This fine, sunny spring morning we must discuss a mort of notable proportions. Nay, it is not that of Ms. Schiavo who has been the unfortunate ticker reel fodder of every bonafide news org on the planet. Nor is it the impending demise of my favorite Popey since Pius IV in the 16th Century.
The cause of unheralded distress is the forced exit of one of news journalisms’ seven wonders, the indefatiguable Ted Koppel. I have admired the Spanish inquisition talents of Koppel since I was but a wee lass. (and kept his picture Teen Beat style on the inside of my closet:pigtails:) He and David Brinkley were my miraculous shamans, waving their magic feathers and rattles, showing this Buckeye girl the full color and pallette of politics cum global diplomacy and opening up a whole world of possibility beyond the door of my 1970’s stucco-style girlhood home. It is no tall tale to assert that were it not for Mssrs. Koppel and Broder and the things that make you go hmm pages of the Economist and Insight magazine, I would surely not be sitting today in my K Street manse deftly, quizically jockeying with Congress like Josh Lyman on West Wing, all the accompanying headscratches and adreniline rush included.
ABC programmers cite Koppel’s Nightline as irrelevant in the face of today’s 24/7 news coverage. Has anyone watched MSNBC or CNN as of late? Too much glossy programming, re-enacted B-List actor coverage of the Michael Jackson trial and seal-trained lawyers barking at each other about the au corant in wife murder or serial killer cases IMHO. “Hard news” is about as common in our shared societal lexicon these days as the uttered phrase “Can I have a small fry?”. Koppel stands out as one of journalism’s best, with us each and every night of the Iran hostage crisis and every major event since: patient, deliberative and not afraid to ask the questions we all want to know, not for the sake of sensationalism or ratings but to truly make policymakers and the audience think twice. Who else could round up Botha, Tutu, Warren Buffet and Darwinism thought leaders in one fell swoop? And scoop up 30 Emmys in the process? To replace this, the network is thinking of a comedic show with a nightclub audience? That’s like substituting Thomas Keller’s culinary Yountville mecca French Laundry with Hooters.:evil:
Not one to dwell on my sadness, I close with a hearty thank you and lots of air kisses for Ted, the man who will ALWAYS reign as my King of Late-Night and confess to harboring a secret hope that HBO options him for the news docudrama series of his choice at a cool $70 million a year.:wink: And should you ever want to chronicle the meteoric rise and promise of health information technology around the globe T-riffic, you know where to find me.
Signed in Gratitude,
TLRG:redhead: