This comes after being fired from San Francisco’s 810 KGO. The legacy AM radio station changed format to sports/sports betting on October 9 after shutting down the long-held talk format on October 7 during the Mark Thompson show. With the rest of the staff in the conference room, being told to put their things in boxes and leave, Thompson was told to do his regular show with no mention of the format change and no on-air goodbye to the audience. After a station ID by Thompson, “This is KGO San Francisco, a Cumulus station,” audio cut to a stream of songs with a gambling/money theme and announcements that a new format would debut on Monday (October 10).
Medoro’s YouTube adventure, broadcasting from her home each day, will include both video and audio, the capability of having multiple guests through a Skype or Meetup setup online, and also calls from listeners/viewers. Monetizing The Nikki Medoro Show will be an issue.
Mark Thompson started his Youtube channel last week, immediately after being fired. Thompson already gained a sponsor. KGO advertiser and guest, tax advisor Steve Moskowitz, agreed to cover costs associated with KGOINEXILE, Thompson’s website for his daily 10 am podcast. Short-term, Thompson and other KGO talkers, congregate at KGOInExile.com. That is likely to be very short-term as Nikki Medoro now has her own website. Others thinking to do a similar on-line talk venture would not be likely to tie themselves to the rotting corpse of a KGO memory.
Is there something here that can sustain itself? Can a Nikki Medoro podcast gain paid sponsorship, or will it depend on listener-support? Patreon memberships are the first thing the hosts have mentioned, Thompson’s good fortune of having Moskowitz funding notwithstanding.
To put podcasting in perspective, comedian and long-time radio talker, Dennis Miller, could not sustain a podcast due to costs, lack of sustaining sponsorship and listener support. There is also the point that Miller seemed bothered by having to show up for the podcast. On the other hand, comedian Bill Burr has done a regular weekly podcast for the past 13+ years, is fully sponsored and shows no sign of stopping. Content: Burr rambles, talks sports, family, news of the day. These are two famous comedians, but when it comes to local radio talk show hosts, the onus is on each of them to bring something in-demand to the podcast. That would be their brand, if they have one.
Maybe Nikki could do a podcast about murder. Those have been popular. Podcast aggregators like Apple, Stitcher and Tune-In also carry a sizable archive of dead podcasts. Pods that ran for a handful of episodes before the hosts looked at each other and silently hung up their headphones.
Lou Robbins — Admin/Editor | Airchecks
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“. . . Thompson was told to do his regular show with no mention of the format change and no on-air goodbye to the audience.”
After getting my butt kicked out the door by (1) KAYO’s punk P.D. Ben Peyton and (2) KMPS’s P.D., and the biggest jerk in radio or any other business, Ron Underwood, I vowed that I would not let that happen to me again without a “Bon adieu”.
I was living in Phoenix and working full-time at KLFF and part-time at KCWW, which was launching the Real Country Network.
I was being offered more hours at KCWW, both on- and off-air, so I decided to leave KLFF, and told my listeners that I had a new job and was giving notice and made no negative remarks at all. As I left the control room at the end of my shift, Dave Hixson, the O.M, waddled over and shouted, “Jamie says you’re fired!” Jamie Hastings was the G.M. I replied, “Oh, you’re Jamie’s errand boy now?”
So I was off to KCWW for the next four years. My son lived with his mother in Seattle and was going to be in high school, so I decided it was time to go back to the old home town. I told my listeners all this, and that I’d put two weeks notice in O.M. Jim Nicholson’s mailbox. Next morning, I got a phone call at home from Jim, who said, “I’m told you quit on the air yesterday”. “Your brownie got the details wrong”, I replied. Then he told me nobody could say goodbye on the air except “morning men or other important employees.” “Are you firing me?” “N-no, but you can’t say another word about leaving.” “Okay. Did you read my notice?” “No.” “Well, it’s in your box. ‘Bye”.
Two weeks later, I was home and we were packing for the move when the phone rang. It was Jim’s secretary, Debbie Leason, who had the most beautiful legs. I’ve never forgotten her. Debbie said I had to come in for an exit interview and talk to Jim. I said, “No way. If I flunk the exit interview, he’ll make me come back to work.”
Exit interviews, P L E A S E!!! They are like the surveys businesses send us in email. NO, thank you! I am not paid extra, nor do I benefit in anyway by sitting through an exit interview.
I was asked to sit for an exit interview in the final job I held before retirement. First time and last time any employer ever asked that of me. I declined.