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KVEC drops morning news team

January 4, 2016
King Harris

King Harris

El Dorado Broadcasters, owner of News/Talk 920 KVEC radio, announced in an email Monday morning plans to terminate the positions of both News Director King Harris and on-air producer Joe Bowman, effective Jan. 15. Harris has served as the host of the morning newscast on the San Luis Obispo station for the past 10 years.

Harris and Bowman are scheduled to be replaced by veteran newscaster Dick Mason, who is expected to continue covering news on a reduced basis at KVEC. Mason was fired last month as news director by KKJL 1400 radio, reportedly for budgetary reasons.

In the email, general manager Ron Roy cited economic reasons for terminating Harris’ full- time position in favor of a new part-time approach. The move comes amid rumors that El Dorado may be trying to sell its local stations.

When contacted by CalCoastNews, both Harris and afternoon talk show host Dave Congalton declined to comment.

Ron Roy has not yet responded to an email sent Monday morning.

Details to follow as story unfolds.


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Bummer….this is not good news. What am I going to do without Kings daily liberal adjuncts to every story?


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‘Budgetary reasons’ = corporate lie.


These bean-counter MBA’s just know how to kill things to pad their own incompetent pockets along with their greedy bosses.


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Actually, the majority of staffing issues in radio center around money…basically, who will work more for less.


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As Dave has said before on his show, if you like and want local radio to stay alive, you HAVE to support the local sponsors and TELL them you honor their support of local home town radio. My heart goes out to Joe and King and the entire KVEC family.

Dave has been hinting to uncertainties in the industry and without local talk radio how in the world would we even have a change to keep our local governments honest? The Tribune? Public radio? Not a chance folks…local talk radio is the last real independent voice we have in this community.


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Actually, the “last real independent voice” will reside in LPFM (low-power FM) stations, I believe there is a good one that’s in Morro Bay.


There is nothing “independent” about KVEC or any other for-profit station in America. Their P/L sheets will ALWAYS come before the needs of the community…ALWAYS.


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That’s just BS….

Dave has taken on all stripes….so I have to call BS on your comment.


As a Tea Party Religious Libertarian I disagree with Dave on his positions MORE than I agree with him but the one thing I NEVER doubt about Dave is his Independence and Integrity.


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Sorry, don’t mean to laugh but…hahaha.


Look, call my post BS all you want…but here is the reality.


As long as he takes checks from KVEC/El Dorado, Dave (just like any other broadcasting minion out there) serves a master, period.


In my 30+ years of broadcasting, a few were spent in talk radio…trust me, there’s nothing independent coming from the mouthpiece of a FOR-PROFIT, COMMERCIAL radio station.


Just the way it is.


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None of us can be against our employer’s interests for long. Maintaining integrity in business and employment is a delicate balance. I think the locals at KVEC do an excellent job.


Miles, it is true, you have the experience. Perhaps it is like other employments I know of, sooner or later in just doing your job right … you gain enemies.


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Thanks for the game plan … visit and buy from sponsors AND TELL THEM YOU LIKE THE STATION!!


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Fire Adam Hill has a new FaceBook page. To Fire Adam Hill in 2016 go to

https://www.facebook.com/fireadamhill2016


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People say that about the internet vs. local media all the time. Actual surveys show that 75% of local retail media spending is still in local media.


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Hmmmmm.


Sounds like a great time to lose Craig and get Joe back.


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Competition for advertising dollars from the internet is putting terrestrial radio out of business. The development and expansion of services that a available on the internet are triggering major shifts across the entire economy; finance, entertainment, retail and wholesale shopping are just some examples.


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The one place the internet can not complete is being local, but many managers/owners don’t seem to understand that. You’re right why tune into Rash, Sissy boy or whomever on one of a thousand local stations when you can get it off the internet, but local info is only available locally and even more so local breaking news, but many owners/managers would rather plump their own pockets instead of providing for the listeners.


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If you research radio listening results over the last ten years, you’ll find that internet “radio” is not damaging terrestrial radio at the level most people expected. More than 200 million listeners still use radio at least once a week.


As ad dollars go…radio ad revenue increased 2.6% in the last year.


Eventually…terrestrial will get left in the dust…just not as great of a pace as all the doomsayers predicted.


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Sports radio remains very popular but local talk radio is declining. If KVEC was making a lot of money with local talk they wouldn’t be cutting programming.


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Another nail in the coffin of local news.


KSBY is a joke.


The Tribune gets smaller and smaller by the month.


KCBX only serves little “updates.”


New Times shies away from controversy and hard news.


Now KKJL and KVEC are both scaling back local news.


So where are we supposed to get local news now?


Velie–you better not leave us!!!!!


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I like both of them. Shame Joe jumped ship from Dave, no he’s got job at all.


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