MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

You off today? GOOD FOR YOU!

Old Joe ain't and he wanted to share
a few slices of real HISTORY about
MLK with you today.


From the radio side...not one OLD
DJ can ever take this day off without remembering
the guy who made IMUS and his shot at
the ladies BB team look T tiny.






The GREASEMAN dropped a thought
on MLK that not only got him
bounced off the air but also
slapped him in his wallet!

His quote ""Kill four more and we can take the whole week off."
along with a good look back
at The Greaseman can be found in
the Washington Post. Click right
HERE for the story.




As for MLK,


Frances Rice as written a
column that will turn even the
far far left's necks!

Frances reminds us that Al Gore Sr.
and JFK were NOT FOR the civil rights
act and that the LBJ used..get this..
the N word to describe Martin Luther King!

Oh and the title of the column is....

Why Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican

It is a great read today and a wonderful
thing to send to all of your far far left
buds. Check it out right here!


Have a great day OFF!

Old Joe

Still on Injured Reserve

Staff is still down with a dual case
of the phillipean Fallaparts and
the BrainscrambledVapors but
because of what Ferris Bueller
would call "choice" stories
in the news Old Joe the
Sanitation Engineer thought he would
get something out there for the bored
and cabin crazy.



First Joe is both bipolar and bipartisan so don't go
jumping him over the wild and crazy things this
primary season is birthing in the news!


BREAKING NEWS

HOW IT ALL STARTED:


Humans existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunter/gatherers.
They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer & would go to the
coast and live on fish and lobster in winter.


The 2 most important events in all of history were the
invention of beer and
the invention of the wheel.
The wheel was invented to get man to
the beer.
These were the foundation of modern
civilization and together
were the catalyst
for the splitting of humanity into 2
distinct subgroups:


Liberals and Conservatives.


Once beer was discovered it required grain and that
was the beginning of agriculture.
Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum
can were invented yet, so while our
early human ancestors were sitting
around waiting for them to be invented,
they just stayed close to the
brewery.

That's how villages were formed.


Some men spent their days
tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at
night
while they were drinking beer.
This was the beginning of what is
known as "the Conservative movement."


Other men who were weaker and less
skilled at hunting learned to live
off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly
B-B-Q's
and doing the sewing, fetching and hair dressing.
This was the beginning of the Liberal
movement. Some of these liberal men eventually evolved
into women.
The rest became known as 'girliemen.'


Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the
domestication of cats,the invention of group
therapy, group hugs and the
concept of Democratic
voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that
conservatives
provided.


Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by
the largest, most
powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals
are symbolized by the
jackass.


Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added),
but most prefer
white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw
fish but like their beef
well done. Sushi , tofu, and French food are standard
liberal fare.


Another interesting revolutionary side note: most of
their women have
higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social
workers, personal
injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood
and group therapists
are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter
rule because it
wasn't "fair" to make the pitcher also bat.


Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat
and still provide
for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters,
rodeo cowboys,
lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical
doctors, police
officers, corporate executives, Marines, athletes and
generally anyone who
works productively. Conservatives who own companies
hire other
conservatives who want to work for a living.


Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to
"govern" the producers
and decide what to do with the production. Liberals
believe Europeans are
more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of
the liberals remained
in Europe when conservatives were coming to America.
They crept in after
the Wild West was tame and created a business of
trying to get MORE for
nothing.

Here ends today's lesson in world history:

It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary
urge to
respond to the above before simply laughing and
forwarding it.
A Conservative will be so convinced of the absolute
truth of this history
that it will be forwarded immediately.

MORE OLD COLUMNS!!

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

Dr Phil has
CALLED OFF his
show on BRITNEY.

The bald basher of blatantly bad behavior says
the situation is "too intense" to do a show
on the Britney bombshell breakdown.

TRUTH is the latest report shows the
kid had ZERO drugs and ZERO booze in
her body!

Phil jumped on her like a beagle going
after a plate of porkchops thinking he
could ride her coat tail into the next level
of TV Healer. You have to love it when
a sleazy plan goes bad! Cya PHIL!










FOLKS like last time these are
O L D columns...like in 6 years
OLD. Some of you replied to
the ones from last time as if they
were talking about things
TODAY...THEY AIN'T!

Simply put..they are looks
back at things and folks
who USED to jerk the media
world's chain locally.


Here is one from
2000AND TWO!!!

In the spring Nancy Lynn Trentham left television for a career in the pharmaceutical industry. Trentham, then morning news anchor on WATE, was the second morning team anchor to leave this spring. The last man standing in the morning is Sean Owsley, who is also leaving soon. It is not uncommon for an anchor or meteorologist to leave now and then, but an entire team exiting in less than 6 months is a real event. When people leave in mass the station has to shore up the show until everyone is gone and then hire both in accordance to personal chemistry and talent. WATE has just completed this unique task.


The week of August 19th a new morning team will hit the air on Channel 6. WATE News Director Aaron Ramey said, “We’re excited about putting these three people together. We looked for the right mix of news experience, investigative experience, interview skills, and personality…and I think we’ve found it.”
The new anchor/reporters are Amy Rutledge, Bo Williams, and meteorologist Matthew Miller.


Williams started with WATE last month. In recent weeks he has co-anchored with the departing Sean Owsley. Williams came to 6 from WBRZ in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. Co-anchor Amy Rutledge came to 6 this month from KVBC in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her hometown is Chicago and she has worked for TV stations in Evansville, Indiana, Reno, Nevada, Marion, Illinois, and Carbondale, Illinois. She is a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors, Incorporated.


The third new team member on “Good Morning Tennessee” is Matthew Miller. Before coming to 6 he worked for KMAC in St. Louis and in Lubbock, Texas. Miller holds a masters degree in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma and signed on with WATE last week.


The plan for the new team is simple, according to 6 News Director Ramey. “Our goal is to continue to make it East Tennessee’s most informative morning newscast. When it comes to covering stories that developed overnight or covering the stories that are developing live during the morning rush hour, Bo and Amy have the experience to know what is news and what isn’t. Matthew’s knowledge of the weather and his experience working in the Midwest means that he’s going to have the most accurate, dependable morning forecast in the market.” The show airs from 5:30 until 7.
One last addition to the WATE lineup is coming next month. Oprah is moving from WBIR’s afternoon slot to 6 well in advance of the upcoming Nielsen rating period. Her show has been a powerful lead in to WBIR’s Live At Five and WATE hopes the tradition continues when she joins the crew at Graystone.

When Scripps announced they were buying the majority of Shop At Home, hundreds of ears went up in Knoxville. The network experienced its major growth when it moved from Newport to Merchants Road. When the shopping channel pulled up cameras and moved to Nashville, just under 400 jobs were lost locally. While in the capitol the company became awash in debt and the culmination of its financial situation may have attributed to the sale last week. If you were one of the many people who waved goodbye as the trucks headed west on 40, and you think they might be headed back due to the new owners, you best keep your day job. Scripps has openly said it is going to enjoy its exposure in Nashville, home of the network. Doesn’t sound like Scripps has any plans to return Shop At Home to Knoxville.
One talent side bar to pop up last week concerned former Shop At Home late night pitchman Don West. According to a press release, he is joining a professional wrestling corporation on their announcing team. It isn’t one of the mega companies, but if West puts the same excitement into describing the opening of “cans of whip donkey” as he did pushing signed and framed Babe Ruth personal checks, it is bound to explode.


LETTERS FROM LAS WEEK.
Ms Farkwad is getting married
and will not return from her
honeymoon at the Alhambra Motel until
March.

Staff will answer questions
from the letters under each one.




warhorse said...

Helicopters in Knoxville, Walker?
You've had a little too much of the bubbly!
My wallet is hurting just thinking about
it! Last check of Young Broadcasting's stock says
WATE ain't getting one anytime soon. WBIR might,
but would have to get back into serious journalism
and drop "Glitterville". WVLT's got the fixed-wing
you mentioned, so what's the point if
they have the lock on airborne video?
I'll stay with my newspaper and read about it in the morning.


ANSWER...
The column was from 2002 as in
SIX years ago. Right now there is one
traffic reporting company and unless it
retires there will be one airplane doing them.
NO new moves by any new company to come into the
SHRINKING local market are on the horizon.

As for the newspaper I agree they
still report news at times and at times
still beat the other "old" media types.
Key is to check them ON LINE because the next day
news in the yard is old after 11:20 PM to those
who click their paper open rather than
pull the band off of it.







Thursday, January 3, 2008 12:03:00 AM EST

Blogger Byron said...

When I was in Vegas a couple of months ago,
the news helicopters were really buzzing around
the implosion site of the New Frontier Hotel & Casino.
I stood and watched in amazement from my hotel
window for 30 minutes or so. It was pretty cool.

I think Dan Farkas needs to
get a helicopter and report
live from over the top of
Neyland Stadium! Now that'd be good TV!



ANSWER..Great report from Sin City. I bet more than
a few of those choppers flew over from Calf. to watch
them drop the Frontier.

Speaking of "dropping" or clearing off
buildings. Noticed last night (I know
I should get out more) that the old R.S.
Fulton plant is leveled. Another example
of the land being worth more than the
building and another example of the city and the
country easing away from local manufacturing.
That old place sure did leave a big footprint
on both the land and the lives of all those
who worked there.




Thursday, January 3, 2008 4:45:00 PM EST
Delete
Anonymous Jethro said...

Helicopters ain't cheap, even to lease.

But a Jet Ranger with gyro-cam
beats the crap out of shaky-cam
from a fixed wing any day.

It'd be a great promotional
tool for covering football/basketball
games in the boonies,
and for promoting true "market-wide" coverage.

Probably won't happen though, because:

1) 10 is too fat, lazy, arrogant
and ratings-rich to want or
need to do it.

2)6's corporate parent is too revenue-strapped to attempt it.

3)8 has little money locally, and
either is unwilling or unable to
tap the corporate purse for a large expense that won't translate into
revenue immediately.

That said -- if one station does it, all will.

Might make this market wake-up from its soft, safe, hillbilly slumber.


ANSWER..WATE had one of the first if not the first TV choppers.
WIVK had one also for a bit..then I think I
remember them going to an old bi wing plane?
One of my favorite stories comes from one of
my favorite sports directors....JIM WOGAN
when he told me of his wild ride in their
chopper up to cover a Notre Dame game.
It sure needs to be in "THE" book
if ever I get the nerve up to write it!

You make some good points in the rest of
your rant...please keep ranting.

WE MADE IT TO 08!

Most rags had year end stories for New Years..
but we are such next level we thought we would look back
at YEARS of old stories. Also the staff is still jail
in Key West so Old Joe (our sanitary engineer)
felt he could keep the joint alive with a fast
look back and then some cut and pasting!


Here are some things from two columns (not a clue which
rag they were in) from late 2002 and also the first week
of 2003.

Enjoy and don't forget to slide over and check out
the local radio history history on this outstanding
blog!






Dec 2002

A former Knoxville TV anchor
is returning to his home state.
John Gilbert has worked for
WPEC in West Palm Beach, Florida,
KDFW in Dallas, KETK in Tyler, Texas,
KLAS in Las Vegas, and locally for WVLT.
Gilbert, an A & M grad and a Texas native,
starts in January at Waco-Temple’s KCEN.
He will be the 6 and 10 p.m. weeknight
anchor for the NBC affiliate.



Jan. 2, 2003

A full column about a local
Fulton High alumni who hit it
big in Chattanooga!


How many times has the radio traffic
guy told you the road you were on was clear,
while you sat at a dead stop watching
a child in the next car lick a window
and look deeply into your eyes?
You switch to another station and
the same guy is affirming clear sailing as
the elderly couple in front of you exits
their Buick and start pouring charcoal into their grill.
What is going on?
Can’t the guy see everyone
is growing old and a few have even passed away
as he continues to rattle on about the lack
of wrecks or stalls in the morning commute?
The truth is even with all the modern technology and
fast single wing airplanes flying our skies,
reporters around here sometimes just blow it.

One local kid has made both
money and a career out of
telling actually where the traffic is stopped.


Butch Johnson got hooked on radio at
Knoxville’s Fulton High School.
In 1984 he was learning from the master,
former WKGN pioneer Dr. Al Adams.
After a stint on a Clinton radio station
Butch learned to fly at Island Home.

Today that Fulton alum is the only
helicopter pilot/reporter in the State of Tennessee.
His company, Butch Johnson’s Chattanooga Eye
in the Sky Traffic, is also the only company
in the U.S. providing live aerial traffic online.


Johnson is much more than just
the guy with the inside on who
hit who on the interstate.
He also feeds live video to
Chattanooga TV news departments
during breaking news and he is also
the only traffic reporter in the Tri State
area to bring “Electronic News
Gathering Live Eye” video to both TV and the World Wide Web.
His coverage is on over 20 local stations.


Johnson is not only accurate,
but he takes a very dull job and makes it fun.
He would never think of saying a car was on fire,
but if you hear him mention a “Carbecue” you get the idea.
Vehicles are never stalled in Butch’s reports;
they just become “Wrecker Bait” and if you want to see a judge,
just ignore his warning about “Kojack with a Kodak” on your route.


Although Butch has saved
many a commuter a trip to
courthouse he is still
in good graces with the law.
In the Chattanooga area he is
the only reporter to ever have
direct radio contact with Hamilton County EMS,
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department,
TDOT Help Dispatcher,
Soddy Daisy Police Department,
Signal Mountain Police Department,
and the Collegedale Police Department
using his police call sign “Hamilton County Airwatch One.

I talked with Butch over the holidays
and asked him if he would be interested
in bringing helicopter traffic reports back to Knoxville.
The last helicopter doing traffic on a
full time basis was owned by
WIVK back in the early 70’s.
Since then the local reporters
either use cars or in a fixed wing airplane.
Butch said, “I’m expensive, but I can be had.
I’m not motivated by money.
I’m motivated by the amount of money.
There is a big difference.”
If Johnson did bring his helicopter
into play locally,
Knoxville would join the bigger
markets in both traffic reporting and news coverage.
When major news happens
in large markets the news helicopters
look like bees going to the hive.
Years ago WATE had a helicopter,
but today none of the local stations have one.
If Johnson did come home not only could
you hear about a “Carbecue” on the radio you could watch it
live on both the web and TV. Could it happen? Stay tuned.


The first trend of the Winter Arbitron
came out December 30th.
Trends are just that but like the name says,
strung together they can show a station falling or rising.
This first report showed a few doing both.