
November 30th / December 2nd, 2007
"Triad Today Still Going Strong at 200"
Four years ago, in the fall of 2003, “Triad Today” premiered on WXLV ABC 45
and UPN 48 (now WMYV). Then as now, it is the only locally-produced public
affairs series on commercial television in the Piedmont, and this week we will
air our 200th episode. Program # 200 will include FOX8 Morning anchors
Brad Jones and Cindy Farmer, Former Mayor Jim Melvin, PART Executive Director
Brent McKinney, and an exclusive interview with “Hart to Hart” stars Robert
Wagner and Stefanie Powers. Wagner and Powers will talk about the
importance of no-kill animal shelters. Melvin (who was our first guest back on
October 3, 2003) will look back at the success of Greensboro’s new baseball stadium,
of which he was the chief visionary. Brent McKinney will update viewers on
regional transportation options. And, Cindy and Brad will discuss some of the
charities and events they have helped to promote over the years. Immediately
following that show, we will also present a special Anniversary edition
featuring four pairs of regional leaders with four different perspectives on
progress made in the Triad over the past four years. Guests include: Mayors Keith
Holliday and Allen Joines; Sheriffs BJ Barnes and Bil Schatzman; Civil
rights leaders Darryl Hunt and Rep Larry Womble; and School Superintendants Dr.
Terry Grier and Dr. Don Martin.
Certainly these are special programs, but they are also typical of the
caliber of guests and topics we feature each and every week, 52 weeks a year, and
we couldn’t do it without the help of a lot of folks. My thanks to ABC 45
General Manager Ron Inman and Production Manager Jay Paul and his crew. Kudos
are also in order for webmaster Fletch Good, whose creativity has resulted in
a first class website, TriadToday.com, complete with streaming video
interviews. And thanks to ABC 45’s Jeanette Pruitt for her invaluable support. I
also want to recognize our Knights of the Roundtable who, each week,
participate in lively discussions of current events. Our pundits include: FM 101
Morning duo Brad Krantz and Britt Whitmire; Winston-Salem Journal columnist Scott
Sexton; Sheriff BJ Barnes; veteran broadcaster Dave Plyler; and my good buddy
Ogi Overman, a legendary journalist and broadcaster who is the heart and
soul of our discussions.
I am also particularly grateful to our family of sponsors: Southern
Community Bank, Forsyth Medical Center, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of
Forsyth, Winston-Salem State University, Grey Oak Wealth Management, PART, High
Point Regional Health System, Annese Public Relations, and Truliant Federal
Credit Union. All of them share a common vision of, and dedication to, community
service.
And, I want to thank my wife Pam for keeping me grounded. We often
disagree about specifics, but we both see the same big picture. Speaking of which, I
want to thank viewers of Triad Today, and readers of YES Weekly. In the
beginning I limited my commentaries to light-hearted topics. But as time
passed, I felt that life was too short not to try and make a difference. And so,
I shifted gears, began taking a stand on issues, and started railing against
policies that I thought were detrimental to our fellow citizens. As
expected, I take some heat every week from readers and viewers. Some of you think
I’m too liberal, while others accuse me of being too conservative. In
actuality, I am neither. Still, I welcome your comments and criticisms.
Recently when I mentioned to someone that I had my 200th anniversary coming
up, he said, “Really? You don’t look a day over 199”. In truth, Triad
Today keeps me engaged in public discourse, and that, in turn, slows the aging
process for both me and the show. And so, I look forward to the next 200
programs. I hope you’ll join me for the ride.
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