RE: Re: MTVictory Garden

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The issue is a bit more basic unfortunately.  Across the country in television and radio stations alike, because of cost cutting strategies, more and more production and editing jobs are going to young adults in their twenties, mostly because they will work for little money just to get into the biz.  This happened in the New York publishing industry in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  Garden editors were replaced with young folks willing to take on four or five topic areas and work 60 hours a week to be “in the big time”.  So what we have in many cases, are folks making program decisions who not only know nothing about gardening, about the gardening market, or about gardening communications, but they have not lived long enough to know much about life.  When I saw the ad for “young” talent needing no television experience, I had the same reaction as did Lon. 

Later,

Jeff Ball

   I have no problem with young people in the industry.  I know several that started as young as 12 or 13 and are fantastic gardeners and even researchers.  One guy is only in his 20's and has been breeding rice, among a lot of other unusual plants, for a good ten years or more.
   My objection was the ad for people based solely on age and attractiveness.   I had hoped that the business of putting in someone who is attractive but doesn't know a turnip from a tulip from tansy, just to read someone else's words, wouldn't get into gardening programs.   Naive, I know.
-Lon Rombough
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