KGO-AM 810 in San Francisco, a 50kw Class A facility using three towers to deliver a city-grade daytime signal to not only the Bay Area but to Sacramento, Chico, Monterey-Salinas and Stockton, has been delivering News/Talk programming since 1962. It has been on the air at its current frequency and power output since 1947.
Abruptly, during a talk program in the 10am hour this morning, the Cumulus Media station pulled the plug on the format.
According to Matthew Keys at TheDesk.net, which is based in Sacramento, KGO suddenly cut away from The Mark Thompson Show to deliver a pre-recorded message about a format change that Cumulus is presently preparing for. The announcement has played on a loop since then, accompanied by “a teaser” of songs devoted to themes such as money and winning.
It all but confirms that KGO will be adopting a Sports Talk programming schedule focused on sports betting and wagering. This makes KGO a closer sibling to co-owned KNBR-AM & FM, long considered “The Sports Leader” in Northern California; and “KNBR 1050,” KTCT-AM’s identity as a sports talker focused on syndicated programming.
Keys confirmed the Sports Betting-focus for KGO’s news format, citing a person “familiar with the change.” A Cumulus spokesperson responded to RBR+TVBR‘s request for comment by noting, “The company will be announcing an exciting new brand coming to the Bay Area on Monday.” Keys says “Bet MGM Tonight” is among the programs heading to KGO.
The new name for KGO? “AM 810 The Spread,” according to a source to spoke with Keys and internet domain registration information pointing URLs to Cumulus Media.
Those seeking to visit the KGO website are greeted with the same message posted to its Twitter feed:
For more detailed coverage, please visit Streamline Publishing’s RBR.com
Stop the stunting. People have other places to go ..TV, internet. SiriusXM,. Etc. Another consultant idea decided in between bong hits.
Sad. Just sad. The big corporate radio owners are and have euthanized legendary major market stations. High level executive compensation and debt servicing are the 2 “COVIDS” killing radio — their attack methods include:
firing the local personalities, putting in voice tracking even in major dayparts, throwing a bunch of songs on the air back to back and then running 15 commercials in a row — manipulating the AQH and committing “ratings fraud” – and eliminating promotional budgets because that would cut into executive compensation.
Just sad and disgraceful. And KGO’s demise isn’t even a lead story, because no one is surprised.
i didn’t agree with the political slant but listened for many years. Agree or not there was much meaningful dialog that was provided. This new format is stupid, the discussion is meaningless and whoever listens may need therapy or the gamblers version of AA.
Cumulus
What a CS way to treat the KGO talk hosts and the listening public!
Wow. They couldn’t even pull the plug right. Couldn’t even croak the joint at 10:00:00.
And John Dickey’s on a beach somewhere. The lightning should be phenomenal.
The bean counters strike again. They killed the Ronn Owens show, their first move to squeeze whatever pennies they could from a flagship station. They’re from Atlanta. What do they care about a left-leaning bastion of Bay Area radio. Political move? Perhaps. Watch out KNBR employees. You’re next. Boycott Cumulus products.
How can anyone even think that Cumulus is serving the public interest, convenience, and necessity by broadcasting such TRASH? Hey listeners, don’t go to the bookie joint to p*ss away the rent money…now AM 810 will tell you how to do it! What a disgraceful end for a station that served the Bay Area for close to a century and that was once a key station for the NBC Blue Network, later for ABC!
Back in the days when the FCC actually cared about the public interest being served by radio stations, they pulled the license of a station for broadcasting horse racing information used by the bookies in Chicago. The year was 1966 and the station was WCLM-FM, which carried this material, not on its main channel (which broadcast easy listening music), but on an SCA subcarrier, which required a special receiver.
Another step in the death of terrestrial radio. The station will have a very loyal audience, a very tiny one, but very loyal. What a waste of a legendary signal.
What the hell are these people thinking? Oh, I get it, they’re not!
This is what you get when radio continues its race to oblivion during its freefall plunge to the lowest common denominator in programming. People without even a sliver of creativity or integrity in their brains to draw on are now calling the shots. How low can you take it Cumulus? How these folks can even look at themselves in the mirror each morning without wanting to reach for an antidepressant is the mystery here.
Play word games for free at waffle game. You will have comfortable moments with friends and family. Moments of relief after tiring work