Report: Owens to Retire from KGO/San Francisco

After almost four decades at KGO-AM/San Francisco, early midday host (9am-noon) Ronn Owens is set to retire in the coming months, probably in December, reports 415 Media's Rich Lieberman. Owen's contract expires on January 1, 2013, in a deal inked in 2006 under former owner ABC Radio. Lieberman says Owen's deal at the time, a little over one million, made him the highest-paid Bay Area media personality.

Through a variety of media sources, Lieberman reveals that Owens and current KGO owner, Cumulus, are ready to move on, probably at the end of December. There had been speculation that Cumulus was ready to buy out Owens' existing last months and hire a new morning host. Word is that KGO is set to fill Owen's slot with more news, a format it switched to completely (except weekends), when it dumped News/Talk altogether in December, 2011.

Either way, Owen's imminent departure from the 810 AM dial figures to be a culture shock for Bay Area radio listeners, added Lieberman.

Latest Radio Stories

Local Radio Drives $437B, Supports 909K U.S. Jobs

Wood & Poole Economics and BIA

A new economic study finds that free, local radio remains a powerful engine of the U.S. economy, generating $437 billion in annual GDP and supporting more than 909,000 jobs nationwide, underscoring radio's role as essential infrastructure in communities across the country. The analysis, conducted by More

Drive-Time Congestion Expands Radio's In-Car Reach

Katz Radio Group

As daily traffic congestion rises across major U.S. metro areas, new insights point to an expanding opportunity for brands to reach attentive in-car audiences, with AM/FM radio continuing to dominate in-vehicle audio listening. According to a new analysis from Katz Radio, the More

Three Top 100 Markets Shift Ratings to Eastlan

Eastlan

Three more Top 100 radio markets are moving their audience measurement to Eastlan as the company's expansion continues into 2026. Honolulu, Reno and Tulsa will now be continuously measured by Eastlan, reflecting what the company describes as a broader reassessment by More

AEI Paper Argues FCC Has Outlived Its Purpose

Mark Jamison

A new working paper from the American Enterprise Institute contends that the Federal Communications Commission has outlived the economic and technological conditions that justified its creation and should be disbanded. Authored by economist Mark Jamison, the paper argues that the FCC was designed in 1934 More

The Zone Returns to Phoenix as AI-Infused Triple A

KZON-FM-HD2 (94.9 The Zone) Phoenix

Zelus Media Group has partnered with SonicTrek.ai to relaunch The Zone "Where Music Matters" in Phoenix on 94.9 and 103.9 KZON-FM-HD2, marking the format's return as a 24/7 AI-infused Triple A station. The revived Zone will blend artificial intelligence with licensed human voices, including format More

Audacy Details How AI Is Redefining Local Search Visibility

Audacy Insights

In a new Audacy Insights article, Audacy is warning that rapid changes in AI-powered search are reshaping how consumers discover local businesses - and that traditional search strategies may no longer be enough. In "Dominating Local Search in the Age of AI," Jenny Sutton, Jenny Sutton, Senior Vice More

Return to Menu

Report: Owens to Retire from KGO/San Francisco

Latest Radio Stories

Follow us on:

Copyright © 1989-2026 RADIO ONLINE ^®

Report: Owens to Retire from KGO/San Francisco

Latest Radio Stories

Follow us on:

Copyright © 1989-2026 RADIO ONLINE ®

Copyright © 1989-2026 RADIO ONLINE ^®