TV Confidential with Ed Robertson

TVC 726.2: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Hal Eisner, the multiple award-winning broadcast journalist who covered the news every day for fifty-eight years, including fifteen years at various radio stations in Texas and Louisiana and the last forty-three years on television in Los Angeles. Hal's memoir, An Accidental Career, is available through Amazon.com. Topics this segment include how Hal's encounters with such celebrities as Ed Asner and Roy Scheider; how news reporting is another form of storytelling; and how living in retirement can be like floating in a bowl of Jell-o. For our listeners in the Greater L.A. Metro area, Hal Eisner will appear at Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, CA on Wednesday, Mar. 4 beginning at 7pm.

TVC 726.3: Ed welcomes Jennifer Jones, the first African-American member of the world renowned Radio City Rockettes, and an award-winning performer who is celebrated for her pioneering achievements and unwavering advocacy for equal rights in the arts. Jennifer's memoir, Becoming Spectacular: The Rhythm of Resilience from The First African-American Rockette, not only tells the story of how she helped establish a transformative era for The Rockettes while inspiring other black dancers, but also recounts her triumphant battle against colorectal cancer in 2018. March is both Women's History Month and Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Becoming Spectacular is available wherever books are sold through Amistad Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Topics this segment include how Jennifer's faith helped her overcome some of the challenges she faced during her early days with the Rockettes; how she knew, from a young age, that she wanted to perform on stage; and how conquering self-doubt is like peeling away layers of an onion. For our listeners in the Greater L.A. Metro area, Jennifer Jones' story is also included in This Joint is Jumpin', a new exhibit at The Hollywood Museum that honors the contributions of many notable black artists, singers, actors, writers, and sports figures, including Whitney Houston, Lena Horne, Denzel Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, The Pointer Sisters, Dionne Warwick, Forrest Whitaker, Wesley Snipes, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Angela Bassett, Muhammad Ali, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Viola Davis, Diana Ross, and Oprah Winfrey. For tickets and more information: TheHollywoodMuseum.com

TVC 726.4: Jennifer Jones, the first African-American member of the Radio City Rockettes, talks to Ed about her battle against colorectal cancer in 2018 (including the importance of having the right medical team for her); how she came to write her children's book, On the Line; how she came to create the Dancing Jenn doll; and how she first dreamed of dancing on stage when she was nine years old, after seeing The Wiz on Broadway. March is both Women's History Month and Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Both Jennifer's memoir, Becoming Spectacular, and her children's book, On the Line, are available through HarperCollins and Amazon.com, while the Dancing Jenn doll is available through Wal-Mart. For our listeners in the Greater L.A. Metro area, Jennifer Jones' story is also included in This Joint is Jumpin', a new exhibit at The Hollywood Museum that honors the contributions of many notable black artists, singers, actors, writers, and sports figures. For tickets and more information: TheHollywoodMuseum.com

TVC 725.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Harvey Lisberg, the legendary music manager who shaped the careers of such iconic artists as Herman's Hermits, 10cc, and Tony Christie. Topics this segment include why Herman's Hermits did not tour the United States during the last three years when they were together; how changing trends in the music industry ultimately played a role in the band's demise; and why Don Kirshner respected Harvey's uncanny ability to recognize a hit record. Harvey's memoir, I'm Into Something Good: My Life Managing 10cc, Herman's Hermits, and Many More, is available wherever books are sold through Omnibus Press. Chuck Harter co-hosts.

TVC 725.2: Harvey Lisberg, manager of Herman's Hermits, talks to Ed and guest co-host Chuck Harter about the important role that radio played in the band's rise to the top of the charts; Harvey's favorite songs of Herman's Hermits; and why Peter Noone continues to be a true showman to this day. Harvey's memoir, I'm Into Something Good, is available wherever books are sold through Omnibus Press.

TVC 725.3: From January 2012: Award-winning television writer/producer Larry Brody talks to Ed about some of the ways in which television has changed since he first broke in as a writer in the late 1960s; Larry's experience working on Barnaby Jones, The Streets of San Francisco, and other shows produced by Quinn Martin; and why the medical drama House also serves as an illustration for how the television industry works.

TVC 725.4: Ed welcomes Hal Eisner, the multiple award-winning broadcast journalist who covered the news every day for fifty-eight years, including fifteen years at various radio stations in Texas and Louisiana and the last forty-three years on television in Los Angeles, primarily as a field reporter for FOX 11, but also for KCOP (Channel 13) and, for a few years, as a reporter for the L.A. bureau of CNN. Hal's memoir, An Accidental Career, is available through Amazon.com. Topics this segment include how Hal's ability to connect immediately with the people whose lives he covered—a trait he got from his dad—has served him well throughout his career, even in difficult circumstances; the power of organic reporting; and why Hal chose to remain in Los Angeles and cover local news after his tenure at CNN ended. For our listeners in the Greater L.A. Metro area, Hal Eisner will appear at Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, CA on Wednesday, Mar. 4 beginning at 7pm.

TVC 725.5: Award-winning broadcast journalist Hal Eisner talks to Ed about the day in March 2021 when he was nearly killed after being struck by a drunk driver while covering a story in Hollywood—and the remarkable role that social media played in helping him get back on his feet. Hal's memoir, An Accidental Career, is available through Amazon.com. For our listeners in the Greater L.A. Metro area, Hal Eisner will appear at Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, CA on Wednesday, Mar. 4 beginning at 7pm.

TVC 724.1: Ed welcomes back Harvey Lisberg, the legendary music manager who shaped the careers of such iconic artists as Herman's Hermits, 10cc, and Tony Christie. Harvey's memoir, I'm Into Something Good, a captivating journey through the golden era of music, is available wherever books are sold. Topics this segment include what made Herman's Hermits different from most other British bands of the 1960s; how "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" began as a novelty song before becoming one of the band's biggest hits; and why the band's first appearance on television was "a disaster." Chuck Harter co-hosts.

TVC 724.2: Harvey Lisberg, manager of Herman's Hermits, talks to Ed and guest co-host Chuck Harter about the band's brief foray into motion pictures in the mid 1960s (including Where The Boys Meet the Girls and Hold On!), and why the band's voices, particularly on the harmonies of their songs, was critical to their success. Harvey's memoir, I'm Into Something Good: My Life Managing 10cc, Herman's Hermits, and Many More, is available wherever books are sold through Omnibus Press.