So, I missed the big announcement - but could see it coming for a long time.
My former co-worker, Dick Knipfing, has decided that delivering the news to the telly screen twice or three times a day for 43+ years is enough.
Yep.
The wonderful world of TV news has changed a lot since our days at The Big Seven News. The wind up 16mm Bell & Howell (whatever happened to them) silent cameras have given way to cameras that fit in the top of a ballpoint pen. And the quality on the ballpoint pen camera is better than the film. Progress.
The on-the-air reporting staff, different faces but about the same age as Ricardo and I were when we pounded the beat - seems a bit greener behind the ears. Maybe it's just my imagination.
It is good to see there are people in our medium sized TV market that get a chance to move on to the big time. Count among them David Gregory (he was on KGGM-TV-13 - maybe it was KRQE by then), Kate Snow (KOAT-TV), and now Gadi Schwartz is moving on to Los Angeles.
That shows that we're a pretty good training ground - and Dick Knipfing has been the teacher, even if he worked at a competing station.
Our homes are going to miss Mr. Knipfing being such a frequent guest - but here's hoping he hangs around long enough to keep on straightening things like politics, elections, political correctness, and the basic knowledge of our state and our people. I always felt comfortable watching and knowing that Knipfing, somehow, knew what was happening - and corrected the kiddy-corp of reporters when he had to. Now, I'll have to rely on Tom Joles on Eyewitess News to do that.
Those were the good ol' days...
