Geez I haven’t been to a punk concert since the fall… and that was in Paris as I recall. Well, we’ll always have fall in Paris I suppose. I am getting ready to hit the road in the good old U.S. of A and a little like a punk band, I’m stopping in major cities on my route, except instead of performing music, I’m performing a little dance with TV stations called “Please take my show”.
Paris Punk Show
It’s a difficult, if not complicated dance. There are few willing dance partners and many just want you out of their office as soon as possible with as little work as possible on their end.
It’s not their fault, entirely. The media business has consolidated to the point that some people don’t give a shit about civility, professionalism or even doing the right thing anymore. They are doing 3 jobs for about the same pay they used to get for doing just one just 5 years ago. Thank you Wall Street, you’ve ruined yet another industry with your appetite for profits at all cost.
So a lot of bad, bad, bad TV ends up on the air. But as bad as it gets for local TV stations at times, it’s still soooooo much better than cable networks who, if they ever had a soul (and yes, not that long ago did… a few, very few, still do), lost it long, long ago.
So here we are, years after saying we’d never get back into broadcast syndication business after escaping with our scalps and sanity just barely in tact last time, back in it. Yet things have degenerated further still. Less people doing more work. Less accountability. Less caring about anything but the almighty $ in the shortest of terms, even if that means killing the business in the medium or long term. Few can afford to think long term or even short-medium term anymore. Or so they think.
Honey Boo Boo Show – What passes for good TV these days
I’ve had some nasty experiences already.. Me “Hi, you may not remember me but we used to work together 5 or 6 years ago….” them “I remember you…. (Silence).. My side “uh oh they don’t sound happy to hear from me”. Their side, “How can I help you” in the most miserable tone you can imagine and with obvious ill will and the underlying tone that they have absolutely no intention of helping me, their station(s) or anyone but themselves.
Ahhh but in all that misery, lies some good. Some people that are golden. Where their handshake or just their verbal “yes” is their word, no contract needed, but will be given anyway.
People who still believe there is a right way to do things and that the TV Viewer should be their first priority, not their last. People who are genuinely glad to hear from me and I am happy to say, the good STILL outnumber the bad, by a long, long shot. Maybe by a 4 to 1 margin even (Maybe it just seems less because the negativity of a few is so powerful at times yes?).. No, all is not lost my friends, so that is what I shall focus on.
Here is a tentative list of cities I’ll be hitting over the next few weeks pitching “Raw Travel” and rediscovering the U.S. If you are in any of these cities, and know of a good punk show, let me know. In some instances, I may have more free time than I care to have and I will always have at least a flip cam with me.
– Phoenix, Denver, Chicago, Miami, West Palm, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Ft. Myers, Atlanta, Washington DC, Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas…. and maybe Nashville, Ft. Myers and Huntsville, AL.
Not in that order.
In the meantime, here are 3 more Raw Travel Promos to keep you going, episode 104-106.
Trinidad & Tobago (104)
Bogota, Medellin & Cartagena, Colombia (Feat. Los Suziox)
Episode 106 – Rural Colombia