• How the May 4th, 1970 events changed my life and shaped my career • If you're not part of the solution . . • Overcoming shyness with the trial-by-fire method On a chilly day in early May, 50 years ago, I either got a phone call at my off-campus house - or heard on … Continue reading The Kent State Effect
Tag: Mark Scheerer
Thanks, Caption Obvious
• Like caption contests? So did ABC PR in the Eighties • Marketing Mark with Mild Snark • Try this at home! In every newsroom I ran, I would post random news photos or headlines of an odd nature and invite my fellow radio colleagues to contribute funny captions. So I was pleased and surprised … Continue reading Thanks, Caption Obvious
More Q and A
• Interviewing myself again? (I'm an easy “get”) • The first time I did a Q & A with myself, I was rattled by the tough line of questioning. • I’ll try to do better this time. The following has been edited for clarity and brevity. Mark, was there ever a story that you’ve completely … Continue reading More Q and A
40 Years Ago: the Who Tragedy in Cincinnati
• How we covered it in Philadelphia, where the promoters of the concert were based • The coincidental involvement of Harvey Weinstein . . yes, that Harvey Weinstein • A week later, the Who played Philly; I talked to Roger Daltrey about the horror It was probably the biggest – and saddest – news story … Continue reading 40 Years Ago: the Who Tragedy in Cincinnati
Deconstructing the News Conference
• 32 years ago, news conferences were different. Or not • You can tell it’s 1987 by the big hair • Alert: This is a thumb-sucker. A think-piece. Deep, very deep In 1987, an executive producer at CNN was frequently calling in ABC Radio News’ Reporter-on-the-Road (me) to hold forth on TV about such matters … Continue reading Deconstructing the News Conference
Straight Up – Mondays on UHF Ch. 30
• Watch! As Seals and Crofts and I bore a very small audience to death in 1974 • Took 13 years before anybody would let me on TV again • The gatekeepers of Public Television must have been stoned that week This is the 60th post on this blog since I began chronicling the professional … Continue reading Straight Up – Mondays on UHF Ch. 30
Stone ROSRS
• The age-defying Rolling Stones wrap up a swing through North America this summer to some very enthusiastic reviews • Thirty years ago, I ramped up my own enthusiasm describing what they did backstage before the opening riff of “Start Me Up” • What’s a ROSR? Stay tuned In December of 1989, the Stones wound … Continue reading Stone ROSRS
The Who’s Tommy
• Fifty years of that deaf, dumb and blind kid • And I thought I felt old at the 20th anniversary celebration • Hope I don’t die before the 60th I can’t say that “It could have been 1989 in Madison Square Garden the other night.” Because, clearly, it wasn’t. This was September 1, 2019. … Continue reading The Who’s Tommy
Grip and Grin – Tupac, Snoop, Rodman, Will Smith, LL Cool J, Jenny McCarthy
• “Oh, before you go – one more thing....” • What really goes on backstage. Smile. • Before selfie sticks, one was at the mercy of the photography skills of the passer-by who was asked a favor. And it showed This post pretty much only exists because this picture, which I’ve posted before on Facebook, … Continue reading Grip and Grin – Tupac, Snoop, Rodman, Will Smith, LL Cool J, Jenny McCarthy
Reality Bites
• TV news once took Darwinism to a silly extreme • A pox on the medium gave Pax TV (R.I.P.) a far-fetched idea about hiring • Who was their HR guy, Jeff Probst? I despise so-called “reality TV.” Not just because it is supposedly “unscripted” and resulted in the elimination of jobs for writers in … Continue reading Reality Bites
Q and A – Rod Stewart, Pavarotti, The Blues Brothers and Hubie effing Brown
• The Reporter on the Road goes the lazy journo route • Everything you wanted to know about ROTR but couldn’t be bothered to ask • Q & A = Quasi-journalistic and Apathetic? When I was a cub reporter writing for alternative weekly newspapers, I disliked the kind of article that used the Q & … Continue reading Q and A – Rod Stewart, Pavarotti, The Blues Brothers and Hubie effing Brown