[Speed Gibson,
Sunday April 3, 2005 at 7:30am]
Next Big Thing - Week 5
The weather was beautiful and I was out walking this afternoon, so I listened live to KSTP's "The Next Big Thing" program on my Walkman. This week featured Butch (Howard) Swintek, a retired 27 year veteran of St. Paul's finest. He appears now and then on the Ron and Mark program, but today went out on beat alone.
I'll start right out by giving him a "D" as in "Chris Krok" on my scale, mostly because I felt that his heart wasn't in it. Show prep? Not that I heard, other than to pick up a copy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He had the right idea - the local spin on a larger story like the passing of Pope John Paul II, but other than say he thought such an article could wait a couple of days, he simply waited for calls. Then he discussed the Medal of Honor being presented tomorrow to the son of the late Paul Smith, veteran of the first gulf war. About time he said; the rest was too much inside baseball. The second hour wasn't much better.
Instead of lecturing us on what we already know (gun locks), how about discussing the new smoking ban, and what the cops will be doing about it if violations are reported? His expertise and insight would have made for much better radio, indeed a perspective not generally available elsewhere.
It's tough picking on a veteran and retired cop, but what counts here is radio. It's not what Joe O'Brien is looking for.
I'll start right out by giving him a "D" as in "Chris Krok" on my scale, mostly because I felt that his heart wasn't in it. Show prep? Not that I heard, other than to pick up a copy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He had the right idea - the local spin on a larger story like the passing of Pope John Paul II, but other than say he thought such an article could wait a couple of days, he simply waited for calls. Then he discussed the Medal of Honor being presented tomorrow to the son of the late Paul Smith, veteran of the first gulf war. About time he said; the rest was too much inside baseball. The second hour wasn't much better.
Instead of lecturing us on what we already know (gun locks), how about discussing the new smoking ban, and what the cops will be doing about it if violations are reported? His expertise and insight would have made for much better radio, indeed a perspective not generally available elsewhere.
It's tough picking on a veteran and retired cop, but what counts here is radio. It's not what Joe O'Brien is looking for.