Reagan State Funeral
I hope you had the opportunity to watch the state funeral for President Reagan last night. The solemnity and grandeur of the event, along with the incredible outpouring of love from the hundreds of thousands who lined the procession route, was unforgettable.
Being a TV geek (I work in the business, whadda 'ya expect?), I checked out the coverage on all the cable news networks. My channel of choice for most of the event was Fox News. Not because their funeral coverage was "fair and balanced", but because they let the ceremony speak for itself. As the caisson carrying the casket moved slowly through the streets, Fox News let the sound of the horses, the crowd and the soldiers tell the story. There were times when five to ten minutes would pass between people speaking.
One of the best comments I heard last night, oddly enough, came on CNN. I'm not entirely sure who the two gentlemen were, but the conversation went something like this...
Person #1: Is there anything we need to explain to our viewers around the world to help them understand what they're seeing here, this truly American event?
Person #2: Actually, I think they understand it quite well. In many nations around the world, people are accustomed to seeing funerals similar to this when monarchs or other royals die. The President of the United States is the closest thing we have to royalty, so this compares to what we might see, for example, in Britain.
...< Stepping Up On Soapbox Now >...
One thing disappointed me, though, here in Macon. While every other network station here covered the funeral, the local Fox affiliate did not. WGXA, "Fox 24", ran their nightly sitcoms instead. It saddened me not only because it seemed so thoughtless and disrespectful, but also because I used to work there.
Under previous ownership, and as an ABC station, we would always have carried an event like this. The current ownership, though, sees things differently. Apparently the income from the commercials they would not have aired means more to management than the impression this leaves in the minds of the viewers.
Sigh...
