First topic: that idiot TV news anchor, who got fired after letting a couple bad words slip on the air.
Look, the FIRST thing you learn-- in college or at your first job is to consider every microphone a LIVE microphone, and be careful what you say.
Would I have fired him? Probably. On the other hand, he's a kid, and kids make mistakes-- but this was a huge one. Second chance? Likely. It would all depend on what he's like. Based on the round of TV interviews after the incident, I'm not impressed.
Second topic: AM TV.
I'm currently reading "Top of the Morning." It's Brian Stelter's book on the high stakes game called network morning television. The book is a little wordy, but not bad. I'll do a full review when I complete it. I'm more than half way in, and I'm already disgusted by morning network anchors who complain about getting up at 3:30 AM. Hey, they only get millions of dollars a year to do it-- plus someone else does the research, the writing, prepares questions, does hair and make-up, etc.
The only one I've ever heard with an ounce of class was Bryant Gumbel, and I vividly remember the quote. Someone asked him about the hours when he left NBC's Today. Gumbel said he wasn't going to complain because there are a lot of people "who get up a lot earlier, for a lot less money." Thank you, Bryant.
We are lucky to do what we do.
