A Change In The Weather

Regis announced last week he will be stepping down from his daytime talk show sometime this summer.   TMZ says he was not happy about a pay cut.  Keith Olbermann's announcement and departure from MSNBC last Friday were more immediate, but his battle with management had already come to light with his two-day suspension last fall.   Both men were responsible for establishing a brand that made big bucks for their corporate bosses.   They are not easily replaceable.  Geoff  Fox is one of the few local weather people I have never met.   He clearly could have gone on to more guest spots on Good Morning America or bigger markets, but he loved Connecticut.   For the past 26 years, Geoff Fox has been the evening weatherman at WTNH Channel 8, a station I grew up watching.   His contract was not renewed, and his fans' Facebook campaign to keep him on News 8 seems to have only backfired to the point where management pulled him off air sooner than expected.    With all the anchor shuffles at a station in a tight ratings battle, Geoff Fox, Doctor Mel and Ann Nyberg were the constants.   I know life goes on, but I have to wonder what WTNH was thinking. 

Here's my contribution to Geoff's blog after hearing the news:   Connecticut television has been blessed by a wealth of pros over the years, but you brought a presence and personality that gave WTNH and WCTX an edge in a very competitive market. As a longtime Connecticut radio guy I know how crazy this whole business can get. Establishing a consistent one-on-one connection with listeners or viewers is a unique gift; you have accomplished that.

A Very Worthy Dream

Judge people "not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."   Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said those words in 1963 less than five years before a gunman took his life.   Seeing his speech was an inspirational conclusion to my 1996 visit to the Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham, Alabama.   They were words to all of us, and they apply as much now as they did then.   Dr. King's words and nonviolent protests helped usher in a tidal wave of social change, yet he was a moderate voice in a time full of radicalization from both the right and left.    Following the recent tragedy in Tucson, we heard so many stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things and President Obama's speech stressing how the forces that unite us are far greater than those that divide us.   For a few days, the latest round of bitter political rhetoric on the air and online has been shunned by the overwhelming majority of Americans.   Few doubt that the angry voices will be back, but every American should celebrate the voices of reason, inclusion and compassion that actually move us forward.   This is more than an African-American holiday.   This should be for all Americans.  

Words Hurt

Six Killed in Tucson Shooting (AP)

Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords warned about the effect of hate speech and heated rhetoric before becoming the victim of an attempted assassination herself over the weekend.  Six others were shot dead and a dozen others were injured because of the actions of one young man described as a loner who posted strange internet rants and exhibited some alarming behavior in school.   Still, Jared Lee Loughner had no criminal record, bought a gun and turned an appearance by Representative Giffords at a Tucson Safeway supermarket into a nightmare.  We can make this into yet another gun control debate or try to pin the blame on specific people who may have influenced Loughner, but do we really think this will accomplish anything positive?   I do know this: political discussion has gotten more polarized than I can remember, and I can recall the sixties.   The nasty tone of the 2010 elections (including here in Connecticut), the "my way or the highway" attitude of many bloggers,  cable news shows and talk radio hosts along with the overall lack of civility in society are unacceptable.  I am somewhat familiar with Tucson and may have even been at that store on the busy corner of Ina and Oracle Roads, and I'm saddened to see how a town I loved is now part of an angry immigration debate where few people have any desire to compromise.   The Pima County Sheriff there said it well,  calling for an end to the "vitriol" in public discussion.  This should serve as a wake-up call!   Think twice before demonizing others.   From what I heard in the media today, few are taking that advice.

Video Brings Back the Radio Star

Ted Williams on WNCI Columbus, OH

The video of homeless and unemployed radio announcer Ted Williams panhandling by the road in Columbus, Ohio caught the attention of millions when the video went viral.  He was holding a sign saying he had a "golden voice" and a passing newspaper reporter happened to record him.   Williams said he had a drug problem, but had been clean for two years.   After quickly getting over 5,000,000 hits on YouTube and national news coverage, the offers started flooding in from across the country to do radio shows and voiceover work.   Could this man become a millionaire?   I have to agree with everyone else who has heard his voice - this guy is major market material.   Howard Stern claimed that the story could be a hoax, wondering how this man with the golden voice could have become so destitute.   Howard has seldom been called an elitist, but I have to wonder if the "King of All Media" realizes how tough times are for so many talented broadcasters who now have little or no work in a profession they love.   A few bad breaks or wrong moves can seriously disrupt a career.   Radio jobs are not as numerous these days, and the average wage has never been the road to riches.   Beyond broadcasting, this story of redemption has caught the attention of many Americans.   I have been fortunate to have made much of my living at something I have loved for over 35 years without resorting to panhandling, but who are we to think we could never be that down on our luck?      I am excited to have a new radio home on 102.3 The Wolf (WMOS).   I'll be on Citadel New London's rock station live from the Mohegan Sun studios Saturdays 2-6pm and Sundays 10am-3pm and a few fill-in shifts too.   Give a wave when you go by.