BY RANDY BYERS - H5AB.COM
To many it seemed like a good idea, David Gow’s creation of an independent sports radio station; but to the corporate conglomerations controlling the vast majority of radio stations across the land, a simple warning was their only comment. Not many paid attention or listened to what the “corporate piles of dung” (KGOW’s words when referring to CBS & Clear Channel, not mine) were saying. But their warnings were as iron clad as owning gold in a depression.
To many it seemed like a good idea, David Gow’s creation of an independent sports radio station; but to the corporate conglomerations controlling the vast majority of radio stations across the land, a simple warning was their only comment. Not many paid attention or listened to what the “corporate piles of dung” (KGOW’s words when referring to CBS & Clear Channel, not mine) were saying. But their warnings were as iron clad as owning gold in a depression.
CBS & Clear Channel Radio both viewed the renegade radio station as somewhat of a childish temper tantrum rather than competition. Both (off the record) warned that these renegades would attack their former radio partners (on air personalities) and capture what they considered, an extreme, but very small audience.
That is exactly what is happening as KGOW has become an abomination of what sports radio entertainment is all about. Now that David Gow and KGOW control Sporting News Radio, that abomination has spread to the national level in a big way with the addition of what many in the business call, “a couple of (Jim Rome) want-to-be” radio personalities. Sean Pendergast and Travis Rodgers are now eating up seven hours of radio time from noon to 7 weekdays. Both could easily be considered “cheap rip-offs” of the nationally famous Jim Rome show that airs on KILT 610 weekdays 11 AM to 2 PM.
Combine that 7 hours with KGOW’s 10 AM to noon spot, (that is absolute trash radio), and the only thing keeping KGOW afloat is their magnificent morning show. A show that features the brilliant sports mind of Lance Zierlein and his befuddled, clumsy, sometimes dumb, acting side kick John Granato. John & Lance are a perfect mix of knowledge and stupidity that keeps their audience on the edge of their seats without the obvious overtones of cheaply ripping off someone else’s show. No, they are truly an original and KGOW’s only true sports radio in their entire line up. Zierlein keeps it fresh and Granato is always there to dumb it down.
But David Gow has a problem on his hands, a problem brought on by bad radio, and that bad radio has now filtered into, and dominated, a once proud national radio giant, Sporting news Radio. A problem so tremendous in size that many in the business think SNR could likely fail within the next couple years.
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