I'm Sorry This Is Funny

The analog to digital TV conversion is supposed to be just a few weeks away and now there is chatter about delaying it. There will never be a good time even if it's delayed for another few years. Some percentage of the population will always be ill prepared. Let's get on with it.

That said, the coupon program has been a mess, shuffling channels in some markets are sure to confuse, and the tech challenged and elderly may experience some extra angst. So while all that is true, there's no reason to lose our sense of humor:

Serious Newsmen ARE NOT Funny!

A very out of character promo for PBS. Good to see and good for a chuckle.

Even the VO is not in the norm--Doc Morgan's booming voice loud and clear.

Day One @ NAB and *YES* It Was Fun

Busy day here in Austin and I have some video you certainly won't see anywhere else.

After NAB President and CEO David Rehr addressed the ballroom with the show's State of the Industry Address [largely the same address as he delivered at the Conclave a couple of months ago] it was:

The New York Times columnist and Emmy-winning technology correspondent for “CBS News Sunday Morning,” David Pogue, will deliver the keynote address, offering attendees a unique perspective on the opportunities that evolving technology brings to the future of radio.

Unfortunately, I was unable to make the speech, but fortunately I run into Saga's Steve Goldstein who was kind enough to share the take-away from the session AND provide some funny moments on the convention floor. See for yourself right here:

From The Archives

Larry King was the king of late night radio for many years--even after he began doing his nightly CNN TV show. It made for a very long night. Gawker unearthed a classic piece of audio in which Larry was either uber tired or as some have suggested, drunk. The specific date is unknown, but it probably dates from the late 80's.


The folks at The Huffington Post were so enthralled with the audio they transcribed it.

TRANSCRIPT:

Caller: I'm a student of print journalism, and I just wanted to know: what advice do you have for young people coming up into the field? Like, a lot of our professors are telling us how hard it is to get into the field at first. I'd just like to know, since you're in the field, if you have any advice on that.

[silence]

Caller: For instance, experience: is that important?
Larry King: Uh huh, sure.
Caller: Is that probably the most important?
Larry King: Well, it's way up there.
Caller: It's way up there...anything else?
Larry King: Pressure under fire, done this before, I don't want this to be his first surgery.
Caller: Okay...
Larry King: Applied himself well. These are the things that I'd have confidence in a young M.D.
Caller: Okay...I'm talking about the journalism field.
Larry King: I'm lost, what do you mean?
Caller: Journalism...I'm a student of journalism at a college and I was just wondering the most important aspect of getting into journalism. Not the medical field. I think you're exhausted from 30 nights.
Larry King: I am exhausted from 30 nights. No person, even those of us who are superhuman, those of us with Herculean appetites for the diverse and the bizarre, even those of us who have shown an aptitude to fight the good fight and stay the good long battle...even those of us can get tired. And your boy is tired after 30 consecutive nights. I have a half hour to go and I'm gonna do that half hour because I'm a pro, and that's what pros do. I'm a pro-fessional. Look it up in the book.
Caller: Okay...
Larry King: That's what we do, we're pros. We're never rude and we don't cop out. We don't tell you that we're ill or that we're looking for the farmhouse in the middle of the desert. Or that we're parched. We don't tell you that maybe the check didn't come through this month, and where the hell does it go anyway if you're a guy who's left 16 forwarding addresses?
Caller: Okay...
Larry King: So what do you do? What is the answer? Yeah, you're a little perturbed now. Kinda worried about the club.
Caller: The club?
Larry King: Don't worry about the club. Worry about, maybe, Jackie, my...haha, nah, don't worry. Okay, just cool it. Life is a breeze. Of course, some breezes as you know at 110 mph and get promoted up to hurricanes...I just thought I'd pass that along. Speaking of pass along, we're gonna pass along now to the newsroom, the Mutual Newsroom high atop the overlooking downtown, beautiful downtown studios of Roslyn, Virginia, Washington DC. The Mutual Newsroom will get us up to date on the news headlines and we'll come back with more Open Phone America and we'll have our salute to my man Duke Zeibert by taking him to one of his favorite places, one of mine too: the town of Cooperstown, New York. This is the Larry King Show in Washington, and we'll be right back.

Radio Donna Turns You On

I can't resist posting this. Not exactly the standard issue CHR spot one might see here in the US. Although, I seem to remember seeing this spot done for another station or another product. If you know the history let us know.

From Radio Donna in Brussels:



Certainly attention getting!

OK, hopefully that made you laugh a little. Now back to our regularly scheduled blog. While I have you, please let me remind you to check out a post from the end of the day Friday that you might have missed. Be sure to look at "Unlocking Cool" - an outstanding slide show that we can all learn something from.