Fired KGO radio hosts could find new on air home, following format change
Click here for an update. Gene Burns and Len Tillem have been signed on to a new radio station.
Talk radio fans are furious over the format change at KGO radio, which announced last week that it is switching from newstalk to mostly news, with talk weekends and overnight. The change meant the station fired veteran talk show hosts Gene Burns, John Rothmann, Ray Taliaferro, Gil Gross, Bill Wattenburg, and Joanie Greggains.
For the owner of the Santa Cruz-based station KSCO (AM 1080), the KGO format change meant an early Christmas. KSCO owner Michael Zwerling told the Examiner.com on Friday, December 9, that the KGO format change represents an amazing opportunity for his station which reaches 60-70% of KGO’s audience.
Click on the video on the left to hear KSCO's promo in light of the KGO radio format change.
Zwerling has already signed up Bill Wattenburg, AKA Dr. Bill, who has hosted this week and is scheduled to host the prime 6-9 a.m. morning drive slot next week and possibly the week after next. Zwerling told the Examiner.com that both he and Wattenburg were surprised by the reach of KSCO. Wattenburg received calls as far away from Sacramento, who could pick up the station’s signal.
Zwerling will host a community forum program 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, December 10, and he has invited all of KGO’s former hosts to participate. Zwerling said he didn’t know which hosts would participate. He hopes that many will find their future home on KSCO.
KSCO has adopted as it’s new slogan, if you liked KGO, you will love KSCO. Below is his statement on the change.
The abrupt firing of some of the finest talent in the talk radio industry by the new clueless corporate suits at KGO last Friday is an indication of two things:1) their total disregard, no, make that CONTEMPT for both the talent and the listeners who made that station so special, and2) their INCREDIBLE, Darwin-award-qualifying stupidity.KSCO extends invitations to all displaced KGO hosts to come to a station owned and operated by HUMANS with good hearts, good souls, and diverse personalities and perspectives-- not by cold corporate weasels and bean counters.One of those hosts, Dr. Bill Wattenburg, has graciously accepted our invitation; let's see what the others will do.Join us on the next KSCO Special for a stimulating discussion of this unprecedented talk radio drama, possibly with some of the players in attendance, this Saturday 10 AM to 12 Noon, right here on still proudly a voice for everyone radio AM 1080 KSCO.After 12 Noon Saturday the last sentence should be changed to "The last KSCO Special featured a stimulating discussion of this unprecedented talk radio drama, possibly with some of the players in attendance, this Saturday 10 AM to 12 Noon, right here on still proudly a voice for everyone radio AM 1080 KSCO.
Click here for related story: KGO radio format change called "PR disaster."
Click here for a link where you can listen to KSCO online.
Click here for a related story: KGO radio changes format to mostly news with some talk
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