Bob Barker: NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame

April 15th, 2008 Heather Kovar

Bob Barker was really much happier to be inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame than he looks in this picture. But you have to hear the story behind this picture. I was at a table near the broadcasting legend, so I decided I should get a picture for the blog. As I approach, Billy Bush, with a big gracious grin stands and says, “I’ll take it for you!”
“What?” I say. “I was going to ask Bob to take a picture of US.”
I think Bob and the entire table heard, but I’m not sure because my heart was pounding out of ears.

I mean, my idol Charles Osgood was also at the table. Seriously, according to Wikipedia he and I share the same birthday, January 8th, and I just won my first New York Emmy for On Camera Talent: Commentary.

But anyway, I felt I needed to announce to the table why I was interrupting their lunch. I said I was the blogger for the New York Press Club and thought I should get a picture. Everyone was so kind and nice, all offering to take the picture. However, of course the man who eventually ended up with the camera can’t get it to take.

So I say, “See, Bob should have taken the picture.”

The camera goes off when we weren’t expecting, (the picture you see here) and as we are posing for another, my camera shuts itself off with the words “battery depleted.”

Soon after, the program began. Billy Bush was hilarious as host; at the end he got a chance to promote his new syndicated radio show, asking broadcasters to pick him up. NAB President and CEO David Rehr (he was also at the table and very nice) introduced the inductee by saying “Bob Barker, Come On Down!”

Bob was hilarious, after his standing ovation he said “the thing I miss the most is the applause. No. What I miss the most is the money.”
He spoke of how he got started in radio and TV, as well as why he isn’t in many movies, which is because he said he refused to do nude scenes.

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Nabbing a News Niche

April 2nd, 2008 Heather Kovar

“Find a niche.”
“Do good general assignment reporting, but find a something that you can do better than anyone.”
I’m still working on the advice given to me 13-years ago when I began my career in TV news.
“Have a specialty.”

When young journalists ask for advice, I often try to pass along the wisdom.
But what does one mean by niche or specialty?
Someone with a law degree would be an expert on court cases. A doctor, an expert on health. But you have to be creative and use your interests and knowledge to make you unique.

I’ve finally found my example, freelancer Mike Favetta, The Weather Chef.
He is a meterologist. He was trained as a chef in Italy. He does the weather forecast for TV stations. He cooks for families.
He has taken these skills, merged them, and at the very least has an online persona.

Will his creativity help him land a job in the future? Maybe someone will create a show around him.

Who knows.

Maybe he can bribe a news director with his Green Lasagna Bolognese or Sweet Potato Gnocchi. I’m very fond of his Zabaglione (so easy to make) and his truffles. (Okay, so I’m biased!) Here he shows you the truffles.

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Conjestion Confusion

April 1st, 2008 Heather Kovar

People are pointing to London’s congestion plan as an indicator of what to expect if Bloomberg’s plan is approved.

I haven’t been at any of the press conferences concerning this, but there are a few questions I would like answered.

My friends with alternative fuel cars, will they be exempt from the eight-dollar fee?

In London they’re exempt.

What about press vehicles? Is this going to be another expense to news operations? Or just the smaller ones that haven’t filed the correct paperwork? What about freelancers using their own vehicles?

Under the revised plan, low-income drivers are said to get a break on the fees.
But it looks more like a rebate than a break.

The plans says drivers who qualified for the earned income tax credit would have fees refunded at the end of each year – minus $972, which is a year’s worth of MetroCards.

So they are still paying the eight-bucks. But who are they, low-income individuals in New York City? They aren’t struggling singles making 60-thousand a year. Even those making 45-thousand don’t qualify.

According to the IRS, for 2008, the most a family of at least four or more can make and qualify is $41,646.

You have to make less than $12,880 if you don’t have a child to get a break on the fees. But again, you’d still pay those fees in full.

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