it was the bean counters at Citadel that decided it was necessary to release a few of the finest people in radio. I'm sure it was nothing personal nor about anything they did wrong, it was simply a 'business decision'.

Fine.

But for those of you that are in decision making positions in radio that may happen to be reading this, please know this: the short term decisions you are making now are undermining the very future you are trying to survive for. Sure, KGO will go on without the Gregs, though they both will be sorely missed by fans like myself. But if this trend continues, you will you will wind up losing the very foundation of your existence- those of us that own radios tuned to 810. KGO has maintained its audience because of its consistant quality, but if KGO begins to crumble then I am truly concerned as to what will happen to radio at large.

So in a nutshell, I plead with management to keep a good thing going. Nothing else is going to work, certainly not in the long haul. If you want to keep me- and the millions of other radio fans- tuned to your station(s), don't change what works. It may cost you now, but it will keep you on the map in the future. If decision makers at Citadel are reading this, please stop messing with KGO or you will lose this biggest winner you have. You BETTER believe that.

Call me naive about radio biz, that would be fair. But as a fan, I know what I want- I ain't naive about that.

Just some thoughts from a dude on the 'outside'.

EastBay
Livermore, CA

 

[shurething]

Thanks for the sanity, Production Boy. Your narrative is clear and on-point. Regarding to KGO management: Mickey is a class act, and those who know him also know that this was a painful moment for him. Oh that Suleman and his stable had such class...or compassion...or expertise.

 

[DavidKaye]

KGO is a union shop, and as such I'm pretty sure no on air employee can give up union representation.
Board ops are not represented by union, only on air voices.
Union has no power to get you a job, nor to keep you your job. However they can represent you legally if your job was taken from you contrarily to union policy.

I understand that there are still two union board ops left, but who knows, maybe they're gone, too. Regardless, I've been both a business owner and a union worker (and a union organizer for that matter). I know that when a shop is unionized, the employer looks very carefully before doing anything to disturb the situation.

Safeway is a case in point. They were competing with WalMart. WalMart was killing them. Safeway kept going back to the union (UFCW) for concessions. Finally the union said, "Enough already!" Then Safeway management decided to try something else. They began upscaling their stores. They remodeled them to look more like a Whole Foods than a WalMart, and guess what? Safeway stores have begun showing GROWTH. Instead of having 2 full aisles of cereals, they have freed ths space for more different kinds of products. Their sales per square foot is now the envy of the grocery industry.

Had Safeway cut those jobs and hired people at $9 an hour, they'd have gotten slaughtered by WalMart, and might not even exist today.

Unions force employers to think out their options.

 

[DavidKaye]

Open letter to radio management everywhere (but especially at KGO):

EastBay
Livermore, CA

Don't be lazy! Don't post here. Send your SNAIL MAIL letters to the various Citadel people and address I posted here in this forum. People are bombarded by email. They don't them. Certainly, nobody at Citadel is going to read your post here. You've just wasted your time.

SEND SNAIL MAIL TO CITADEL if you care.

 

[EastBay]

Don't be lazy! Don't post here. Send your SNAIL MAIL letters to the various Citadel people and address I posted here in this forum. People are bombarded by email. They don't them. Certainly, nobody at Citadel is going to read your post here. You've just wasted your time.

SEND SNAIL MAIL TO CITADEL if you care.

I appreciate your suggestion; my letter has already been sent to KGO and the letter to Citadel is right behind it. I do care, I assure you.

As for wasting my time, YOU replied, right? Besides, thats what forums like this are for- to get suggestions from industry professionals like yourself.

No need to sound negative (if that was your intention); I'm on your side.

 

[DavidKaye]

As for wasting my time, YOU replied, right? Besides, thats what forums like this are for- to get suggestions from industry professionals like yourself.

Unfortunately, my input here doesn't matter to Citadel. The reason I stress about people snail-mailing to Citadel is that companies do pay attention to public opinion. They may not get much response from people in regard to cutbacks at their other stations, but boy, when KGO hits the fan, it would be great if Citadel got lots of feedback.

 

[LKellerIII]

As for wasting my time, YOU replied, right? Besides, thats what forums like this are for- to get suggestions from industry professionals like yourself.

Unfortunately, my input here doesn't matter to Citadel. The reason I stress about people snail-mailing to Citadel is that companies do pay attention to public opinion. They may not get much response from people in regard to cutbacks at their other stations, but boy, when KGO hits the fan, it would be great if Citadel got lots of feedback.

You've convinced me, David. I'm going to write to Citadel. Now if I can just remember how to fold the paper and find one of those stamp thingees...

 

[EastBay]

Unfortunately, my input here doesn't matter to Citadel. The reason I stress about people snail-mailing to Citadel is that companies do pay attention to public opinion. They may not get much response from people in regard to cutbacks at their other stations, but boy, when KGO hits the fan, it would be great if Citadel got lots of feedback.

Point well taken. In fact, I have a lot of freinds who listen to KGO as well and will solicit them to do the same thing. Who knows, maybe someone will actually read them!

I mentioned that I do not work in Radio, but I do work in another form of media (no, I'm not a blogger). I'll also see if there is another avenue I can pursue to get the point across to the Citadel. It is difficult to see enormously talented people lose their jobs- whether in radio or otherwise. But that is especially true in the case of KGO, where the overall success of the station has been built on its talent (as well as the greatest GM of all time!).

Thank you very much for your input and feedback, David. It means a lot- and hopefully we'll be able to get the message to where it needs to go.

 

[DavidKaye]

You've convinced me, David. I'm going to write to Citadel. Now if I can just remember how to fold the paper and find one of those stamp thingees...

Most post offices have vending machines which will take bills and coins (even pennies!) and will sell you individual stamps. I know because my car insurance is due twice a year and I have to go to a post office to send it off. Funny, it's now the only bill I do not pay in some kind of online way.

I'm stressing snail mail so much because of these factors: (1) rarity, and (2) the work necessary to send it. Think about being in business on the receiving end of public comments. How many of us get dozens of emails a day? Well, Citadel gets thousands. The possibility that your email will get read by a decision maker is very low. Just way too many emails.

But send them a letter and, first it's a physical thing, and second, they know that the sender spent time and effort putting it together. And what's more, there is this mindset that if a company receives a letter there is an implied obligation to send a reply letter.

Telegrams: Telegrams don't exist anymore. But when they did in the days before email, I sent telegrams instead of letters. Why? Because in those days (20 years ago) everybody was sending letters and the letters were getting lost. But when a messenger came by with a telegram -- WHOA! -- that was something to pay attention to. I got nearly instant response from my telegrams, often with reply telegrams!

So, the idea is to go with the method fewer people use in order to have the most impact. And what's more with email, we already know that any bozo can write an email. But to write a letter -- now, that's saying something!

 

[newsperson]

Newsperson responds:

Although it hurts to loose your job everyone at KGO who did this week is better off...that is if they lost their job after June 12, 2009. The deal between Citadel and ABC is that for anyone who is let go befroe June 12, 2009 they would treat them they same way as Disney. After that who knows?

They all miss being at the station yet they also know that the future just 5-months down the road could have been worse.

Speaking of cutting costs at Metro they have figured out a way to have the same newsperson and traffic person (different name) on KGO at they same time. It sounds like they record KSFO news at :03 and start the tape and let it roll. Then they switch to KGO live.

Today I heard they same person finish the news on KSFO at :06, then at :06:05 the news anchor at KGO switches to them for traffic.

Congradulations Metro on figuring out how to be the cheapest of the cheap!

Any other cheap ways to cut costs?

Newsperson

 

[DavidKaye]

Newsperson responds:

Although it hurts to loose your job everyone at KGO who did this week is better off...that is if they lost their job after June 12, 2009. The deal between Citadel and ABC is that for anyone who is let go befroe June 12, 2009 they would treat them they same way as Disney. After that who knows?

I'm of the opinion that a person is foolish to stay with the same employer for decades. Foolish because this isn't the days when your dad and you and your son or daughter worked for IBM. Corporations have no loyalty to employees, and haven't since the 1970s. So, there is no reason for an employee to have loyalty to a corporation, either. This is why Mickey Luckoff stands out so much. He resisted every downturn and did not lay off staff until he absolutely had to.

But, as for me, when I was working in software for one company coming up on 5 years I got antsy. I felt my life was slipping away. If my job hadn't gotten offshored I likely would have quit in the folloing 6 months to a year anyway.

Speaking of cutting costs at Metro they have figured out a way to have the same newsperson and traffic person (different name) on KGO at they same time. It sounds like they record KSFO news at :03 and start the tape and let it roll. Then they switch to KGO live.

Today I heard they same person finish the news on KSFO at :06, then at :06:05 the news anchor at KGO switches to them for traffic.

This is the way Clear Channel's traffic service works. Listen to KNEW and KKGN and you'll hear the same person doing both traffic feeds at the same time.

I see nothing wrong with it.

 

[djj]

Speaking of cutting costs at Metro they have figured out a way to have the same newsperson and traffic person (different name) on KGO at they same time. It sounds like they record KSFO news at :03 and start the tape and let it roll. Then they switch to KGO live.

Today I heard they same person finish the news on KSFO at :06, then at :06:05 the news anchor at KGO switches to them for traffic.

This is the way Clear Channel's traffic service works. Listen to KNEW and KKGN and you'll hear the same person doing both traffic feeds at the same time.

I see nothing wrong with it.

But where does one draw the line, David? How about treating air personalities in a similar vein?

Would it be safe to say, based on the KNEW/KKGN traffic example above, that one sees nothing
wrong with - as a thought - Don Bleu doing morning-show inserts for both 101.3 and 103.7?

Medford, Oregon's Mapleton and Opus radio clusters sometimes spreads its air talent over three
stations in their respective clusters. What's stopping major market clusters from doing the same?
So far, at least those two Medford clusters have kept the air talent from being on at the same
time on two or more stations - except for the occasional live remote on one station when that
DJ may be tracked on another station at the same time...

And how would one rate listener loyalty now? With the constant change in personnel and formats,
I believe that listener loyalty is nowhere near what it was, and never will be...which will likely encourage
the cheapening mentality that Newsperson succintly pointed out: "Congratulations, Metro, on figuring
out how to be the cheapest of the cheap!"

At least K G O has a loyal following...and has kept the internal-bloodletting to a minimum...
--jay

 

[Red78]

Why don't they junk the all-night hate-monger Ray Talibanferro?