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KGO (AM)
Encyclopedia
KGO is a news
/talk-format
radio station radio with offices and studios in San Francisco, California. Unlike most other American news/talk stations, KGO originates nearly all of its own programming locally. Since 1978, KGO radio has received Arbitron's number-one ranking in the Bay Area. Operating with 50,000 watts of power as a clear channel station, it is accessible throughout the western United States east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Mexico, southwestern Canada and Alaska at night. It operated as the West Coast flagship radio station of the American Broadcasting Company
(ABC) until the radio group was purchased by Citadel Broadcasting
in 2007. The station is now owned by Cumulus Media
, following its 2011 merger with Citadel.
By the 1928 Band Plan, 790 kHz was allocated to Oakland, CA, and to KGO, which was then owned by General Electric, on an internationally-cleared basis. In order to obtain a cleared channel in Schenectady, NY, for what would become the present-day WGY, GE effected a break-down of 790 kHz, whereby WGY (q.v.) would assume the maximum permissible power, and KGO would be lowered in power to 7.5 kW, which was then lower than the minimum permissible power for a clear channel station, and also was then higher than the then maximum permissible power for a regional channel station. Both stations retained omnidirectional antennas. Thereby, GE effectively removed from the West one of its eight cleared channels and added an additional cleared channel to the East thereby giving the East nine cleared channels and the West only seven. The other "regions" in the Band Plan retained their allotted eight cleared channels. In 1941, stations on 790 kHz were moved to 810 kHz and roughly simultaneously, KGO was directionalized and power was increased to 50 kW, the new minimum (and maximum) power for a U.S. cleared channel.
's Oakland
electrical facility (the original two-story brick building, constructed specifically for the station on East 14th Street, still exists on the site to this day), as part of a planned three-station network comprising WGY in Schenectady, New York
, and KOA
in Denver, Colorado
. KGO was first known as the "Sunset Station,"; at that time it operated with a then-impressive 1000 watts. As was the custom with early radio stations, the programming consisted of performances by local talent, including the KGO Orchestra
which provided some of the music; and a dramatic group known as the KGO Players, which performed weekly plays and short skits, often under the direction of Bay-area drama instructor Wilda Wilson Church. The station's music, which was also performed by other local orchestras and vocalists, would include classical
selections as well as popular dance music the next night. Due to GE's involvement in RCA
and RCA's launch of the NBC
radio network, KGO was soon operated by NBC management as part of the NBC network. See the KNBR
entry for a fuller discussion of NBC's San Francisco radio operations.
KGO is one of the few remaining 3-letter call signs in the United States. The switchover to four-letter calls had begun by 1922, thus KGO's 1924 licensure is historically notable.
, the Federal Communications Commission
forced NBC to sell one of its two networks (and that network's owned-and-operated stations). The NBC Blue Network simply dropped "NBC" from its name to become the "Blue Network," then in June 1945 re-branded itself the American Broadcasting Company
. KGO would become a founding station of the nascent ABC Radio Network as a result.
In the postwar period, KGO produced many live music programs, including that of Western Swing
bandleader Bob Wills
, whose music was a staple of the time-period. KGO was instrumental in bringing the first exercise show to broadcasting, hosted by Jack LaLanne
, a fitness instructor and gym operator in nearby Oakland. LaLanne conducted his radio fitness show for many years on KGO, moving in the late 1950s to KGO-TV
and a successful TV syndication career.
By the late 1950s, KGO had suffered poor ratings. In 1962, ABC management brought in new management including program director Jim Dunbar
, who revamped the station into one of the country's first news/talk stations. While the new format was initially unsuccessful, Dunbar stressed the "live and local" aspect of the programming by running the talk shows every day from locations such as Johnny Kan's Chinese restaurant, Señor Pico's Restaurant, and the legendary hungry i
nightclub. This higher profile caused KGO's ratings to begin a steady climb. Among KGO's personalities during this period was future Radio Hall of Fame
member J.P. McCarthy, the station's morning host in the early 1960s.
's twice-daily programs but also began to develop a strong local news staff that produced extended morning and afternoon newscasts. The local talk show hosts included Les Crane
, Owen Spann and Jim Eason, who often interviewed visiting celebrities in the KGO studios. Owen Spann also originated special broadcasts from Europe and Africa, interviewing government officials from those countries. Local director-actor Jack Brooks hosted a Saturday-morning entertainment program until his sudden death in June 1984, after directing a production of Kismet
for the Capuchino Community Theatre that featured Jim Eason
as the poet Omar Khayyám
. Dr. Dean Edell
began his regular medical programs at KGO, leading to nationally-syndicated broadcasts.
), KGO has been the number-one station in the Bay Area. According to the 2010 Arbitron ratings, however, KGO has lost its lead to KCBS, with KOIT-FM
as a close second, and KGO listing at 3rd. The KGO signal also registers with Arbitron as a station listened to in surrounding metropolitan areas. Due to the nature of its signal and antenna placement, KGO broadcasts on a north-to-south axis, keeping itself free from interference originating from WGY during the night-time and overnight hours when the station broadcasts at 50,000 watts. KGO's signal is received essentially free of static at night in locations such as Vancouver
, Seattle and San Diego
, but is difficult to receive in Reno
and other points east of the Sierra Nevada mountains due to its signal directionality. That said their overall reach is greater than any FM signal in the Bay Area (according to radio-locator map referenced below).
Unlike many other talk radio
stations in the United States, KGO, creates nearly all of its own programming, with very limited syndicated content. The majority of its programs are hosted by San Francisco Bay Area
broadcasters.
Daytime weekday hosts include Ronn Owens
, Gil Gross
, and Gene Burns
. In addition to a daily schedule of issues-oriented local talk shows, the station carries a variety of specialty programs, particularly on weekends. John Hamilton discusses travel and leisure, Gene Burns covers fine food and dining on a separate show from his weekday program, and Joanie Greggains
hosts a health-and-fitness program.
KGO airs original weekend broadcasts, including: Brian Copeland
, who covers issues of the day with both serious and comedic elements; Marty Nemko
with Career Advice; Karel Charles Karel Bouley
has returned to the weekend evening slot with his special brand of social commentary and outrageous humor. Dr. Bill Wattenburg with science and energy topics. Brent Walters teaches "Comparative Religions" at San Jose State University
and took over God Talk in early 2008.
Professor Walters remains one of the most popular professors on campus.
During the morning and afternoon drive-times, as well during the noon hour, KGO broadcasts news programming. The morning news (from 5am to 9am) is currently anchored by veteran San Francisco radio journalist Ed Baxter and co-anchor Jennifer Jones. The afternoon news (from 4pm to 7pm) currently features veteran reporter Chris Brecher, award-winning reporter/anchor Bret Burkhart. KGO has revived its hour-long newscast at noontime in order to compete with KCBS
' all-news format during the lunch hour; lawyer Len Tillem
's show has since been moved from the noon timeslot to 1pm.
football team from 1987 to 2005. It has broadcast the college football
games of the University of California, Berkeley
Golden Bears since 1974.
with all of the station's regular programming being pre-empted for an entire day during the event. Listeners are encouraged to call in and donate money to help in the fight against cancer
. An auction is also held to help raise money. Notable items up for auction have included a trip with Gene Burns
on a private jet to various destinations such as Las Vegas
or Italy
.
to offset some of the power consumption during daytime hours. The effort is a testbed for Pacific Gas and Electric Company
and is located near the Dumbarton Bridge
. The solar system uses both CPV (SolFocus) and PV (Premier Power) arrays and provides about 17 Kilowatts, or 33% (one third), of the power required to operate the 50KW transmitter. United States Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi
turned the system on during an on-air ceremony.
Sometimes, regular hosts fill in for each other's shows, particularly Brian Copeland, John Rothmann and Bill Wattenburg.
News Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
/talk-format
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
radio station radio with offices and studios in San Francisco, California. Unlike most other American news/talk stations, KGO originates nearly all of its own programming locally. Since 1978, KGO radio has received Arbitron's number-one ranking in the Bay Area. Operating with 50,000 watts of power as a clear channel station, it is accessible throughout the western United States east to the Rocky Mountains, northern Mexico, southwestern Canada and Alaska at night. It operated as the West Coast flagship radio station of the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
(ABC) until the radio group was purchased by Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
in 2007. The station is now owned by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
, following its 2011 merger with Citadel.
By the 1928 Band Plan, 790 kHz was allocated to Oakland, CA, and to KGO, which was then owned by General Electric, on an internationally-cleared basis. In order to obtain a cleared channel in Schenectady, NY, for what would become the present-day WGY, GE effected a break-down of 790 kHz, whereby WGY (q.v.) would assume the maximum permissible power, and KGO would be lowered in power to 7.5 kW, which was then lower than the minimum permissible power for a clear channel station, and also was then higher than the then maximum permissible power for a regional channel station. Both stations retained omnidirectional antennas. Thereby, GE effectively removed from the West one of its eight cleared channels and added an additional cleared channel to the East thereby giving the East nine cleared channels and the West only seven. The other "regions" in the Band Plan retained their allotted eight cleared channels. In 1941, stations on 790 kHz were moved to 810 kHz and roughly simultaneously, KGO was directionalized and power was increased to 50 kW, the new minimum (and maximum) power for a U.S. cleared channel.
History
After several late night test broadcasts, using the experimental call letter 6XG, radio station KGO signed on the air on January 8, 1924 from General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
's Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
electrical facility (the original two-story brick building, constructed specifically for the station on East 14th Street, still exists on the site to this day), as part of a planned three-station network comprising WGY in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, and KOA
KOA (AM)
KOA is a clear channel, news/talk radio station serving the Denver-Boulder and Colorado Springs, Colorado markets. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is nicknamed "the Blowtorch of the West" for its 50,000 watt signal.KOA was originally owned by General Electric and began...
in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. KGO was first known as the "Sunset Station,"; at that time it operated with a then-impressive 1000 watts. As was the custom with early radio stations, the programming consisted of performances by local talent, including the KGO Orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
which provided some of the music; and a dramatic group known as the KGO Players, which performed weekly plays and short skits, often under the direction of Bay-area drama instructor Wilda Wilson Church. The station's music, which was also performed by other local orchestras and vocalists, would include classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
selections as well as popular dance music the next night. Due to GE's involvement in RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
and RCA's launch of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
radio network, KGO was soon operated by NBC management as part of the NBC network. See the KNBR
KNBR
KNBR, The Sports Leader, is the on-air branding used by two AM radio stations in the San Francisco, California, area broadcasting a sports radio format, owned by Cumulus Media....
entry for a fuller discussion of NBC's San Francisco radio operations.
KGO is one of the few remaining 3-letter call signs in the United States. The switchover to four-letter calls had begun by 1922, thus KGO's 1924 licensure is historically notable.
1940s-1950s
In 19431943 in radio
The year 1943 saw a number of significant happenings in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*2 May: Fireside chat: On the Coal Crisis....
, the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
forced NBC to sell one of its two networks (and that network's owned-and-operated stations). The NBC Blue Network simply dropped "NBC" from its name to become the "Blue Network," then in June 1945 re-branded itself the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. KGO would become a founding station of the nascent ABC Radio Network as a result.
In the postwar period, KGO produced many live music programs, including that of Western Swing
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands...
bandleader Bob Wills
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
, whose music was a staple of the time-period. KGO was instrumental in bringing the first exercise show to broadcasting, hosted by Jack LaLanne
Jack LaLanne
Francois Henri "Jack" LaLanne was an American fitness, exercise, and nutritional expert and motivational speaker who is sometimes called "the godfather of fitness" and the "first fitness superhero." He described himself as being a "sugarholic" and a "junk food junkie" until he was 15...
, a fitness instructor and gym operator in nearby Oakland. LaLanne conducted his radio fitness show for many years on KGO, moving in the late 1950s to KGO-TV
KGO-TV
KGO-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, based in San Francisco, California...
and a successful TV syndication career.
By the late 1950s, KGO had suffered poor ratings. In 1962, ABC management brought in new management including program director Jim Dunbar
Jim Dunbar
Jim Dunbar is an American radio program director, talk show host and news anchor who helped boost the ratings of KGO into to the top five with its unique news/talk format. KGO has consistently scored in the top five since 1963 and has been #1 since 1978.In addition to his radio work, he also...
, who revamped the station into one of the country's first news/talk stations. While the new format was initially unsuccessful, Dunbar stressed the "live and local" aspect of the programming by running the talk shows every day from locations such as Johnny Kan's Chinese restaurant, Señor Pico's Restaurant, and the legendary hungry i
Hungry i
The hungry i was originally a nightclub in North Beach, San Francisco. It was launched by Eric "Big Daddy" Nord, who sold it to Enrico Banducci in 1950.-The name:How the club's name came about is something of a mystery...
nightclub. This higher profile caused KGO's ratings to begin a steady climb. Among KGO's personalities during this period was future Radio Hall of Fame
Radio Hall of Fame
The National Radio Hall of Fame is a project of the Museum of Broadcast Communications.Although no physical building currently exists to house it, the National Radio Hall of Fame is a project of Bruce DuMont, CEO of the currently homeless Museum of Broadcast Communications, and is purported to be a...
member J.P. McCarthy, the station's morning host in the early 1960s.
1960s-1980s
After trying various formats, KGO eventually shifted to news and talk programming, relying heavily on the ABC radio network for its news programs. KGO started carrying Paul HarveyPaul Harvey
Paul Harvey Aurandt , better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days, and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. His listening audience was estimated, at...
's twice-daily programs but also began to develop a strong local news staff that produced extended morning and afternoon newscasts. The local talk show hosts included Les Crane
Les Crane
Les Crane , born Lesley Stein, was a radio announcer and television talk show host, a pioneer in interactive broadcasting who also scored a spoken word hit with his 1971 recording of the poem Desiderata, winning a "Best Spoken Word" Grammy.Born in Long Beach, New York , Crane...
, Owen Spann and Jim Eason, who often interviewed visiting celebrities in the KGO studios. Owen Spann also originated special broadcasts from Europe and Africa, interviewing government officials from those countries. Local director-actor Jack Brooks hosted a Saturday-morning entertainment program until his sudden death in June 1984, after directing a production of Kismet
Kismet (musical)
Kismet is a musical with lyrics and musical adaptation by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Alexander Borodin, and a book by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis, based on Kismet, the 1911 play by Edward Knoblock...
for the Capuchino Community Theatre that featured Jim Eason
Jim Eason
Jim Eason is a talk radio personality who hosted broadcasts from 1966 to 2000 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He always ended his talk shows with the catchphrase "Do what you can, but behave yourself". His early 1970s theme was Herbie Mann's "Hold On, I'm Coming". In the 90's he changed his theme...
as the poet Omar Khayyám
Omar Khayyám
Omar Khayyám was aPersian polymath: philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy, music, climatology and theology....
. Dr. Dean Edell
Dean Edell
Doctor Dean Edell is an American physician and broadcaster who hosted the Dr. Dean Edell radio program, a syndicated radio talk show which aired live from 1979 until December 10, 2010.- Private life :...
began his regular medical programs at KGO, leading to nationally-syndicated broadcasts.
Ratings and signal strength
For more than 27 years (as rated quarterly by ArbitronArbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
), KGO has been the number-one station in the Bay Area. According to the 2010 Arbitron ratings, however, KGO has lost its lead to KCBS, with KOIT-FM
KOIT-FM
KOIT-FM is an Lite Rock-formatted radio station in the San Francisco Bay Area of the United States. Its slogan is "Lite Rock, Less Talk". The station's programming was also simulcast for many years on 1260 AM...
as a close second, and KGO listing at 3rd. The KGO signal also registers with Arbitron as a station listened to in surrounding metropolitan areas. Due to the nature of its signal and antenna placement, KGO broadcasts on a north-to-south axis, keeping itself free from interference originating from WGY during the night-time and overnight hours when the station broadcasts at 50,000 watts. KGO's signal is received essentially free of static at night in locations such as Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Seattle and San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, but is difficult to receive in Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
and other points east of the Sierra Nevada mountains due to its signal directionality. That said their overall reach is greater than any FM signal in the Bay Area (according to radio-locator map referenced below).
Hosts
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
stations in the United States, KGO, creates nearly all of its own programming, with very limited syndicated content. The majority of its programs are hosted by San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
broadcasters.
Daytime weekday hosts include Ronn Owens
Ronn Owens
Ronn Owens , is an American talk radio host. Owens is the top-rated talk radio host on KGO in San Francisco-Career:...
, Gil Gross
Gil Gross
Gil Gross is an American radio personality. In addition to hosting a show on KGO AM in San Francisco, California on weekday afternoons since 2007, he is a news correspondent for the ABC Radio Networks.-Career:...
, and Gene Burns
Gene Burns
Gene Burns is an American talk radio host. He hosts two programs which broadcast from the studios of KGO in San Francisco. The Gene Burns Program, a political and social commentary show, airs weeknights. Dining Around with Gene Burns, a food and wine program, airs weekly on Saturdays.-Early...
. In addition to a daily schedule of issues-oriented local talk shows, the station carries a variety of specialty programs, particularly on weekends. John Hamilton discusses travel and leisure, Gene Burns covers fine food and dining on a separate show from his weekday program, and Joanie Greggains
Joanie Greggains
Joanie Greggains is an American radio host of The Joanie Greggains Show, a weekend health and fitness program on KGO Radio, San Francisco, California. She is also known for her long-running television exercise show, Morning Stretch....
hosts a health-and-fitness program.
KGO airs original weekend broadcasts, including: Brian Copeland
Brian Copeland
Brian Copeland is an American actor, comedian, radio talk show host, playwright and author based in the San Francisco Bay Area.Copeland has been the opening act for artists such as Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin and Ringo Starr. For the past 12 years he has hosted a radio program for...
, who covers issues of the day with both serious and comedic elements; Marty Nemko
Marty Nemko
Marty Nemko is a Bay Area based career counselor. He is perhaps best known as U.S. News & World Report's Contributing Editor for career issues where he directs its annual Best Careers issue.-Background:...
with Career Advice; Karel Charles Karel Bouley
Charles Karel Bouley
Charles Karel Bouley, known on-the-air as Karel, is an American talk radio host and author. Bouley is best known for his highly rated work on KGO in San Francisco, California. Prior to working for KGO the first time, Bouley and his late partner, Andrew Howard, were the first openly Gay radio talk...
has returned to the weekend evening slot with his special brand of social commentary and outrageous humor. Dr. Bill Wattenburg with science and energy topics. Brent Walters teaches "Comparative Religions" at San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
and took over God Talk in early 2008.
Professor Walters remains one of the most popular professors on campus.
During the morning and afternoon drive-times, as well during the noon hour, KGO broadcasts news programming. The morning news (from 5am to 9am) is currently anchored by veteran San Francisco radio journalist Ed Baxter and co-anchor Jennifer Jones. The afternoon news (from 4pm to 7pm) currently features veteran reporter Chris Brecher, award-winning reporter/anchor Bret Burkhart. KGO has revived its hour-long newscast at noontime in order to compete with KCBS
KCBS (AM)
KCBS is an all-news radio station in San Francisco, California, that is a key West Coast flagship radio station of the CBS Radio Network and Westwood One. Its transmitter is located in Novato, California. KCBS currently has studios on Battery Street, where it shares the location with co-owned KPIX...
' all-news format during the lunch hour; lawyer Len Tillem
Len Tillem
Len Tillem is an attorney in Sonoma, California and radio broadcaster on KGO 810 AM San Francisco. He is notable for being KGO's "Radio Lawyer of the Air." On his program, Tillem answers general legal questions submitted by the listening audience.Tillem began his radio career in 1990 on KVON in...
's show has since been moved from the noon timeslot to 1pm.
Sports
KGO was the radio broadcast home for the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
football team from 1987 to 2005. It has broadcast the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
games of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
Golden Bears since 1974.
Annual Cure-a-Thon
Every year, KGO hosts an annual fundraiser named the KGO Cure-a-Thon to help raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma SocietyLeukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society , founded in 1949, is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. LLS's mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of...
with all of the station's regular programming being pre-empted for an entire day during the event. Listeners are encouraged to call in and donate money to help in the fight against cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. An auction is also held to help raise money. Notable items up for auction have included a trip with Gene Burns
Gene Burns
Gene Burns is an American talk radio host. He hosts two programs which broadcast from the studios of KGO in San Francisco. The Gene Burns Program, a political and social commentary show, airs weeknights. Dining Around with Gene Burns, a food and wine program, airs weekly on Saturdays.-Early...
on a private jet to various destinations such as Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
or Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Solar Power
In March 2008, solar panels were installed at KGO's transmitter site in Newark, CaliforniaNewark, California
Newark is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It was incorporated as a city in September 1955. Newark is an enclave, completely surrounded by the city of Fremont. Its population was 42,573 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
to offset some of the power consumption during daytime hours. The effort is a testbed for Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company , commonly known as PG&E, is the utility that provides natural gas and electricity to most of the northern two-thirds of California, from Bakersfield almost to the Oregon border...
and is located near the Dumbarton Bridge
Dumbarton Bridge (California)
The Dumbarton Bridge is the southernmost of the highway bridges that span the San Francisco Bay in California. Carrying over 81,000 vehicles daily, it is also the shortest bridge across San Francisco Bay at 1.63 miles...
. The solar system uses both CPV (SolFocus) and PV (Premier Power) arrays and provides about 17 Kilowatts, or 33% (one third), of the power required to operate the 50KW transmitter. United States Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
turned the system on during an on-air ceremony.
Personalities
- Ronn OwensRonn OwensRonn Owens , is an American talk radio host. Owens is the top-rated talk radio host on KGO in San Francisco-Career:...
- Len TillemLen TillemLen Tillem is an attorney in Sonoma, California and radio broadcaster on KGO 810 AM San Francisco. He is notable for being KGO's "Radio Lawyer of the Air." On his program, Tillem answers general legal questions submitted by the listening audience.Tillem began his radio career in 1990 on KVON in...
- Gil GrossGil GrossGil Gross is an American radio personality. In addition to hosting a show on KGO AM in San Francisco, California on weekday afternoons since 2007, he is a news correspondent for the ABC Radio Networks.-Career:...
- Gene BurnsGene BurnsGene Burns is an American talk radio host. He hosts two programs which broadcast from the studios of KGO in San Francisco. The Gene Burns Program, a political and social commentary show, airs weeknights. Dining Around with Gene Burns, a food and wine program, airs weekly on Saturdays.-Early...
- John RothmannJohn RothmannJohn Rothmann is a radio talk show host on KGO 810 AM in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, United States.According to his biography posted by KGO 810 AM, Rothmann is a frequent lecturer on American politics and the Presidency, and has spoken at over 150 campuses throughout the United...
- Ray TaliaferroRay TaliaferroRafael "Ray" Taliaferro is an American radio host and liberal political commentator. His early-morning talk show, simply called The Early Show, airs on KGO News Talk 810 in the San Francisco Bay Area.-Broadcast career:...
Overnights
Weekend hosts
- Gene BurnsGene BurnsGene Burns is an American talk radio host. He hosts two programs which broadcast from the studios of KGO in San Francisco. The Gene Burns Program, a political and social commentary show, airs weeknights. Dining Around with Gene Burns, a food and wine program, airs weekly on Saturdays.-Early...
- Dining Around, with Gene Burns - Brian CopelandBrian CopelandBrian Copeland is an American actor, comedian, radio talk show host, playwright and author based in the San Francisco Bay Area.Copeland has been the opening act for artists such as Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin and Ringo Starr. For the past 12 years he has hosted a radio program for...
- John Hamilton - John Hamilton On-The-Go
- Joanie GreggainsJoanie GreggainsJoanie Greggains is an American radio host of The Joanie Greggains Show, a weekend health and fitness program on KGO Radio, San Francisco, California. She is also known for her long-running television exercise show, Morning Stretch....
- Health Talk - Pat Thurston - Liberal News Talk
- Michael Finney - Consumer Talk
- David Lazarus - News Talk
- Bill WattenburgBill WattenburgWillard Harvey Wattenburg , better known as Dr. Bill Wattenburg or Dr. Bill, is an inventor, scientist, author, and radio talk show host residing in the Sierra Nevada region of California...
- Open Line to the West Coast - Brent Walters - God Talk
- Charles Karel BouleyCharles Karel BouleyCharles Karel Bouley, known on-the-air as Karel, is an American talk radio host and author. Bouley is best known for his highly rated work on KGO in San Francisco, California. Prior to working for KGO the first time, Bouley and his late partner, Andrew Howard, were the first openly Gay radio talk...
- News Talk
Newscasters/reporters
- Jennifer Jones-Lee
- Bret Burkhart
- Ed Baxter
- Rosie Allen
- Jon Bristow
- Lloyd Lindsay YoungLloyd Lindsay YoungLloyd Lindsay Young is a television weatherman who built a cult following of sorts with his over-the-top delivery and antics. He is the father of former KGET-TV weatherman George Lindsay Young, with whom he worked for several years in New York....
- Stan Burford
- Michaelynn Meyers
- Ravi (R.J.) Peruman
- Rich Walcoff
- Kevin "The Rat" RadichKevin RadichKevin "The Rat" Radich is now the weekday afternoon sports reporter on KGO AM 810, in San Francisco. He joined KGO in early 2007, after a year of work as a weekend sports anchor for KCBS 740 AM radio. His wife, Kim Wonderley works at KCBS, as the morning traffic anchor...
- Joe Vincent
- Kim McCallister
- Chris Brecher
- Scott Lettieri
- Jennifer Hodges
- Jeannie Lynch
- Lynn Jimenez
- Jenna Lane
- Rob Artigo
- Dennis WillisDennis WillisDennis Willis is an American film critic, radio and television personality, and writer, director and producer of short independent films. He currently reviews films and provides entertainment industry commentary at KGO AM in San Francisco, and his reviews appear on Examiner.com...
Substitute hosts
- Christine CraftChristine CraftChristine Craft is an attorney, radio talk show host and former television news anchor. She became known in the broadcast industry in the 1980s for her age and sexual discrimination lawsuit against a television station that had demoted her from news anchor to reporter.- Early life :Craft was born...
- Edie Sellers
- James Gabbert
- Rich Walcoff
- Jim Wieder
- Joel Riddell - for Dining Around, with Gene Burns
Sometimes, regular hosts fill in for each other's shows, particularly Brian Copeland, John Rothmann and Bill Wattenburg.
Former notable and guest hosts
- Ken BastidaKen BastidaKen Bastida is a California news anchor on Channel 5 , a CBS affiliate. He has been a reporter with the station since 1990. Bastida began his career as a Bay Area radio host in 1978. Since then he has held on air positions at Bay Area radio stations KFRC, KGO, KMEL, K101, KFYI and KCBS radio...
- Ira BlueIra BlueIra Blue was a late night talk show host on San Francisco radio station KGO in the 60s and 70s. Almost forgotten today, he was a staple in the Bay Area at the time....
- Chris ClarkeChris ClarkeChris Clarke may refer to:*Chris Clarke , Canadian boxer*Chris Clarke , English croquet player*Chris Clarke , English footballer*Chris Clarke , Kentucky missionary to the equestrian community...
- Jim DunbarJim DunbarJim Dunbar is an American radio program director, talk show host and news anchor who helped boost the ratings of KGO into to the top five with its unique news/talk format. KGO has consistently scored in the top five since 1963 and has been #1 since 1978.In addition to his radio work, he also...
- Jim EasonJim EasonJim Eason is a talk radio personality who hosted broadcasts from 1966 to 2000 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He always ended his talk shows with the catchphrase "Do what you can, but behave yourself". His early 1970s theme was Herbie Mann's "Hold On, I'm Coming". In the 90's he changed his theme...
- Art FinleyArt FinleyArt Finley is a former North American television and radio personality, mostly in San Francisco and Vancouver, until his retirement in 1995....
- Duane Garrett - Died July 26, 1995 of suicide after jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge.
- J.P. McCarthy
- Michael SavageMichael Savage (commentator)Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
- Joe StarkeyJoe StarkeyJoe Starkey is an American sportscaster who has served as the radio play-by-play announcer of California Golden Bears football since 1975...
- Michael KrasnyMichael Krasny (talk show host)Michael Krasny is host and senior editor of KQED-FM radio's award-winning Forum, a news and public affairs program covering politics, culture, the arts, health, business and technology. Krasny has served as the host of Forum since 1993....
- Pete WilsonPete Wilson (broadcaster)Peter James "Pete" Wilson was an American broadcaster born in Wisconsin. For more than 20 years prior to his death, he worked in the San Francisco Bay Area...
- died at age 62 after suffering a massive heart attack while having hip replacement surgery. - Bernie WardBernie WardBernie Ward is a former American radio personality. Formerly a radio talk show host with KGO 810 AM in San Francisco, California, Ward is now serving a seven-year prison sentence for the online distribution of child pornography...
- Les CraneLes CraneLes Crane , born Lesley Stein, was a radio announcer and television talk show host, a pioneer in interactive broadcasting who also scored a spoken word hit with his 1971 recording of the poem Desiderata, winning a "Best Spoken Word" Grammy.Born in Long Beach, New York , Crane...
- Evening host (Moved to NY) - Greg Jarrett
- Jay Snyder
- Marty NemkoMarty NemkoMarty Nemko is a Bay Area based career counselor. He is perhaps best known as U.S. News & World Report's Contributing Editor for career issues where he directs its annual Best Careers issue.-Background:...
External links
- John Schneider's History of KGO Radio
- KGO 810 AM - offers live internet streaming feeds and a 24 hour archive in one hour segments.
- The Complete KGO Collection (Archival Recordings) in The Bay Area Radio Museum