The Broadcast

by Liam Fialkov

  “You want me to spy on my employers?” Michael asked, his voice revealing his apprehension.

  “I would like to give you an opportunity to investigate, along with me, a large-scale journalistic deceit,” McPherson confirmed, nodding his head.

  “Look,” Michael was perplexed, “I know your work and I hold a great deal of respect for you, but I’m not comfortable with this request, and besides, I don’t know of any act of deception taking place at my workplace.”

  “And what if you found that there was a broad scale deception and they are leading the public astray?” McPherson questioned.

  Michael considered his words. “That is a different matter,” he said slowly while pondering the issue.

  “Well,” McPherson said, “I only ask for information related to the deceit, and not about anything else. I don’t want you to betray your employer’s confidence unless it becomes obvious to you, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that they are falsifying evidence and misleading innocent viewers.”

  Michael looked at McPherson and wondered whether he should choose the path that the reporter outlined for him or if, in some unseen way, it had already been chosen for him and he couldn’t pass on the exceptional opportunity.

  “I have to think about it before answering,” Michael said.

  “Take your time,” McPherson said, “but not too much time.”

  Michael performed the rest of his day in a mechanical manner, unlike his usual serious attitude and approach. His mind was preoccupied by thoughts of the earlier events.

  In his work as a researcher, he was assigned to conduct a background check about a black woman who came to the US from Jamaica as a penniless immigrant, and in time, she founded an empire of self-service laundromats. Michael called a few of her relatives, as well as acquaintances and competitors from the business world. He also went to one of the laundromats to wash the clothes that he’d brought with him to work, in preparation for the assignment.

  But he didn’t stop thinking about the unexpected meeting with the known journalist, and what McPherson offered him. He did not like the idea—definitely not. By nature, Michael was a loyal person, so he was not fond of the possibility of betraying the trust that was given to him. Also, a betrayal of a large company like TXB could theoretically block his way in the media world for the rest of his life.… On the other hand, McPherson’s question continued to trouble him. “What if you found that there was a broad scale deception and they are leading the public astray?” If such a thing became apparent, would it not be a betrayal of the public’s trust if he didn’t report it? It was clear to Michael that if a well-regarded journalist like McPherson was investigating this particular issue, it was probable that there was some basis for his suspicion.

  That evening, Michael made his decision. He would collaborate with McPherson only if he knew with absolute certainty that there was indeed a severe public deception. He was not going to report on any other activity occurring at TXB, and he would honor the confidentiality agreement he’d signed as best he could. Furthermore, he would not accept any money in exchange for the information he’d provide, if in fact such information would come into his hands.

  ***

  On the following day, he called McPherson and notified him of his decision.

  “Excellent.” McPherson was pleased. He felt relieved when the young researcher accepted his offer. He was also glad to find that Michael did not come to his decision easily, which meant he probably was a trustworthy young man who maintained a level of integrity and understood the meaning of loyalty and secrecy.

  At noon, Michael took a taxi to the office of the journalist for their second meeting.

  “And now to the matter at hand,” said McPherson, as Michael sat in front of him. “You are probably familiar with the series called The Broadcast.

  “I watch the show,” Michael acknowledged, “but I’m not connected to that department in any way.”

  “And do you know the show’s producer, Walter Lindsey?”

  “I’ve seen him a few times in the cafeteria, but we’ve never met.”

  “I believe, with a high degree of certainty,” McPherson emphasized, “that the filmstrips they air, and refuse to reveal their source, are produced by animation experts or staged to make them look like they were filmed from a distance, with the aim of evoking trust in the authenticity of the clips. They are conducting a thorough research of the specific incidents, and they most likely have sources within the police or FBI.

  Michael pondered the journalist’s words.

  “Otherwise, I would have to believe,” McPherson continued, “that there happened to be an airplane or a spaceship in the sky, exactly above the place where the events occurred, and at the precise time, and the films were kept hidden for years. Does that make sense?”

  “I don’t know,” Michael admitted. “But I’m aware of the fact that the show generates plenty of interest and makes a lot of money.”

  “Money!” McPherson exclaimed. “That’s exactly what they’re making.”

  “But how do you expect me to get the details?” Michael wondered. “I hope that you don’t presume I’ll sneak in and penetrate the offices of the program at night, rummage through files with a flashlight, and photograph documents. I’m not a spy, and I don’t have any desire to become a secret agent or anything like that.”

  “You are not a spy, but you are a musician,” McPherson smiled.

  “I don’t see the connection,” Michael responded. “And the truth is, that during the last few years, I’ve hardly found time for music, unfortunately.”

  “Incidentally, I happen to have a superb guitar,” McPherson said. “It was bequeathed to me by a good friend, an amateur musician who passed away. I don’t know why he willed it to me of all people because I never played any musical instrument. We used to go to rock concerts together, and we loved the same artists.”

  McPherson got up from his chair, went to the closet, and pulled out what looked like a quality hard case of a guitar. He put the package on the large desk, opened the case, and Michael, who got up to have a better view, was amazed. It was a fine Martin guitar. Clearly, it wasn’t new, but it looked very well maintained, and Michael felt tempted to pick up the guitar and start playing. Michael recognized that he couldn’t afford such a guitar.

  “So you want me to spy with the guitar?” Michael asked, amused.

  “That’s the plan,” McPherson confirmed in a serious tone of voice. “Musicians are drawn to one another, and through music, I’m hoping you’ll manage to make friends with Walter Lindsey.”

  “And how exactly am I supposed to accomplish that? Michael still didn’t comprehend McPherson’s plan.

  “All you have to do at this stage is play, and by doing so you’ll attract his attention,” McPherson answered, “It is better if he initiates the meeting with you. That way, it won’t look suspicious. Do you know the small park located behind the TXB building?”

  “Of course,” Michael nodded.

  “So you know that it’s a somewhat intimate little park. Many of the network people spend their lunch break over there, and that includes Lindsey. I would like you to find a suitable corner and just play. That’s all at this stage.”

  “With this guitar, I will probably enjoy my mission,” Michael said, and he was relieved when he realized that he was not required to lie, pretend, or become a mole, at least not in the foreseeable future.

  Michael shook McPherson’s hand and turned to go on his way. He stepped out of the office carrying the valued guitar with him.

  On the following days, Michael bought his lunch at the network’s cafeteria and hurried to the small park to eat his meal and play for his delight.

  The guitar didn’t respond to him right away. He found that he had become a little rusty during the years that he didn’t play while he focused on his studies. But before long, he started to sense that the right feeling was returning to him. After about ten days, it was just like yesterday that he had
put down his guitar, left his band, and made his way to the big city, to New York.

  He would find a hidden corner in the park, so it would be clear that he was playing for his enjoyment and not to beg for money. He played different melodies, mostly old songs he loved from the sixties and seventies. He also remembered songs he had written for his band. He liked playing outside in the open air; it calmed him, connected him to his inner self, to a place in his soul he’d almost forgot about, and to the vast world around him: the sky, the trees, the birds, and also to people who passed by.

  There were those who stopped, listened, nodded in appreciation, and went on their way. Some people sat nearby and enjoyed a free concert under the sky. At times there were young women who worked at TXB who stood in front of him, recognizing him and feeling attracted to the handsome young man who amazed them with his tunes.

  On rare occasions, he caught Stewart McPherson out of the corner of his eyes. In his heart, he thanked McPherson for pushing him back to a world that was an inseparable part of him, returning him to an old love, to the music. He was curious about the possibility that Walter Lindsey might approach him, but he actually preferred that the connection wouldn’t be formed, so he wouldn’t have to deceive anybody. Just thinking about it had caused him a great deal of discomfort.

  He loved spring days, when the sun warmed him and his guitar, and the world woke up to life after the freezing New York winter. During the summer, he sat in the shade of the trees, played and improvised, and felt that he was reaching levels and depths he had never known when he was a young teenager and member of a rock band. New melodies arose in his mind and flew through his fingers without effort. The guitar’s sound box surrounded him with affection and pulsated deep within his soul.

  Chapter 18

  The Broadcast

  The senior managers at TXB appeared nervous. Although they approved producer Walter Lindsey’s request to change the direction of his popular show, they did not understand why such a change was needed in the first place. The managers knew how to read Excel tables as well as PowerPoint presentations, and they recognized that viewership was leaning toward a slow decline. But still, the show was a huge hit that captivated millions of viewers all over North America every week, and it was number one on the rating charts for its time slot of 10 p.m. on Wednesday.

  Even Walter Lindsey wasn’t sure whether the new format would work. In a weekly management meeting, convened to discuss routine issues like financial turnover, marketing strategies, and proposals for new shows, he argued that his program needed a new, challenging breakthrough. Lindsey asserted that he could produce pictures and films that had never been seen on television. “A journey back in time,” said the producer, “films that will enable viewers to see with their own eyes events from different historical periods as they truly happened and like nobody has ever seen.” Lindsey also argued that when his show would deal with historical matters, it would deflect public debate that had started to accelerate about the show’s invasion of people’s privacy by filming them without their consent.

  ***

  “History.” Susan Riley, the popular host, opened another program with a somber facial expression. “What do we really know about history? Of course, we know what they taught us in school, and what we’ve read in books. And who wrote the books?” the host asked, reading the lines that were projected on the teleprompter in front of her. “What was the orientation of the book writers? What was their interpretation of the events? Did they choose the viewpoint of the winning side, or the defeated? And they were probably affected by their own personal opinions, by their political agenda, by their beliefs and ideologies.”

  Like other employees in her company, the intelligent host knew that many eyebrows were raised, and people all over the country wondered about the announced change of direction taken by The Broadcast. On radio shows, as well as in printed and digital media, there were several articles that expressed disappointment with the surprising change of content, and discontentment with having to depart from the unique police investigations that so many people liked. But there were also positive comments and praises for TXB for the courage to go on a road that was less sensational and less voyeuristic.

  “We at TXB would like to show you the history as it really happened, and from a different angle than ever before; to take you, our viewers, to periods of time before humanity had cameras and movies. Until today, it was unthinkable; but with the amazing technology that is exclusively in the hands of TXB, now it is possible.” She took a short pause in her long introduction and continued. “We will start our journey back in time, in the last century, the twentieth century, a momentous and intensive time, and we will focus on the two horrible world wars, during which millions of soldiers and innocent citizens were killed. Our guest in the studio is Professor Bernard Robertson, a world-renowned expert in the history of the twentieth century from Harvard University, and with his help, we will look at the occurrences with as much objectivity as possible.”

  The camera zoomed out and the viewers could see the two people present in the studio. “Good evening, Professor Robertson,” the host smiled at her guest. “I’m glad you agreed to be our guest in the studio.”

  “Good evening,” smiled the elderly, silver-haired professor.

  “Please,” Susan Riley said to the respected guest, “the microphone is yours.”

  “We will start with the Second World War,” the erudite professor opened. “Some say the bloodiest conflict that humanity has ever experienced, a war in which millions of innocent people were murdered. We, in the United States grasp it—justifiably, in my opinion—as a war against the evil that Nazi Germany embodied, which was joined by fascist Italy and imperial Japan. Against the threat of global tyranny, racism, cruelty, and evil stood the free world, aiming to defend the lives of the victims, and the values of liberty, democracy, and free society.”

  “Professor Robertson,” the host stopped the guest’s speech, “What are we going to see?”

  “We will watch some of the most important events of World War II,” said the professor. “Although in those years humanity already had cameras, and we have plenty of documentation of the occurrences and the battles, I admit that these clips have truly given me a new angle of observation that I never expected to come my way. I must mention that I don’t have any idea where you got the footage, but in my humble opinion, it rightly reflects the events as I know them. Before the broadcast, I went over the films, and it is clear to me that in the short allotted time we will not be able to profoundly explain the materials, but only to quickly see some of the most important events of the war.”

  The showing started, and the professor explained what was displayed on the screen. For twenty minutes, he showed and spoke of the key battles of the different arenas. Due to lack of time, he only mentioned briefly momentous and fateful battles that affected the whole conflict and the post-war years.

  As TXB had promised in trailers, the special broadcast aired without commercials. It was stopped only a few times for short sponsored announcements so viewers would not forget that Bank of America, Apple Computers, and Ford Motor Company were funding the broadcast.

  Viewers at home saw again the unusual filming angle, straight from above. They saw black-and-white video clips and a picture that was somewhat grainy and without sound. The pictures were apparently filmed from a distance, and thus created a sterile atmosphere, cut off from the horrors of the war; the dead soldiers, the screaming of the injured and the blood.

  Professor Robertson accompanied the filmstrips and started by showing The Battle of France in which the Germans defeated the French Army and the British Expeditionary Force. In the film, the German Armored Forces were viewed as they were crossing the Ardennes and penetrating the French defense lines.

  “From this angle,” Susan Riley contributed, “the German tanks remind me of a massive swarm of giant insects, and the Luftwaffe airplanes create the association of birds of prey.”

&nbs
p; Then clips of Operation Barbarossa were aired. The huge forces of the Axis Alliance were viewed on their way to invade the Soviet Union. According to Professor Robertson, the Germans massed about four million troops. The professor then chose to show some of the fierce fighting in the area of Stalingrad.

  Next on the program were two filmstrips documenting the war in the Pacific Ocean, where the Allies fought against the Japanese Empire. The first clip presented the Battle of Leyte, in which the Allies, commanded by General Douglas McArthur, invaded the Leyte Island in the Philippines and conquered it from the Japanese. The second clip documented the fierce fighting on the island of Iwo Jima in Japan. The film demonstrated the uncompromised determination of the Japanese soldiers, who continued to fight despite an obvious inferiority in troops numbers, weapons, and air power, and didn’t surrender even when the battle was undoubtedly lost. According to the professor, the fighting on Iwo Jima caused the American high command to reconsider plans to invade mainland Japan, and influenced the decision to drop the atomic bomb.

  Professor Robertson ended his presentation of World War II by showing documentation of the Allies’ invasion of Normandy. He reasserted that it was only a short visual overview demonstrating the most prominent events of the war, and to reach deeper understandings of the monumental campaign he would have needed much more time.

  “And now,” Susan Riley said, “we will turn the spotlight to World War I, which was also horrible and claimed the lives of about nine million soldiers and seven million civilians. Please, Professor, the microphone is yours.”

  Professor Robertson cleared his throat and said, “As far as I’m concerned, the films that I received from TXB documenting the First World War were even more fascinating than those of the Second World War. I am saying that because the photographed documentation we have of the years, 1914 through 1918 is limited and incomplete, so actually, I saw some of the events and the fierce battles for the first time. Although the angle of filming is not ideal, and neither is the quality of the pictures, it is still an outstanding documentation. We will start with the monumental event that was the pretext to the opening of the war, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne.”