Friday, November 14, 2008

Breaking News from the Furniture Showroom

I got my start in television in a furniture store in Washington, DC.

Graduating from college and overcome by feelings of financial dread, I answered an ad and took a job with a cable show. An old-time radio broadcaster had decided to buy some airtime on The Learning Channel and produce his own newsmagazine. He hired me for 50 dollars a week to field produce and write the stories. He had little TV experience and I had none.

We had two photographers. One made his living shooting music videos. The other hired out his body for medical experiments.

The most memorable piece of this production was the set. My boss anchored the show from one of those fake living rooms in a furniture store on Wisconsin Avenue. He did this while the store was open for business. Whatever studio audience he had, was actually looking for La-Z-Boys.

I never intended to work in television and eventually left to work in radio until, a few years later, returning to the fold.

Now we don't anchor our shows from a store. We've got our own furniture.
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