“The View From the Phlipside” is a media commentary program airing on WRFA-LP, Jamestown NY. It can be heard Monday through Friday just after 8 AM and 5 PM. The following are scripts which may not exactly match the aired version of the program. Mostly because the host may suddenly choose to add or subtract words at a moments notice. WRFA-LP is not responsible for any such silliness or the opinions expressed. You can listen to a live stream of WRFA or find a podcast of this program at wrfalp.com. Copyright 2013-15 by Jay Phillippi. All Rights Reserved. You like what you see? Drop me a line and we can talk.
Program scripts from week of November 18, 2015
My name is Jay Phillippi and I’ve spent my life in and around the media. TV, radio, the movies and more. I love them, and I hate them and I always have an opinion. Call this the View from the Phlipside.
Time to Move On?
As
much as I enjoy looking at, talking about and, when ever possible,
playing with the newest technology I must admit that I am not a
member of the early adopter class. I love dead tree books, I still
have an mp3 player and I kind of miss my old vinyl records. I don’t
jump on bandwagons just for the sake of novelty.
much as I enjoy looking at, talking about and, when ever possible,
playing with the newest technology I must admit that I am not a
member of the early adopter class. I love dead tree books, I still
have an mp3 player and I kind of miss my old vinyl records. I don’t
jump on bandwagons just for the sake of novelty.
There
are two reasons for this. First, I am naturally suspicious of early
versions. Too often I have been victimized by glitches and gremlins.
I am far happier allowing others to be the final beta testers. The
other reason is that I am largely a creature of habit. I enjoy
knowing exactly what my various bits of technology can do. As long
as the technology is doing what I want it to do then I’m a happy
camper. There’s no deep seated desire to constantly be trying
something new.
are two reasons for this. First, I am naturally suspicious of early
versions. Too often I have been victimized by glitches and gremlins.
I am far happier allowing others to be the final beta testers. The
other reason is that I am largely a creature of habit. I enjoy
knowing exactly what my various bits of technology can do. As long
as the technology is doing what I want it to do then I’m a happy
camper. There’s no deep seated desire to constantly be trying
something new.
I
come by this honestly. My father, an engineer, was much the same
way. When personal computers moved into the world he dove right in.
But he stayed in a DOS world for a long time. He knew exactly how to
make that system do what he wanted and saw no reason to move on.
come by this honestly. My father, an engineer, was much the same
way. When personal computers moved into the world he dove right in.
But he stayed in a DOS world for a long time. He knew exactly how to
make that system do what he wanted and saw no reason to move on.
Which,
curiously, is a perfect segue for the stories that jumped out at me
last week. Orly Airport, one of the two serving Paris, France, was
shut down a couple weeks ago. Seems that the computer system that
supplied pilots with the local weather conditions stopped working.
Without that information, the planes couldn’t make safe approaches.
Turns out that finding a technician that could solve the glitches in
the system are hard to find.
curiously, is a perfect segue for the stories that jumped out at me
last week. Orly Airport, one of the two serving Paris, France, was
shut down a couple weeks ago. Seems that the computer system that
supplied pilots with the local weather conditions stopped working.
Without that information, the planes couldn’t make safe approaches.
Turns out that finding a technician that could solve the glitches in
the system are hard to find.
There
just aren’t that many people who can work in Windows 3.1 any more.
You heard that right, Windows three point one. The operating system
launched in 1992. The one that brought the world the wonder of
Minesweeper. An international airport that had over twenty seven
million people move through it last year has a vital system running
on a twenty three year old computer program.
just aren’t that many people who can work in Windows 3.1 any more.
You heard that right, Windows three point one. The operating system
launched in 1992. The one that brought the world the wonder of
Minesweeper. An international airport that had over twenty seven
million people move through it last year has a vital system running
on a twenty three year old computer program.
And
it’s not only the French who haven’t quite moved on technologically.
The Grand Rapids Michigan school district controls the heating and
air conditioning at its nineteen schools using an Amiga Two Thousand
computer. If that name is unfamiliar, it was produced by Commodore
in 1987. That’s twenty eight years ago. My bet is that there are at
least a couple teachers younger than the HVAC system in Grand Rapids.
it’s not only the French who haven’t quite moved on technologically.
The Grand Rapids Michigan school district controls the heating and
air conditioning at its nineteen schools using an Amiga Two Thousand
computer. If that name is unfamiliar, it was produced by Commodore
in 1987. That’s twenty eight years ago. My bet is that there are at
least a couple teachers younger than the HVAC system in Grand Rapids.
Both
systems are expected to be replaced in the next couple years. Which
in some ways is even more frightening.
systems are expected to be replaced in the next couple years. Which
in some ways is even more frightening.
There’s
not necessarily anything wrong with old technology. Post Katrina
there were stories in New Orleans about one hundred year old pumps
that still worked after days under water.
not necessarily anything wrong with old technology. Post Katrina
there were stories in New Orleans about one hundred year old pumps
that still worked after days under water.
There
does come a time when even the most resistant to change have to be
willing to move on.
does come a time when even the most resistant to change have to be
willing to move on.
Remember the Wonder
It’s
hard to focus on the mundane details of life when you are confronted
with the kind of tragedy that took place in Paris last week. As
someone whose family came to this country from France, my thoughts
and prayers are very much with the people of that great nation. The
reality is that while we can pause for a moment to watch and hope, in
the end we have to turn back to every day.
hard to focus on the mundane details of life when you are confronted
with the kind of tragedy that took place in Paris last week. As
someone whose family came to this country from France, my thoughts
and prayers are very much with the people of that great nation. The
reality is that while we can pause for a moment to watch and hope, in
the end we have to turn back to every day.
But
as I watching the coverage on Friday a little thought bubbled up in
the back of my mind. Watching high definition footage of the news
from Paris as it happened it occurred to me how blasé I have become
about that. I watched an interview with someone who had been at the
site of one of the attacks. The news anchor didn’t have to wait till
she showed up at a studio to do the interview. She did it from her
hotel room, using just her laptop computer to converse with the
stateside studio.
as I watching the coverage on Friday a little thought bubbled up in
the back of my mind. Watching high definition footage of the news
from Paris as it happened it occurred to me how blasé I have become
about that. I watched an interview with someone who had been at the
site of one of the attacks. The news anchor didn’t have to wait till
she showed up at a studio to do the interview. She did it from her
hotel room, using just her laptop computer to converse with the
stateside studio.
As
I watched, I was also thinking about what an amazing situation that
really is. A century ago the fastest news could travel was the speed
of a telegraph line. Widespread of radio transmission of voices was
still just around the corner. In television coast to coast
broadcasts didn’t begin until 1951. What made what we saw on Friday
possible was satellite links for TV. Without satellites news from
Paris would have days or even weeks to get here. Think about that.
In the span of many of our lifetimes the idea of seeing the news “as
it happens” was a science fiction story.
I watched, I was also thinking about what an amazing situation that
really is. A century ago the fastest news could travel was the speed
of a telegraph line. Widespread of radio transmission of voices was
still just around the corner. In television coast to coast
broadcasts didn’t begin until 1951. What made what we saw on Friday
possible was satellite links for TV. Without satellites news from
Paris would have days or even weeks to get here. Think about that.
In the span of many of our lifetimes the idea of seeing the news “as
it happens” was a science fiction story.
1961
saw the change over, when Telstar was launched. The first broadcast
was between the U.S. and Europe. The first image? A live picture of
the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France to this
country. Because of the nature of Telstar’s orbit, it could only
carry signals for about twenty minutes of each hour. This pioneer
satellite only operated for seven months before radiation from the
Sun and nuclear test explosions on Earth fried its transistors.
saw the change over, when Telstar was launched. The first broadcast
was between the U.S. and Europe. The first image? A live picture of
the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France to this
country. Because of the nature of Telstar’s orbit, it could only
carry signals for about twenty minutes of each hour. This pioneer
satellite only operated for seven months before radiation from the
Sun and nuclear test explosions on Earth fried its transistors.
All
of that was just over fifty years ago. Less than a lifetime for
yours truly, an eye blink in the span of history. There I was,
sitting in my living room, watching Paris, France. Watching the
history we will be talking about fifty years from now happen in real
time.
of that was just over fifty years ago. Less than a lifetime for
yours truly, an eye blink in the span of history. There I was,
sitting in my living room, watching Paris, France. Watching the
history we will be talking about fifty years from now happen in real
time.
It’s
worth taking a moment to appreciate the wonder of it all. We would
certainly prefer that the news that came to us through this wonder
was better than what we saw last Friday. But the next time you watch
a sports event from the other side of the world, or you see the news
as it happens, thousands of miles away, take a moment to remember to
stand in awe of the world today.
worth taking a moment to appreciate the wonder of it all. We would
certainly prefer that the news that came to us through this wonder
was better than what we saw last Friday. But the next time you watch
a sports event from the other side of the world, or you see the news
as it happens, thousands of miles away, take a moment to remember to
stand in awe of the world today.
What’s Up at ESPN?
It’s
the problem that the folks at the World Wide Leader in Sports and
their owners in the Kingdom of the Mouse really hope will just go
away. Yet somehow it never does. Which leaves behind the question
of just what is going on at ESPN?
the problem that the folks at the World Wide Leader in Sports and
their owners in the Kingdom of the Mouse really hope will just go
away. Yet somehow it never does. Which leaves behind the question
of just what is going on at ESPN?
Just
a week ago a story came out that ESPN had decided to settle a sexual
harassment case brought by a former makeup artist against the network
and lead anchor Chris Berman. ESPN maintains that a thorough
investigation revealed no basis for the charges. It should be noted
that there are times when people or companies decide it’s simply less
expensive to lay out some cash to make a case go away. It’s a
business decision.
a week ago a story came out that ESPN had decided to settle a sexual
harassment case brought by a former makeup artist against the network
and lead anchor Chris Berman. ESPN maintains that a thorough
investigation revealed no basis for the charges. It should be noted
that there are times when people or companies decide it’s simply less
expensive to lay out some cash to make a case go away. It’s a
business decision.
I
offer no opinion one way or the other on the case. Serious
questions have been raised over the years about the culture at the
Bristol, Connecticut headquarters for the sports giant. The ongoing
drip, drip, drip of stories like this one over the years has to make
one wonder if this is in fact just a limited issue or something more
systemic.
offer no opinion one way or the other on the case. Serious
questions have been raised over the years about the culture at the
Bristol, Connecticut headquarters for the sports giant. The ongoing
drip, drip, drip of stories like this one over the years has to make
one wonder if this is in fact just a limited issue or something more
systemic.
In
2006 NFL analyst Sean Salisbury was suspended for sending
inappropriate photos to female co-workers. He was suspended for a
week. Harold Reynolds lost his job following accusations of sexual
harassment, also in 2006. In 1992 Mike Tirico, now the voice of
Monday Night Football, was suspended for three months for sexual
harassment. There are other instances of affairs and at least one of
domestic violence on the books at ESPN as well. Add in things like
Stephen A. Smith’s comments implying that Ray Rice’s girlfriend, who
he assaulted on an elevator, may have “provoked” the beating
(Smith got suspended for the comments) and you have to wonder about
the corporate culture there. These stories only scratch the surface
of the alleged activities at the sports network.
2006 NFL analyst Sean Salisbury was suspended for sending
inappropriate photos to female co-workers. He was suspended for a
week. Harold Reynolds lost his job following accusations of sexual
harassment, also in 2006. In 1992 Mike Tirico, now the voice of
Monday Night Football, was suspended for three months for sexual
harassment. There are other instances of affairs and at least one of
domestic violence on the books at ESPN as well. Add in things like
Stephen A. Smith’s comments implying that Ray Rice’s girlfriend, who
he assaulted on an elevator, may have “provoked” the beating
(Smith got suspended for the comments) and you have to wonder about
the corporate culture there. These stories only scratch the surface
of the alleged activities at the sports network.
Sports
broadcasting has always had a very strong frat house / locker room
streak in it. If women were represented at all it was during “female
events” like figure skating. Even then they were usually the
second or third banana on the broadcast.
broadcasting has always had a very strong frat house / locker room
streak in it. If women were represented at all it was during “female
events” like figure skating. Even then they were usually the
second or third banana on the broadcast.
In
fairness, it should be noted that ESPN has been a leader in opening
doors for female broadcasters in primary roles. The latest
generation of broadcasters includes talent like Michelle Beadle, who
is more than willing to go to toe with the boys. The network also
recognized that there was a problem, with stories surfacing of all
kinds of shenanigans happening at all levels of the company. Much of
it was chronicled in a book titled “Those Guys Have All the Fun”
in 2011. It resulted in a crackdown on that behavior in 2013.
fairness, it should be noted that ESPN has been a leader in opening
doors for female broadcasters in primary roles. The latest
generation of broadcasters includes talent like Michelle Beadle, who
is more than willing to go to toe with the boys. The network also
recognized that there was a problem, with stories surfacing of all
kinds of shenanigans happening at all levels of the company. Much of
it was chronicled in a book titled “Those Guys Have All the Fun”
in 2011. It resulted in a crackdown on that behavior in 2013.
It
would appear there may still be some work to be done.
would appear there may still be some work to be done.
Call that the View From the Phlipside
Copyright Jay Phillippi, 2015
Theme music for “The View From the Phlipside” and “TVFTP – Podcast” is “Hustle”
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Stories Are My Life 
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