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Saturday, June 28, 2008

1988: AL DEMARTIN AND PRIM REEVES

I JUST SAW AL DEMARTIN LAST WEEK AT A ROTARY CLUB LUNCHEON AT CEDAR GARDENS. EXCEPT FOR SOME DISTINGUISHED "SALT 'N PEPPER'" HAIR, HE STILL LOOKS JUST LIKE HE DOES IN THE PICTURE ABOVE. AL IS A REAL GENTLEMAN. HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ALLOWING ME TO GAIN ACCESS TO HAMILTON SCHOOL'S ARCHIVES TO HELP US CELEBRATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF KUSER SCHOOL.

PRIM REEVES WAS THE PRODUCER FOR MY TKR WEEKLY LOCAL INTEREST TV TALK SHOW, "IN FOCUS," PRIM REEVES AND TKR, SERVED US VERY WELL, AND THEN ALONG CAME THE CABLE GIANT, CABLEVISION. THEY IMMEDIATELY DISCONTINUED LOCAL ACCESS PROGRAMMING, CLOSED DOWN THE HAMILTON STUDIO,AND REPLACED TRULY LOCAL PROGRAMMING WITH WHAT THEY CALL "TV THAT'S CLOSE HOME"

"CLOSE TO HOME" COMES FROM 30 TO 50 MILES AWAY. WE GET TO SEE PROGRAMS WITH INTERVIEWS OF MAYORS IN OCEAN COUNTY, MONMOUTH COUNTY, MIDDLESEX, SOMERSET, WHO ARE COMPLETE STRANGERS TO US AND AN OCCASIONAL 3 MINUTE HAMILTON PIECE. CABLEVISION'S "CLOSE TO HOME" PROGRAMS ARE ANYTHING BUT "LOCAL," AS IN HAMILTON AND ALLENTOWN.

THE REASON?
WE ARE ON THE FAR WESTERN END OF THE CENTRAL NEW JERSEY CABLEVISION COVERAGE AREA. WE MIGHT GET A 3 MINUTE SPOT EVERY NOW AND THEN, BUT GETTING TRUE LOCAL COVERAGE IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. TRAVELING FROM WALL TOWNSHIP TO HAMILTON IS COSTLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ARE TOWNS LIKE MARLBORO, BELMAR, AND OCEAN COUNTY TOWNS NEAR CABLEVISION'S HOME GROUNDS IN WALL TOWNSHIP.
CAN YOU SAY "AUSTERITY?"



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