It’s feels so awkward to have disliked someone who dies especially if they’re being lauded as a legend whom everybody else apparantly loved.
That was the case this week with the death of a longtime broadcast executive. I only had one professional experience with him and it wasn’t a good one. He agreed that his company would devote studio time to, and air nationwide, a children’s radio show I was cohosting for a friend who wrote and created it. My friend, who is very successful in the radio industry today, chose to take a cut of the sales which this executive said would be secured by his sales team. I opted for a straight fee which was paid out of the talent grant my friend secured for the production. My genuine feeling at the time was, if this show hits the jackpot, it’s my friend who deserves to reap the rewards.
There was only one problem with this scheme. The executive didn’t put the show on the street. He never intended to dedicate any manpower to selling it. He was airing it to look goody-goody for the CRTC – hey Ma, I’m airing original Canadian programming – and his allegiance to it was only short-term, despite telling us about his long-term support and vision. The only one who made money on that program was me. My friend who created, wrote and produced it didn’t see a dime. It was super awkward and extremely disappointing. So pardon me if I’m not joining in a chorus of For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow along with the rest of my industry right now. This crappy experience is the only evidence I have of what kind of fellow the man was and it’s not jolly good. So I smile and nod quietly during any reminiscing from others and wonder if maybe my experience was an anomaly. But it was what it was.
I also saw someone write on Facebook this week about what a wonderful man Pinball Clemons is but as you may have read here a long time ago, I beg to differ. He ran a broadcasting-related company on the backs of those who worked for him and many of my friends got taken for hundreds and thousands of dollars for unpaid voice work. As far as I know I’m the only one who took him to Small Claims Court and ended up with a cheque written to me by the Argos.
Remember the acreage we have up for sale on Cape Breton, Nova Scotia?
A cabinet-maker from Switzerland has purchased it for the full price! We did a wee dance of joy. We are also happy for our Nova Scotia agent because he has to sit with listings like this for a long time before he makes anything off them, too. Thanks Ralf! I hope Mr. Swiss enjoys the trees, squirrels and view of beautiful Bras d’Or Lake.