Preston Named VP, Programming For KCBS-AM & KFRC-FM San Francisco

Mike Preston has been named vice president of Programming for KCBS-AM and KFRC-FM effective on Monday, April 3, it was announced by Doug Harvill, SVP & market manager for CBS Radio San Francisco.

Preston most recently served as vice president of CHR Programming for CBS Radio and as Program Director of KBKS-FM in Seattle, Wash. Preston will report to Harvill.

Effective immediately, Ken Kohl will begin advising CBS Radio’s six San Francisco stations as vice president of News & Talk Programming. Kohl will continue in his role as vice president/general manager for KIFR-FM (106.9 FREE FM) reporting to Harvill.

“Mike has contributed tremendously to the success of CBS Radio and I’m thrilled to have him join the San Francisco team in this programming capacity,” said Harvill. “Ken did a terrific job launching 106.9 Free FM and we’re fortunate to be able to utilize his extensive news and talk experience as an advisor to the entire cluster of stations.”

Courtesy of http://www.Radioink.com

http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=132898&pt=todaysnews

Quoted from http://www.Radioink.com

Preston most recently served as vice president of CHR Programming for CBS Radio and as Program Director of KBKS-FM in Seattle, Wash.

That would be the KBKS that's gone from 4.3 in fall 2004 to a 2.8 as of this latest winter book.  There's probably a lot I'm missing or I'm not "in the loop" on here, but it appears like yet another perplexing case of rewarding poor program management performance with a promotion. Seems to happen a lot.

It's almost shameful what CBS has been doing to their stations.  They keep taking one legacy after another and flushing it ... and the undercurrent always seems to be that it's more important to pay homage to the executive food chain than it is to be responsible for good decisions.  Have seen a whole bunch of bad decisions (talent that doesn't fit stations, format flips, etc.) all with a return address of Black Rock.  Folks I know who have been involved with the chain are simply shaking their heads at this point.

For one thing they clearly don't believe in Oldies .... blowing up CBS/NY, nudging the station Preston's going to -- KFRC away from oldies/legacy toward kind of a gold/soft AC, taking strong talent away from AM Drive at KRTH to put in Hollywood Hamilton (logic being that "THIS will bring all the 18-34's to our Oldies format".  HUH???!!!!!)

It really has gotten to the point where you can look at what a good strategic decision SHOULD be and know with complete confidence that most media companies today will insist on ZIGGING when the correct move would be ZAGGING.

ZIGZAGS?

That sure explains a lot of the recent program decisions made at CBS Radio...