Posted on 05/07/2014 2:09:09 PM PDT by lee martell
If you listen to terrestrial radio, and live in the San Francisco Bay Area, north of San Jose, you most likely have heard of KSFO AM. Last weekend, the managers of that radio station decided to fire weekend talk host Barbara Simpson suddenly and for most listeners shocklingly. Barbara was affiliated with that station for over nineteen years, since it's inception as a conservative leaning radio station. This was a few years after Rush Limbaugh show everyone that conservatives could appeal to a large portion of the population.
Some local blogs, such as richlieberman 415media have been flooded with posters going through various stages of blame, grief and disbelief. No one has heard anything from her since last Saturday, although her facebook page remains up. Why do I bring this up to those who have never heard of either Barbara or KSFO? Because this type of brutal, inglorious ending to a steller career is what is very possible these days in talk radio. The management wants talkers to use a PPM system, a pinging type system that counts listeners. It has largely replaced the older methods which were simliar to the Nielsen practice.
Today's managers also expect their talkers to respond to tweets, texts, and facebook likes. All the while remaining in compatibility with commercial breaks or earpiece whisperings from the engineer. I hope this is temporary, and Barbara finds a new spot soon. The bigger issue though is there are a lot of us who are over the select demo, 55 years or older. I can only hope someone finds a way to cater to out needs in merchandise and services without throwing talented people over the side like an old apple core.
Do you mean the Rich Lieberman blog posts?
-PJ
I like most of Levin’s views but two things prevent me from keeping his show on for very long. #1. He’s petty, and has a mean streak. Mark will often go on a name-calling tangent, personally insulting anyone who disagrees with him. A little of that wise-guy attitude and cockiness is okay, but he relies on it. Mark has even called into his pal Hannity’s radio shows, trying to bait Sean into also slinging a couple of insults. It’s as though he’s talking to his little brother and says “If I don’t like or respect this person, then I want you too also dislike this person” #2. Mark has a harsh, nagging voice. What they used to call ‘like a fishwife’.
That’s what I like best about him.
me too. i love the way Levin puts liberals in their place when liberals call in and try their leftist talking points. it’s funny and entertaining lol
-PJ
That piece of information
Wasn't she the Saturday night host for Art Bell for a number of years?
As interviewers go, she's probably #4 or 5 of talk show hosts whose interviews of authors actually "inspired" me to buy the book that was being promoted.
“Wasn’t she the Saturday night host for Art Bell for a number of years? “
Yes. She’s very intelligent AND knowledgeable. She can ‘bring it.’
George Snory apparently did not appreciate her abilities...
Barbara will go somewhere better, I hope, I hope, I hope...
Yes, Barbara did host Coast to Coast for a while, and was in the running to replace Art Bell in the last 90’s when he retired for the last time. If Art had anything to do with choosing his successor, it wouldn’t surprise me if Art did not think any woman host had enough ‘gravitas’ to host that show, so she was shut out.
Or it could have been that Noory’s easy going manner provided a sea change to the show’s format. A sea change so different than Art, that there would be no direct comparrison between the two. I could tell Barbara definitely loved talking about matters celestial, and probably still does to this day.
Love Barbara.
I suppose The Rabbi is next.Waking up at 5 am on Sunday is not so bad,but he was put at that time for a reason.
Thanks for that info.
I stopped listening to KSFO when Melanie went the 2nd time around.
Brian and Katie just don’t have it.
I listen to A&G or Glenn Beck.
Now I’ll tune KSRO,my old stomping ground up there in Santa Rosa.
I think you’re right unfortunately. They’ve been trying to shake that old Tom Cat off the branches for years, but he’s dug in deep. Won’t let go. When/if the Rabbi does go, I will miss him of course, and I will miss Hannah, one of his faithful callers. She’s a sweet New York Yenta who the Rabbi finally convinced to get a computer. It took him about two years of nagging and cajoling, but he did it. Now she loves her some Laptop time, can’t do without it.
I hope they spare Bob Tanenn the Happy Gardener for a while too. I like hearing about growing green things early on Sunday Morning. Bob’s wife is charming, and in her way, the antithesis of her husband. She is plain spoken and unadorned in her manner of speaking. I like that she plays the intro song done with acousitic guitar; “To Everything There Is A Season” by The Byrds.
I sincerely looked forward to her week-end show for 20 years almost. Suddenly she was gone. No word yet from her on her social media stuff.
She was fearless.
One thing that came to my mind is her exposure of the severe problems with the recently opened east section of the Bay Bridge -- final cost is estimated currently at 13 billion dollars -- tens (hundreds?) of millions more needed to fix the problems to avoid letting it collapse. The problems really could become that severe.Some very powerful people in California government are at risk from the crisis -- the problems are not entirely Red China's but much of the steel came from there.
Melanie Morgan -- is on KSRO in Santa Rosa 6AM to 9AM Pacific Time.
I like the Rabbi a lot and am sometimes 20-50% conscious when he comes on. But I have to tell you, when Hannah comes on...her voice is like taking a Black and Decker drill and drilling into my left temple. I have to turn off the radio for her “segments”.
Yes, but I still don’t listen anymore. Even Mark Levine can’t get me to go back.
My mistake...I misread your post.
No, I didn’t know that.
I listen just to hear Hannah!
She makes me laugh and has such wise info to pass on to the “younger” crowd.
But Barbara!
Oh my that is such a loss.I remember when some one called in one day and said they were going to pray for Obama and Barbara said”I will not pray for him”.I wouldn’t have prayed for Hitler if he was the President and I’m not praying for this guy either.”!!!
I’d like to share a drink and a chat with Barbara one day. I’m easy, I’ll bring Lambrusco or Moscato, some fresh Bagettes and smoked ham slices.
There are some unfair opinions here. I listened to Barbara off and on, I’m fairly liberal, and didn’t often agree with her, but she was (is) intelligent, and a good interviewer, she also did many shows that was not about politics, and they were often interesting. As for trying to destroy conservative radio, I doubt it, I think it is more a matter of destroying intelligent radio. There are still, in this area, many conservative hosts such as: Hannity, Levin, Savage, Beck, Tom Sullivan, Rush and few others. Uver the past year, those of us who are left leaning have lost Norm Goldman, Bill Press, Tom Hartman, and we are about to loose Randi Rhoades, before that we lost John Rothmann, Ray Talifaro, and the late great Gene Burns. Even with the few liberal host left, there are enough comments on blog (mostly Rich Lieberman) from conservative who is glad to see liberal hosts disappear. How sad that someone can’t tolerate a diversity of opinions, being it from the left or the right. Who wants to constantly listen to hosts they disagree with? Apparently quite a few.
Sad to hear that the Babe in the Bunker got canned. Her show was very entertaining and informative. One of the few listenable shows on the weekend.
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