Leo Ciolino
I haven't yet confirmed, but have information that KGO-AM has made three big cuts, one on-air, two behind the scenes.
Weatherman Leo Ciolino is gone, apparently, as is assistant program director Trish Robbins and news director Paul Hosley. If you have information to confirm or deny, drop me a comment.
Up to now, you could say they were cutting to the bone. Now, you can add, they are shaving the bones too.
Robbins has been at the news station for more than a decade, after her time on rock radio. She is responsible for the edgier programming, such as Karel, and was working hard on getting more women onto the air (a real challenge given the mostly white male programming at the station). Under Hosley's tenure, the station has won major news awards, including six regional Murrow awards last year. See the rest of the awards here.
These are longtime talents who have kept the station at the top of the heap for more than three decades.
Leo is still on the Web site at www.kgo.com.
Here's his bio:
Leo Ciolino, KGO Radio’s raspy-voiced, quick-witted weatherman, has been providing forecasts for KGO’s listeners since 1981.
Along with his computers and weather forecasting equipment, Leo gets neighborhood weather from his team of regular “spotters” around the Bay Area. According to Leo, “It’s great because you are getting it from people who are feeling and tasting weather.”
Leo became fascinated with weather as a child, as he watched the formation of cumulus clouds over San Francisco Bay. “I was mesmerized by clouds by the time I was seven years old. I used to cut out temperature and weather charts from the newspaper,” says Leo. He delivered his first radio weather forecast when he was 14, after he complained to a local station that he could do a better job than their weatherman. He auditioned, and the station manager put him on the air.
In 1945, Leo began a 20-year stint as supervisor of Golden Gate Park. It was during that time that he began taking meteorology and climatology courses. In 1965, he made the move to professional broadcasting, working as a weather forecaster for a number of local radio and television stations.
Leo just plain likes observing and forecasting the weather, and he’ll do it for just about anyone who asks. “It’s an exciting, changing element,” he says. “And everyone is affected by weather.”
Comments
True on all 3 counts. Robbins was the one who made the Cure-a-thon function, for the most part. Nice they waited until after the 2009 event to fire her.
fu ck off kgo. Mickey Luckoff is an a-hole.
Mickey luckoff is a douche bag.
you're right bob. Mickey luckoff is a douche bag.
I hope Mickey Luckoff gets his piece of sh!t, a-hole fired later this week.
Paul was an incredible news director. It is a shock to see him go.
Leo Ciolino drove me nuts. His method of delivery, usually finished off with a gasp for air, forced me to change to station. Sure he was a nice guy, but c'mon I don't need to know what the weather is like at his grand daughter's house. Enjoy retirement Leo, you earned it.
Is KGO losing money?
are we going to ever find out how old russ conglin was, since he died many decades ago and didn't want anyone to know how old he really was? he was already old looking anyway when alive back in the day when he could still breathe at KGO.
Glad that Trish Robbins is out of the building. She's a bully and despised by many for throwing her weight around (literally). She took pleasure in manipulating people in her transparent attempts to destroy and remove what intimidated her. I hope that no one else in the industry is stupid enough to pay her to be their scheduling clerk.
GOOD RIDDANCE, TRISH.
Glad that Trish Robbins is out of the building. She's a bully and despised by many for throwing her weight around (literally). She took pleasure in manipulating people in her transparent attempts to destroy and remove what intimidated her. I hope that no one else in the industry is stupid enough to pay her to be their scheduling clerk.
GOOD RIDDANCE, TRISH.
Apparently no one in the comments section actually knows anything about the people in question.
Trish managed the news talk support staff for both KGO and KSFO and is a professional who worked very hard, it's a tragedy to see her go.
Paul is a highly talented newsman who came to KGO from KCBS. His loss is also staggering, although his replacement Ken Berry was the previous News Director and will do a fine job.
For all the nasty comments about Mickey, he fought like the devil to keep people on staff and held off the cuts for a long time.
KGO is still profitable, Citadel is a basket case and they are desparate to scarp every penny off the floor they can.
I heard this quote "Corporate is just taking everything out of the engine of the station they can, one day they'll turn the ignition on and it won't start."
Blame the stupid corporation who bought KGO and a dozen other properties at the top of the boom and is too small to maintain them, not the staff!
Reading Saavy lady's comments tells me that she is one of those people who think overweight folks are less than human. Don't know Ms. Robbins, and Citadel is crap for the way it's managing KGO, but Saavy Lady should knock it off.
I just checked KGO's Web site. Leo's bio is no longer there, and the news producer opening lists Ken Berry as News Director, confirming that both Leo and Paul are gone. As for Trish, we'll find out who got her job when the next board operator opening comes up.
Given that Mickey Luckoff had been with KGO for many years, and didn't make these cuts till Citadel took over, I wouldn't put the blame on him. If anything, he's either probably circulating HIS resume or planning for his "retirement."
Mel are you kidding? 'Trish managed the news talk support staff for both KGO and KSFO and is a professional who worked very hard, it's a tragedy to see her go.'
PLEASE!!! Trish MISMANAGED many of the talent and staff and did quite often throw her weight around to manipulate others into carrying out her devious plans for sabotage! As far as her working hard... she was an overpaid scheduling clerk! Finally the folks at both KGO and KSFO have something to be happy about!!!
George: I am not prejudiced against overweight people. I am not thin and neither is much of my family. I just do not like people who use their status and size to bully others!!! Trish was a prime example of someone who threw her weight around (LITERALLY and figuratively).
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Pat Vitucci says never invest and forget (very interesting)
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