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Mark Thompson Prepared For What’s to Come After KGO

Thompson started a new project on YouTube, The Mark Thompson Show,  almost immediately, citing there was an urgency to do so.

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Mark Thompson lost his gig at KGO radio in October. So did everyone else at the station. 

Thompson started a new project on YouTube, The Mark Thompson Show,  almost immediately, citing there was an urgency to do so. Nikki Medoro, another talented host who got the ax at the same moment as Thompson, also started her YouTube show before the figurative KGO body was cold. 

“It’s true if you don’t get the KGO audience over to wherever you are right away, they’ll begin to evaporate,” Thompson said. “Especially since we didn’t get the chance to say goodbye. Now we have no way to reach them. I have a much larger audience than I’ve been able to attract to my new show.

KGO, like many media companies, didn’t give Thompson the chance to sign off and say goodbye to his listeners. He pleaded with management but said he understood they couldn’t allow him to sign off because too many times they’d seen radio personalities go rogue after they were canned. 

“They also don’t want personalities to say disparaging things about the company, there’s too big of a downside,” Thompson explained. “They don’t want to run the risk even if they had faith their hosts wouldn’t have done that. 

KGO is a Cumulus station and they can be ruthless. I understand why they made the change, but I still think it was a mistake.”

Immediately before Thompson went on the air for the last time, he said the PD PD called him and he immediately sensed something was grim. He knew it wasn’t going to be a happy day.

“They wanted me to do my normal show, then at 10:15 exactly, they wanted me to say, ‘This is KGO San Francisco, a Cumulus station. I asked if they wanted me to say something, they said ‘no.’ That was it. End of story.” 

Thompson said he took another run at management, hoping to spin things positively for the station. 

“I thought I could tell the audience a new and exciting format was coming up. They said we appreciate that, but again ‘no.’ I truly didn’t know if the new sports betting format would work, but I was willing to play ball.”

Thompson said he met with his producer the night before the massacre. He said the end of the station as he knew it wasn’t outside the range of possibilities. Thompson said there was a lot of gallows humor that night. 

Regarding his new YouTube show, Thompson said he’s never worked as hard as he is doing right now. 

“There’s a reward that comes from your own show,” he said. “You develop a real sense of community in real time. It’s great to witness the response. On KGO, I had 200,000 listeners a week. Now I’m doing a small fraction of that. You can build a viable business if there’s enough engagement from a fraction of that number.” 

Now the job is to get the word out there, to make it bigger.

“I’m working in all the ways one can do that,” Thompson said. “It’s rewarding but maybe my heart is too much into it, if that is a thing. I feel challenged by the moment. I’m going to throw my time and money at it and just hope it goes.” 

As far as his future, and perhaps the future of radio, Thompson said things are a bit cloudy. 

“I truly don’t know where radio is right now,” he said. “I think I’d have a decent chance of syndicating a radio show, but I’m not even working on that. At the same time, it’s still exciting. At KGO, I only had to worry about the show. With this show, I’m wearing a hundred hats.”

He’s discovering everything costs money. Thompson said even the bumper music he used at KGO was something he didn’t have to worry about. Using someone’s music can be expensive. He got a reprieve from one of his current YouTube audience members.

“One of our listeners runs a production company which focuses on music,” Thompson said. “He wrote me an email and said I could use his music for free. He gave me total access to his library and never asked for anything in return. He told me he didn’t do it to get a mention on my show.”

Thompson got another call from tax attorney Steve Moskovitz, who was a longtime advertiser on KGO. Thompson said he didn’t know the man personally while he had his show at KGO.

“I got a call from him out of the blue,” Thompson said. “Steve talked with my producer John Daley about sponsoring us. I thought, ‘Holy shit. This guy is going to give us life. He approached us. He’s my sugar daddy.

Letting people know he’s out there is the biggest challenge. 

“I appear on The Young Turks when I can and mention it. It’s not like the world suddenly flocks over.”

A native of Washington, D.C., Thompson graduated from Colgate University

He also studied at Oxford. The college in Atlanta, not the British outfit.

During his career on radio, Thompson pioneered Neighborhood Weather, where he would read letters from viewers who’d requested a live remote broadcast from their neighborhood in the Bay Area. It was a popular and enduring franchise. Thompson was the on-air nightly weather anchor, science, and even occasional lifestyle reporter for KTTV‘s Fox 11 News.

Thompson called the recent midterm elections a ‘nice return to magnetic north.’

“People had been losing faith in America,” he said. “This is after they went so holy for a guy that was so clearly a clunky con man. People forget Trump cleaned up his act for just a couple of weeks. Then he hammered Hillary about the emails, and welcomed the James Comey information.”

Thompson said Trump’s popularity, combined with the turbulent Hilary and Comey duo, was enough of a perfect storm for Trump to carry the election. 

Thompson said we had a disaffected and angry electorate. They hated liberals, they hated immigrants. Just fill in the blank with hate.

“I knew Trump was a moron, but that’s what America swallowed. Finding a way back to the American hate.” 

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BNM Writers

News is the Only Thing Missing From Election Coverage

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected?

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The first thought I had when I heard NBC had hired Ronna McDaniel as a commentator for $300,000 a year was to wonder how many actual journalists they could have hired for that money. Then, I recalled that NBC had laid off dozens of news staffers just a few months ago. Then, I remembered that I had just recently written a column decrying news organizations throwing pretty much anybody on the air as a “pundit” and this….

This was worse. It’s one thing to grab some rando who happened to be a minor functionary for the Executive Branch. It’s another to hire someone whose job was to promote election denialism and pretend that her opinion is something valuable for viewers. And, yes, it’s just as ridiculous when news organizations hire former presidential press secretaries (that’s you, Jen Psaki and Sean Spicer), their very jobs were to spin everything in their bosses’ favor and now you’re going to pay them big salaries for, um, what? Because they “have a name” or you’re afraid someone else will snap them up? Why them?

The McDaniel deal lasted five days, one completely unilluminating interview, and one unexpected Chuck Todd spine-growing outburst, so it’ll all blow over soon enough. The problem is, though, the part about having fired several news staffers, and what it means in an election year on both the national and local levels. If you have the money to hire an alleged pundit – any alleged pundit – you have the money to hire reporters, and I don’t mean anchors or opinion show hosts.

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected? Who’s probing Project 2025 and why isn’t it front-page, first-segment news? Who’s pressing the Biden administration on Gaza? Is anyone reporting on the candidates’ record on climate change?

Beyond prescription drug prices, is anyone digging into the broken healthcare system and demanding answers from the candidates about what they’ll do to fix it (and not letting Trump get away with “I’ll have a better plan, a beautiful plan” without a single specific detail, like they did in 2016)? Why didn’t anyone focus on, for example, the GOP candidate for governor of North Carolina and his incendiary past comments well before the primary?

Pundits are not going to do the legwork on the issues; they’ll just talk about swing states while John King and Steve Kornacki point at their touchscreen maps. We need reporting on the things that matter (and can affect that horse race, even if most people have made up their minds). It shouldn’t just be Pro Publica and scattered independent journalists doing the dirty work.

Honestly, I don’t want to hear the complaints about the quality of the candidates or how this is a rerun or any of that. (We’ll leave that to The New York Times.) We are a horribly underinformed electorate and we got the horse race we deserve. It might just be idealists like me who think that, just maybe, the news media can play a role in educating the public and bursting the bubbles and echo chambers. This country has survived and prospered for a few centuries with the press shining a light on injustice and corruption.

Now, when we need that most, they’re more concerned with what they think will bring them ratings and money (although someone will have to explain to me who thought having Ronna McDaniel as a paid commentator would draw a single viewer to NBC).

Here’s a thought: Don’t lay off reporters, especially in an election year.  Assign them to dig deep on issues that matter to the voters.

Let the pundits talk about that.

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8 Ways to Take Your Commercials From Drab to Fab

Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials.

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Another reason to read this column, I often add an Easter egg. We are in the advertising business. Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials. Frequently, clients write these ads. You can excuse it if the spots suck. But when the commercials are written by Account Executives or the production department at the station, it is kind of unforgivable.

I am going to share the most meaningless phrases in commercials.

Locally Owned and Operated

Customers do not care. If customers cared about a business being locally owned and operated, Walmart would not exist. People want service, selection, and value. They do not want to get soaked. When you purchase something, are you willing to pay 20% for a local company? If you say yes, you are wrong. People want a deal.

The Phone Number

Doing 70 down the 405, John slammed on the brakes to write down the phone number for an amazing HVAC Company. That is not how it works people. HVAC companies rarely have or should have regular customers.

Normally, your AC is out. You call the HVAC Company that you are familiar with. Radio advertising allows people to have “TOMA”: Top of Mind Awareness. There are stats that show when a company is advertising on your radio station, their website shows an increase in traffic. When you needed a service for your home, you hit Google and choose the company that you’ve heard of. It’s that simple. I actually heard a commercial asking listeners to add a businesses phone number to their contact list. That is a moronic use of advertising real estate.

Street Addresses

“Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is located at 106 East Governors Drive in Peoria.” 

The people listening cannot process that detail. You could say “Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is on Governors Drive just off 10th in Peoria.” That is almost digestible. That creates a picture of where it is.

Trust me, people interested in prime rib will Google you and load the address in their navigation system. Spend that precious spot time selling the experience of the restaurant.

Always Using the Company Owner/Founder in Commercials

Sometimes, it is amazing when business owners are their spokesperson. They have passion and are natural salespeople. Some business owners are terrible at speaking about their product.

When you have a business owner who is a natural promoter, they can drag listeners into their business. I once worked with a family who owned a couple of hardware stores. They spoke about the benefits of visiting their stores. It was heartfelt and real. They promised that their employees can help solve any problem in your home. If you went to that store and had a simple or complex problem, the employees helped you out.

I once worked with a man who owned a really nice flooring company.  For whatever reason, he thought that he was funny. He had spots written by him, his wife, or a kid. The ads were dreadful. They were not funny at all. Account Executives need to talk these clients out of doing commercials like this. Nothing says wacky hijinks like flooring.

Overuse of Numbers

“We have grapes at 99 cents a pound, Chuck steak at $1.99, two-for-one zucchini.”

Trust me, no one driving in city traffic can keep track of that. “The 2025 Chevy Chevette is back with 45-mpg efficiency and amazing 18-inch tires. Prices start at $19,999…  The New Chevy Silverado starts at $32,999.”

It gets really confusing fast.

WWW.

Yes, I hear commercials saying check us on the internet at “W-W-W dot business name here dot com.”

WWW is assumed and not needed anymore unless you are running a Commadore-64 with the latest floppy disc technology.

Yellow Pages Ad

“Check out our new ad in the Yellow Pages!”

OMG, no one reads those damn things anymore. Most people born after 1960 just toss those suckers in the trash. There was a time when the Yellow Pages were the largest revenue generator in advertising. Yes, a book of ads. Like Facebook, without your buddy’s political, vacation, or food posts. It was just ads. Zero content.

I had stuffed salmon tonight that I engineered myself. I would make Sydney Sweeney quite the trophy husband. Set us up. Hey, I am single. It was not that long ago that you would hear a radio ad that promoted a coupon in the Sunday paper.

Well, that copy should be deader than a doornail.

Amateur Theater

A husband and wife discussing their lawn and how she heard about Telly’s Lawn Service from her friend Stacy. 

Those commercials are obviously contrived and not interesting at all. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Open every commercial must have an attention-grabbing opener. “Totally Jammed…  The floor covered with the guest towels. Fearing the horrific consequences of another flush…  I did the right thing. I called ABC Plumbing. Quick service, a great price, and peace of mind.”

The next time that the plunger is failing to get the desired results, the listener of that commercial will identify with the very realist scenario.

We are in the advertising business. Use radio as it was meant.

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The Lost Art of Using Sound as a Springboard

Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

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Jon Stewart was the first guy to do it — take a politician’s words from the news of the day or week. Search his or her entire past and find a sound byte saying the exact opposite.

It became an art form – and a great way to keep people accountable.

Most radio operations don’t have the resources necessary to consistently do something like that, but truth be told, that kind of journalism isn’t really the point of this week’s column.

It’s an example of the simple power of sound. We need to use it more within our shows. Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable, and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

Speaking from experience, not doing it is lazy.

Doing it takes minimal effort and helps conversations tremendously – especially when it’s in real-time. I know. I’ve been there – missing opportunity after opportunity because I didn’t think of it, ask for help or just do it myself.

Put simply, good sound is a better springboard to a question than just a question.

Just the other day, I realized how well it works and how little I’ve been doing it.

Here’s what happened.

We have one particularly heated congressional race in our state. The Republican candidate is running for a second time after narrowly losing in 2022 in an election where Connecticut’s gubernatorial candidate from the same party got smoked, and the Republican presidential candidate lost the state as well.

This time around, there’s a struggling Democratic President with real doubts about the economy and the country’s standing in the world.

Put simply, the Democratic congressional incumbent has a massive task ahead to get re-elected.

On my show, I try to be consistently independent and be a place for both parties to appear with the expectation that the conversations will be fair and honest.

The Republican candidate came on the show earlier this month, and we went through a number of issues. Connecticut is a relatively strong Democratic stronghold, where the party controls the legislature, the Governor’s Mansion, and the entire congressional delegation.

Having said that, the largest voting block is unaffiliated, so appealing to independents is crucial for either side to win. I asked the Republican candidate twice about whether he will support Donald Trump, and both times, he equivocated. I asked the follow-up, we were on the record, so I moved on.

The following week, his opponent, the Democratic incumbent, was scheduled to appear on the show. Before her arrival, I realized the Trump Q&A should probably be replayed for her. Duh.

My producer found it, clipped it, and had it at the ready. I felt that I should have realized it sooner and not put some added strain on my partner’s morning routine. He was fine, but it definitely added unnecessary work within the show.

Lesson learned.

The sound byte worked well. I played it. She responded. We moved the story forward, and it was compelling – as you might imagine, the topic of Trump vs. Biden is pretty compelling these days.

By no means did it create a “wow” moment. That would be a little much. But it did make the show better, using the opponent’s own voice as opposed to my paraphrasing something. That lends credibility, not only to the topic but also to the show. He gave this important answer on our show, and she gave her response … on our show.

My final thought on this is that we (I) need to look for more places to utilize sound as a springboard to conversations, as opposed to simply raising the topic and discussing it. Maybe you’re already good at it and do it all the time, but this past week, I realized I need to push myself to do it more.

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