Legendary KGO Radio Host Gene Burns Passes Away (also worked in Boston, Baltimore, NYC, Orlando)

[alp227]

Last edited Mon May 27, 2013, 02:16 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: KGO 810 San Francisco

Longtime KGO Radio host Gene Burns has passed away. He was 72. Burns had suffered a series of strokes in recent years, which prompted him to step away from the mic.

Burns came to KGO in the mid 90's and hosted The Gene Burns Program, which focused on politics and commentary and aired every weeknight. He also hosted Dining Around With Gene Burns, which aired once a week and told listeners about food and wine.

KGO Reporter and former colleague of Gene's, Kim McCallister, said Gene raised the level of discussion on talk radio.

Read more: http://www.kgoradio.com/common/page.php?pt=Legendary+KGO+Radio+Host+Gene+Burns+Passes+Away&id=28103

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Before KGO, Burns also was a host on stations like WRKO Boston, WCBM Baltimore, and WOR New York City. KGO's progressive host Pat Thurston will host a tribute to Burns starting at 6:06pm (PT) - listen online
http://player.streamtheworld.com/_players/citadel/?sid=5865 (streaming page)
http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/api/livestream-redirect/KGOAMAAC_SC (AAC format)
http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/api/livestream-redirect/KGOAM_SC (MP3 format)

KGO's 50 kW signal on AM 810 stretches from the Bay Area to the Central Coast, Central Valley, and even Tahoe during the day and all across the west coast after sunset.

Orlando Sentinel has an obituary of Burns already: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-gene-burns-dies-20130525,0,5936305.story

SF Chronicle has one for Monday's paper: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Longtime-KGO-host-Gene-Burns-72-dies-4549884.php

Burns is the 2nd former KGO host to be gone this year, after Lee Rodgers passed in January.

[DonViejo]

1. Gene was a personal friend of mine and my family...

we'll miss him greatly.

[Adsos Letter]

2. RIP, Mr. Burns.

You sure got a raw deal when Cumulus Radio acquired KGO...

[trof]

3. Used to listen to him on WRKO Boston in the 80s, I think.

it was before RKO went right-wing Howie Carr nutso.
Enjoyed his show.

[hunter]

4. Burns was a libertarian but he was a gentleman to all but political zombies and tools.

He had little tolerance for Fox News or Rush Limbaugh talking points and punctured quite a few right wing gas bags who called his show.

His food show was non-political. His enthusiasm for good food and wine was contagious. I always wanted to drive to the City and eat at the places he talked about, or fly to France, Italy, or some other distant place to sample the restaurants there.

I was not a regular listener but I didn't find his show impossible to listen too, unlike KGO's Ronn Owens who represents just about everything that is wrong with today's mass media. (Owen's fawning coverage of the conquest of Iraq was disgusting... I was very happy when I got an internet connection fast enough to stream the BBC, Al Jazeera, and other international news radio stations.)

Sad news about Burns, but I think the gentleman lived his life well and will be missed by many people.

[montana_hazeleyes]

5. Gene Burns

was one of the best. He was loved by us KGO listeners.

I don't listen to KGO anymore since the changes there and sudden firing of the main hosts like Gene and others.

I only tune in to hear Karel on weekends. Never listen to Ronn Owens. Not for a long, long time!

[musette_sf]

7. Ronn has gone way way right

and every time I happen to tune in for a few minutes, I'm sorry I did.

[musette_sf]

6. Dining Around

always enjoyed that program, and always enjoyed Mr Burns.

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. rip. i remember him