Go to rehab? KFOG DJ said ‘Yes, yes, yes’
Just about a year ago, the management of KFOG sacked most of its full-time DJs and updated its playlist, promising an “evolution.”
But a recent visit to the Cumulus station’s website showed little evolving. Under “Shows,” only the morning host, Matt Pinfield, and holdover DJ Mike “No Name” Nelson, who’d moved from mornings to afternoon drive, were listed, along with Rosalie Howarth, who was fired, then rehired as host of “Acoustic Sunrise,” and newcomer Alicia Tyler. There were no hours listed for her, but she’s on mornings with Pinfield, along with program director Bryan Schock, then solos from 10 to noon. Schock was not mentioned on the site; neither was Steve Rockwell, longtime weekend and fill-in DJ. He is heard from noon to 3 — but he’s not live. He prerecords voice tracks. And there was no DJ listed for evenings.
It sounds like slow going. But behind the scenes, there’s been plentiful drama, most of it surrounding Pinfield, who’s been on MTV and on terrestrial, satellite and syndicated radio. He spent five years as a talent scout at Columbia Records. A rabid music and radio fan since early childhood, in Georgia and New Jersey, he tells his story in an enjoyable new book, “All These Things That I’ve Done: My Insane, Improbable Rock Life.” (At age 3, in 1965, he recalls, “Sitting on the floor with a record player, I’d say ‘Beatles! Beatles! Give me Beatles!’ ”)
Early in January, he announced on KFOG that he was going into rehab. “I was dealing with A-fib (atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart rhythm),” he told me, and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure as well. “Drinking on top of it wasn’t a good idea. And it turns out I was overmedicated.” Add the stress of a new job, and moving from one place to another in San Francisco, and he had a problem.
And not a new one. In his book, Pinfield wrote about previous battles with substance abuse, including a 2009 rehab stint which required a leave from his morning show on WRXP in New York. He wrote: “I bounced in and out of rehab quite a few times over the years, trying to get a handle on my dependency. It didn’t stick. Drugs were everywhere. If you’re even the slightest bit tempted, being in the rock game is no way to abstain.”
While he was in detox and rehab facilities in Southern California, Schock and Tyler took over the show, and they stayed on when Pinfield returned early in February. He declared himself a renewed man. “I lost 17 pounds and I’m 87 days sober,” he told me on March 31. “I have my meds straightened out, so I feel great.”
Perhaps to lighten the load on Pinfield, Schock and Tyler are now co-hosting, and a producer, Arthur Ballesteros, lends additional support. Pinfield’s job is to talk about his musician friends and his adventures in the industry, provide music news, interview visiting artists, and anchor new features, including “Pinfield’s Playlist” in the 9 o’clock hour. As Schock put it, “Matt supplies a lot of the substance.” Meantime, he and Tyler introduce other features, including film and restaurant reviews, health advice, and occasional raps by Ballesteros.
Pinfield has also taken on the evening shift with a voicetracked show, including another special hour, a spotlight on new music. And he continues to host two syndicated shows, “Flashback” and the nightly “Two Hours With Matt Pinfield,” which also is a podcast.
It sounds like overwork. “I thrive on it,” he said. “To be busy is my lifeblood.”
A year ago, it was the Matt Pinfield Show. Now it’s “Bryan, Alicia and Matt.” Pinfield’s OK with the change in billing. “I don’t have a huge ego that way,” he said. “I still get as much enjoyment telling stories and turning people onto new music (as) when I was 13 and 14.”
Sitting together in KFOG’s Levi’s Lounge, a nicely outfitted performance space for visiting musicians, Pinfield and Schock talk about their friendship, which dates back to 2008. When Schock joined KFOG and reunited with Pinfield, he noted, “Matt wasn’t completely well the first several months he was here. I knew what he was capable of, and it was a little frustrating to see him not be at full speed. Forget all the business; I love the guy personally, and I was scared I was going to lose a friend. It took a toll on my health. When he went off to take care of himself, it gave me the opportunity to focus on KFOG. When he came back, I was ready to go, and we hit the ground running.” Looking at Pinfield, Schock said, “You’re here working so many hours a day; you couldn’t have done half of that before.”
But are they getting any love from the listeners? Pinfield said he’s hearing from people who’d resisted KFOG’s “evolution” and him. “I’ve seen people warm to the station — especially the old Fogheads. What they’ve embraced is the honest passion for music.”
While the overall ratings for KFOG have been stagnant, Schock noted that in its target demo, listeners aged 25 to 49, “We are reaching new heights with each ratings period” since Pinfield’s return.
But, as he said (in spite of the fact that he works for Cumulus), forget all the business. “My friend’s back, and it’s great.”
Cherry cherry: It’s the 50th anniversary of the Cherry Blossom Festival all around Japantown, and I’ll be joining longtime parade commentator George Yamasaki on the PA system near parade’s end, at Post and Webster (it begins at 1 p.m., Sunday, April 16, at City Hall). I’ll be the snarky one.