(Note from Girl Friday: Three blogs were posted today for you to read-enjoy!) Lion of the Left: There have been a lot of comments about KGO since Cumulus killed the talk format. One of the most interesting comes from an interview with Mickey Luckoff. He said he had some experts run the numbers, and was surprised at the amount of profit a local talk station could generate. Despite this good news, he could not find one station in the Bay Area willing to take a chance. What does this say about the state of the industry since it was de-regulated by President Clinton? It confirms what we already knew. Despite the airwaves being a public resource, there is little to no interest in the local community and its needs. It also proves the corporate nature of radio and how taxpayers have been ripped off by giving the airwaves to these same corporations with no requirements they give back to the community in any reasonable way. This will only change when members of Congress in the Bay Area, Pelosi, Boxer, Feinstein, Eshoo, Spear, Lofgren et.al., are asked about this in letters, emails, and calls and at every public appearance they make. With enough pressure and attention, they could introduce legislation requiring a percentage of all programming be locally originated. It's not a fairness doctrine; it's simply competition that I'm sure the free market advocates on the regressive side will fully embrace.
...There are a lot of comments about the "sound" of KGO changing. Listeners have written to me to say it's louder and more annoying and the content takes a backseat to the "noise". I haven't listened since black Thursday, but you might have some thoughts. (I take it back, in that I do listen when I know Christine Craft is going to be on late nights)
...I have read some comments on this site about me and how I haven't apologized "enough" for the choices I made to put me where I am today. First, let me say I have apologized in every way possible for my actions and am quite willing to continue to apologize for years to come. I was wrong and there is no way around that fact. Also, there is no insult or criticism or attack that any commentator can launch at me, that I haven't already said to myself. As nasty as someone wants to get, it pales in comparison to what I have thought and said to myself about my actions. I was stupid and arrogant and wrong and reckless as hell. I failed my wife and children and brought embarrassment and humiliation to them and the rest of my family and friends. I crossed lines that shouldn't have been crossed for greedy purposes and without taking into consideration the consequences. I am very sorry for the carnage I caused and the disappointment I created. I should have been more outraged at the world I encountered which exploits and uses the most vulnerable and innocent in our society. It was a one-time mistake, but once is enough. I don't know if that suffices, but please know it's ok if critics want to castigate and savage me for my mistake. I have thick skin and they are softies compared to my ability to beat myself up.
...I understand Gene Burns was in the hospital and may be home now. I hope he gets well soon and would ask you to offer a prayer for his recovery. He is a classy gentleman and has always been gracious to me and his listeners.
...One piece of good news from the disaster at KGO...Kim McCalister is now anchoring some of the news. Kim is a wonderful person who is a joy to work with and an example of a good person to whom good things should happen. She is proof even when things look their worst, some good can be accomplished.
...For personal reasons, I'm interested in any of you who have listened to radio on the Internet or to Internet talk radio. Is there such a beast? What is it like? Could it be the future of talk? Is it more engaging than pod casting? Is it something that has a future?
...I have two more Christmases to endure here before I come home. Holidays are hard, but if I can share something personal, my wedding anniversary is during the holidays. I found it very difficult to cope on that day. It was our 30th anniversary. Perhaps because it is more personal than "the holidays", it was lonely and a sad reminder of a much happier time brought close to destruction by my selfish and egotistical actions. I am lucky to still be married, but do not look forward to two more anniversaries away from my wife. (Kim Kardashian take note...maybe Newt too, depending on his definition of an "open" marriage)
...Finally, I was sorry the 49ers lost to the Giants and didn't go to the Super Bowl. I love sports and remember going to Kezar Stadium to watch the Niners. However, they gave me a great gift. When they defeated the New Orleans Saints, I was able to watch and then call my sons and my wife to celebrate. It was one moment of shared closeness and brought us together for a happy discussion on a subject we all enjoy. Sports get too much emphasis most days, but on that day, it was an occasion that we were able to use to transcend our current separation and laugh and cheer and feel just a bit closer. I am very thankful to get that opportunity.
unless you make every post an abject apology, even then some people will never think you have not prostrated yourself enough.
ReplyDeletein my opinion, it is time to start looking forward.
...
the only other internet talk radio i have found is KSCO and except for when the ex-KGOers were on, it was pretty abysmal. that said, maybe the future of radio is on the internet. a number of stations on itunes, like SOMA FM (i think), are internet only.
Welcome back Lion as I said before you've been sorely missed, and I agree that what's happened in the past is in the past contrition accepted and it's time to move forward.
DeleteAs far as KSCO, it's not just an internet radio station (although it can be streamed on-line of course) but it's call numbers are 1080 on the AM dial and is a terrestrial station in every sense although only having 10,000 watts or so which means you have to be down in the San Jose/Santa Cruz area to get it over the air.
For a while some of the fired KGO talk hosts did a couple of appearences their, that is until Ray had that blow out with the station owner's mother who was giving a conservative commentary. Some say it was just for show but you knowing Ray better than anyone else would be a better judge of this.
Anyway welcome back thus allowing me to read ALL three of my favorite bogs each morning!
Dennis
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteYou've shown class and honesty by taking full blame for your actions and not pointing the finger at anybody else, but I still can't believe nobody else finds it suspicious that YOU, a righteously abusive critic of the Bush 43 Administration and the Catholic Church managed to get caught in the crosshairs (a la Eliot Spitzer). Other people have done much worse than you and are still breathing free air.
Re KGO: "Red Eye Radio" is a joke. The only other progressive radio option (in the SF Bay Area, never mind Wyoming or Iowa) is Green 960, and then only after noon-they have Glenn Beck (??!) and Dave Ramsey in the morning. Thom Hartmann and Mike Malloy were banished to 10 pm and 1 am. So much for the Librul Media.
Bernie: good to hear from you again. I'm not putting you down, as I have a problem with corpulence myself, but one diet has been working for me as of late:
ReplyDelete1) Cut down on the carbs, especially bread, rice, pasta/noodles, cake and pastries (difficult though I find it). Also, toasted bread (in small amounts) is easier to digest than untoasted. The same goes for fried rice versus regular steamed or boiled rice.
2) Totally avoid deep-fried foods (ie. fried chicken, French fries, etc) and limit snacks like potato chips.
3) Avoid colas and sodas as much as possible (though I drink Coke or Sprite a couple times a week).
4) It's OK to have one or two drinks of alcohol per day, but more than that adds weight (esp. beer).
5) Lean meats and low-fat diary products (in moderation) are good.
6) And of course, don't forget lots of fruits and vegetables, and about 3-4 hours of exercise per week (but don't strain yourself or overdo it, which can be just as bad as being sedentary).
Anyway, I don't have 6-pack abs yet, but seeing as how I used to resemble the late pro-wrestler Adrian Adonis physique-wise, I'm definitely getting there.
Bernie,
DeleteWelcome back, I've missed you! I thought about you during the holiday, wondering how you were doing there, alone, and hoping it wasn't too miserable. Sorry to hear that it was tough. You mentioned when you were getting out in earlier posts, and at that time, I put the date on my calendar to keep track of you. I really wish you wouldn't be so hard on yourself - if you can mean that much to a total stranger, there must be something in you of value. I agree with the other posts, apologize, which you've done, FORGIVE yourself, and move on. Maybe use the time you have left to work on forgiving yourself.
Btw, I love Christine for being your advocate, but Pat Thurston on KGO, is quite excellent too. She's sort of the step-child of KGO since they won't even post her podcasts or bio. The only way to listen to her is to the hourly archives from 8-11am Sat and Sun. I wonder if you ever met her?
I've never listened to internet radio - not sure how to do it - but that could be in our future...
So great to read you again Bernie. Yes, there is quite a bit of internet radio, webcasts, blogcasts, and the sort. But I think Satellite radio is much better. Now that Sirius and XM merged, everything is consolidated and there are some amazing shows on there. Can't wait to hear you again in a couple of years.
ReplyDeleteI am a conservative, and I at times listened to you on KGO when I wanted to feel my blood boil, but I guess that is what makes a good talk show host when you can make those of a different political stripe listen to you. I thought you were an arrogant blowhard. That said, your letter seems heartfelt. thanks for posting it. God forgives even the most of heinous sins.
ReplyDeleteBILL OREILLY IS DOING A STORY ON BERNI WARD CONVICTION FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPGHY AND THIS BLOG.
DeleteInternet radio IS the future of radio, much as streamed content is the future of television. Broadcast tv and broadcast radio are dying breeds. Bernie - I'm a long time tv engineer who loves radio. When you get out, if you need or would like technical help with setting up and operating an internet station out of your home, contact me. I believe someone with your background and ability and talent should be on the radio, should be helping to right wrongs, and certainly should be provided a 2nd chance. If I can help, let me know how to get hold of you off line. (BearEllison@gmail.com)
ReplyDeleteY'know, Bernie, in the months before you were taken from KGO before KGO was taken from us, I caught clues in things you said that hinted that you were trying to expect we'd lose you. My thought was that you might be having some serious physical health problem you didn't want to discuss on-air. Then, BOOM, you were gone. i think it was a great tribute to you and us, your audience, that KGO took so long to fill the spot that had been yours. I think it's also a tribute to you that so many people are still caring about you, and are looking forward to your return to "live" communication.
ReplyDeleteBernie, don't be hard on yourself big guy. What's done is done. But if someone(especially if it's a big GOP personality) did the same thing & get away with it, I'll be screaming bloody murder. I tried mailing you but the letter came back thinking either they put you in another prison or worst. But then I heard you were sick and I guess that why the letter became return to sender.
ReplyDeleteAs for KGO it's a damn shame what has happened. It goes to show that owners of radio stations don't care about the community, all they care about is making money. And Green 960 is showing it too when they put Glenn Beck on their roster. This is getting tiresome. Well Bernie take care of yourself & hang in there.
P.S.
Take The Bear's offer. It sounds like a good deal.
i'm reading this blog and what you are going through, but at the same time can not understand why a minister that actually sexually abused children is now on parole after three years! (KATV) Benton - A Benton music minister convicted of sexual indecency with children less than three years ago has been granted parole.
DeleteDavid Pierce isn't walking free just yet, and when he does there's a condition he has to move out of state.
A state representative wants to make sure the law that allowed his release is changed.
David Pierce worked at First Baptist Church for about 3-decades. He was beloved and looked up to by many members, but in 2009 men started coming forward with details of how pierce groomed them, some as young as 11. Starting with sexual talk, and then touching their bodies to measure their "growth progress" for choir. The men say it escalated as Pierce gained their trust.
In 2009, David Pierce didn't deny the allegations of sexual indecency with a minor, yet it took about three months for church officials to fire him.
According to police reports, Pierce didn't do much touching. He would expose himself and had the boys touch themselves. It happened anywhere he could get the boys alone, even here at the sanctuary, First Baptist Church.
At one point pierce faced 54 counts of sexual indecency with a child, but through a plea deal was only convicted on four counts representing three victims. He was to serve 10-years, but two years later he's been granted parole.
Arkansas Representative David Sanders says too many parolees re-offend, "The fact of the matter is his crime, the classification of his crime, sexual indecency with a minor has a provision that make it parole mandatory for him."
The time line isn't clear how long Pierce committed crimes on minors, but could date back 30-years.
Representative Sanders wants to change the language in the state code during the 2013 legislative session. In short, if you do the crime, you do the time. "The fact of the matter is public safety should be paramount in the minds of any policy maker and it certainly is in mine and several of my colleagues."
But it's not too far off from what the Arkansas Board of Parole wants. Chair, John Felts says during the legislative session, they will request to be able to pass judgment over all sex offense cases. He adds, "What our request is going to be is that we have the authority to deny parole on all sex offenses." Basically someone, like Pierce who is required to register as a sex offender could be denied parole.
Right now there are only three different crimes (1) a class Y rape (2) sexual assault first degree and (3) sexual assault second degree that are discretionary, meaning they're the only offenses that can be denied parole.
Pierce will be under parole supervision for the time remaining he hasn't served. Under strict guideline he could move back to the state
I don't get it ...Here is another example- a wealthy man in Berkeley, CA who got out of prison in 2008, having served about seven years of an eight year sentence after being convicted of repeatedly raping girls who he smuggled from India as his sex slaves, and he was also responsible for the deaths of two people from carbon monoxide poisoning in the apartments he provided for his indentured workers. He asked the judge to send him to Lompoc, because he knew it was a better prison environment, and she did. And now he lives in a mansion that was built for him while he was incarcerated.
Deletehttp://www.wassusa.com/
I listened to Redeye Radio for a while, it wasn't too bad when Doug McIntyre was on. Even though he leaned to the right, he was fair. If someone called in blasting the left for something, he'd point out the same action by someone on the right, and vice-versa. With the two new hosts, it's just another one-sided conservative talk show. I guess you could say KGO is balanced; during the week it's conservative talk, then mostly progressive on the weekends, which is the only time I listen now.
ReplyDeleteWhy would Cumulus wreck KGO? In the words of Gordon Gekko, "Because it's wreckable..."
Bernie, you should listen to Ronn Owens show to hear how much of a right wing President Obama hater he is... I think Ronn Owens is too stupid to realize he is a racist... I could hear Ronn Owens saying... "some of my best friends are black".
ReplyDeleteI don't give a rat's ass about the 49ers winning or losing. I'm more concerned about the 2012 election and getting President Obama re-elected.
ReplyDeletei cant wait for you to get out Bernie.And to hear you on the airwaves again would be awesome.Yes the internet radio is the future.
ReplyDeleteThe 49ers winning again brought a good feeling back to the area.Thats what sports is akll about.It did its job. even if it was for a short time. we now have some good times to look forward to.Along with Bernie gettuing out in 2 years. the future has a few wonderful things to look forward to. :)
take care B,We all miss you.
Gilroy Dude
Anonymous (Jan 31st): All right, we get the point. Bernie has accepted responsibility for what he did, he has been showing remorse, and he's doing his time like a man. As for you, are you totally sinless and perfect? Do you walk around with a halo on your head? You've never done anything wrong, unfair or unethical?
ReplyDeleteto the mods,
ReplyDeletehave some comments been removed?
Bernie, it's good to hear your "voice" again, thru this blog. Years ago, we had one of our "pretty big" earthquakes at night. The power went out. I immediately turned on KGO and there you were, talking to people about their experience and, yes, fears. Then you would talk to Bruce Bolt about the seismic specifics. But it was you connecting to people sitting in the dark with only candle light, right after the shaking ceased, that was so comforting. That is the kind of talk radio that created such a loyal "family" of listeners. Thank you for that.
ReplyDeletePs Christine Craft has been such a loyal friend to you; an "angel at your back". She would mention you by name, when no one else would on live air. I admire this about her.
Hi Bernie, So glad you posted again. I missed you. :-) I listen to radio via the Internet now because KGO is a wasteland during the week. I catch John Rothmann and Len Tillem on 910 AM via computer. The station is staticky from Santa Cruz. I listen mostly to NPR during the day because I like RADIO. The problem with Internet radio is I have to be in my room to listen because that's where my computer is. With radio I could take it all over the house or turn on extra radios. I can't afford extra computers. I'm in the 99 percent, the way lower 99 percent. Karel is on Internet radio. He has a studio at his home and he's on a web cam so we can watch him do the show as well as listen. I do hope you will seriously consider Bear Ellison's offer to get you set up and operate from your home! I love Christine Craft too and maybe she could do a show from your place too! Keep your chip up, Bernie. You have lots of fans and we want you back!
ReplyDeleteStrange how you listen to your radio for years and believe you 'know' someone. Well stranger, I don't know you, and you got yourself in a big mess (yes I realize that is an understatement) but really it is what it is.
ReplyDeleteI wish you and your family all the luck of the Irish, and the Italians too! Please stay close to your children, no matter how old, they need their parents.
I just need my radio back!!!!!!!! I hated you being gone, but dealt with the changes...NOW THE WHOLE THING IS GONE, AND I HAVE NO WHERE FOR NEWS! I am far too lazy to read the newspapers and they make me crazy anyway. I listened to you to fill my rage of trying to get those that 'care' to ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING..and to Gene Burns, because his control of the English language was amazing and he was smart! Yes, Bernie, so are you! just a little louder about it! ;) The rest were ok, but now Gene is sick and I wouldn't listen to Ronn Owens if you paid me.
Please don't count the years away, just count the hours till the next 'check' on the calendar. Keep writing...now that I have actually found the blog. Figure out how to write a column when you get out, or buy a radio station! It's hard being in the dark!
Good thoughts Bernie!
Just saw this Bernie. Thank you for your wonderful words. I'm still trying to do good radio...but it was so much fun with you on the other end of the Mic. Be well and strong an know you are missed. KM
ReplyDelete