Editorial: Feeling Thankful

We harken back to the style of Larry King's ‘USA Today’ column for some reasons we are thankful this holiday season

By B&C Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/28/2010 11:01:00 PM

For all the fun Larry King has given us (especially in recent years), as he prepares to step away from CNN we harken back to the style of his ‘USA Today’ column for some reasons we are thankful this holiday season:

For Pepcid and indigestion pills to help with what we all did to ourselves last Thursday…That many of you are seeing better times ahead in 2011 (boy, do we hope you are right)…That Republicans and Democrats are finally putting aside their differences to work together to solve our financial and health care crises (insert derisive laughter here, followed by a sigh worthy of Charlie Brown, after his football gets pulled away yet again)….

For the mute button, when the vitriol gets out of hand on the cable news nets…For all those zillionaires running for office who spent all that money on TV—not sure it was good for the country, but it sure was for the TV business…For Friday Night Lights, often the most underappreciated drama on television…For network execs, talent, producers and everyone else who have embraced Twitter…For new platforms giving rise to more networks and more choices….

That station groups like Hearst and Belo still push hard on election coverage and help inform their viewers…For all you crazy people with your huge egos who make covering this business so much fun (no, we’re not talking about you, of course)…For people in the business having loose lips…For the awful Lions and Cowboys giving us more time to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner…For understanding husbands and wives who get that our jobs are 24-7….

That the station M&A market is slowly starting to pick up again, because new blood is good for the business…That know-nothing news anchors are being phased out in favor of those who have to do their own reporting…For people like Leslie Moonves who never stopped carrying the torch for broadcast television…That the broadcast nets seem to have stemmed the primetime ratings free fall…That even NBC’s rivals are expecting a turnaround once Comcast takes over….

For the breakout success of original concepts like Glee and Modern Family that show if you make good TV, people will come…That Vin Scully isn’t done yet…For journalistic outfits that still choose accuracy and depth over source-less garbage and snark.

And of course, for Jersey Shore.