So I've always
kept in touch with my producers from my CBS days. Not
even really a networking thing - I just kinda
root for them. When you're part of a team, even when
you're not resigned the next year - you still hope
your old teammates do well. My NY producers were Tammy
& Steve, who I've written about often and still
try to scheme things with now that they're at MSNBC...
and in LA? It was the OTHER hardest working man in TV:
Jim Mietus. He produced my Living Room Live segment
and once he realized I had it down? Was very
thankful to produce OTHER things while me and The
Egos screwed around on the set. An Egos day was always
a fun day for the CBS News crew because there was
a lot of sitting, laughing and watching some dude be
extremely bizarre.
On top of the Egos
bit I travelled with Jim to Oklahoma to do a story on
Crooked X (a Living Room Live band that did quite
well) and really watched him labor over the piece.
Shooting hour upon hour upon hour of video for a 5
minute bit. He kinda made my head spin. But
I appreciated it, and I think he knew
I appreciated it because he saw what I would
produce each week and wonder how it was even possible.
I still argue that level of editing under that
timeframe would be turned down by professional
production houses let alone one dude and a laptop.
What a fun time.
So in the past few
years I've kept in touch with Jim and went back to
Television City to shoot the shit. Again, networking
aside, Jim is just a likeable guy. He would ask about
what I was doing, try to help in any way he could
pitching stuff to the executive producers for the show
- but the truth is, I got lucky when Steve Friedman
opened that door for me. That lightening doesn't
strike twice. However, I'm refocusing on career stuff
and just wanted to meet up again. As well, the
national news moved to CBS Radford and I was
curious to check out the new digs. Certainly an
awesome facility...
...and the local
side is absolutely gigantic. I know LA is
the #2 Market but, wow. There isn't this much space in
NY and certainly not on the local side. Les Rose, one
of the camera guys that used to do The Egos was there
too and it was awesome to see him again. I watched him
from across the room try and explain to a co-worker
what it was that I used to do on the show and he
finally had to pull me in to help. LOL. It's a funny
thing to explain in a few sentences.
Walking through,
of course I missed working there. I long for the
"team" mentality of things. It's fun waking up
each day and trying to push your station to better
numbers. And recently, CBS This Morning (formerly The
Early Show) has done quite well with a bit of a format
change: actual news instead of the "today show"
lifestyle format. I don't watch any of it so
I haven't the slightest idea just how different
it is, but from a strategic standpoint I enjoy reading
about the numbers and I dig that they're finding a
niche and standing out a bit.
Of course that
niche, which is clearly the right path for them, is
where I fade into the history at CBS News because I'm
a bunch of fluff. I was already straddling the
line of CBS News and CBS Entertainment
(which is why they connected me with Favale and
I was offered Up & Adam), but now? There's
not even a whiff of something I could do. And I'm
honestly too happy for them to be bummed. They're
doing the right thing, the numbers are improving and
Jim for the first time in the nearly 7 years I've
known him seems relaxed. Well, maybe relaxed isn't the
best adjective... he's more confident. He is finally
in a situation where his strengths are clear and the
management sees it. There isn't a more deserving human
on the planet. And wouldn't it be nice if actual news
won? Not political punditry, but actual
journalism?
