Scott Cox is all about the outrageous.
From the things he says to, well, the things he says.
I usually flip him on for a couple minutes on my drive home after the No Bull Morning Show to hear him launch into an attack on something he heard, saw or read. It doesn't last very long these days, due to the new format at the radio station, but it's good for an occasional laugh, chuckle or shake of the head.
Anyone who listens to Cox knows that he deals in sensationalistic, shock value entertainment.
That said, I'm finding it hard to believe this entire political sign stealing stunt, from the first theft to the indefinite suspension, wasn't a giant ratings hoax.
And Cox is sitting back right now having a great big laugh.
Let's recap for a moment.
The talk show host comes up with a scheme to pilfer a dozen or more political signs belonging to KHSD trustee Chad Vegas (a regular on his co-hort's talk show) with the idea of breaking the news of the theft later in the week.
Then, he announces next week that he secured the return of the signs.
Only someone sees him taking one and writes down his license plate number.
It finds it's way to Mr. Vegas who turns it over to the Sheriff's Department.
As the plan starts to unravel, Cox comes clean (after denying the theft to numerous media outlets and station management).
A big press conference, involving Cox and the trustee candidate running for re-election, is held to capture the admission of guilt and apology.
Cox is going to put them all back where he got them, and though Vegas seems slightly annoyed, he seems content to absorb the media spotlight that this stunt has provided for him.
But the Sheriff's Dept. has one of their investigators looking into it, even after the truth came out.
It's gone beyond no harm, no foul. The Sheriff's Dept. says it's a misdemeanor that carries possible jail time and a fine.
Not that Scott will ever see the inside of a cell.
Then, just before the 6pm news, ABC23 is notified that Cox has been suspended indefinitely.
Strange timing, almost to ensure the *breaking news* reference.
And, the radio stations are in the heart of their ratings book.
Add it all up and you've either got a big-time blunder or a carefully orchestrated ratings ploy.
Given the suspension and subsequent Sheriff's investigation, the major gaffe is probably the likely answer, but I can't help but think we're all being taken for a ride.
Like the one Cox provides on his radio show.
Only time will tell which version is the truth.
And I hope, Cox is still able to laugh about it.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Fair Observations
The Kern County Fair 2008 is off and running, but at first glance, it doesn't appear many people are joining in the race.
Yes, there was a good crowd the three days I attended out of the first five, but it was missing the feeling of suffocation.
You know, where you walk down the midway, doing more side-stepping than forward motion.
The crowd of people so thick you could stop walking and move with the flow of the crowd.
Not that I mind, mind you.
But it seems like something is missing. Actually, a lot of somethings.
Even the exhibit halls seem a little bare.
I understand we're still reeling from the economic downtown (recession, did I say that?!) and people might be trying to save a little as we head towards the holidays.
I mean, the fair is expensive. No, really, it is.
You can actually save money by going to Disneyland. No, really, you can't.
There was one incident that did irritate me just a bit.
My two sons and I visited one of the many BBQ shacks at the fair on Sunday.
It's the one that looks like a red barn.
My older one wanted some pit beef with sauce and a little shredded cheese on top.
That's all.
I scanned the menu and the only thing that came close was the pit beef sandwich minus the cheese.
I saw a container of cheese sitting on a ledge by the grill and asked if they could just sprinkle a little on top.
I was told no.
I asked for a side order of cheese to go with the sandwich.
It wasn't possible.
I walked one building south and my son opted for the tri-tip sandwich, which the good folks made to order.
C'mon, a little flexibility this year.
After all, it's not like there was a long line of people waiting to eat.
Yes, there was a good crowd the three days I attended out of the first five, but it was missing the feeling of suffocation.
You know, where you walk down the midway, doing more side-stepping than forward motion.
The crowd of people so thick you could stop walking and move with the flow of the crowd.
Not that I mind, mind you.
But it seems like something is missing. Actually, a lot of somethings.
Even the exhibit halls seem a little bare.
I understand we're still reeling from the economic downtown (recession, did I say that?!) and people might be trying to save a little as we head towards the holidays.
I mean, the fair is expensive. No, really, it is.
You can actually save money by going to Disneyland. No, really, you can't.
There was one incident that did irritate me just a bit.
My two sons and I visited one of the many BBQ shacks at the fair on Sunday.
It's the one that looks like a red barn.
My older one wanted some pit beef with sauce and a little shredded cheese on top.
That's all.
I scanned the menu and the only thing that came close was the pit beef sandwich minus the cheese.
I saw a container of cheese sitting on a ledge by the grill and asked if they could just sprinkle a little on top.
I was told no.
I asked for a side order of cheese to go with the sandwich.
It wasn't possible.
I walked one building south and my son opted for the tri-tip sandwich, which the good folks made to order.
C'mon, a little flexibility this year.
After all, it's not like there was a long line of people waiting to eat.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Goodbye Lloyd
Lloyd Lindsay Young is a man who knows who he is and isn't afraid to share it with the world.
A rare thing in this growing age of anonymous blogging.
One of our first conversations at ABC23 more than 3 years ago was how he would be perceived in the Bakersfield market.
Lloyd acknowledged that the initial impression would be shock, dismay and confusion over his "act" which he had developed for more than four decades.
I found him to be funny, driven and truly committed to providing the most accurate forecast in the valley.
Yes, sometimes "really" committed.
The first newscast we ever did together, Lloyd reached over and stroked Jackie's hair telling her how beautiful it was to the touch.
It was a little unnerving for Jackie at the time, and I jumped on the opportunity.
The next night, I put my foot on the base of her chair (which had wheels) while we were on-air and began to slowly push her towards Lloyd at the end of his forecast.
Something she laughingly smacked me for in the commercial break.
My biggest complaint (and it was pretty minor) was Lloyd had no concept of time during his forecasts and would routinely go over, leaving us to scramble to "pinch" a few seconds here and there to get out of the show on time.
Most of the viewers who didn't care for his delivery couldn't get past all the "shtick" and realize he was right on the money about 99% of the time when it came to his forecasts.
Bottom line, he wanted to give people a weather cast that was informative, accurate and fun.
Seriously, how tough is it to say it's gonna be hot or foggy?!
But when it was time to get serious, Lloyd was no-nonsense.
He was very concerned about people's health during the summer and even put out his own health warnings about high temps and bad air.
He called up the Air Board to complain on several occasions when cooling centers weren't being opened for the elderly in the community, when his forecasts showed that the temperature was going to be higher than the numbers coming out of the National Weather Center.
So, I knew something was up when Lloyd pulled me aside last week to tell me the reason for his departure from ABC23.
It was one of the few times we didn't share a laugh.
For the record, he wasn't fired, he didn't take a TV job in Sacramento and his health is fine.
It was a personal family decision, one that I wish him nothing but the best as he moves forward.
I'm really going to miss him.
But if I get too lonely, I need only open my window and listen to his booming voice cascade down the valley.
A rare thing in this growing age of anonymous blogging.
One of our first conversations at ABC23 more than 3 years ago was how he would be perceived in the Bakersfield market.
Lloyd acknowledged that the initial impression would be shock, dismay and confusion over his "act" which he had developed for more than four decades.
I found him to be funny, driven and truly committed to providing the most accurate forecast in the valley.
Yes, sometimes "really" committed.
The first newscast we ever did together, Lloyd reached over and stroked Jackie's hair telling her how beautiful it was to the touch.
It was a little unnerving for Jackie at the time, and I jumped on the opportunity.
The next night, I put my foot on the base of her chair (which had wheels) while we were on-air and began to slowly push her towards Lloyd at the end of his forecast.
Something she laughingly smacked me for in the commercial break.
My biggest complaint (and it was pretty minor) was Lloyd had no concept of time during his forecasts and would routinely go over, leaving us to scramble to "pinch" a few seconds here and there to get out of the show on time.
Most of the viewers who didn't care for his delivery couldn't get past all the "shtick" and realize he was right on the money about 99% of the time when it came to his forecasts.
Bottom line, he wanted to give people a weather cast that was informative, accurate and fun.
Seriously, how tough is it to say it's gonna be hot or foggy?!
But when it was time to get serious, Lloyd was no-nonsense.
He was very concerned about people's health during the summer and even put out his own health warnings about high temps and bad air.
He called up the Air Board to complain on several occasions when cooling centers weren't being opened for the elderly in the community, when his forecasts showed that the temperature was going to be higher than the numbers coming out of the National Weather Center.
So, I knew something was up when Lloyd pulled me aside last week to tell me the reason for his departure from ABC23.
It was one of the few times we didn't share a laugh.
For the record, he wasn't fired, he didn't take a TV job in Sacramento and his health is fine.
It was a personal family decision, one that I wish him nothing but the best as he moves forward.
I'm really going to miss him.
But if I get too lonely, I need only open my window and listen to his booming voice cascade down the valley.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Presidential Posturing
Bring on the debates, please.
The latest from the Associated Press on Wednesday, Sept. 10th:
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) -- Obama accuses McCain campaign of "lies and phony outrage and Swift-boat politics"
This of course following the "lipstick on a pig" remark by Obama that McCain equated to a cheap shot at Palin.
Can't we just get along and stick to the topics.
Oh, and please leave the "race" and "gender" cards in the briefcase.
Not a chance.
The next couple of weeks will involve a whirlwind tour, through battleground states, in an attempt to move the percentage points in the always shifting polls, one way or the other.
Who gets the next big "bounce" will be decided in the next month.
The first of three Presidential debates is in just over two weeks at the University of Mississippi.
It will focus on domestic policy (if the candidates actually stick to the questions).
The only Vice Presidential battle is October 2nd in St. Louis.
The final two Presidential wranglings will be Oct. 7th in a town hall format and Oct. 15th targeting foreign policy.
Even though the debates are little more than a platform for doublespeak, they have historically provided a few zingers (insert "Read my Lips")
Will John McCain be able to ride the Pitbull express all the way to the November election?
Can Barack Obama reclaim the spotlight that was stolen by Sarah Palin?
Palin has stuck to the game plan of avoiding one-on-one interviews until now.
ABC's Charlie Gibson gets the first shot at Palin in a sit down interview from Alaska this week.
The nation's mainstream media is chomping at the bit for any and all Palin news that's fit (and unfit) to print.
But if you're Barack Obama, don't you have to be a little miffed that your DNC speech had a shelf life of about 12 hours?!
He had the pillars, the points and the prominence of a man whose star was on the rise.
Then, Palin stepped in and shot it out of the sky.
Unfortunately, Joe Biden doesn't have the punch or pizazz to battle Palin in front of the cameras.
When was the last sound bite from Biden used on the news that didn't involve a news magazine show on a Sunday.
If he attacks Palin to harshly, he's a bully and if he backs off he's scared of her.
The Democrats need an audible to regain the momentum and that could happen in the debates.
For the Republicans, once McCain takes the stage with Obama, he won't have Palin at his side helping raise the applause meter.
The debates will end in mid-October with a three week sprint to the finish line, and no matter what is said, insinuated or slung between the opponents, it's going to be the winner by a nose.
And it probably won't smell very good.
The latest from the Associated Press on Wednesday, Sept. 10th:
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) -- Obama accuses McCain campaign of "lies and phony outrage and Swift-boat politics"
This of course following the "lipstick on a pig" remark by Obama that McCain equated to a cheap shot at Palin.
Can't we just get along and stick to the topics.
Oh, and please leave the "race" and "gender" cards in the briefcase.
Not a chance.
The next couple of weeks will involve a whirlwind tour, through battleground states, in an attempt to move the percentage points in the always shifting polls, one way or the other.
Who gets the next big "bounce" will be decided in the next month.
The first of three Presidential debates is in just over two weeks at the University of Mississippi.
It will focus on domestic policy (if the candidates actually stick to the questions).
The only Vice Presidential battle is October 2nd in St. Louis.
The final two Presidential wranglings will be Oct. 7th in a town hall format and Oct. 15th targeting foreign policy.
Even though the debates are little more than a platform for doublespeak, they have historically provided a few zingers (insert "Read my Lips")
Will John McCain be able to ride the Pitbull express all the way to the November election?
Can Barack Obama reclaim the spotlight that was stolen by Sarah Palin?
Palin has stuck to the game plan of avoiding one-on-one interviews until now.
ABC's Charlie Gibson gets the first shot at Palin in a sit down interview from Alaska this week.
The nation's mainstream media is chomping at the bit for any and all Palin news that's fit (and unfit) to print.
But if you're Barack Obama, don't you have to be a little miffed that your DNC speech had a shelf life of about 12 hours?!
He had the pillars, the points and the prominence of a man whose star was on the rise.
Then, Palin stepped in and shot it out of the sky.
Unfortunately, Joe Biden doesn't have the punch or pizazz to battle Palin in front of the cameras.
When was the last sound bite from Biden used on the news that didn't involve a news magazine show on a Sunday.
If he attacks Palin to harshly, he's a bully and if he backs off he's scared of her.
The Democrats need an audible to regain the momentum and that could happen in the debates.
For the Republicans, once McCain takes the stage with Obama, he won't have Palin at his side helping raise the applause meter.
The debates will end in mid-October with a three week sprint to the finish line, and no matter what is said, insinuated or slung between the opponents, it's going to be the winner by a nose.
And it probably won't smell very good.
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