How Many Anchors Does It Take to Screw in a Lightbulb? and Today Marks an Anniversary
So, how many news anchors does it take to screw in a lightbulb? That was a question posed to me a number of years ago and if you work around a newsroom you'll get a variety of answers from everyone including producers, reporters, videographers, assignment desk folks and the managers. The answer: Just one. The anchor just holds up the lightbulb and places it in the light socket. After all, the world revolves around him or her. But you'll have to wait for the lightbulb to be installed until after they get back from a two and a half hour breakfast/lunch/dinner or they need to run some errands (unless they have an intern pick up their drycleaning) or you'll have to wait until tomorrow because they have a date with a personal trainer/or have a nail appointment. Other than that, the anchor is ready to go.
No, I'm not picking on anchors this week. It's just pointing out the obvious in some shops. Some people do make it easy to be targets.
And today is an anniversary for me. It was one year ago that I started this blog. In that first posting, I raised the question of why someone would start a blog and once a blog was started, would anybody read it or respond. I have been quite flattered to find a few folks do read. This past year I've had more than 60-thousand hits on the blog which has ranged topic-wise from what's happening at local TV stations to the death of my father from cancer. I've found that along the way there are some people who read and respond on a regular basis and for a while there were those who couldn't wait to spew forth the same old venom no matter what the topic. Those in the latter category finally went away. This blog has allowed me to reconnect with folks I've met over the past 25 years of my former TV career and to make some new friends.
I've considered pulling the plug on this blog several times over the past year and that may still happen at some point in time. But that time is not today nor this week (despite what some might wish) so I plan to jot down a few more thoughts and notes from time to time. Thank you for taking time to check in.
No, I'm not picking on anchors this week. It's just pointing out the obvious in some shops. Some people do make it easy to be targets.
And today is an anniversary for me. It was one year ago that I started this blog. In that first posting, I raised the question of why someone would start a blog and once a blog was started, would anybody read it or respond. I have been quite flattered to find a few folks do read. This past year I've had more than 60-thousand hits on the blog which has ranged topic-wise from what's happening at local TV stations to the death of my father from cancer. I've found that along the way there are some people who read and respond on a regular basis and for a while there were those who couldn't wait to spew forth the same old venom no matter what the topic. Those in the latter category finally went away. This blog has allowed me to reconnect with folks I've met over the past 25 years of my former TV career and to make some new friends.
I've considered pulling the plug on this blog several times over the past year and that may still happen at some point in time. But that time is not today nor this week (despite what some might wish) so I plan to jot down a few more thoughts and notes from time to time. Thank you for taking time to check in.
posted by Joe Larkins at 4:33 AM
7 Comments:
Joe,
Congratulations on the 1st year mark. I pulled the plug on "Ask the GM" about six months ago because I didn't have the discipline to post on a regular basis. Also, my kids made fun of me.
I enjoy the TV talk and the opportunity to share my thoughts. Keep it going. With the tremendous amount of change occuring in broadcast right now and more to come, this is a great forum. Besides, if you wanted to, you could actually turn this into a money making venture. (Leave it to a former sales guy/GM to point that out.) Regardless of anything else, it allows me to keep tabs on the Memphis Media from afar.
The GM
Congratulations, Joe. You're an excellent story teller. Always a good read. Thanks.
Hi Joe! Congrats on the 1 year mark!
Do you have any more anecdotes on your Dad. He seemed to be a down to earth guy and your tale of him made excellent reading.
Again, best wishes on the 1 year mark keep it up!
(The early days of TV junky).......JD
PS> Does anyone know where Bernie Mintz from 5, and earlier 10, went? How about Charlie Caldwell?
Joe-
Its been fun reading your insight into the world of broadcasting. Congrats on your one year run.
To JD, Bernie Mintz is working the assignment desk at Channel 13.
Congratulations on your one year. Here is to more years of online story telling.
Congrats on your anniversary Joe! It's been fun checking in on your blog and hearing from the DOTR ex-pats like Tommy Stafford, Jamey Tucker and Dougie Fresh. I hear that other folks who still work in the Memphis market also read your blog every day, but keep it on the QT for obvious reasons. Keep it up, because you are appreciated and provide a civil forum for folks to discuss TV news issues. And if the GM says you can make money on it, why not go for it?
Congratulations on one year, Joe! I'll echo Joan's comment said above -- it's good to have a calm, civil place to talk about these things -- plus, it's nice to know what's going on back home. (If you've ever seen the Arkansas media blog, you've seen how catty these things can become without proper supervision.)
Just wait until it become the 4 year mark (which mine just passed)...
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