.. who must feel especially 'chosen' each time the annual Christian Holiday work schedule gets posted!
Former CBS News correspondent, who was embedded with the troops during the attack on Baghdad, and all around 'rock and roll news guy' Rob Milford (milford55@hotmail.com) wrote a Christmas Day greeting letter that is a reminder of how it's important to say a special THANK YOU to the Jews among us...
I remember the first five or ten years on the air, in Mobile, Fort Worth, and even in New York, during my Holidays at ABC...having to pull those shifts, overnights,in the small hours, thinking that I was the only person in the world away from home and family, and missing them and the holiday ritual just terribly. And no matter how many long distance calls were made, it wasn't the same. Just not like when we were kids. There were white Christmases with snow, but no train set around the tree, and most times, no tree.
I also remember my two Christmas stretches at WABB in Mobile, how program director Gary Mitchell would come in from 6a-12noon and pull the Christmas morning shift. How the air staff were relieved of that burden.Well, it showed two things. First, leadership, the kind that we're missing these days. Secondly, Gary was an air name for Barry Silverman, and yes, he was Jewish, so December 25th was "just another day" to him.
I don't think I ever said "Thank you" for his pulling that shift. These days, with voice tracking and satellite delivered programs, it's not necessary for someone to be in the air chair on a day like today.
When you count your blessings today, Remember those shifts we all pulled, staying on the air, keeping the city groovin' with the hits, and how we scraped up news content anyway we could.
How fortunate we all are, how many of our coworkers didn't reach their dreams like we have.
My wish for you and your family... the very best Christmas.
...and you might want to call the hotline and thank the people working Christmas day...for doing just that.
7 years ago
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