Was that you on the Nancy Grace Show? How did that happen? How do you like being on TV?

Ken: Yes, I’ve made two appearances on HLN’s Nancy Grace Grace Show, and one on HLN’s Jane Velez-Mitchell Show so far. It all started when the Sowell case broke, and CNN wanted to talk to someone who had covered the story on the scene. I also got to do an interview with Radio New Zealand. Being on television brought back memories of the 5 years I had a local talk show on Time-Warner Cable for the Akron Area Association of Churches. TV is a more complex medium, but a nice change of pace from radio.

When you were growing up did you watch a lot of TV news? Assuming they had TV when you were growing up. Just kidding. But I wondered what network TV news did you watch back then.

Ken: I started watching NBC’s Huntley-Brinkley Report back in the mid 60’s. When Chet Huntley left the newscast, I began watching ABC’s nightly newscast which featured a very young Peter Jennings, and one of my favorite newscasters Howard K. Smith. I mostly watched ABC through the 70’s and 80’s. Smith often played the role of newscaster in TV shows and movies. Below is one of his ABC newscasts.



As you watch this clip, notice the crisp, clean, no-nonsense writing and presentation style of this early 1970s newscast. It’s refreshing to hear just the facts, without needless conjecture, and minus the flashy pictures and video for the attention impaired. Unfortunately, Smith seldom solo anchored, despite having as rich and varied a career as Walter Cronkite. At first he was paired with Edward P. Morgan, and then Harry Reasoner, and was finally demoted to just a commentator after Barbara Walters became Reasoner’s co-anchor


Texting and driving is now illegal in Cleveland, in Summit County too. Politicians are also looking at banning it statewide, and the feds are considering that too. What do you think about texting and driving?

Ken: While people should not text and drive, I think there are already enough laws covering traffic accidents, and the failure to control motor vehicles. This seems like just “piling it on”. I would rather that legislative energy be spent on creating laws to protect the public from the financial scammers that got us into this recession. Of course, it’s easier for lawmakers to focus on something simple like texting, than something complex like financial or consumer fraud.


What do you think of the fluorescent light bulb distribution from FirstEnergy? Is it a rip-off?

Ken: I think FirstEnergy is charging far too much for bulbs you can buy at any store for a fraction of what they are charging. Plus, the fluorescent lights that FirstEnergy is touting are basically obsolete. New LED lights are now hitting the market and are available in a number of stores. They use far less electricity than fluorescents, and can last 10 to 25 years. LED's have been used in vehicles for years, and are slowly making they way into homes. The only problem with LED's is that they are about as expensive as fluorescents were 15 years ago, and light output remains about as low. It would have been better for FirstEnergy to offer subsidized LED’s as an option to its customers so this technology can be improved and costs reduced, than to impose two fluorescent bulbs on consumers at inflated prices.

Do you remember the first person you ever interviewed for the radio?

Ken: It was with Don Schlemmer of the Western Reserve Alliance back in the 1970s.


I lost my job but I have a good severance package. It’s been so long. How do I go about starting a new career? I hear radio people lose their jobs a lot. What’s your best job hunting advice?

Ken: Don’t bother going to those “jobless fairs”, unless you’re just gathering information about the employers there. Use that information to search their websites to get a feel for the type of work they do, their working environment, as well as the type of jobs they have available. In my opinion, the major job websites like CareerBuilder and Monster are of little help, most of their listings are for positions no one wants, or jobs few can do. Often their postings are out of date, or were place on company websites months before. It’s best to use your time networking, tapping past business contacts, folks on your email list, people at your church or club to find the hidden job market, which is were the real careers are. The majority of job opening are never posted, but are filled by word-of-mouth, and personal recommendations. Use Facebook, MySpace and other social networks to make friends. In the long run, it’s friends that recommend and hire other friends they trust for important positions. The key is to stay active and engaged. You never know who may give you that special job tip. However, keep in mind that with so many layoffs, there are a lot of managers out of work. If you don’t have managerial experience they may have the upper hand, even for entry level jobs. You can get around that by volunteering to gain extra experience in a field, or by increasing your education with a course or two.


The big pharmaceutical companies have a cure for cancer and are keeping it secret so they can make billions of dollars on cancer treatments, and hospitalizations. What do you think?

Ken: I think that’s nonsense. Any company that creates a cure for cancer stands to make trillions upon trillions of dollars, and there would still be a nearly endless list of other diseases to treat. With your reasoning, we would not have a cure for any disease, because they would all have been withheld for more financial gain. There is no cure for cancer today because it is a very complex disease that we still know very little about.


I don’t think the switch to digital TV was handled very well with thousands of people being left in the dark without any TV service, don’t you agree?

Ken: Viewers were warned years ago to get prepared for the switch. Actually, I think a few days or weeks without television would be a good thing for all of us. We’ve become so used to staring into a box like zombies and having stuff funneled into our brains. With a break from television, maybe people would get reacquainted with rich-content active media, like books, newspapers, and magazines, which actually require mental involvement. I found the following interesting entry on the New York Times media blog.

"I find it funny that people can be “at risk” if they don’t have a working TV. It is as if TV is like a telephone line with 9-11 and if we can’t access it terrible things may happen. Maybe 2.8 million people will read more newspapers or books. The point is when did it become a risk not to have TV? I consider risk when my water won’t work, no phone in an emergency, no electricity, a hurricane, etc. Maybe the argument is for emergency information but a cheap AM radio or car radio will fill that void." — Greg


With all the stories about the recession bombarding people, it seems a lot of people just aren’t happy anymore. I think people have lost sight and have forgotten who to really be happy. Do you know what makes people happy?

Ken: Atlantic Magazine recently published a story about what makes people happy. They examined a study that tracked several men over their lifetime to see what made them feel happy. To see a video about it click this link.


Regarding the late David Carradine, did you ever watch his TV show Kung Fu and what did you think about it?

Ken: I didn't like it very much. I always felt that he stole that role from Bruce Lee, who was a legendary martial arts actor, and actually popularized the genre, paving the way for Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan, and yes...David Carradine. Lee would have been a natural for the series. With Lee as the star, I'm certain the programs might have been filled with a lot more action, adventure, innovation, and creativity. Though probably not his fault, the Carradine Kung Fu was boring. Each week, the passive Kwai Chang Caine would be taunted and beat up until the last few minutes of the show when he would finally strike back. He was more of a character to be pitied than respected, a far cry from the action-leadership characters portrayed by Bruce Lee, and martial arts actors who followed him. In my opinion, ABC watered down what could have been a very interesting series.


Do you think it’s fair that so many auto dealerships be forced to close down?

Ken: I don’t think it’s a question of fairness. For over a decade, I’ve heard business experts and economists contend that U.S. auto manufacturers were being financially crippled by an over abundance of dealerships. They pointed to foreign automakers which have far fewer dealerships and said that American carmakers need to follow than example if they want to survive. So, the closing of these dealerships could have come as a surprise. I guess the day of reckoning has arrived.


How many murders have you covered during your career, and how many murders are there?

Ken: I don’t know, I haven’t kept a count. However, every decade, about 150,000 Americans are murdered. According to the Statistical Abstract of the United States, between 1960 and 1996, there were 666,160 murders and non-negligent manslaughters in the U.S.

1-out-of-217 Americans will be murdered in their lifetime. That compares to 1-in-84 dying in car accidents or 1-in-5 from heart disease. Out of every 5 people killed, 4 are men. 33% of women who were killed were murdered by someone they knew intimately. Just 16% of men were killed by a stranger. So, it seems for both men and women the chance of being slain by a stranger are slim.

Teenagers and young people in their 20's are most likely to be murdered. Saturday is the number one day for murders, with Friday second. Murders are more likely after 6pm, and least likely during mornings after 6am. Your murder risk also rises on the job. This is especially true for cab drivers, police officers, security personnel, hotel clerks, liquor store employees, and gas station workers.

66% of all murders are committed with guns, knives and sharp instruments are a very distant second.


What do you make of the controversy over Obama speaking at Notre Dame?

Ken: I think it was a very curious turn of events, in that none of the past 3 Republican presidents, who claimed to be pro-life, ever personally attended a pro-life convention, or proposed pro-life legislation. Not even with a Republican congress. I would think that the pro-life movement would be more angered over it’s betrayal by fellow pro-life Republicans, than by a pro-choice Democrat.


How come the Indians don’t play any morning games?

Ken: I don’t know. Minor league teams like the Akron Aeros play several morning games each season. Most are called “Education Days”, catering to schools, which tie baseball to math and science lessons. Major League Baseball might want to consider weekend morning games. They could play doubleheaders like during the old days, and that might take some of the pressure off the 162 game season. Maybe the World Series could be held the first week in October, instead of November.


I was listening to Bob Becker’s Show on Saturday morning and they were talking about all the local cities that are stepping up traffic enforcement, to raise revenue during the recession. Aren’t you tired of cops pulling over people to raise cash for city coffers?

Ken: If you don’t want to pay traffic fines, just obey the law. More than 41,000 people were killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. in 2008. Many more were injured for life. Yet on our roads and freeways motorists constantly exceed speed limits which were set for their benefit, and yet grumble about getting tickets. From my experience the average freeway speed in Greater Cleveland seems to be about is 80 mph. Even in construction zones, where workers are trying to make our rides better, cars whiz past at top speed in total disregard for human lives. I think there probably isn’t enough traffic enforcement, and if cities make money off of it, so be it. You can choose not to pay by just driving safely.


Now that Fidel Castro no longer appears to be in control in Cuba, what should we change in our policy in dealing with that nation? How can we finally bring freedom to Cuba?

Ken: I think we can best bring freedom to Cuba by ending the economic boycott against the island. Boycotts have never been very effective in prompting regime change. Communism fell in Russia primarily because of trade and cultural exchanges, allowing for the free flow of ideas. We boycotted China for decades but free enterprise did not start to take hold until we established diplomatic and trading ties. It’s much easier to catch a goat with a carrot than with a stick.


I’m an audiophile. Do you remember 4 channel hi-fi? What happened to quadraphonic stereo and will it ever return?

Ken: Quadraphonic stereo was introduced in the 1970’s and was basically three dimensional audio. Four speakers are used, two in front of the listener and two in back. But unlike today’s surround sound in which the rear speakers only provide ambient audio, in quad all four channels are independent. For example, a band would play on the front channels, with backup singers only on the rear channel. Or a string quartet would have each musician on its own channel, with the listener sitting the middle of it all. The results were breathtaking. Quad sound was introduced with 4 channel tapes, and on specially encoded phonograph records invented by JVC, that used a four channel stylus and cartridge. Neither system caught on, and no provisions for 4 channel sound were made by the creators of the CD. However, it should be easy to configure mp3’s for quad, and I hope it will happen soon.


What to the think of the Fairness Doctrine?

Ken: I support it. The Fairness Doctrine originally put into effect to keep one political ideology from dominating out finite airwaves. Conservatives complain that returning to the Fairness Doctrine would subvert the free marketplace. I disagree. According to current accounting of the 257 news/talk stations owned by the top five commercial station owners, 91 percent of the total weekday talk radio programming is conservative and only 9 percent progressive. A Pew Research study reports only 36 percent of Americans label themselves as conservative while 60 percent identify as moderate or liberal. So it is actually the lack of fairness that is perverting the marketplace.


How deep will the recession be?

Ken: It’s hard to say. There are three major factors driving the economy downward. Foreign imports and the loss of manufacturing jobs. Technology and automation that’s eliminating jobs. The decline of unions, which is causing wages to tumble. Because of these factors consumers have less money to spend, so businesses make cuts to maintain profits, creating a downward spiral. I think at least one of the three factors has to be reversed, or the fall will continue, and will probably escalate.


I am troubled by the continuing increase in out of wedlock births and I believe it is  another sign of America’s containing moral decline. I’m sure you agree?

Ken: Not entirely. Our society has extended childhood over the past 100 years. We’ve created a group of people called “kidults”. Young people who don’t begin living on their own and don’t start their own families until they are nearly 30 years old or more. In 1909, young people usually started their careers and families at 17, or 18. We’ve added 10 years for more for unattached young people to become involved in sexual activity.


Critics overreacted to the “monkey” cartoon in the New York Post? People are overly sensitive about the President because is he black.

Ken: I disagree. The cartoon was in extremely poor taste, and was insulting to the President. The artist should be fired. I can speak with authority on this issue having been an editorial cartoonist. While I draw cartoons critical of President Nixon’s actions regarding Watergate, I never attacked him on a personal level.


What do you think of the new economic stimulus plan Congress is considering?

Ken: I’m not sure. The plan is to spend $800,000,000,000 to create about 3 million jobs. That doesn’t seem quite right because the cost would be $266,666 per job. Are these jobs are supposed to be for top executives only? For the same amount of money the federal government could hire 20,000,000 workers at $40,000 per job for one year. That alone would end the recession because just 2 million jobs have been lost since it started. Or, how about spending just $400,000,000,000 and hiring 10,000,000 workers at $40,000 each. That cuts the bailout in half, but produces still far more than the number of positions lost. Or, the figures can be tweaked for even more savings. For $400,000,000,000 hire 5,000,000 workers for two years, or 2,500,000 workers for 4 years. I think this would be a quick, low cost way of turning the economy around. Of course I’m no economist. Maybe I’m missing something here.


Do you believe the auto industry should be bailed out by the government?

Ken: I think the auto industry deserves a financial rescue package. I am amazed how quickly Congress approved massive rescue packages for the financial industry, the very people that triggered the recession. While the auto industry, which is a victim of the recession, is closely scrutinized, and criticized. Politicians have demanded little accountability from Wall Street. Critics even blamed auto leaders for flying to Washington in corporate jets, but isn’t that what executives are supposed to do? How petty can you get? Some complain that autoworkers make too much money, but Wall Streeters are not exactly making the minimum wage. Others contend the domestic automakers aren’t manufacturing vehicles the public really wants, but until the spike in gas prices, and the recession, sales were way up. Over the years, other nations have not hesitated to save their automotive industries, why are some U.S. lawmakers holding back. Is it because some politicians are in the pockets of foreign automakers?