Thank God, I Am No Longer a Broadcaster!

Thank God, I Am No Longer a Broadcaster!
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I spent thirty years of my life in the broadcasting industry. I am proud of that. I was proud to be a broadcaster.

I began at the bottom, as a Sunday ”boardman” in a little “one lung station”, in my hometown, working 12-hour shifts. Heck, I was so eager to break into the broadcasting field I would have worked 24 hour shifts had they asked me!

Soon, (within weeks) I was offered a full time job as a DJ at the competition’s station and I moved on and up.

I never owned my own station. There was a time when I thought I wanted that, and even went so far as to negotiate for the purchase of a station and went to the final meeting with the attorneys and owners, with the contracts on the desk, with a pen on them, ready to be signed. I couldn’t do it. I made my apologies and got up and walked out and turned my back on ownership. I never regretted it. It was NOT what I wanted.

My greatest joy in broadcasting was turning a station around. That is… being hired to go into a station, which, for one reason or another, was on the rocks and turning that station around and putting it back in the winner’s circle and atop the ratings in it’s broadcast coverage area and producing income. I LOVED that. I became pretty good at it, too.

I ramble here to allow you some insight into what I am about to say.

The National Association of Broadcasters, of which my stations were all members, has done a ‘dumb” thing! They allowed the actor Tim Robbins to deliver an address at their convention in Las Vegas. Robbins did exactly what I would have expected him to do. For the details see:

NAB 2008: Tim Robbins Decries Media 'Abyss' in NAB Keynote
Actor Tears Into Government, Media in Keynote at 2008 NAB Show
For the story behind the headlines above, go to:

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/CA6551356.html

We recommend that you read the article.

Now, folks, had I been in the audience, I would have walked out on Mr. Robbins speech. Furthermore, I would have cancelled my station’s membership in the National Association of Broadcasters.

Whoever invited Mr. Robbins must have, MUST HAVE, at least, suspected he was capable of such shenanigans and a little common sense would have led the “speaker hunters” to move on to the next name of potential speakers on the keynote speaker’s list.

I am ashamed for my fellow broadcasters.

I am happy that I am no longer a broadcaster. I do not like where the industry has gone, and I do not think they are serving the best interests of their listeners and many broadcast stations should be challenged, at license renewal time, for just such reasons.

And yes, I have labored for three months, or more, to complete license renewal forms! I KNOW the hard work involved in all phases of broadcasting. I also know broadcasting stations hold licenses in trust. There is an agreement between the users of the airwaves (Broadcast stations) and the owners of the airwaves (The American Public). When the holder of the license is not providing the services required by his community of operation/service, then that broadcaster’s license should be revoked and the license given to a broadcaster who WILL serve the community of license.

If Mr. Robbins had any knowledge at all about the broadcasting industry he would know that.

In my opinion, the directors of the NAB owe an apology to the membership of the NAB for engaging Mr. Robbins to speak at their convention. In the meantime, while members wait for the apology, many stations might want to consider canceling their station’s membership in the National Association of Broadcasters.

Longstreet

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conservative+Broadcasting+Stupid