Live on TV3 Palm Springs

by Bill Evans

  “No. I think it would be better if I wasn’t there. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Mr. Simpson. This was a heck of a ride.”

  “Dick, you can be proud of what you accomplished for us over the years. I’m sorry to see it end, especially this way. But that is what you want, so I’m happy for you.” Mr. Simpson could lie with the best of them. He had already started his management search when Dick Thomas called him. It was like everyone was feeling the same thing. This was the right time for a change. With everything that TV3 had been through, it was time to switch things up. Dick went out on his terms, and that made the transition easier on everyone, including Dick. It worked out better for everyone that Dick thought it was his idea.

  ***

  The next day at 8:45, the studio chairs started filling up. Everyone was anticipating the meeting, and as usual there was a lot of speculation as to what the meeting was all about. Dick Thomas didn’t have a lot of mandatory staff meetings, but, given the working climate and all the drama the station had been through, most people agreed a staff meeting was probably in order. No one had any idea about what was going to happen, though.

  Nine o’clock and every unfolded chair was full. Seventy-two employees out of seventy-four had shown up. Jack Router walked to the front of the studio to greet everyone.

  “Let’s hold down the noise, please. Thank you for coming, although you didn’t have much of a choice this morning. It is a mandatory meeting.” Jack got some laughs, which was his intent, as a way to loosen up the mood a little. “It’s my pleasure to introduce to you Jeff Wallace, the CFO of Madison Broadcasting Company.”

  The room was quiet as Jeff found his way from the back where he had gone unnoticed by most of the audience.

  “Good morning.” Jeff’s voice was soft yet loud enough that everyone heard him without straining. “I’m Jeff Wallace, the chief financial officer for Madison Broadcasting. I’m here today representing Mr. Simpson. I’ve met some of you over the years, but it’s been a couple of years since I’ve been back here. Let me get right to the point.”

  Some of the experienced broadcasters in the room felt like they knew what was coming next. Here was a full staff meeting, and their general manager wasn’t leading it—and in fact was nowhere to be seen. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the news.

  “A couple of weeks ago, Dick Thomas called Mr. Simpson to tell him that he thought it was time he retired as your general manager.” The quiet in the room got louder. “After he talked to both Mr. Simpson and myself, we wanted to support Dick’s decision. Just so you know, we invited him to be at this meeting, but he felt it best that he not be here.”

  Steve Draper, the national sales manager, scribbled BULLSHIT across his pad of paper, showing it only to Ross Mitchell, local sales.

  “This station and all of you have been through some strange ordeals the past couple of months. I think it finally got to Mr. Thomas, who felt responsible for everything. I encourage you to reach out to him and let him know how much you appreciated what he did here at TV3. I know that is exactly how Mr. Simpson and I feel.”

  Wallace didn’t like public speaking but was good at addressing employee groups. He paused a few seconds to let his words take hold.

  “TV3 has a great legacy in the desert and we need to continue to build on that. We need a leader who can take this station to the next level, and Mr. Simpson and I feel we’ve found that person. I’d like to introduce you to your new general manager of TV3. His name is John Miller. He comes from our station in Tucson where he was the general sales manager. John, can you come up here and say a few words, please?”

  Every head in the room turned to see a tall, well-dressed, dark-haired man walk to the front. There was a courtesy applause.

  “Thank you, Mr. Wallace. I appreciate the introduction. I’m John Miller. I’ve been working in this great business of television for seventeen years. I’m excited about being here, at what I believe is one of the strongest TV stations in the country. I look forward to working with all of you and getting to know you. We have a lot to do, and I expect you to work hard, and I expect us to have some fun doing it. I would like to meet with the department heads in one hour in the conference room. I appreciate all of you coming in for this meeting. I know it’s probably not what you expected. We thought it was important for everyone to hear the news from us directly. I look forward to getting to know all of you. For right now, let’s get back to work.”

  And with that, the meeting was excused. Wallace shook a few hands, as did John Miller. In less than ten minutes the room had cleared out. Jeff and John walked to the front door and stepped outside the building.

  “John, you’ve got a hell of an opportunity here. Do not disappoint us.” Jeff’s words registered in the new general manager’s head as he tried to take it all in.

  “Mr. Wallace, I won’t disappoint you or Mr. Simpson. Thank you for this opportunity.” The two shook hands and then Jeff Wallace went to his rental car and headed to the airport to join Mr. Simpson on his plane.

  ***

  “Kristen, you got it right again. How is it you always know what is going to happen, or is about to happen?” Lisa figured it was just a general coincidence but thought it would make her roommate feel good if Lisa stroked her ego a little more. In fact, Kristen did have an inside track.

  Kristen Nesbitt was about to tell Lisa that she had dinner with Stewart Simpson two nights ago at his home inside the El Dorado Country Club. Then she thought about it and decided that wasn’t a very good idea. She was sworn to secrecy and wasn’t about to blow her “scholarship” with the owner. She had proven over and over that she could keep secrets, and that’s what made everything work for Mr. Simpson.

  Miller spent the next couple of days meeting the department managers and employees. He did everything he could to get up to speed as fast as possible. The new general manager was sensitive to what these people had gone through and his approach was to be as supportive as possible and at the same time push the ones he needed to. He was all about maximizing everyone’s best efforts.

  Tom Preston had returned to the anchor desk. Things calmed down considerably, and TV3 continued its ratings and sales dominance. Miller brought a new element to the station’s operations. He was very strong with community involvement and promotions. This only strengthened TV3’s market position in the desert communities.

  8

  THE YEAR BEGAN with the Bob Hope Chrysler Golf Tournament. The golf tournament was always in the middle of January when the desert weather was as nice as anywhere in the country. The tournament was played on four different courses over five days. Bob Hope was a great tournament host. This was considered old money in Palm Springs, and Chrysler—utilizing Bob Hope, playing host to this tournament—did a really splendid job every year. Hope’s mushroom-shaped house sat on top of a hillside overlooking the Palm Springs part of the valley. During tournament week, the house was very busy. The golf tournament was an NBC network event, but because TV3 was such a dominant television station in the Coachella Valley, the ABC affiliate was very involved in the local promotion.

  Stewart Simpson was a regular in the Pro Am, where the amateurs, local celebrities, and Hollywood stars got to play with the pros. In the early years, the Hope Tournament was the biggest celebrity golf tournament on the circuit. Later, that title would switch to the tournament held in Monterey on Pebble Beach.

  ***

  This was Stewart’s first trip back to the desert since the Sinatra party. He had phoned Lisa a couple of times over the past several months. When he knew he was coming back to the desert, he called to arrange dinner with her. At first, she was hesitant because she wasn’t sure she wanted to go down that road with the owner. Lisa knew that was the right thing to portray to Mr. Simpson, but it wasn’t how she operated, and she knew it. She finally accepted Stewart’s offer of dinner with his one caveat—she must never divulge her relationship, whatever it turned out to be, to anyone. That included a simple innocent
dinner invitation. And Stewart Simpson meant anyone, ever. He insisted on no one ever knowing about this relationship, or whatever it was going to turn out to be.

  It was January. Lisa had been at the station almost a year. She pulled the convertible up to the gate at El Dorado Country Club, one of the oldest original clubs of the desert. Normally, Stewart would meet his guests at the club dining room, but tonight he would have dinner served at his house. The security guard at the gate checked his list for her name under Stewart Simpson’s residence. There it was, Lisa Addelson. The guard gave her the pass to put on her dashboard and some simple directions. She drove the few short blocks to the Simpson residence. When Lisa pulled the convertible into the driveway with the top down, a forty-something gentleman was there to greet her.

  “Ms. Addelson, I’m Dugan, Mr. Simpson’s assistant. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please follow me.”

  Lisa wore a flowery-print dress that stopped at her knees. Her shoulders were covered with a white shawl, but the dress had a low neckline. She was stunning, and Stewart was very pleased with what he saw when she came through the front door. In a tradition that would continue for the length of their relationship, Stewart had a glass of chardonnay waiting for her.

  “Lisa, you look lovely. Please come in and let me take your shawl.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Simpson.” The Mr. Simpson annoyed Stewart. It seemed to emphasize their age difference. He didn’t want to think about it, and he certainly didn’t want her to think about it.

  “Lisa, no more Mr. Simpson. Call me Stewart, please.”

  Dugan took the shawl from Stewart’s hand and placed it in the sitting room. He then went to the kitchen to check on the dinner he was preparing for his boss and guest. At forty-four, Dugan had been with Stewart Simpson the past seven years. He was butler, executive chef, handyman, and confidant. He traveled with Stewart wherever the station owner went. Dugan lived on the property of his boss’s Dallas home. Before joining Mr. Simpson’s employ, he had been married and had one child. They were both tragically killed in a drunk driving accident.

  Stewart could be challenging for Dugan, but Dugan was well compensated and had been taught by the best of trainers all his life. Mr. Simpson enhanced that training a hundredfold. Dugan knew his job and was thankful for Mr. Simpson’s generosity. He had become a master of everything he did. And tonight, Lisa would get to taste Dugan’s signature dish—steak and lobster.

  “Lisa, tell me why you want to be in news?” Stewart said.

  “I don’t know if I do, quite honestly. I love television and I think it is one of the most powerful communication tools in the world. I don’t know if I want to be a reporter, but I do know that I want to be in television.” Lisa was very poised. Her words were clearly spoken and well thought out. It was obvious to Stewart that this lady was well educated and socially gifted. Beauty and brains was not something Stewart always cared about finding in his female companions. Lisa was different, though, and maybe that was the reason that Stewart felt so attracted to her. Different didn’t happen very often.

  “So, let me ask, do you like being a reporter? Do you have a plan to be an anchor someday?”

  Lisa sipped from her wine glass. “I’m not sure at this point. I like making money, and in my short broadcasting career the one thing I can tell you is I’m not going to get rich in front of the camera.”

  Stewart laughed. He had heard this over and over from anyone he ever talked to from the news side. She was right. There was no money for on-air people. Or, at the very least, what you could make was limited without landing in a major market. And very few did.

  “Have you ever thought about sales?”

  Stewart’s question was something Lisa had considered. Lisa had seen how the salespeople seemed to always be going out to lunches or dinners. She thought she’d be good at entertaining clients. The salespeople, especially the good ones, drove the best cars in the station parking lot. They dressed better than newsroom employees, too.

  “You’d probably be very good at it,” Stewart said.

  “I might have to consider this. You think sales are the way to move my career along?”

  “It is definitely where the money is, if that is what you’re interested in.” Stewart waited for a reaction. He wanted to see if she was only scholarship material or someone with serious ambition.

  “I am definitely interested in money.” When Lisa spoke, she looked directly into Stewart Simpson’s eyes. She wanted him to know that she was confident and wasn’t backing down or intimidated, not even by him.

  Stewart stood. He figured that was enough television talk. He would pick this conversation back up after dinner.

  “Lisa, let me show you the house.” The two headed down the hallway to a huge library. The room had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and every shelf was packed with books from all genres. One section was filled with success and motivational books. Another section was history and autobiographies. Stewart fancied himself a historian. He believed you needed to study the past to learn about the present.

  Down the hall was the master bedroom, but it wasn’t lost on Lisa that her host didn’t bother to take her down there. She thought how sweet that was. She was glad that he was being a gentleman, even though she knew it was against his nature. There were some strong stories about Stewart, and Lisa had heard most of them.

  Dugan caught up to the pair in the hallway to announce that dinner was ready. The dining room was big but at the same time very intimate. Dugan had mastered not only the culinary arts but also the style of the presentation. Lisa was very impressed. Stewart and Lisa spent the evening talking and laughing, much to Lisa’s surprise. She didn’t quite know what to think of how she was feeling about Mr. Stewart Simpson. Stay in control, stay in control, she repeated.

  Around 10:30, Stewart surprisingly ended the evening. Not in a bad way—he just quietly and politely ended the night. There was no attempt to get her to spend the night or even a few more hours. It was a pretty great first date.

  Oh, my God is that what this was? she thought. Stewart walked her to the front door and very gently kissed her cheek and said goodnight.

  Dugan started her car and waited by the open door to help her into the Mustang. He had put up the convertible top due to the chilly evening air. Driving down the driveway, it occurred to her that this was different than anything she expected. This is definitely something very different, she thought.

  She knew his reputation and expected at some point he would make his move. He didn’t, and Lisa wasn’t sure how to feel about that. In a way, she was disappointed. Maybe he doesn’t find me attractive enough. Maybe Stewart Simpson’s cat-and-mouse game is better than mine. She laughed. Of course she wasn’t disappointed. She was very pleasantly surprised.

  ***

  John Miller waited for Stewart to show up for their 10:30 meeting—Miller’s first meeting with the owner since becoming general manager several months ago. As a general sales manager, Miller had been through similar meetings many, many times, but this was his first as a general manager. The new GM was preparing his notes when Stewart appeared at his door.

  “John, how are you?”

  “Good morning, Mr. Simpson. How was your trip coming out here?” The small talk was always the awkward part, especially since Miller didn’t really know Mr. Simpson. He would be more comfortable discussing the business side of things.

  “Everything was good. Let’s get to it.” The owner reached into his briefcase and took out financial reports. The two sat at the small conference table in Miller’s office and pored over them. Miller wasn’t sure of Stewart’s purpose here. Stewart probably wanted to go over things to make sure Miller had a good understanding of this side of the business. Stewart was big on making sure his people understood his expectations.

  When the meeting ended, Miller walked the owner around the station. This way Mr. Simpson could shake hands and give the appearance he gave a shit about his employees. When they got to the newsroom the
owner saw Kristen Nesbitt and headed over to her. He spoke to her very softly and gave her a hug before walking away. The new GM watched this with astonishment. Miller couldn’t help but wonder what relationship Stewart had with the station’s morning anchor. They obviously knew each other—well, more deeply than in a normal owner-employee relationship. Only Stewart and Kristen knew what was said, and neither would reveal to anyone. Stewart Simpson knew he could count on Kristen.

  And the GM certainly didn’t know about the owner’s interest in Lisa. At this point, Miller didn’t know that Stewart had even met Lisa.

  Walking out the front door, the two ran into Ross Mitchell coming into the building.

  “Mr. Simpson, it’s good to see you,” stated the young man. Ross was smart enough to not get too friendly with the owner. He also didn’t want to overstep his boundaries in front of his new boss.

  “Ross, how are sales?”

  “Good, but never good enough, right Mr. Simpson?” Ross knew it sounded like he was kissing up, and he was. Stewart Simpson was a man to impress. He could make or break a career.

  “Keep up the good work,” Stewart said. Once Ross was out of earshot, he told Miller, “There is something about that guy. You need to keep an eye on him.”

  Miller didn’t know what his owner was referring to, but he had been warned about Stewart’s intuition and that it was usually on target, especially when it came to people.

  ***

  Jack Router was holding his afternoon newsroom meeting. Tom Preston and Jennie Neeley, the two main anchors, had been a team for over five years. Tom grew up in Southern California and at thirty-six had already been married twice. Part of the problem was he couldn’t keep his hands off young female reporters. The worst part was he got caught each time—by his now ex-wives.

  He was a strong news anchor and lived and breathed the newsroom, but his “common sense” was lacking. Tom had recovered fully from the injuries sustained in the bombing. Unfortunately for the young female reporters, the bombing strengthened Tom’s belief that he was Superman.