This is the first of what I hope will be a number of dispatches from this year's National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), RTNDA (Radio and Television News Directors Association) and Broadcast Education Association (BEA) conferences in Las Vegas. This year there is a 'bloggers' room' in what is known atr the Pavilion at the Las vegas Hilton, with free Wi-Fi access, but it is too lovely outside to be inside when you don't have to be (plenty of time for that!), so I am 'sat sttting' outside the north hall of the massive Las Vegas Convention Center. It's a sunny, beautiful day, just about perfect.
This is the first ime I have arrived in the city before Sunday PM. In the past I have landed around 1p.m., checked in to the hotel, shaved, s*!t showered and changed and then headed straight for the Hilton to pick up my registration stuff and attend the first 'SuperSession' around 4p.m. By the time I gfot to bed the first night I had been up nearly 24 hours, had an 11 hour flight and adjusting to an eight-hour time difference. Then it was full conferencing through the week until Saturday PM, then back Sunday afternoon. I am not complaining – it is a fantastic opportunity and I always find it stimulating, informative and of course there is socializing in the evening but it is a bit of a killer and not the 'jolly' that my students and others tend to assume when you say you are going to Las Vegas for a week, for 'business.'. So, this time – prompted by the withdrawal of direct flights from Manchester – I arrived on Friday and so have now had almost 48 hours to adjust the Rudin body clock and generally regain equilibrium before the 'madness' begins. I even -0 foir the first time in 5 years, please note! – yesterday had a trip outside the city, to the Hoover Dam, and Grand falls. I must emphasise – before 'Rudin-Gate' gains momentum that this was NOT at public expense! I shall have to do another Blog on that or maybe a Podcast because there is far too much I want to note and this would turn into a Rudin marathon Blog par excellence if I do it all here!
Anyhow, it is all quite relaxing here this stage of the Convention; more people are arriving all the time and there are even some 'conferences within conferences' that began yesterday but the 'real deal' doesn't get underway until the first 'super session' (on future of broadcast news) in about four hours' time. I have just been into the NAB store (always bad for the 'plastic' and bought three books (more luggage weight!), including one from Michael Keith (and absolutely top broadcast scholar and an extraordinarily modest and unassuming bloke) that he had written with one oif his chief collaborators, Hilliard called 'Dirty Discourse' on (supposed)indecency in U.S. broadcasting, which looks a hoot and it fits in with the theme oif this year's BEA Convention on ethics (you'll have to forgive lack of links in this Blog-too fiddly to try and do all that with my Netbook perched on my knee as I sit on this outside bench!).
I have just got my conference badge and bag – the latter quite revealing. You can tell a lot about an industry's financial position from its conference bags, I reckon. The first one I attended three years ago as a 'full conference' included a fantastic bag - which I use everyday at work - plus lot of goodies. This year's a cheap, insubstantial-looking effort, containing a program, and, er that's about it. Nothing to get excited about, that's for sure. Tomorrow the RTNDA has is a special 'what the hell do we do know?' session at the RTNDA (well, that's my take on the session name. They are trying to put a brave face on it but, like at home, the whole industry is pretty much in crisis. Advertising revenue is down, as are audiences and, naturally, the number of people who can attend Conventions like this is also down. Which is a pity, because, as ever, there are some excellent-sounding sessions over the next few days (and that's before 'my' conference begins). Last year there were some 113,000 attendees at the NAB/RTNDA; this year they are predicting it be well under the 'psychologically important' 1000,000 mark. Still, it may mean that the lunch-time queues are reduced (always look on the bright side…).
Until next time…Richard Rudin, News at whenever, Las Vegas.
where's the bloody picies of said dam/canyon/casino/? thought you were state of the art, not state of the ark? Come on Rudders set the standard for photojounalisticblogposttweetbook: Fry can do it, you are our man on the ground, well on a sun kissed bench...
As Phil says, "drop the dead actress"
Posted by: Gus | April 20, 2009 at 08:28 AM