Burying the Lead

The subject line refers to a news cliche of hiding your best story.   Say your cousin comes to visit and talks all evening about his ant-farming hobby.  Then as he’s just about to leave he says, “Oh and by the way, I won $11 million in the lottery.”  That would be burying the lead.  

Without further ado, this is the lead I buried: Derek is now the new morning co-host on Free-FM, the station where I anchor the morning news.  On the surface this might seem complex but it’s actually simple.  Someone asked me this week if it was a conflict of interest to have us both working at the same station on the same show.  It’s the opposite – we have the same interest.  There is no conflict!

But the nature of our relationship has no place on the program and that’s how everybody wants it, including us.  You see Derek has a very capable and talented co-host who was already with the station, Pasqualina.  She is his work-wife!  I’m a supporting player on their show and that’s just how it should be.  I captured them together in the studio for the first time:

There are many upsides to this arrangement.  Derek and I will be on the same schedule.  He’s an excellent broadcaster and he and Pasqualina will become a terrific, entertaining team.  Mornings are already more fun.  I could go on.  It’s a wonderful opportunity for Derek and a great adventure.   I think it’s working out well for all concerned.

I don’t know how Paul and Carol Mott do it.  They are married and they always do radio shows as a team.   It’s great for them but for me, it seems like too much togetherness.  I’m glad that Derek and Pasqualina are embarking on this professional road together and that I can continue to do my thing without getting too involved in theirs.  Free-FM is now poised to kick some serious butt in the London market.