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HOW BAD WILL THE BOSTON POPS 4'TH JULY BROADCAST BE THIS YEAR ?

C

Casablanca

Guest
Every year I wonder how much worse The Boston Pops and Channel 4 WBZ can make the telecast of the Pops 4th of July Concert on the Esplande. In the past they have cut the 1812 Overture to the 181... Overture to sell more commercials; cut in late on a musical piece or worse last year cut out early before a piece ended.
The Boston Pops are trying to cultivate a younger hip audience but unlike the days of Arthur Fiedler who brought in the Beatles and other music of that era the Pops and Fiedler never lost the class it for which it was known. Under Keith Lockhart who dumped his second or is it third wife and just but a million dollar condo with his new gal pal he has no class and therefore cannot emit it to the audience.
Hope this is Lockhart's last year. We need someone of John Williams stature to take over the Pops and restore its tarnished luster.
Also, dropping A&E as the primary broadcaster along with WCVB Channel 5 was a BIG mistake. Both A&E and WCVB brought a high degree of class to the broadcast which Channel 4 is unwilling or unable to do. Well, I guess it could be worse, the broadcast could be handled by Channel 7 WHDH and they would probably dump all the music to cover any fights that might break out on the Esplande.
 
I agree with you on all fronts. Lockhart is terrible and very difficult to watch him conducting. It seems he is trying to conduct using a 78 rpm record instead of a cd. As for channel 4 their production seemed as if it was produced by some station in Texas (sorry Texas) that had nevr heard of the pops. Hearing the edited version of the 1812 overture made my blood boil over as it deprived many people from hearing one of the great overture of the past 200 years. Am glad that my grown son has the correct version not channel 4's. They should be ashamed of themselves. Channel 2 would have done it right, even better if John Williams conducted.
 
Let's hope that WBZ and James Levine take note of these posts and plan to implement some changes for this year.It's a shame that they feel it is OK to cut the 1812 Overture. Maybe someone like Herb Chambers or Ernie Boch will sponsor the TV coverage and have it go on without commercial interruption! That's my dream.
 
Kritical said:
Let's hope that WBZ and James Levine take note of these posts and plan to implement some changes for this year.It's a shame that they feel it is OK to cut the 1812 Overture. Maybe someone like Herb Chambers or Ernie Boch will sponsor the TV coverage and have it go on without commercial interruption! That's my dream.
Click to expand...

Let's see what happens next year. This is the last year of the concert/fireworks on the Esplanade as major re-construction of Storrow Drive is set to begin later this year. (This also happens to be the last year of CBS and WBZ-TV/radio deal with Mugar._ So the concert/fireworks are definitely moving but not clear where yet. Mugar wants to move July 4th show to Moakley Park in Southie next summer. Menino apparently likes that idea because it's accessfible on the T(JFK/Umass stop) and traffic-friendly with an exit ramp from Southeast Expressway and lots partking at Bayside Expo.

Anyway, CBS booked John Cougar Mellencamp and Craig Ferguson will be hosting the CBS hour this year. Doesn't sound like a bad choice for a musical guest and host.

Happy 4th.
 
I would be surprised if the deal with CBS/WBZ is not renewed. It does very well for the station and the network. I have always been surprised that no national network has carried the local feed. Even when CBS was owned by Viacom, VH1 could have aired the local WBZ feed of the concert. Perhaps when the deal is renewed a full national feed can be possible.
 
WBZ has cheapened the whole event.

bostonmediaguy said:
I would be surprised if the deal with CBS/WBZ is not renewed. It does very well for the station and the network. I have always been surprised that no national network has carried the local feed. Even when CBS was owned by Viacom, VH1 could have aired the local WBZ feed of the concert. Perhaps when the deal is renewed a full national feed can be possible.
Click to expand...
 
I have never agreed with one thing casablanca has ever put forth until tonight, bring back A&E and some class to the Pops July 4th concert.....wait a minute, has anyone else noticed what a trashy channel A&E is itself turning into....Must every channel now program to the lowest common denominator. I once watched A&E much of the time, always had great documentries now the only this I find of any worth is "Sell this House" and even that they keep screwing around with the date and time. Luckily it is on Comcast "On demand". "Dog the bounty hunter" dosen't do it for me.
 
The broadcast gets worse every year, but is it WBZ or CBS that is to blame? When the 10 PM CBS network show begins, the show really gets unwatchable.

Why do we need up-and-coming pop tarts or over-the-hill rockers to host or appear in the show? I turn in to see the Pops and the 1812 Overture. If I wanted to watch MTV, I'd watch MTV.

Paul
 
Fully agree, once again trying to program to the lowest common denominator, I can't watch it anymore...they are trying to make it too relevant to everyone, just what the world and "The Boston Pops" needs: John Cougar Mellancamp pulling down Dianes Bobbie Brook slacks so he can do what he please...behind the shady trees on the Esplanade
Can't anything in America be done in good taste anymore, It should always remain Classical and semi classical, the place will alawys remain packed and it won't hurt
the nitwits to be exposed to a bit of culture once a year. The rest of the year they
can revel in garbage to their hearts content.
 
You are obviously a person of great intellect, taste and as the late great Norm Nathan would say, probably "a great dancer..."
:)

chrish said:
I have never agreed with one thing casablanca has ever put forth until tonight, bring back A&E and some class to the Pops July 4th concert.....wait a minute, has anyone else noticed what a trashy channel A&E is itself turning into....Must every channel now program to the lowest common denominator. I once watched A&E much of the time, always had great documentries now the only this I find of any worth is "Sell this House" and even that they keep screwing around with the date and time. Luckily it is on Comcast "On demand". "Dog the bounty hunter" dosen't do it for me.
Click to expand...
 
TERRIBLE DANCER BUT SURE LOVED NORM NATHAN.....WHAT A CLASS ACT, BOSTONS ANSWER TO MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE STATION WNEW...."WHERE THE MELODY LINGERS ON" OR SADLY USED TO LINGER ON
 
bostonmediaguy said:
I would be surprised if the deal with CBS/WBZ is not renewed. It does very well for the station and the network. I have always been surprised that no national network has carried the local feed. Even when CBS was owned by Viacom, VH1 could have aired the local WBZ feed of the concert. Perhaps when the deal is renewed a full national feed can be possible.
Click to expand...

I believe Viacom still owns CBS-TV.

As far as running the full concert on a TV national network, it's all a matter of money.
After not having a sponsor for the fireworks segment a couple years ago, Mugar was going to cut the fireworks to 10 minutes and CBS was ready to bail until Liberty Mutual stepped in the 11th hour and saved the day.

Major reason why Mugar left the Ch.5/A&E arrangement was because he wanted the entire concert to be shown on ABC for the whole country to see. ABC was not interested so he settled for 1 hour national show on CBS. If Mugar can find sponors for the two hour concert and 22 minutes of fireworks, CBS would gladly produce the whole thing but CBS is not putting any of their own money on this. There's too much risk for them considering they're already getting less viewers than NBC's Macy's fireworks show.

As for the local coverage, can't Ch.4 find a bit more alive concert hosts than Jack Williams and Lisa Hughes? I'd even take the preshow(7-8) hosts(Ebben and Wahle) over no-pulse Williams-Hughes-Lobel.
 
brightonboris said:
I believe Viacom still owns CBS-TV.

As far as running the full concert on a TV national network, it's all a matter of money.
After not having a sponsor for the fireworks segment a couple years ago, Mugar was going to cut the fireworks to 10 minutes and CBS was ready to bail until Liberty Mutual stepped in the 11th hour and saved the day.

Major reason why Mugar left the Ch.5/A&E arrangement was because he wanted the entire concert to be shown on ABC for the whole country to see. ABC was not interested so he settled for 1 hour national show on CBS. If Mugar can find sponors for the two hour concert and 22 minutes of fireworks, CBS would gladly produce the whole thing but CBS is not putting any of their own money on this. There's too much risk for them considering they're already getting less viewers than NBC's Macy's fireworks show.

As for the local coverage, can't Ch.4 find a bit more alive concert hosts than Jack Williams and Lisa Hughes? I'd even take the preshow(7-8) hosts(Ebben and Wahle) over no-pulse Williams-Hughes-Lobel.
Click to expand...

No, Viacom and CBS Corp are now separate companies. Viacom has most of the cable outlets; CBS most of the broadcast.

I understand why the whole concert is not covered by the net. That's a given. But I feel like it could be aired on a sister-cable station in its entirety.
 
On a side note, I know this concert USED to be simulcast on WCRB. I'm guessing they're not going to be doing that anymore either, since they, too, have been taken over by different owners.
 
Again, they, and especially Keith Lockhart, have made the Boston Pops crass and BORING; that is something John Williams never did. Dump Lockhart and get a real musical conductor with some class and musical talent and musical taste.
 
[/quote]

No, Viacom and CBS Corp are now separate companies. Viacom has most of the cable outlets; CBS most of the broadcast.

I understand why the whole concert is not covered by the net. That's a given. But I feel like it could be aired on a sister-cable station in its entirety.
[/quote]

Technically, you're correct but CBS Corp is basically the same company as the original Viacom that Redstone started. Just a different name now to emphasize the CBS brand. Redstone still owns majority of both - renamed CBS Corp and Viacom cable unit - so cable and broadcst network partnership is very much alive on the corporate ownership level.
 
All I have to say is that it hasn't been the same since WCVB and A&E quit covering it a few years back. It seems WBZ cares more about revenue than the quality of the program. Maybe this year they will surprise everyone. Let's hope so....
 
I think Keith Lockhart is as much of the problem as Channel 4.
 
That little phony Lockhart is the biggest problem. A self important Twit!
And how about CBS finding somebody from the Unitied States of America to be the host. (Was Danny Glover booked already at the Hugo Chavez/Kennedy celebration)?

As for the music, John Cougar and his "This is my country as long as you don't disagree with me politically". Is also a bad choice.

Those clowns who got into a fight in the balcony of the Pops should have gone to the stage and Popped Lockhart in the nose while they were at it!
God Bless America!
 
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