Craig Ferguson - Saying Goodbye on Network TV

I watched an amazing thing two nights ago.

After Late Night with David Letterman came the Scottish fellow named Craig Ferguson.

Craig Ferguson replaced the mindless Craig Kilborn last year and I must say that the "new-Craig" is better... and much funnier.

To my amazement, the new-Craig did something I've not seen on network TV before. For his opening monologue (and throughout the broadcast) he talked about - and eulogized - the death of his father.

Talk about reality TV.

I'm sure that Saturday Night Live will create a maudlin skit about this. But I hope many will see if for what it is... an intimate and real expression of something that every one of us experiences... the death of a loved-one.

Last summer, I experienced the loss of my mom. The feelings of loss are fresh for me, so what a wonderful thing it was to see a son honor his dad... on network TV... in front of God and country and the Hollywood elite. As I watched, I recalled the immediate feelings of loss, and the happiness I felt knowing that my mom was on her way Home. Simultaneously, I thanked God that my dad is part of my life and even more proud of all he did our family.

For a comedy/talk show, it was risky and certainly out of the ordinary. Yet, this program was genuine. It was an amazing amalgam of Scottish tradition and genuine mourning of the loss of a parent.

Sadly, new-Craig demonstrated a lack of certainty regarding the "afterlife." So, Craig, if you're reading this, know that there really, really is a Heaven. While your church experiences may have confused you, God stands ready to bring clarity to your life.

So, hang in there Craig ol' boy. I bet that you will see your dad again. Because if that dad sired a son that would jeopardize his network TV program to honor "the ol' man," then I believe that he had the sense to know Who God is and that His Son had a special place for him -- and you -- in His Kingdom!

NBC's "Book of Daniel" is Closed

With sagging ratings and mounting audience backlash, the show will not be renewed. Read all about it at Broadcasting & Cable's website.

Fortunately, at FOX, American Idol continues sure and strong.

(The irony here is intentional as, lately, I'm enjoying the fare that Simon is dishing out.)

Re: Where Were You...?

I was sitting in my office at CBN in Virginia Beach, Va. Then, I was Features Manager for ?The 700 Club? and had just finished watching some testimonies scheduled to air in the next few weeks. I switched my TV monitor to CNN (sadly, it was the only choice) to watch the whole thing in real-time.

As an amateur rocketman and long-time NASA aficionado, I knew instantly that the situation was so anomalous (geek-speak for ?really-gone-bad?), that the crew was certainly lost.

Fixed on the screen, I prayed for a ?Star Wars? happy-ending as I watched the debris descend. It was a heart-rending moment only topped nearly 15 years later by the events of September 11th.

Where Were You...?

Twenty years ago today I was the News Director at a small radio station in Oklahoma City. I had finished that morning's drive time news when I heard the AP wire services dot-matrix printer come to life.

I walked over, expecting to see news of a succesful launch of the space shuttle Challenger...and I did! Someone at AP had pre-written a news item declaring the launch a success. When the first 60 seconds of the launch appeared routine, they apparently pushed the "Send" button and the story hit the wires.

A minute or so later, I heard the printer's alarm bell ringing--the signal for an important breaking news flash. Of course, as we know, the launch was not a success. I quickly wrote a news story and we broke into regular progamming for a report.

Somewhere in the attic I have a photo album which contains those faded AP wire service reports, along the copy I wrote.

CD's are Forever?

In our industry, recordable CD and DVD media are commonly and constantly used. We've all heard that recordable CD media can have issues, but if you're like me, you probably think that once properly burned, the data is forever safe.

Think again.

Take a moment to read this posting on recordable media from CNET.com. For those who want to archive their data and programming, it may be an eye-opener.

Heading to a Little Screen Near You

I've been in a number of meetings where "mobile phone video" comes up. When it does, it's usually with a certain level of, "Oh my gosh, this is THE next thing." Inevitably, the conversation shifts to the big-blob of alternative media which includes streaming, mobile phones, x-rays from Neptune and anything else that's not conventional TV.

Of course, mobile phone video delivery will be a useful tool... but not for everything currently captured for television.

Read this article from AdAge.com. It requires a free subscription to the site (which you should already have) and is well worth your time to read it.

Speaking of eMarketer...

Does their logo look at all familiar?

For the record, I'm pretty sure we were there first. But "great minds" and all...

Slicing the Spam

eMarketer did a study of the subject matter of spam email. Here's how it broke down:

For me? It's the medicinal stuff, by far that clogs my inbox. As usual, I'm atypical and bucking the trend.

RE: Top 50 Christians

Update: The list I mentioned in that previous post was produced by a vote of the subscribers of The Church Report magazine. Thus, the "interesting" results.

America's Top 50! (Christians)

A web site called "The Church Report" has come up with a ranking list of "The 50 Most Influential Christians in America."

There are lots of expected names on the list (T.D. Jakes; President Bush; James Dobson...) but some of the selections and omissions are a little puzzling?

For example, Andy Stanley, son of Charles Stanley and pastor of a large and growing church in the Atlanta area is ranked as #13 (9 places above his father!). Meanwhile James Robison, the spiritual advisor to the President and one of the most widely distributed television programmers in America didn't even make the list. Hmmmm.

Also, we have Joni Ericson Tada at #14, but Condoleeza Rice is nowhere to be found. I guess it depends on what your definition of "influential" is, is.

And Now for Some Good News

The world got a Christmas present. Osama Bin Laden died in December. So says, Middle East expert Michael Leeden in this essay.

Here's the relevant paragraph:

"...according to Iranians I trust, Osama bin Laden finally departed this world in mid-December. The al Qaeda leader died of kidney failure and was buried in Iran, where he had spent most of his time since the destruction of al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The Iranians who reported this note that this year's message in conjunction with the Muslim Haj came from his number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, for the first time."

And Here's Another...

Read this...but read the Steyn piece below first.

A Dose of Gloom to Start the New Year

For anyone who cares about the fate of Europe and of Western Civilzation, here's an important essay by the amazing Mark Steyn that has sparked a lot of needed discussion. It's long. It's depressing. But it's important.

Read it here...