Media Musings: Nashville given hokey Fourth coverage
Upon reflection, it looks like A Network really owes Nashville an apology for the Fourth of July special aired from Music City.
Nashville has always been reaching for greater recognition across America. Its roots are woven deeply into higher education, publishing, religion, medicine, and thanks to Martha Ingram, the fine arts. But of all the facets of the city’s reputation in the entertainment world, music – especially what used to be called country or country and western – are a national brand.
Today, even during these difficult times in the record business, the city is considered a paradise for songwriters. Tis a far, far cry from the lonesome days when the city gave an unsure greeting to those honky-tonk singers and songwriters and the Grand Ole Opry.
So, it cannot be too much of a stretch to say the city jumped at being a televised location for the Fourth. You can follow the logic: Here’s a city with a host of excellent television directors and producers, sound men and women, lighting experts, acoustical experts, and musical talent.
Instead, the city got a “master of ceremonies” who was dreadful and awkward and hokey, single acts that were mediocre (I am being kind), technical flaws that were obvious and unnecessary, and a symphony and fireworks show that together provided a dazzling combination. The city’s efforts should be commended; A let such a fine effort down.
If Nashville didn’t have an ever-growing population of talent, it would have been understandable. But it does. If you are using the word “country,” why not pull some of the greats living in the area? I’ll hazard a guess: money. A did this show on the cheap. And while I am always ready to try and fairly evaluate the city and it’s media, Nashville deserved better. DanMiller and company did very professional work for Channel 4 and, really, there’s not much that talent can say, anyway, except keep the local flavor moving forward. But the national cablecast did not have them aboard.
Nashville has grown in all areas of the arts, and learned to live with country music as it changed and it now records so many musical genres that country isn’t the major form of music recorded.
Mayor Purcell has proven to be a fine leader whose efforts, like former mayor and now Gov. Phil Bredesen, are constantly improving the city, especially the downtown area.
It’s a shame that such a fine city that is improving and growing every year got such a shabby deal. Any city would have jumped to be on A for the fourth of July, of course, but perhaps they should look at this year’s ragged treatment of Nashville before agreeing too quickly.
KUDOS: To the British Broadcasting Co., for its stand against government pressure on its reporting of Tony Blair’s manipulation of facts to bring the Brits into the war on Iraq. For reasons that still seem mysterious, Blair was convinced very quickly, like Bush, that the Iraqis had to be freed immediately from its totalitarian regime. There is every reason to now believe that Bush’s tiny insular inner circle wanted the war before the Sept. 11 tragedy.
Both men, it can been argued, used “noble lies” to take us into what is becoming – dare I use the word, Rummie? – quagmire. It’s very possible Blair will not recover from the revelations. Bush and Fox News will sustain, for very different reasons. One of them is that the American news media – with rare exception – became cheerleaders for the war, most especially TV.
(Ed Kimbrell is a professor in MTSU’s School of Journalism.)