The Grinch Behind 415 Media

Rich Lieberman does not play well with others. If you’ve read his blog, 415 Media, you get the impression Lieberman hates everybody in tv news and news-talk radio. There must be the rare newsy that gains the respect of Rich Lieberman, I’m sure. There has to be at least one. Most of the San Francisco area talking heads get a dressing down each day, and the more familiar I become with the talent in that region, I think Lieberman may be dead-on with his critiques.

Concerning Ryan Yamamoto, formerly with KOMO 4 news, now the main anchor at KPIX 5/SF: There is a rumor that Yamamoto will be demoted. Apparently, the powers that be at KPIX, have seen the light, according to Lieberman. Ryan Yamamoto is not a strong presence as a news anchor. He might do well with short feature stories, like covering the opening of a skateboard park. Then again, his energy level may not be up to it.

I agree with Lieberman on his assessment of Anne Makovec, another from KPIX, who we now see as the anchor of KSTW’s Seattle Now News. Makovec is a stiff.

I want to say that is where our similarities end. Because Rich Lieberman is just a guy who hates everybody in San Francisco radio and tv. I try to stay current with his blog, but sometimes I have to turn away, because his assessments become angry and the toxicity of his posts starts bringing gloom to the room. Our readers know that, as George W. Bush said, “I’m a loving guy” and the harshness of Lieberman’s posts is sometimes overwhelming.

Rich Lieberman lets it all hang out. He has attracted a huge following. You either love him or hate him.

There are legions of females in the SF Media who despise him, and have tried to cancel, dox, and de-monetize him. —
Twenty-nine female journalists from around the San Francisco Bay Area have united against a local blogger who has made comments about many of them in his posts they describe as disturbing and sexist, commenting on the “boob power” of one anchor in one story and headlining another “Boner of the Day.”

Describing himself as a feminist, Lieberman said he treats women with respect, decency and admiration and said some of his best friends are women.
SFGate.com/September 2020

These femi-n–is, uh, ladies, were somewhat successful, causing the loss of at least one advertiser. This comes with the territory. Some may think he is mysoginistic, vile, hateful. Rich Lieberman gives his honest take on the state of radio-tv media in the San Francisco area, pulling no punches, often getting personal, getting down into the mud. The more insiders willing to spill the tea with him the better. There seem to be quite a few that will rat out a co-anchor or someone in management.

There’s a certain person at Circle7 who has a substance-abuse problem that the bosses are aware of–they haven’t told him to get his act together (yet) but they probably should.

Comcast hires CHEAP people because they’re cheap. I’m not at all surprised that that s__t Sunday show that airs is a total EMBARRASSMENT. But Comcast (NBC Sports Bay Area) doesn’t care.

KCBS is running promos nonstop about its new “wow” guy, Bret Burkhart, yet in the spot, it never says when Bret is on. That’s dumb enough but even more telling is how KCBS is highlighting a “story-teller” anchor who is nothing more than a former KGO retread.

Those lines are just within one of Rich Lieberman’s recent blog posts. Day in and day out, non-stop, station personnel are exposed in the caustic manner that his readers expect from him. Many disagree in comments on the pages of 415Media. There is a give and take of opinion, but 99.99% of the time, everybody sucks according to Rich Lieberman. And he stands by his opinion. He happily lays out the case as to why they suck so bad.

Rich Lieberman’s scorched-earth style is opinionated, unforgiving and relentless. 415Media is like passing a car wreck on the freeway. You don’t want to see the carnage, but just can’t turn away.

KPIX doesn’t just need a new, thorough cleansing, it needs a new look, a fresh scent of paint. Its news presentation is stale and uninviting but worse, its set is vanilla and crummy. All you have to do to confirm is to take a look at their product. Yuck.

KTVU, meanwhile is stuck with mundane, boring Martin and over-exposed, has-been Roberta Gonzales.

KPIX’s woeful Amanda Starrantino. A total vanilla wafer and about as genuine as a Hayward 7-11.

KRON isn’t 1990 anymore. Gone is Jim Paymar, Pete Wilson, Bob Jimenez, Evan White and Sylvia Chase.
But it’s 2022. Times have changed. Hell, even Darya Folsom, has (sometimes) read the room.
I’ll regret the last sentence –you get my drift. I’m sure I’ll have ample opportunities to rip KRON.

*I remember Darya from Phoenix tv news. If she could have worn a cheerleader outfit to get more attention, she would have. A bit of an airhead, as I recall.

At QZVX.COM, we hear rumblings, unhappiness in the newsroom, lousy pay, idiot news director, brown-nosing co-worker. It’s the same in all markets. Rich Lieberman prefers to tear open the curtain, revealing more than you might expect to learn about the Bay area personalities behind the microphones, and their bosses. Check it out at 415Media. It gets ugly, wear your mask and stand back six feet.