I wrote the following last Memorial Day and I think that it's still worth a read today.
See if you agree...
------------------------
It's Memorial Day Weekend, here in the United States, and it's a time to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed so much, so that the people of this great land can live in peace and freedom. It's a time for parades, patriotic concerts and pontificating politicians.
And it's a time to think about where we are right now as a people...and as a nation.
I just finished watching what can only be described as a 'hit piece' aimed at the current United States administration and it's policy regarding Iraq. It aired on 60 Minutes and was supposed to be an impartial look at the Iowa National Guard...a fine group of patriots who have been serving in that war torn land for a year and who have had their tour of duty extended through August.
I hate seeing the media use our fighting men and women, and their family's, to sell it's own political agenda. That's what 60 Minutes did tonight. No one wants to see these fine men and women spend one unnecessary day in that country. But that's where the bad guys are right now. Sworn enemies of our way of life are waging an on going battle against our troops and their allies. No matter how we got there, we're there now and so is our enemy.
If 60 Minutes and television news coverage was around after the Battle of Gettysburg, what would have been their position? If they had correspondents on the beaches at Normandy, would we have pulled our troops in the summer of '44 and would that have given Hitler and his cohorts a second wind and the opportunity to win that war?
Do we pack up and leave because it's difficult? Have we as a country lost our backbone? Are we such a 'fast food' society that we no longer have the stamina to withstand a long fight? If that's what we've become then we're doomed as a nation.
No decent human being wants war. War is obscene. War is mankind at it's worse...and it's best. The butchers who set off car bombs, decapitate innocents and who fly airplanes into buildings are the worst. Men and women like the the Iowa National Guard and their families are the best. They deserve our thanks, our prayers and our support as a nation. They don't deserve to be exploited for political purposes by an agenda driven news media.
Are your listening CBS?
This war can't go on forever. But wars aren't scripted. They end when one side gives up. For the sake of our country's future, we can't allow that to be us.
And to the service men and women past and present...thank you.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Media's Moral Responsibilty...
Do you remember the old days....when broadcasting 'cared' about what was said and shown on their programs?
Do you remember when the FCC actually monitored radio and TV station's language and content?
It was a time when management strictly prohibited vulgarity and even frowned upon double-entendre.
Today....you can hear and see just about anything over the air and on the tube.
Now...anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm not a prude...but I do think that our business was better off when it had standards. And I think that it's audience held it in higher regard.
The other night around 8pm, I heard language that, not too long ago, was relegated to the cable premium channels. And it was on one of the major 'over the air' networks!
8pm!!
My four year old grandson is still up at 8pm.
What's next?
Instead of Sex and the City...Sex and Sesame Street!
When radio (and TV) had a moral compass, Howard Stern would never have been allowed to do what he does, MTV would never have sunk to the level of soft core porn and our society might have been a little better place.
I know...I've heard it too...
"Hey...it's a lot worse in Europe. You should see the stuff they broadcast over there."
What's that suppose to mean? If they broadcast vile oversees then it's okay to do it here?
That never made any sense to me.
Some say...."Oh...but censorship is wrong."
Look...dust and dirt are everywhere...but we clean our homes.
Why?
Because we don't want to live in dust and dirt.
Ah...and some of my friends in the business wonder why radio and TV aren't the respected industries that they once were.
It's because they've allowed 'their house' to be filled with 'dust and dirt' and like I said, no one want to live there.
I can remember hearing former FCC Chairman Newton Minow describe TV as the 'vast wasteland'. If my memory serves me well, that was in 1964, when there were three networks and a handful of independent stations.
It was a time when his Commission would have fined me for saying....well...I'm not even comfortable writing it in this blog...but suffice it to say that it was one of the 'kinder'...'gentler' blue words.
Come to think of it...it was what I heard the other night in the 8pm hour.
I wonder what Mr. Minow would have to say about our business today?
Is it too late to clean up our act?
Has the horse left the barn?
Some will say 'yes'...but I don't think so.
If radio and TV were to clean up their homes...I think the company that it's constantly inviting over would definitely appreciate it.
Do you remember when the FCC actually monitored radio and TV station's language and content?
It was a time when management strictly prohibited vulgarity and even frowned upon double-entendre.
Today....you can hear and see just about anything over the air and on the tube.
Now...anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm not a prude...but I do think that our business was better off when it had standards. And I think that it's audience held it in higher regard.
The other night around 8pm, I heard language that, not too long ago, was relegated to the cable premium channels. And it was on one of the major 'over the air' networks!
8pm!!
My four year old grandson is still up at 8pm.
What's next?
Instead of Sex and the City...Sex and Sesame Street!
When radio (and TV) had a moral compass, Howard Stern would never have been allowed to do what he does, MTV would never have sunk to the level of soft core porn and our society might have been a little better place.
I know...I've heard it too...
"Hey...it's a lot worse in Europe. You should see the stuff they broadcast over there."
What's that suppose to mean? If they broadcast vile oversees then it's okay to do it here?
That never made any sense to me.
Some say...."Oh...but censorship is wrong."
Look...dust and dirt are everywhere...but we clean our homes.
Why?
Because we don't want to live in dust and dirt.
Ah...and some of my friends in the business wonder why radio and TV aren't the respected industries that they once were.
It's because they've allowed 'their house' to be filled with 'dust and dirt' and like I said, no one want to live there.
I can remember hearing former FCC Chairman Newton Minow describe TV as the 'vast wasteland'. If my memory serves me well, that was in 1964, when there were three networks and a handful of independent stations.
It was a time when his Commission would have fined me for saying....well...I'm not even comfortable writing it in this blog...but suffice it to say that it was one of the 'kinder'...'gentler' blue words.
Come to think of it...it was what I heard the other night in the 8pm hour.
I wonder what Mr. Minow would have to say about our business today?
Is it too late to clean up our act?
Has the horse left the barn?
Some will say 'yes'...but I don't think so.
If radio and TV were to clean up their homes...I think the company that it's constantly inviting over would definitely appreciate it.
Friday, May 9, 2008
If Only My Dad Had Been President...
Is anyone else sick of this political season?
Or is it just me?
What really bothers me is that we lack a dynamic choice! It's like having to decide between McDonald's, Burger King or Hardees! Not matter what you pick...you're still getting a hamburger with mustard, ketchup and a pickle.
Have you ever wondered why all the people who should run for the presidency never do?
I've known people, in my life, who would have been incredible presidents.
Heck, my late dad had more intelligence, common sense and love for this country than any president we've had in the last twenty years.
You're laughing.
You think that I'm saying that because he was my dad.
No.
I said it because he was a poor Irish kid from Fall River Massachusetts who lost his mom when he was a child and was raised by his hard working father. Most times life was a struggle. There were no hand-outs. Every success was earned.
He was never satisfied with 'good' grades. They had to be the 'best' grades.
A scholastic scholarship took him through Brown University where he was All-New England in Soccer, President of his Class and Phi Beta Kappa.
He worked his way through Boston University law school and graduated with honors.
Then he passed the bar on his first try.
The war was raging and before he had a chance to frame his law degree he was drafted.
These days lawyers are made officers and placed in the Judge Advocate Generals office. That wasn't the case in 1944...at least not for him. With all of his talents and achievements, they made him a Private.
But for dad, it was just another challenge. Within months he was in OCS and by the time they were shipping him to off to France, he was an Artillery officer.
He and his men followed the fighting through Normandy, Belgium and into Germany. And he didn't have the luxury of firing his Howitzers from a safe distance behind the front lines.
You see, dad was a forward observer.
His job was to go behind enemy lines and to call in 'fire missions'.
Trust me, it was not a job to be envied.
He left the service with the rank of Captain, married the prettiest girl in Massachusetts and, like every good Irish Catholic man, had a large family.
He dabbled in politics and was even invited by then Senator John Kennedy to work in his presidential campaign. But he preferred being with his family and building his successful law practice.
I can remember asking him why he didn't run for higher office and he said that it was too corrupt...that politics was filled with the wrong kind of people.
And his opinion didn't change.
Until the day he died, I'm sure that there wasn't a politician in the world who impressed him.
So...we never had a President John J. Harrington and that was our loss.
And I'm sure that there are other John Harrington's out there, past and present, who felt or feel the same way.
So what are we left with?
The opportunists...the snake oil salesmen...the charlatan's.
You don't believe me?
Take a real good look at the three choices that we have for president this year...I mean... A REAL GOOD LOOK.
Then tell me I'm wrong.
Or is it just me?
What really bothers me is that we lack a dynamic choice! It's like having to decide between McDonald's, Burger King or Hardees! Not matter what you pick...you're still getting a hamburger with mustard, ketchup and a pickle.
Have you ever wondered why all the people who should run for the presidency never do?
I've known people, in my life, who would have been incredible presidents.
Heck, my late dad had more intelligence, common sense and love for this country than any president we've had in the last twenty years.
You're laughing.
You think that I'm saying that because he was my dad.
No.
I said it because he was a poor Irish kid from Fall River Massachusetts who lost his mom when he was a child and was raised by his hard working father. Most times life was a struggle. There were no hand-outs. Every success was earned.
He was never satisfied with 'good' grades. They had to be the 'best' grades.
A scholastic scholarship took him through Brown University where he was All-New England in Soccer, President of his Class and Phi Beta Kappa.
He worked his way through Boston University law school and graduated with honors.
Then he passed the bar on his first try.
The war was raging and before he had a chance to frame his law degree he was drafted.
These days lawyers are made officers and placed in the Judge Advocate Generals office. That wasn't the case in 1944...at least not for him. With all of his talents and achievements, they made him a Private.
But for dad, it was just another challenge. Within months he was in OCS and by the time they were shipping him to off to France, he was an Artillery officer.
He and his men followed the fighting through Normandy, Belgium and into Germany. And he didn't have the luxury of firing his Howitzers from a safe distance behind the front lines.
You see, dad was a forward observer.
His job was to go behind enemy lines and to call in 'fire missions'.
Trust me, it was not a job to be envied.
He left the service with the rank of Captain, married the prettiest girl in Massachusetts and, like every good Irish Catholic man, had a large family.
He dabbled in politics and was even invited by then Senator John Kennedy to work in his presidential campaign. But he preferred being with his family and building his successful law practice.
I can remember asking him why he didn't run for higher office and he said that it was too corrupt...that politics was filled with the wrong kind of people.
And his opinion didn't change.
Until the day he died, I'm sure that there wasn't a politician in the world who impressed him.
So...we never had a President John J. Harrington and that was our loss.
And I'm sure that there are other John Harrington's out there, past and present, who felt or feel the same way.
So what are we left with?
The opportunists...the snake oil salesmen...the charlatan's.
You don't believe me?
Take a real good look at the three choices that we have for president this year...I mean... A REAL GOOD LOOK.
Then tell me I'm wrong.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
If Only My Dad Had Been President...
Is anyone else sick of this political season?
Or is it just me?
What really bothers me is that we lack a dynamic choice! It's like having to decide between McDonald's, Burger King or Hardees! Not matter what you pick...you're still getting a hamburger with mustard, ketchup and a pickle.
Have you ever wondered why all the people who should run for the presidency never do?
I've known people, in my life, who would have been incredible presidents.
Heck, my late dad had more intelligence, common sense and love for this country than any president we've had in the last twenty years.
You're laughing.
You think that I'm saying that because he was my dad.
No.
I said it because he was a poor Irish kid from Fall River Massachusetts who lost his mom when he was a child and was raised by his hard working father. Most times life was a struggle. There were no hand-outs. Every success was earned.
He was never satisfied with 'good' grades. They had to be the 'best' grades.
A scholastic scholarship took him through Brown University where he was All-New England in Soccer, President of his Class and Phi Beta Kappa.
He worked his way through Boston University law school and graduated with honors.
Then he passed the bar on his first try.
The war was raging and before he had a chance to frame his law degree he was drafted.
These days lawyers are made officers and placed in the Judge Advocate Generals office. That wasn't the case in 1944...at least not for him. With all of his talents and achievements, they made him a Private.
But for dad, it was just another challenge. Within months he was in OCS and by the time they were shipping him to off to France, he was an Artillery officer.
He and his men followed the fighting through Normandy, Belgium and into Germany. And he didn't have the luxury of firing his Howitzers from a safe distance behind the front lines.
You see, dad was a forward observer.
His job was to go behind enemy lines and to call in 'fire missions'.
Trust me, it was not a job to be envied.
He left the service with the rank of Captain, married the prettiest girl in Massachusetts and, like every good Irish Catholic man, had a large family.
He dabbled in politics and was even invited by then Senator John Kennedy to work in his presidential campaign. But he preferred being with his family and building his successful law practice.
I can remember asking him why he didn't run for higher office and he said that it was too corrupt...that politics was filled with the wrong kind of people.
And his opinion didn't change.
Until the day he died, I'm sure that there wasn't a politician in the world who impressed him.
So...we never had a President John J. Harrington and that was our loss.
And I'm sure that there are other John Harrington's out there, past and present, who felt or feel the same way.
So what are we left with?
The opportunists...the snake oil salesmen...the charlatan's.
You don't believe me?
Take a real good look at the three choices that we have for president this year...I mean... A REAL GOOD LOOK.
Then tell me I'm wrong.
Or is it just me?
What really bothers me is that we lack a dynamic choice! It's like having to decide between McDonald's, Burger King or Hardees! Not matter what you pick...you're still getting a hamburger with mustard, ketchup and a pickle.
Have you ever wondered why all the people who should run for the presidency never do?
I've known people, in my life, who would have been incredible presidents.
Heck, my late dad had more intelligence, common sense and love for this country than any president we've had in the last twenty years.
You're laughing.
You think that I'm saying that because he was my dad.
No.
I said it because he was a poor Irish kid from Fall River Massachusetts who lost his mom when he was a child and was raised by his hard working father. Most times life was a struggle. There were no hand-outs. Every success was earned.
He was never satisfied with 'good' grades. They had to be the 'best' grades.
A scholastic scholarship took him through Brown University where he was All-New England in Soccer, President of his Class and Phi Beta Kappa.
He worked his way through Boston University law school and graduated with honors.
Then he passed the bar on his first try.
The war was raging and before he had a chance to frame his law degree he was drafted.
These days lawyers are made officers and placed in the Judge Advocate Generals office. That wasn't the case in 1944...at least not for him. With all of his talents and achievements, they made him a Private.
But for dad, it was just another challenge. Within months he was in OCS and by the time they were shipping him to off to France, he was an Artillery officer.
He and his men followed the fighting through Normandy, Belgium and into Germany. And he didn't have the luxury of firing his Howitzers from a safe distance behind the front lines.
You see, dad was a forward observer.
His job was to go behind enemy lines and to call in 'fire missions'.
Trust me, it was not a job to be envied.
He left the service with the rank of Captain, married the prettiest girl in Massachusetts and, like every good Irish Catholic man, had a large family.
He dabbled in politics and was even invited by then Senator John Kennedy to work in his presidential campaign. But he preferred being with his family and building his successful law practice.
I can remember asking him why he didn't run for higher office and he said that it was too corrupt...that politics was filled with the wrong kind of people.
And his opinion didn't change.
Until the day he died, I'm sure that there wasn't a politician in the world who impressed him.
So...we never had a President John J. Harrington and that was our loss.
And I'm sure that there are other John Harrington's out there, past and present, who felt or feel the same way.
So what are we left with?
The opportunists...the snake oil salesmen...the charlatan's.
You don't believe me?
Take a real good look at the three choices that we have for president this year...I mean... A REAL GOOD LOOK.
Then tell me I'm wrong.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Does Radio Have a Future?
There was a time, not too long ago, when creativity was encouraged; when programming ingenuity was valued. It was a time when there was a balance between sales and programming. Radio air talent were admired for their originality. I can assure you that that time has passed. These days radio stations are run like fast food franchises. Air talent are considered a necessary nuisance and their numbers are kept to a minimum.
Many management types are wondering what is happening to the business? Audiences are shrinking!
Why?
Maybe it's because, for at least a decade, radio has ignored the 'product'. Back in 'the day' cutting edge programming was essential...now it's hard to find. Conglomerates have sterilized the system and curtailed creative growth. Once there were places where fresh young talent could go to make their mistakes, hone their skills and move on. Once there was a time when struggling stations took creative chances.
Radio has lost a lot of it's 'fire' and it sounds like it. Back in the seventies, when I had the good fortune to work at great stations such as WDRC, WBZ and WCBS-FM, the industry was 'alive' with new ideas. Stations took pride in their 'product'. Today the environment is different and radio has no one to blame but itself.
Back in the fifties, radio blamed TV for an industry wide depression. It's doing the same thing today when it points the finger at New Media. Trust me, New Media isn't the culprit. If you must blame someone, then blame many of the high level corporate leaders...the decision makers. They've eliminated air staff and cut back on the product for years. They underestimated their audience; figuring that the listeners would settle for what they give them and never catch on. Local programming became bland and predictable.
Imagine, if you will, a car company that is run by people who don't know what it takes to actually make a car; run by a management team top heavy with sales types and lacking in automotive engineers. Chrysler was that way, and it almost disappeared from the automotive landscape, until a former engineer named Lee Iaccoca took control of the company. Japan made it's biggest inroads in the US car market during the eighties when General Motors was more concerned with quantity than quality; more interested in sales than service. All Honda, Toyota and Nissan had to do was fill that void. New Media is giving listeners creative programming options. It's a hard thing to have to say but there are very few truly creative people in radio today. Most programmers follow the tail of some other programmer who, in turn follows the tail of the programmer in front of him. An original thought or idea is a rare thing in today's radio.
There was a time when radio was filled with creative people. And I'm not referring to simply the air talent. There was creativity in sales and in support too. Today stations are run like a bank and it sounds it. They've been homogenized and pasteurized to the point where they are void of anything worth listening to. The old creatives have been swept aside and the young creatives have seen the light and moved on to other opportunities outside of the business. Radio has a future but it's a dim one if it stays on it present course. It can't continue to do what it's always done. It has to think outside of the box and to attract bright, imaginative people. It has to embrace new technologies. It has to think, not just of tomorrow but, about it's long term future. It has to reinvest in PEOPLE. The company with the BEST PEOPLE will ultimately be the most successful. That isn't a prediction based simply on 'hope' but rather historical fact. The best armies, the pioneering businesses, the strongest nations all succeeded on the strength of their people.
The good news is that radio recovered back in the late fifties and early sixties; it rolled up its sleeves and went to work and by the mid-sixties it was in the midst of the 'second' golden age of radio. It can do it again, but it has to think outside of it's self imposed and very limited box; it has to stop thinking like bankers and get back to thinking like 'creative' broadcasters.
And the strange thing is...if you return creativity to radio, it's bottom line will grow.
Many management types are wondering what is happening to the business? Audiences are shrinking!
Why?
Maybe it's because, for at least a decade, radio has ignored the 'product'. Back in 'the day' cutting edge programming was essential...now it's hard to find. Conglomerates have sterilized the system and curtailed creative growth. Once there were places where fresh young talent could go to make their mistakes, hone their skills and move on. Once there was a time when struggling stations took creative chances.
Radio has lost a lot of it's 'fire' and it sounds like it. Back in the seventies, when I had the good fortune to work at great stations such as WDRC, WBZ and WCBS-FM, the industry was 'alive' with new ideas. Stations took pride in their 'product'. Today the environment is different and radio has no one to blame but itself.
Back in the fifties, radio blamed TV for an industry wide depression. It's doing the same thing today when it points the finger at New Media. Trust me, New Media isn't the culprit. If you must blame someone, then blame many of the high level corporate leaders...the decision makers. They've eliminated air staff and cut back on the product for years. They underestimated their audience; figuring that the listeners would settle for what they give them and never catch on. Local programming became bland and predictable.
Imagine, if you will, a car company that is run by people who don't know what it takes to actually make a car; run by a management team top heavy with sales types and lacking in automotive engineers. Chrysler was that way, and it almost disappeared from the automotive landscape, until a former engineer named Lee Iaccoca took control of the company. Japan made it's biggest inroads in the US car market during the eighties when General Motors was more concerned with quantity than quality; more interested in sales than service. All Honda, Toyota and Nissan had to do was fill that void. New Media is giving listeners creative programming options. It's a hard thing to have to say but there are very few truly creative people in radio today. Most programmers follow the tail of some other programmer who, in turn follows the tail of the programmer in front of him. An original thought or idea is a rare thing in today's radio.
There was a time when radio was filled with creative people. And I'm not referring to simply the air talent. There was creativity in sales and in support too. Today stations are run like a bank and it sounds it. They've been homogenized and pasteurized to the point where they are void of anything worth listening to. The old creatives have been swept aside and the young creatives have seen the light and moved on to other opportunities outside of the business. Radio has a future but it's a dim one if it stays on it present course. It can't continue to do what it's always done. It has to think outside of the box and to attract bright, imaginative people. It has to embrace new technologies. It has to think, not just of tomorrow but, about it's long term future. It has to reinvest in PEOPLE. The company with the BEST PEOPLE will ultimately be the most successful. That isn't a prediction based simply on 'hope' but rather historical fact. The best armies, the pioneering businesses, the strongest nations all succeeded on the strength of their people.
The good news is that radio recovered back in the late fifties and early sixties; it rolled up its sleeves and went to work and by the mid-sixties it was in the midst of the 'second' golden age of radio. It can do it again, but it has to think outside of it's self imposed and very limited box; it has to stop thinking like bankers and get back to thinking like 'creative' broadcasters.
And the strange thing is...if you return creativity to radio, it's bottom line will grow.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
"60 The New 40-Yah, Right"
Who was it that came up with the saying...."60 is the new 40"? I hear it everywhere. We baby-boomers are desperate to keep our youth, aren't we?
Now, I have to tell you that it was only yesterday that we were the future...the 'new generation'. Suddenly....we're our grandparents! Sheesshh! The old adage...'time flys'...was really true. It does! My parents used to tell me to 'take care of your body'. Of course I did what every kid does....I laughed and ignored their advice. I was thinking about that just this morning as I was going into Physical Therapy.
I didn't know that I could hurt in some of the places where I hurt! Sometimes I think that if I were a horse...they'd take me outside and shoot me....or maybe ship me off to the glue factory. And all the aches and pain cut into the much talked about and needed physical activity. Try running...jogging...or even walking with bad knees (thank you football). Now, your physician may tell you to "get out and walk"...but he's not the one walking. Plus I think that it's part of the script that they have to read...it's required doctor dialog.
And when you're not as active as you were 'way back when'...the gut seems to grow. Ah...the 'gut'. My late father used to refer to it as 'an appending avalanche of lard." It was funny, when I was a youthful little brat...but now...not so much.
But, then again, I'm lucky. I can still look down and see my feet...although I must admit that they're slowly disappearing over the horizon.
Don't get me wrong. I'll take growing older, with all of the aches and pains...the girth (in the waist :) ...the limitations...over the alternative of not being here.
But "60 being the new 40"...I don't think so. It had to be a line created by someone who's 75.
Now, I have to tell you that it was only yesterday that we were the future...the 'new generation'. Suddenly....we're our grandparents! Sheesshh! The old adage...'time flys'...was really true. It does! My parents used to tell me to 'take care of your body'. Of course I did what every kid does....I laughed and ignored their advice. I was thinking about that just this morning as I was going into Physical Therapy.
I didn't know that I could hurt in some of the places where I hurt! Sometimes I think that if I were a horse...they'd take me outside and shoot me....or maybe ship me off to the glue factory. And all the aches and pain cut into the much talked about and needed physical activity. Try running...jogging...or even walking with bad knees (thank you football). Now, your physician may tell you to "get out and walk"...but he's not the one walking. Plus I think that it's part of the script that they have to read...it's required doctor dialog.
And when you're not as active as you were 'way back when'...the gut seems to grow. Ah...the 'gut'. My late father used to refer to it as 'an appending avalanche of lard." It was funny, when I was a youthful little brat...but now...not so much.
But, then again, I'm lucky. I can still look down and see my feet...although I must admit that they're slowly disappearing over the horizon.
Don't get me wrong. I'll take growing older, with all of the aches and pains...the girth (in the waist :) ...the limitations...over the alternative of not being here.
But "60 being the new 40"...I don't think so. It had to be a line created by someone who's 75.
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