The Cable Show (Day Four): ‘Happy Hour’ and more cable caring
Via The Times-Picayune
The Cable Show (Day Four): ‘Happy Hour’ and more cable caring
By Dave Walker
My Tuesday at The Cable Show in reverse:
A hearty 5 p.m. toast at Pat O’Brien’s of the bright red house drink by the crew of “Happy Hour” concluded the Fox Business Network’s Cable Show outreach effort.
An offspring of the Fox News Channel, the new business network brought two of its shows to New Orleans for live broadcasts during the convention, an annual gathering of the cable-TV industry that returned to New Orleans for the first time since Hurricane Katrina.
“Money for Breakfast,” featuring guests both local (Drew Brees) and Cable Show-related, originated from Cafe du Monde on Monday morning.
“Happy Hour,” a freewheeling hour normally done live from barstools at the Bull and Bear steakhouse/saloon at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, did Tuesday show’s from Pat O’Brien’s sweltering patio. Charlie Johnson of local Dredging Supply Co., awarded the President’s “E” Certificate for Exports, was among the episode’s guests.
“You don’t see any show, any news program or business program that originates live from a bar and has the kind of guests that we have and is free to do the antics that we do and basically have fun and make business news accessible to people like my friends and family back in San Jose, Calif.,” said cohost Rebecca Gomez, a Fox News Channel veteran. “Business news is very intimidating to people.”
“We’re not Wall Street,” added cohost Cody Willard, an entrepreneur-turned-TV-guy who breaks the button-down mold of business reportage by sporting long hair, jeans and, while at Pat O’Brien’s at least, a colorful jester’s hat and oversized Mardi Gras beads on the air. “So much of the Wall Street-Washington angle ends up talking down to people.”
Launched in October, FBN reaches 35 million cable subscribers (none yet in New Orleans, though the network is carried by satellite) - hence its presence in New Orleans during the cable show. Willard flew in for the broadcast. Gomez - Willard’s on-air nickname for her: “Go-Go” — came early to schmooze cable-company execs at the large Fox networks show-floor booth at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
“Part of the reason we’re here in New Orleans is to get our word out, get the show in front of every cable executive on the planet, because we’ve got good product,” Willard said. “We’re here to help the cable companies realize they need Fox Business.”
>Read the rest at The Times-Picayune.
