Where Have All The Anchors Gone?

Tuning in to your favorite radio or TV program this week, you may have noticed that the regular host is absent and a substitute is filling in.

The regular host is taking a holiday break. A well deserved rest.

I guess.

Unless you're an old-time broadcast purist, like me.

Recently a family group was watching some old 8mm film at my house, shots of family scenes, taken some 40 odd years ago. In one sequence, there I was, on my knees beside the Christmas tree, passing out gifts to the children.

One younger family member, not yet born at the time the film was shot, wondered aloud why I was wearing a white shirt and tie when that film was made. A shirt and tie, around the tree early Christmas morning? It does seem a little odd today.

What he could not know was that I had worked my regular radio program that morning and the family had suspended Christmas activity until I returned from work.

I spent every Christmas on the air for many years. The rule then was simple. If you are normally on the air on Thursday morning, and Christmas happens to fall on Thursday, you were on the air on Christmas morning.

Our listeners were important to us in those days... no reason why we should change their program preferences just so we could have a day off!

We were not alone, of course. Lots of policemen, firemen, health care professionals and others worked on christmas Day. It just went with the job. And, for many people, it still does.

But not for those celebrity anchors.

But then, they deserve the time off.

I guess.