It’s Like Circling And You Can’t Land

Labor Day is gone and we are in football and award season. The fall shows are almost back on the four “main” TV networks. The VMAs, now Emmys, CMAs and Oscar buzz. It sounds like such a busy, fun time of the year, but wait!

As you read the press coming out of Music City and Hollywood, something just doesn’t feel right. Covid worries and ignorance surround us. And we can’t break out.

On broadcast/cable news, sample a half hour of local or national. Local: Covid stories, the weather and maybe one crime story. National: it’s Covid, Afghanistan, Trump something. It’s pretty much a steady diet of the same things over and over.

From Nashville, there is a Dolly Parton story of some kind every day. We went many months between Dolly headlines in some years. George Strait is announcing a pretty busy fall schedule of shows. The CMA Awards nominations really didn’t create a lot of reaction. Award shows in general just seem to fall on deaf ears these days.

Truth be told, many of us are very concerned that the coming months may be very difficult as the fight against the virus rages on. The resistance to masks or taking a shot among us nationally is one third. Tennessee resistance is very strong.

The Bridgestone is Nashville’s big arena. Starting in October, it’s requiring proof of vaccine or a very recent negative Covid test to attend anything there. The National Hockey League seems to be pushing that plan for its buildings. In Tennessee, where no mask mandate exists and the vax rate is low, most places just move on. Just whatever will be will be. Meanwhile, the hospital ICUs are at 100%, mostly with unvaccinated people.

Some artists are concerned about their fall/winter arena tours. If the buildings are strict with the guidelines, will they be able to sell them out? Some seem to care, others just rock on.

The third booster shot, or even getting the first shot, might head trouble off at the pass. The flu shot is out now too. “Do the flu before boo” is what they say.

All this has created a “circling the airport waiting to get permission to land” kind of emotion. You try to make good, safe decisions, and it’s stressful. Your heart says one thing; your mind might say something else. Wait until it comes up where you have to decide to get your baby a Covid shot. How stressful is that going to be?

For radio and TV, you have to find a balance. All Covid all the time, like some local TV news places have done, is a tune-out, and counterproductive. Balance, have thoughtful discussions, reduce the heat and passion, stick to the facts from real experts. Opinions are just that. Find a way to bring joy to people. It is a stressful time to be alive. I think you can’t ever ignore that fact.

The fall music coming from 16th Ave. is pretty good so far. The Jason Aldean/Carrie Underwood duet is fantastic. The Steve Wariner Christmas album coming on October 15th sounds great.

Luke Bryan got to pose with a 50-pound bacon statue as his Farm Tour winds down. Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are around America on weekends for another month or so. Reba McEntire had to get rescued by the fire department in Atoka, OK after a stairwell collapsed. The world is still rotating and Country music is out there in it.

Just be aware that some people are on edge, depressed, worried, concerned and generally things are not normal. College football ratings are higher. NFL too. People need that escape. Radio needs to remember that as well.

Norm McDonald sadly died, but listening to his highlights made us laugh one more time.

Oh, yeah … from a veteran telethon producer: When you have a telethon, you can’t just have a text number. Old people have always been the big givers and they use the (landline) phone. And find a TV producer with some fundraising experience.

Next time you do one of these instant shows for the purpose of raising money, remember it’s not a concert. The music rewards you for listening to the pitches. Just saying. Focus on raising money.