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Radio Wars

The next time KNBR tries to shove that 1-800-KARS4KIDS commercial into your ear canal when you’re in 880/680/580/101 traffic, you don’t have to reach into the glove compartment for the revolver. Unattach the jumper cables from your earlobes and loosen the seatbelt from around your neck. Because there’s an option on the FM dial for sports talk. And it isn’t so bad. Anymore.

Clear as mud? It’s been a few months since 95.7 FM switched from country music to sports talk, and it’s worked out some of the kinks and balanced some of the on-air chemistry that we took note of in our initial review on BayAreaBias.com. Monday morning, 95.7 FM made the transition to calling itself “957 The Game,” and launched the new morning show format called “The Rise Guys”, anchored by Dan Dibley, Whitey Gleason, and Mark Kreide… (his name didn’t fit on their webpage). Shucks. The format is very familiar, a few guys around a table talking about the previous day of sports with some chuckles – in fact you’ve heard it on KNBR’s Murph and Mac Show. It’s very similar, except less talk about the Grateful Dead and what Aubrey Huff ate for breakfast. And whoever controls the 95.7 Twitter account, in an aggressive mud-slinging campaign, retweeted just about every anti-KNBR comment Monday morning while announcing guests such as Jose Canseco and Rich Gannon. A one-way war of words on Twitter? Dance for us flying monkeys!

But does 95.7 The Game (too long and awkward to type) stand a chance to make a dent in KNBR’s armor? Why they’re the sports leader, does 95.7 The Game know just who they’re calling out? Well, Brian Murphy and Paul McCaffery are tiring out. The shtick is getting old, and face it, if you don’t like the Giants, these guys aren’t for you. Sure, KNBR is the flagship for the World Champs, and in a one-horse radio town, you can do whatever you want. Terrible commercials, an obvious bias, guests from gambling websites, go crazy. But with 95.7 The Game around, well let’s just say it’s like there is now a first baseman holding the runner on, KNBR can’t take a 12-step lead.

But on the same day 95.7 became The Game, KNBR had Damon Bruce rejoin the 680 side and pair up with Gary Radnich from 9 AM to noon, ending D-Bruce’s 12 Pm – 4 PM show on 1050 AM, which he announced on Twitter. Though it may not be a direct response to what 95.7’s “game” plan is, having Damon Bruce back on 680 AM is bound to help ratings as his listeners are loyal and he offers the best on-air talent around. The chemistry with he and Radnich may be tricky however, as Radnich is the queen, er, King of Bay Area sports, pulls in more money, and would talk over the President of the United States were he a guest on His show. Damon Bruce may respect the hierarchy for a while, but it would seem this may come to a head as the 9 to Noon slot may be better known as The Ego.

KNBR, the self-proclaimed sports leader, has never really acknowledged the new guys in town, 95.7 FM. But the scrappy little station filled with former KNBR employees has made a name for itself and is able to pull in guests like Billy Beane, Jim Harbaugh, and of course, Jose Canseco. The station some thought that may just go away is owned by Entercom Communications which is the broadcast partner of teams like the Red Sox, Celtics, New Orleans Saints, and Kansas City Royals. The Game isn’t looking like a flash in the pan, and with its war of words on Twitter it has been tossing towards KNBR, the Bay Area may get to see some radio wars. Which helps the commute along. So open the garge door, turn the car off, and next time Duane Kuiper suggests you donate your car, just hit “FM” and tell ‘em Timmy sent ya.

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