After I left the Hall of Fame luncheon yesterday, I was relieved to discover it was still 2008. I then realized, if I hurried, I could make it to my nighttime job on time. I feel so foolish now that I was so excited about the chance to see Alex get his award that I forgot this was an awards show. I hate awards shows. They are long and boring with endless speeches, and this was no exception. Since most of those being recognized are dead, it seemed like a funeral. Spouses, children, and grandchildren mourned the loss of those great radio talents as they accepted the awards in their absence. Yes, it was a funeral, and Alex delivered the eulogy for terrestrial radio. What he said was nothing new to those of us who have been listening for years. Good radio on AM and FM is dieing, if it is not already dead. Ownership of radio stations is being consolidated into the hands of a few large companies that are more interested in making money than entertaining and informing an audience. Alex warned us over a decade ago of the damage deregulation would do, and now it has come to pass. The audience at the luncheon did not want to hear it. Deregulation was the elephant in the room, and Alex was doing an intervention. I am still glad I went. It was fun sitting with Will and Gloria. Will gave me one of his FUW shirts, which actually looks great. I saw Albert, Alex's boss Dave, Bruce and Wendy David, and Girlfriend. It was great to see Lori Thompson again. She even remembered me. I met Ben Fong-Torres, and, no, he still hasn't finished the book. He is trying to get more time from his publisher. Fong-Torres was one of the few minorities in the room. I saw three blacks, and two of them were honorees. That is another reason Michael Billy should have been there. He would have brought more diversity to the room. Congratulations, Alex. I would love to support getting you into the National Hall of Fame, but do you really want to sit through another awards show like that?
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