Sunday 10-22-06
Media Column (still in Exile on the web)



Friends, neighbors, and fellow media junkies, is it just me or do you also feel there is something in the air at Channel 10? WBIR is the WIVK of TV in Knoxville, winning every local news rating race since I was in my mid 20s and yet when it is time to replace a member of the news team does it feel to you as if they are kinda shopping the marked down back row trade ins?
If you have nothing to do dash over to sports parlor south (a local comment site) and read what the kids are saying about the new anchor at 10! (http://spsboard.com/SPS/index.php?topic=10Is) If this link doesn't work for you just Google, Sports Parlor South and then click on Landfill for the thread. If you have never visited the site let me give you an up front on some of the posters. They kinda say what they think and in this thread they slip off topic into some sexiest comments about other staff members. Just write that off as children playing behind anonymous screen names and read the stuff on this John Becker dude. Being the Media Maven (self appointed) I want you to remember he is replacing both Ted Hall (cross between Chatsworth Osborne Jr. and Wink Martindale) and the DEAN of local TV news, Bill Williams. Not easy shoes to fill but he didn't beg for the job, the Big Guys at 10 HIRED the boy. If you kinda think (as do more than a few posters on SPS) that he is falling short, then blame it on the corner office kids at 10 and not the new guy! As always your thoughts are welcomed.

Topic TWO, show of hands of those who give a Rat's Donkey about the Tyler Harber saga? In the beginning the 3 part story looked like Huey Long meets Ray Blanton, but now it is dang close to hitting the week old bread shelf. Being raised in Blount County we viewed politics across the river as ok to watch but something you never wanted to step in. From Kyle to Victor and back to the boys Mr. Walker used to wear out in the Watch Dog, it was wide open insanity with just enough dark sides to keep it interesting. Does the Harber epic live up to the past? Where is Cas slugging it out in a council meeting, or even Victor quoting Roberts Rules of Order while getting a very good public cussing from a constituent on the community cable channel? Come on, ripping off a computer, posting on a joke website, messing with (Blount County for stealing) documents? It is just dull. Upside is the big paper and WATE kinda got into the mix over the last few weeks, the downside is does anyone care? Talk among yourselves and post your thoughts.



TOPIC THREE.. JR!
Good lord, when the word got out that a member of the Memphis Political Mob was going to run for Dr. Bill's seat us good East Tennessee republicans laughed so hard we just about spilled our Avion all over our
Polo pullovers. Come on everyone knows about this kid's linage and if you don't let's just say it certainly won't get him into Cherokee. Problem now is the left coast nut jobs are pouring in their laundered money to his run to the extent you can't turn on even a TV Sunday church show without a Jr. spot just before it! Bottom line is we had better cancel our T times, find every registered voter in our gated community and roll, drag, or if needed chase them to the polls to vote for Bob. If Jr. wins Tennessee loses, lets get the guy who turned around Chattanooga elected and give Jr. some time to pass the bar so he can help his kin with their legal matters!