Photo:

Spring

by

Paparazzi Liz

The shot is a beauty.

Thank you!






"First class is only eighty percent more" Johnny Martin

My dad had a way with words. A lateral thinker, great wit and contrarian, he often suggested embracing the paradox: every complex problem has a simple solution. The popular paraphrase of Occam's razor states..."All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one." The actual principle translated from the Latin is "entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity."

The temptation is to over-think a complex problem.

It's a trap.

Launching a new morning show is certainly important work but it should not be confused with launching the space shuttle. This is not a life saving hospital, we're not looking for a cure for cancer, it's only a TV station. Gary Hamel was spot-on when he said "Perspective is worth ten IQ points."

Once, excited about a job offer at a big station in a major market, I called my dad for advice. My thought was the situation was unique, different from any other. A bigger-than-life personality and musician who got his start working in black radio he had the ability to see the world in context, the imagination to perceive possibility. He said "It's only a radio station. Stations are all in the same business, only the call letters change. The mission is to get the ratings and sell the advertising at a profit. Most important it's show business and without a show you're out of business."

It's all about the show and the show is hard work. The show is fun, engaging, arresting, moving, entertaining, interesting, breathtaking, memorable, informative. The show is evocative, it strikes the responsive chord, it connects, relates and involves the audience. It's the show that gets them into the tent. It's the show that keeps them coming back. It's the show that gets them talking. It's the show that pays the bills; the show creates wealth. It's the show that wins.

All that's important is what's on the screen(s), what's coming out of the speakers, everything else is a footnote. It's the show!