Local Government TV

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Monday, September 08, 2008

Pam Varkony Squares Off Against MSM Tonight

Pam Varkony, an Allentown writer and former member of Allentown city council, is one of my favorite people. Founder of Power of Women, her writing style makes me feel like I'm sitting in her living room, having a relaxed conversation with a friend. I was a loyal reader of her column and blog, Perspectives with Pamela Varkony. Tonight, she'll be one of the panelists on WFMZ's Business Matters at 7:30 PM, and it should be a pretty hot show.

Why? Because one of the other panelists is The Morning Call's managing editor, David Erdman. He's lucky I won't be asking the questions. I'd like to know why he dumped Varkony's blog. After that, I'd like to know how eliminating Pam's column and all those jobs improved the paper. Why do you lay people off when the paper is turning a profit? How gutless is it to lay people off by calling them at home on a Sunday? How can Erdman possibly justify the hate spewed on the reader forum?

Basically, why should readers pay more for a product that delivers less? The paper sent no one to cover the last two meetings of Nazareth borough council. According to Lynn Township supervisor David Najarian, it hasn't covered a meeting there in three years.

I doubt those hard questions will be asked, but I'm sure host Tony Iannelli will have a few of his own. Blogger Pam will be pitted against three MSM types.

They don't stand a chance.
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9 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2008 at 8:26 AM

    Mr. O'Hare, thank you for this Varkony update. we will watch. perhaps mrs. varkony will ask
    Erdman why last sunday's edition
    had multiple pages of full length newprint blackened typeface, impossible to read.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Blah SocietySeptember 8, 2008 at 9:14 AM

    I saw a Morning Call delivery man (because they don't use kids anymore) delivering newspapers at about 7:30am. Kinda late to be getting the paper - bring that up, too, lol.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2008 at 9:50 AM

    Bernie -

    Several times I have seen you write about paying "More for less".

    No reason to do that. Call them, demand 50% off. I, and lots of other people I know, get that price every time.

    They will say no at first. Tell them you will quit. They will make you some kind of offer, but not as good. Say no, and stop if you have to. Soon after, they will call you, or you can buy a copy and there will be a flyer inside with a great deal.

    In the end, you will get at least half price.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Pamela VarkonySeptember 8, 2008 at 9:50 AM

    Bernie,

    Thanks for the kind words and all the links, especially to the Power Of Women site where registration begins today for our 10th Anniversary Luncheon.

    However, I'm afraid after your great build-up, folks are going to be real disappointed in tonight's show...I didn't get to ask any questions because I was a member of the panel.

    Toni did ask Dave Erdman how blogs were affecting the paper. The show focuses on the fragmentation of the MSM, especially as impacted by blogs.

    It's always hard to know how something is going to come across when you're inside of it, so I don't know whether the show is interesting or not, but I will wait with great anticipation for the O'Hare review after it airs.

    Thanks, Bernie, for posting about it. It's an important topic and you just boosted the audience.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bernie O'HareSeptember 8, 2008 at 9:59 AM

    Pam, Tony is pretty good at asking questions so that does not trouble me. I'm sure it will be a great show.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bernie O'HareSeptember 8, 2008 at 10:45 AM

    Anon 9:50,

    Thanks for the tip!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2008 at 12:05 PM

    Bernie, thanks for plugging the show, and Pam, thank you once again for appearing on it. For more information (now it's my turn for a shameless blog), check out our blog at: http://wfmz.typepad.com/business_matters

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2008 at 8:31 PM

    Bernie,

    I stopped watching Tony’s show when he became a pitchman for Pawlowski. Very disappointing, he is up there with 69NEWS for newsworthiness, in other words…useless.
    By the way if you want 50% off your subscription rate just let your current subscription run out and wait patently for the local carrier, or kids earning some kind of points to knock on your door. That’s what everyone does around here.
    Frankly even at fifty percent off it is a waste of money, one can only gaze at endless advertisements in a vain search for relevant information.

    Scott Armstrong

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousSeptember 8, 2008 at 9:40 PM

    Mr Schlossberg please stop drooling on Ms. Varkony. Mr. O'Hare please stop drooling on both. Good God man.

    ReplyDelete

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