New Channel, Same Rukeyser

Business Week ^ | 5/10/02 | Robert Barker

[Drango]

To err is human. But the Maryland Public Television "management" moves that wound up alienating its venerable host of Wall $treet Week, Louis Rukeyser, still boggle my mind. Searching in desperation for a comparable blunder to put L'affair Lou in some historical context, I've had to reach back past Hillarycare, beyond New Coke, all the way back to 1941, when Adolf Hitler invaded the Soviet Union after deciding that what he really needed to enjoy life was an Eastern front.

[Drango]

Rukeyser update.

PBS/NPR/PRI/Pacifica etc. recieved $350 million in Federal Tax dollars alone...what can I say....SIGH

[JoeFromCA]

Yeah, my wife made me watch Rukeyser last night. He was worthless as always. Told some anecdote quoting Will Rogers--now there's a good source of investment advice!

I used to watch Rukeyser in the '70s when no one else cared about the stock market. But now with daytime business channel (CNBC, I guess; forgive me for watching but it's good coverage) there's no competition. I guess Rukeyser had a decent guest for the first episode (bond manager from Pimco, I think), but his guests last night were the usual nobodies.

[csvset]

PBS/NPR/PRI/Pacifica etc. recieved $350 million in Federal Tax dollars alone...what can I say....SIGH

What can we say indeed. The Foggy Bottom Boys will find someone, anyone, the world over to give our money too.

[MainFrame65]

I watched the corpse of WSW last night and the re-creation this morning on the PBS station here in Memphis. (I don't have cable or satellite.) I thought the most remarkable difference (besides the shtick puns) was the contrast between the business and investment focus that has always been Rukeyser's trademark and the political punditry of his would-be imitators. The Enron mess and overcompensation of executives - along with a recommendation for government to find solutions - were the most egregious examples.

[dogbyte12]

Ok dumb thing that always bothered me about Rukeyser. That wink thing he does to the camera in every show. I don't know why, but I have always found it incredibly creepy. Sometimes, if watching, I would flip the station real quick just not to watch it. I am weird that way ;)