Taking a few days off

John Madden calls out Steve Bitker on KCBS; And gives out a Shout for Oakland; Rips Warriors Proposed Move to SF; Friday Starter

John Madden confronted a justifiable IN-YOUR-FACE  to a clearly flustered Steve Bitker on KCBS Friday morning.

Good for the coach.

Talking about the now-concluded Warriors season, Bitker, towing a company line about how the Warriors will have more fun and pack the new arena in SF, (I'm paraphrasing), was put in his place by Madden.

Madden thought it was a sham that despite the Warriors packing the Oakland/Oracle Arena, they'd be moving across the bay, (we'll see), to SF. Bitker was incredulous. So was Madden.

Madden seemed pissed off. "How do you, (Bitker), know they'll be a 'success in SF--What about Oakland?"

Bitker finally acknowledged "your allegiance to Oakland, John." Gees, thanks Steve for your insight.

I like Madden. I like the fact that he bitch-slapped Bitker ON THE AIR. While the other SF Media sports lemmings dare lament the fact that Oakland and the Eastbay have SOLD OUT the building, made it the loudest arena in the NBA, etc, Madden, of all people, called out Bitzie, who should know better.

Madden doesn't do this for shock. He's irritated and so am I in case you can't tell. I realize, as did Bitzie, that the proposed move to the city is all about money and location but Oakland deserves better. It's Oakland and the ROARCLE fans that are taken for granted by the Warriors owners. Do any Bay Area writers or broadcasters talk about this? Madden got it right. Too bad the writers and some broadcasters are clueless.

More Madden: "You know, Oakland needs a win. " Coach, you couldn't have said it any better.

Here's a link to the podcast

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Slow News Day in Washington, (Sort of)

This is news?

I mean, don't get me wrong, there's a lot  on Barack Obama's plate right now, but seriously, this is absurd, don't you think?

Oh hell, I just opened the door.

**Follow me on Twitter and listen to me every Monday-Friday, 1-4 PM PT on KSCO/KOMY and KMPH.

Wednesday AM Media Notes

If the planets align sometime in the near future, expect a resurrection of a true talk format in San Francisco at a yet, undisclosed frequency. And don't underestimate Michael Zwerling, the owner of KSCO/KOMY and a multitude of other businesses.

Zwerling recently acquired a Telegraph Hill penthouse and he's not there to simply eat the sand dabs at the North Beach Restaurant.


**SF could use a good talk-show format on radio since Cumulus kidnapped the only talk station in town and if you read some of the trades the new station has some issues and a dwindling listener base.

**OK, traffic reports every 10 minutes, I can stomach...but weather too? Fog in the morning, sunny in the afternoon and low clouds at night...every now and then a heatwave with fog coming...In the winter, rain for a few days, occasional flooding and then clear and cold with frost. I just gave you the Bay Area weather.

**Gary Radnich and Larry Kruegar: It's not just that they TALK over Each OTHER every two minutes its just that they continually say nothing...oh, and recently the dynamic duo tried to play down the fact that Kruegar and traffic yenta, Kate Scott can't stand one another. I don't really give a damn but I thought you may want to know.

**The underlying opinion from many is that Tom Sinkovitz is "too expensive" to hire. Really? Well, get this, Sinkovitz is a name anchor and would add immediate buzz to a station that could really use some. To boot: Sinkovitz told me recently that he's itching to go back to work, take note, KRON and KTVU.

**Get ready for an avalanche of sidebar stories on the security at this Sunday's Bay to Breakers.

**I wasn't duped--indeed a KRON source who works at the station told me that GM, Brian Greif was let go. Greif is still employed at the station but there's rumors circulating all over the building that suggest change may be coming soon.

Imbecile Nation

And getting worse.

Conservative versus Liberal Radio: It's Entertainment and Numbers That Count

RUSH versus SAVAGE: It's about entertainment more than just mere politics. Just as I'm about to proclaim Savage the King, he wanes on me and is blase. Rush meanwhile may have jumped the shark but he can still move the needle even though his politics and style have become boring and predictable.

Speaking of which...

A good reason why conservative radio dominates the terrestrial landscape is that it is far more entertaining than the dullness of "progressive radio." Air America was an abject failure because people like Randi Rhodes thinks that endless right-wing goony bits will resonate with listeners and thus, make for compelling radio--uh, not so.

Another case in point is Stephanie Miller. Miller has turned into the left-wing version of Mark Levin and Sean Hannity, what I like to refer as "Groundhog Day" Radio. It's the SAME, BORING,  predictable show day after day. It doesn't matter if the politics are the right politics, it's the quality, the unpredictability of the show. That's why I've often lauded Savage because there's times where you don't know where he's going. It might be a trainwreck but if it makes you chuckle then it's entertaining and a score and ultimately, numbers, that make or break the show.

April 2013 SF Radio Arbitrons; KNBR Back at the Top, (Thanks SF Giants)

KNBR vaults bat into #1, (Thanks Giants).

Here's the full numbers.