Thursday, April 23, 2015
3.13 BREAKING NEWS: Requiem For A Peacock
Alas, poor NBC. I knew it, Steve Nation, a network of infinite possibilities.
As I will chronicle in my upcoming book, I had the pleasure to craft a 92-page ode(term paper,to be exact) to the National Broadcasting Company during my tenure as a Media Arts major at Long Island University. I honored the legacy of founder David Sarnoff who clearly believed in the hard work ethic and, employing the resources of the New York Public Library, NBC, its then-parent company, RCA, Disney, and various competitors and international broadcasters, retraced its steps from radio pioneer to "The Full Color Network." As time went on, I became an investor in NBC through GE Capital and its current owner. Comcast/NBC Universal, and I continued to respect NBC's ouevre, from TODAY and NBC NIGHTLY NEWS (before Brian Williams) to SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and SEINFELD. NBC's cable networks MSNBC and CNBC each represented a different side of the political aisle, but they both continued the tradition of Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, John Chancellor, Tom Brokaw, and many others.
This year, Comcast/NBC was getting ready to acquire Time Warner Cable, spun off from its famous communications giant namesake. and explore the unlimited horizons of the digital age. Today, I was shocked to hear that after much opposition on Capitol Hill, the NBC/Time Warner merger has been tabled indefinitely, and with it, an NBC compatible with this brave new world aborning. There's another earthquake about to hit DC, and it will be caused by Sarnoff spinning in his grave. How will NBC's far-flung family, from its news networks to regional and national sports channels to its award-winning Sprout kids' channel even survive now that it has been told that it, and TWC, star-crossed lovers like Romeo and Juliet, can never live together?
Granted, they have existed as separate entities up till this point and they will continue to do well in the future, but the future of communications has been changed forever, and NOT for the good. The NBC/Time Warner merger should not be allowed to die! It can only HELP people! The NBC Peacock's feathers deserve to shine brightly over TV screens around the world, regardless of what a few backward-thinking know-nothings have to say.
Thoughts?
Steve out!
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
3.12 PLAY BALL!
Ladies and gentlemen, Winter has left the building.
FINALLY!
For those of us in the US,and Canada, and our brave men and women who can only follow the game on Armed Services Radio as they protect our rights and liberties overseas, baseball is back, and with it, the promise of spring and a glad goodbye to the dismal weather and ill feeling of the past six months.
Already in New York, the Yankees have risen like the legendary phoenix from the ashes of a dismal season made even sadder by the departure of team captain Derek Jeter and avenged a 19-inning defeat at the hands of the Red Sox by defeating them in the rubber game of an exciting homestand at Baseball's Home Office in the Bronx and swept the Tampa Bay Rays at their home park, Tropicana Field, (HOME OF MUSIC FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED!), and the Mets have returned to Citi Field in Flushing, Queens after scalping the Braves in Atlanta while cultivating a winning streak unlike any in their history. Would a Subway Series be too much to ask? Hope not!
In other news, it's time to send a long-overdue shout-out to Todd Pettengill, who many of you may remember from his ads for Cabin Fever Entertainment, his TV shows WWF (now WWE) Mania, Dish Nation, and Come Dine With Me, and, of course, the many phone scams he perpetrated on WPLJ Radio here in New York. I had the pleasure to see the Toddster at 'PLJ and NASH FM 94.7's "Best of the Tri-State" show at the Affinia Manhattan hotel across the street from Madison Square Garden, and since I followed his former partner Scott Shannon from 'PLJ to WCBS-FM, I was worried that he would call me every dirty name in the book, but, quite the contrary, he was genuinely happy to see me. His new partner, Jayde Donovan, is also a very nice person, and it was also fun catching up with Executive Producer Joe Pardavila, also known as the Monkey Boy. (LOOOOONG story.) Of course, it was fun meeting all the various event participants, although there are some I'll never patronize, (Best Pizza?!? Best Gym?!? Best Cupcakes?!? My trainer would kill me!) but meeting Todd and Jayde was definitely the highlight of the evening. (And the fact that he loves this blog doesn't hurt either!)
Time to close the door on this edition, but check out http://www,steveonbooks.blogspot.com for the first episode of the greatest blog since, well, this blog, STEVE'S BOOK BLOG! It will change the way you read books forever! (Or, at least, get you ready for Steve's Book, coming soon to a bookstore, library, or website near you!)
Steve out!
FINALLY!
For those of us in the US,and Canada, and our brave men and women who can only follow the game on Armed Services Radio as they protect our rights and liberties overseas, baseball is back, and with it, the promise of spring and a glad goodbye to the dismal weather and ill feeling of the past six months.
Already in New York, the Yankees have risen like the legendary phoenix from the ashes of a dismal season made even sadder by the departure of team captain Derek Jeter and avenged a 19-inning defeat at the hands of the Red Sox by defeating them in the rubber game of an exciting homestand at Baseball's Home Office in the Bronx and swept the Tampa Bay Rays at their home park, Tropicana Field, (HOME OF MUSIC FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED!), and the Mets have returned to Citi Field in Flushing, Queens after scalping the Braves in Atlanta while cultivating a winning streak unlike any in their history. Would a Subway Series be too much to ask? Hope not!
In other news, it's time to send a long-overdue shout-out to Todd Pettengill, who many of you may remember from his ads for Cabin Fever Entertainment, his TV shows WWF (now WWE) Mania, Dish Nation, and Come Dine With Me, and, of course, the many phone scams he perpetrated on WPLJ Radio here in New York. I had the pleasure to see the Toddster at 'PLJ and NASH FM 94.7's "Best of the Tri-State" show at the Affinia Manhattan hotel across the street from Madison Square Garden, and since I followed his former partner Scott Shannon from 'PLJ to WCBS-FM, I was worried that he would call me every dirty name in the book, but, quite the contrary, he was genuinely happy to see me. His new partner, Jayde Donovan, is also a very nice person, and it was also fun catching up with Executive Producer Joe Pardavila, also known as the Monkey Boy. (LOOOOONG story.) Of course, it was fun meeting all the various event participants, although there are some I'll never patronize, (Best Pizza?!? Best Gym?!? Best Cupcakes?!? My trainer would kill me!) but meeting Todd and Jayde was definitely the highlight of the evening. (And the fact that he loves this blog doesn't hurt either!)
Time to close the door on this edition, but check out http://www,steveonbooks.blogspot.com for the first episode of the greatest blog since, well, this blog, STEVE'S BOOK BLOG! It will change the way you read books forever! (Or, at least, get you ready for Steve's Book, coming soon to a bookstore, library, or website near you!)
Steve out!
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
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