Commander Bill Grounded

[Duncan J. Shaw]

From this morning's "Media Savvy" column in the Sacramento Bee
(http://www.sacticket.com/tv_radio/story/8254499p-9185121c.html):

In other words, it's business as usual for one of the region's most
experienced traffic pilots.
Only it's not.

Rather than reporting these drive-time details from the cockpit of his black
Cessna 177 Cardinal, Eveland is on the ground - holed up at his home studio
in rural Nevada County.

Bowing to the bottom line, KFBK suits have quietly clipped Commander Bill's
wings, pulling him from his plane after 24 years of airborne reporting for
Sacramento's top-rated radio station.

"I understand at first blush how this might sound," Kohl says. "But I'm
telling you: Bill is easier to understand, and the product is clearer and
cleaner now that he's focusing on telling us the problem rather than flying
the airplane and talking to the traffic controllers. He's focused on one
thing."

=======================

The time I flew with Bill about 8 years ago, he wasn't flying the plane --
someone else was. So Bill didn't have to concentrate on flying. Too bad to
hear about this -- Bill's a good guy.

-Duncan Shaw

Denver, CO

[Ted Langdell]

Post by Duncan J. Shaw
From this morning's "Media Savvy" column in the Sacramento Bee
In other words, it's business as usual for one of the region's most
experienced traffic pilots.
Only it's not.
Rather than reporting these drive-time details from the cockpit of his black
Cessna 177 Cardinal, Eveland is on the ground - holed up at his home studio
in rural Nevada County.
Bowing to the bottom line, KFBK suits have quietly clipped Commander Bill's
wings, pulling him from his plane after 24 years of airborne reporting for
Sacramento's top-rated radio station.
"I understand at first blush how this might sound," Kohl says. "But I'm
telling you: Bill is easier to understand, and the product is clearer and
cleaner now that he's focusing on telling us the problem rather than flying
the airplane and talking to the traffic controllers. He's focused on one
thing."
=======================
The time I flew with Bill about 8 years ago, he wasn't flying the plane --
someone else was. So Bill didn't have to concentrate on flying. Too bad to
hear about this -- Bill's a good guy.
-Duncan Shaw
Denver, CO

I noticed the "home studio sound" the other day when I was listening...
and wondered what was going on. Thought something had happened to
Bill's health.

I was a bit shocked by the article when I picked up the paper Thursday.
Especially the million dollar a year cost that Kohl cited.

For quite some time, the plane Bill flies/flew had been called "The
Eldorado Hotel Casino Blackbird," a sponsorship that I would have
thought covered much of the operating costs. Maybe the contract
expired and wasn't renewed?

Ted.