#TBT - Bull Moose and B&B

I’m actually Harold Johnson from WSOC.

 

I thought you were actually Bull Moose from The motherfucking arena?

You are not old enough to be Harold.

 

I'm an Elway Baby.

 

Here’s a great story. Back in the 80s, instead of sleeping over with a friend or going to camp, I spent my weekend nights tagging along with my dad in the WSOC newsroom.

Harold Johnson was like a grandfather to me. In fact, I probably saw him more than my actual grandfather. While dad would be preparing his end of the newscast, Harold would show me how to edit tape and write copy. He actually let me do my own mock segments before they went on air, and of course I eventually demanded my folks to get me a clip-on tie and blazer for this. Because everything I did had to be fucking on point.

I think Bill Walker hated my ass, but other than that everybody loved lil’ Bull Moose. I was good kid, mindful that this was a place of business. When they signed off at 11:30, we’d all eat Godfather’s Pizza around the set while watching Sanford and Son. It was a truly cool experience.

This was about three years of my childhood, hundreds of nights over there on North Tryon. Probably sounds ridiculous, but it was the life.

 

Yeah, you were insufferable.

 

I think you made the trip also, but you broke shit.

 

On purpose.

 

I did knock 103.7 off air for about 45 seconds in 1986.

 

Sorry to bore you with that story. Just want to provide some context as to why I take very few members of the media seriously—they take themselves too seriously. Unless you’re a megastar like Harold Johnson was in his prime, with that level of decency and kindness, you’re just a hack.

 

Walter Cronkite was a very respectable liberal, but def not a hack. He was to be taken seriously.

Dan Rather, on the other hand.....once returning from decent reporting in Namm....