Blog TV Wrap Up

Thanks to all in the Piedmont Triad Blogosphere who have lauded me with undue praise concerning Monday night's Buckley Report on local blogging. To be fair, Bob deserves credit too, as he wrote the script. I merely came up with the idea, pitched it for months, suggested the approach, shared the theory of The Long Tail, shot the interviews, accumulated footage, locked myself in an edit suite until my eyes bled and finally made sure the producers had all the graphics, info and re-cuts that their strange breed so requires. But, since I DO get a weekly stipend for all my efforts, this is the last you'll hear of it from me.

As for the story itself, I was somewhat pleased with the end results, if for no other reason it brought just a smidge of coverage to a subject I feel is worthy of far more. Still, I watched the newscast through splayed fingers - ready to recoil at each minor glitch the average viewer would probably never spot. Ask my wife, I'm NO FUN to watch TV news with. But this particular post isn't about me; it's about the blog, so bear with me as I sort through a few concerns.

The Buckley Report on Blogging will NOT appear on the station website or here at Viewfinder BLUES. Currently El OCho has no plans to post video on-line, though that may change someday. As for airing it here, it's technically possible, but as with most everything else I turn out in the name of news, it ain't mine to share. However, all is not lost. We put the story on our national feeds and while it's near impossible to determine where it else it may air, rest assured there are people with strange regional dialects currently viewing the report and wondering where in the hell the Piedmont Triad is. While I wouldn't base the purchase of a summer home on this resulting coverage, it is nice to know others outside our reach are hearing about the bloggy goodness available here in God's Country. For that, I thank you all.

But where do we go from here? To bed, you morons - it's half past midnight here at the Pittman household. But before I climb into my Winnie the Pooh pajamas, let me issue this challenge: Help me come up with the NEXT blogging story. Now that the b-word is sinking into the national conscience, it is time to stop explaining what a blog is and time to start exploring the medium's many new roles in modern communication and community. I have several ideas myself, but welcome all counsel - as the rich and dense blogosphere that's settled over the middle of our state is far wiser than this burned-out camera jockey. SO if you have news of a push-button publisher who is finding new ways to get their blog on, call me! Unless Bigfoot is holding a press conference across town, I'll grab my gear and come running. Until then, keep your hands on the keyboard and keep reaching for that PayPal account.

We now return you to your regular blog-fodder...