Happy Hatchet Job!
Posted at 6:09 AM on December 11, 2009
by Dale Connelly
(42 Comments)
Last week, ex-Morning Show Chief Correspondent Bud Buck approached me with the idea of doing a "personal profile" of me for the first anniversary of Radio Heartland. He said it would be a "fun" and "readable", it would "increase listenership" and I shouldn't worry.
In spite of everything I know about him, I said "OK". What was I thinking?
Half of Witty Radio Duo Now Carries Dwindling TorchLast December 11th, loyal fans of "The Morning Show" with Dale Connelly and Jim Ed Poole gave the 26 year-long partnership a rousing send-off with a live, music-filled early morning broadcast from downtown St. Paul.
Poole, the senior half of the team, had indicated an interest in retiring, and faithful listeners lined up in the early morning darkness to say goodbye. The show was an affirmation of the power and intimacy of radio - a tuneful feast for the ears with humorous visits from a variety of "sponsors" and "characters".
The appearance of these "characters" put an exclamation point on something many people already knew - Connelly and Poole's success was built on the shoulders of a crowd of unappreciated, underrated and grossly underpaid assistants who were summarily dismissed the moment the broadcast ended.
Their numbers included a struggling psychotherapist, a dynamic venture capitalist, a public safety officer, a car dealer, an earnest teenager, and a salty pirate trying to reform himself and his crew in spite of being regularly mocked by Connelly, who was usually the only member of the team to actually speak to these "contributors".
"I almost never talked to Mr. Poole", said Bubby Spamden, now a sophomore at Wendell Wilkie High School. "I spent hours on that show and he hardly ever said a thing to me - I think he knew something wasn't right, and he just kept his distance from it. I kind of wish I had, too." Spamden confirmed with this reporter that he was never paid for his work on The Morning Show.
When asked about a possible violation of child labor laws, Connelly laughed it off. "Bubby loves attention," he said, "and that is ample reward for him."
Psychotherapist B. Marty Barry wasn't surprised by Connelly's reaction: "People who are 'users' of other people rarely think of themselves that way. It's all just a big joke to them. I once approached him for a raise and he had the same reaction - a laugh! When someone dismisses your legitimate concerns with that sharp, nasal cackling ... it's a dagger to the heart."
Called to explain his careless treatment of this respected health professional, Connelly said "I'm not sure which conversation he means. I never had a talk with B. Marty that wasn't about money."
But whose fault is that?
"Money was very important to him," explained venture capitalist Spin Williams during a break in one of the brainstorming sessions he describes as 'The Meeting That Never Ends'. He said Connelly "... always wanted market information. What new trends we had spotted, what ideas we were working on, what plans we had. I shared information with him because I thought he was genuinely interested. But now when I look back on it, it seems really weird that none of the good ideas I discussed with him ever came to fruition. Not one."
In extensive interviews with a number of former Morning Show "characters", a portrait emerges of a master manipulator who siphoned ideas from his more talented staffers and turned it into a "show" for his own benefit. This may explain why not a single one of them has appeared with him since Mr. Poole's departure.
And yet, the perpetrator of this scam continues to leech off of others, often enlisting ordinary listeners to write his blog for him and pepper his "music stream" with their requests, essentially forcing them to entertain themselves and each other while he takes the credit. And then several times a year he asks them to pay for the privilege of being used!
That this is being done under the wholesome name "Radio Heartland" is the ultimate irony, and it is certainly worthy of investigation by the authorities. But until that day arrives, one may expect the deception and abuse to continue!
This is Bud Buck!
I called Bud immediately and accused him of doing a hatchet job, replete with obvious fabrications, small-minded grudge holding and crude character assassination. His response?
"I'm glad you like it. Nothing attracts people like the feeling that something underhanded is going on. Once it gets around, your numbers will go up for sure. And if you ever get your hands on some money, will you hire me to do a piece on Tiger?"
Is naughty behavior inherently more interesting than nice?
Comments (42)
Good Morning oh ye of the dwindling torch,
It's a good writer who can poke fun at himself and do it so well. It's been a year of change and, while I do miss Jim Ed, it's been great. Thanks for carrying this torch Dale, Mike and all the bloggers sharing their thoughts here!
I missed the blog yesterday but feel compelled to add Bicycle Messengers to the list of outdoor workers. I don't ride for a living but am still pedaling through the snow.
Have another great Radio Heartland year everyone!
Good Morning to All,
Dale, I think Bud Buck has gone too far. I don't go for his style of journalism. Also, I'm sure he doesn't even write his own material. I think I know who does his writing, but I'm not like Bud, I'm not going to reveal any information that might be harmful just to gain attention. Of course, I'm afraid I can't resist reading the "yellow journalism" that seems to be the stock in trade for Bud Buck.
Greetings! What a great piece, Dale! But we all know it isn't entirely true ,,,
Yes, naughty is more interesting -- that's what makes the newscasts. Even the more interesting good guys/heroes have tragic flaws that make them hugely interesting, vulnerable and much more human.
I'm so excited -- I got tickets for tonight's show and hubby's driving. Who's all going to be there?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RADIO HEARTLAND!!!!! Dale and Mike, you are great. and we are grateful.
and try as you might to distract us today, i think we all want to celebrate RH, TB, the community of bloggers and the music.
thank you, so much.
I'm with Barb...keeping my eye on the big birthday we're having, for our blog, our community and our radio station of choice! (Although, of course, we seem to crave naughty.. look how much popular Tiger Woods is this week!)
A year ago, I was in mourning for my beloved MS and not at all sure how an online blog and an HD radio would fill the gap. No, it's not exactly the same, but in another way, it's better. It's fun to connect w/ the other listeners out there - great to have a community of folks to share some of the same ups and downs of daily life. Thanks for a great first year, Heartlanders.
And I agree with Dale... Bubby is in it for his 15 minutes!
Okay, I think we all know who does the writing for Bud Buck, and we know that he is a great guy, even if Bud Buck is kind of a scondrel. Congradulations to Bud's ghost writer on the first anniversary of Radio Heartland.
Too bad that Bud became the Salahi of this celebration. Happy Birthday RH. Most especial congratulations to Dale and Mike who birthed this baby,got up with it in the middle of the night, changed it when needed, and now in spite of all the odds against it have gotten it up walking and talking-or at least toddling and cooing.
I too was in the line last year at 5 AM and so have 2 requestsTwo requests in honor of the beginning of the 2nd year of the magnificent Radio Heartland-Peter Ostrouchko's "You Are My Sunshine" and (in honor of Mr Kling) "Two Trees in Love."
Congrats on a great first year. And thanks for the hard work and the great music.
Peter Rabbit is the main character of the narrative, while Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail had bread and milk and blackberries for supper. ;-)
Happy Friday, all!
Little did I think a year ago when I mournfully dragged the son and heir downtown for breakfast how fun this year was going to be. All the old "contributors" and now,the blog, the goats, Carlos-Tell me you aren't all just actors hired by MPR for the fair,
How about "I am Rich" since not all of us will get to Neal and Leandra. That was playing as we pulled into the parking ramp last year and I just sat and cried. I had no idea.
Happy Birthday, RH! Dale, Mike and let's not forget Jasper
morning, dale, and happy RH anniversary! in your honor, the cat and i got up early---although i am now back under the warm covers with a strong cup of hot tea.
ah, the morning show; so much of the music i listen to now was first introduced to me on the show--but i love RH now--even though my living out west means i miss the live show and blog far too often.
here's an anniversary challenge for you: perhaps in the coming year you could add a few female characters, just to spice things up a bit? :-)
and yes, naughty ones likely will be more interesting than nice ones--perhaps a woman who only pretends to be Minnesota-nice but actually does vengeful things?
a relevant little story: at a former office job long ago, the UPS guy came in one day in December and walked through the office asking all the women whether they had been naught or nice--the few all said "nice" and received a cute little candycane. when he got to me, i said "naughty"--and received a much bigger candy cane! and that, as the poet says, has made all the difference. ;-)
thanks, mike, dale, jasper, bloggers, et al., for a radio station i can listen to!
Happy Birthday, Radio Heartland and Trial Balloon! I too was in mourning for my beloved Morning Show and despairing what I would listen to in the morning...knowing I could not bear to hear 3 or 4 hours of news, classical music just doesn't do it for me in the morning. I had been listening since the 70s with one break with classical between Garrison and Dale...And I agree with others that the fun, intimacy, community of the Trial Balloon has been an extra treat.
Congratulations, Dale and Mike...you done good!!!!
oops, i meant "the first few all said 'nice'"
dale has it occurred to you that with jim ed out of the way you can invite new friends. i'm thinking bambi swenson the former burlesque star of old,
bud is right that you rode the coattails of jim ed and the other unpaid guests but heck if it works keep it up. i think you are diong pretty good for a guy with limited talents. i think you have done a great job of holding this sinking ship afloat and i hope you can keep it up a while longer, its kind of nice to wake up to other mere mortals who have strange music taste and odd humor. the odds of finding kindred spirits for this group are slim and if there was ever a reason to cling to the present and your comfort zone us heartlanders have reason to celebrate.
thanks dale for keeping us together for another year. i just heard van morrison and how young he sounded. you know he will still sound that young 10 years from now and i hope we are able to listen to him then and remember this group of old eclectics who we have come to know and love.
i'll be at the cedar late tonight if its still going. can't get there til 10 or so. hope some of you 6am folk are still up and kicking.
Thanks to Peter O., the tears were back again, as I remembered that glorious morning in the Fitz a year ago. What a great year we have had, listening to and participating in the birth of the new show. We lift our glass today to Jim Ed, Dale and Mike; thanks for the memories. We keep it raised for Dale and Mike as they continue to warm our mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Wow...we ARE rich. Thanks guys!
Greetings from Indianapolis, Indiana! Ah, the marvel of the internet. I'm here on a mini-vacation/business trip with my wife. I turned on RH on my laptop here in the hotel room just in time to hear Peter Ostrushko's classic (in the highest sense of the word) live performance of "You are my Sunshine" from last years final Morning Show.
Of course, tears immediately started cascading down my cheeks, just like they did one year ago when I was in the audience. What a great show that was! So many wonderful memories- Connie Evingson singing perfectly and lighting up the stage at 6 am, Neal and Leandra, Greg Brown, Peter O., all the other Morning Show 'usual suspects'. Best of all, a chance to say good bye to Jim Ed and all his wonderfully bent characters.
I still think making CDs of that final show and using them for fundraising premiums would be huge for MPR.
Thanks again for the memories, Dale, Jim Ed, and MIke. Keep RH going strong. It ain't the Morning Show, but it's going to be great in it's own way.
Happy Anniversary!
I'd like to hope that nice is more interesting than naughty - but it seems not to sell as well to the general population. That said, I think Bud missed a golden opportunity for the other side of that news coin: the "feel good" piece about something good in the community that is heartwarming and reminds you that there are good things in the world, like Radio Heartland.
Happy first anniversary/birthday one and all. Thanks Dale and Mike for creating something so fabulous!
Hi Dale and RHers. One year ago, I listened for three hours to the last Morning Show here in my office in Boston. It was alternating laughter and tears, with more than a little contemplation of how important community is, even a community as tenuous and virtual as one linked by a radio show. I still mourn for the stilled voices of Buddy Spamden, Captain Billy, Bud Buck, and their compatriots (though their letters are comforting and entertaining), but I am thrilled that Radio Heartland and, especially Dale, is here and (I hope) thriving. One performance from the “Last Show” that I found astonishing at the time (and still do) was Prudence Johnson singing Bob Dylan’s “Restless Farewell.” Don’t suppose you have that in the library? Well, as the poet (Tennyson) noted: Tho' much is taken, much abides.” Lookin’ forward to the next year(s).
how about peter mayer and airheads or whatever that tune is? i am living proof
I would rather ask for forgiveness than permission, so naughty is better than nice in my book. As a Lutheran, I also agree with old Martin when he advised to "sin boldly". Happy Birthday Radio Heartland and Trial Balloon!
Howdy Folks
I thought I would wrangle into my son's computer (again) to offer up my gratitude to DALE for keepin' on.
Good day to you good sir (& associates).
Happy one year anniversary to us all.
Cheers,
Sheila
Thanks for the Dave Frischberg tunes. You must have read my mind. Last week I was wishing to to hear him and now I've heard songs of his every day for the last several.
Yipee!
Hi,
Just wanted to join the chorus of congratulations and thanks for a great first year! I was still in the car for Peter O and it took me right back to last year -- almost had to pull off the road. Thanks for playing that rendition and for delivering such an awesome new service. Here's hoping we have the opportunity to celebrate many more RH anniversaries!
Wow, has it been a year already? Seems like only yesterday my wife and I were standing outside the Fitz at 4:30...and neither of us have ever lamented because it was worth it! Dale, at some point, I've got to get you, Jim Ed, and Mike to sign the copy of the script that your stage guy gave to me after the show.
I watched the show last year from the church across the street (wimped out of standing in line), and they finally got the TV screens working just abuot the time Peter O. sang "Sunshine". Yes, tears streaming down the face, partly because I thought it was OVER. Hah! What a year it's been, so glad for all the communities: the TB blog, the Collection of Characters (even Bud Buck, the rat), the Collection of People who Produce the thing -- Mike and Dale and others behind the scenes and JASPER... Long live The DC Show and HD Radio. Maybe a round of Turn Your Radio On?
Husband and I'll be there tonight, hope to meet some of you!
Happy birthday Radio Heartland, Trial Balloon blog and bloggers, and thanks to Dale, Mike and MPR staff for your commitment to this radio service.
I got my RH mug in the mail yesterday, just in time to celebrate and will raise a coffee toast.
I'm afraid I won't be at the Cedar tonight (are there still any tickets? - it's still possible but a long shot).
Mike Murtaugh
I can't be at the show tonight, but I'll wear my goat pin anyway, just as a fashion statement. Have fun, everyone!
(Kay in Utah...I think RH already has some female characters. Barb and Donna come to mind immediately...)
I got to the computer too late to be part of the "live" blogging, but... My question is...if we believe that Bud Buck's material is ghost written, then how do we know that this entire blog isn't written by the same author?
Congrats on the one year anniversary! I am happy to be among the many, many fans. Thanks!
Oh, Dale! Brilliant!!!
"Nice" is overrated. In Sondheim's Into the Woods the Witch expresses her frustration with a character by saying "You're nice. You're not good, you're not bad, you're just nice." Later in the show we're reminded that "Nice is different than good." Naughty can be interesting because being naughty requires some action. Good can be equally interesting because good also requires action. The most interesting stories revolve around Good becoming Naughty (or evil) or Naughty becoming good. "Nice" doesn't require any action. It's just boring, and so doesn't find its way into too many stories.
But what makes for a good story doesn't always make for good routine social interaction. And for that I appreciate nice.
Let me be one of the last (at least on the blog--the kudos should flow freely tonight) to add my congratulations on the anniversary. I truly believe Dale is working harder now than anytime in the last 25 years.
Love the entry, Mr. Scam Man!
Yes - it is true that misbehavior tantalizes.
It's true for children too. Yesterday afternoon my classroom turned chaotic when it was discovered that someone had switched the icons around on the chart that represent everyone's tasks for center time. Our work was halted for at least 15 minutes while bewildered and indignant youngsters tried to remember the original placements. Today it continues to be a hot topic with much speculation about who done it! From now on I’ll be sure to write the sequence down and remind myself that 6 and 7 yr. olds are not to be trusted. (Personally, I think it was the suspiciously quiet little red head whose shirt today says, “Angel With An Attitude.”)
Happy Birthday RH! I was at the final broadcast and have placed that treasured memory with all others that have brought joy to my life.
That said, I adore Radio Heartland and all its counterparts, just like ya’ll do.
Don, very introspective! I may have to look into Into the Woods, didn't realize that's the story line.
Dale - are you working harder than before, or was it always this much work to put on The Morning Show?
I enjoy the schoolmarm stories, Donna. Wonder if you'll ever find out who it was.
Good to hear from Mike in Albert Lea...
Barbara and Don,
Thanks for caring whether or not I'm working harder than at any time in the past 25 years.
The important thing to remember is that the tasks connected to Radio Heartland aren't "hard" at all. I don't know what it's like to have a job you dread. And I am definitely grateful to have work to do.
That said, there is certainly a lot to do, and this venture is able to take all the time I am willing to put into it.
Fortunately, Mike Pengra is here to carry the Lion's share of the burden, tending to JASPER and putting the national programs in place, producing our studio sessions and putting together the Saturday night show.
Watching him work is the part that tires me out!
Hey everybody! I'm making a sort of goat pin to wear tonight -- really looking forward to seeing everybody at the concert tonight. I can barely contain myself!
I, too, remember sitting at home and listening to all 3 hours last year -- laughing, crying and enjoying the show -- kicking myself for not being there. Tonight's the NIGHT! Have a great day!
Oh man, I wish I could be at the show tonight. But alas, the theatre calls. I'm on the tech crew for a dance show at my school, and they perform tonight. I was on the crew for same show last year, but last year, I skipped strike (cleaning up the theatre after the last show) on the night of the 10th, so I could leave campus and head home to be awake bright and early for the final show on the 11th. (For those of you unfamiliar with the theatre world - you don't skip strike. You just don't do it. It's like a mortal sin, or something.)
To all of you heading out to the Cedar tonight - have a great time! Happy Birthday, Radio Heartland!
hey Gus -- as a BA in Theatre Arts, you're exactly right. If you're connected to a show in any way, everybody helps out with strike. Total pain in the butt, but it's a good bonding time. Good luck, don't break a leg -- sorry you can't be at the show tonight.
Joanne - I've put together a pin too (for the Fair but then I couldn't go), but who knows if it'll be very visible... I'll just count on people hanging out where Dale and Mike are whenever possible, huh? Since it doesn't start till 8:00, we should be there till 10:00, Tim...
Thanks for "I'm Through Wasting My Life" - it encapsulated my feelings riding to work this Friday morning. But it wasn't till I saw Bob Collins's note about the anniversary of the LGMS that I remembered RH is a year old! Congratulations Dale and Mike and all the bloggers, and here's to many more great years.
Barbara - the case has been closed, but more evidence turned up making "Angel" the likely suspect. In small print at the bottom of her shirt were the additional words, "Don't let the halo fool you", and also, I overheard a couple kids say she told them she did it. I trust her conscience is hounding her and that will be punishment enough, although it can't hurt either that when I was talking to the class about being students of character, I reminded them that Sanata knows full well whether you're good or bad in school too - not just home. Heh heh heh.
Have a great time at the Cedar everyone. Hope to join you sometime.
I wasn’t able to listen to the show Friday, or even get to the blog, but I certainly enjoyed reading all of the comments, and I second them heartily! It’s been a great year for Radio Heartland. Congratulations to all involved! Dale, your post made me laugh a lot.
Dale is as funny as ever on the printed page and his latest piece is a case in point. I think his comedic creativity should be brought back to the on air broadcasts...
Congratulations to all on the first year of Radio Heartland!
So glad the blog is here to record Radio Heartland events. Due to family fun, I had to miss live RH fun as the 1st RH Anniversary was acknowledged throughout the land - BUT, the blog and the show archives make participation possible - time warping at its best! Thanks to Dale, Mike and the RH community for helping to turn 'mourning into dancing.'
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