NewsRadio (1995–1999): Season 1, Episode 1 - Pilot - full transcript
Dave Nelson begins his new job as WNYX News Director, but first he has to fire his predecessor.
Good morning, I'm...
Name, date, time
in, destination.
Print legibly, no cursive,
signature at the "X".
Thank you.
WNYX news radio, huh?
I'm the new news director.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Is there anything
else I can do for you?
Oh, you see, it's 8:57.
So I'm going to wait
another 35 seconds
before heading up
so I can arrive 9:00 on the dot.
Uh-huh.
That's a nice jacket.
It's just a uniform. It
comes with the job.
Ah, you don't say?
Let's see, 33, 34...
I'm going to head on up now.
WNYX. That's on
the 15th floor, right?
15. But, see, now,
that's the business office.
You probably want the
broadcast offices, don't you?
Uh, yes, yes.
That's at the Criterion
building, 58th and Madison.
Three blocks up and
and six blocks over.
Oh, my God. The time?
8:59 and counting.
Welcome to New York!
This is WNYX news radio.
Serving Manhattan,
the outer boroughs,
and the entire Tri-State area.
Joining us at 6:00...
Excuse me. I'm looking
for the station owner's office.
Down the hall to the right.
Thanks.
Any time, but he's
not in there right now.
Oh, uh... do you
know where he is?
Mr. James? Yes?
Oh, Mr. James,
I'm so sorry I'm late.
Were you late? I didn't notice.
9:15. What'd you do?
Walk all the way
from Wisconsin, huh?
I'm kidding. Come on, Dave.
So, Dave, what are your
goals here at WNYX?
Well, I just want to be the best
damn news director I can be.
Good, good. That
kind of strong language
don't fly with me, but, uh,
you got your own style, I guess.
I'm sorry.
You know, Dave,
I considered what, 30,
35 people for this job.
Most of them had more
experience than you,
but you want to know what
made you so special to me?
Oh, what's that, sir?
What? Huh? Well, make it fast.
I'm in the middle
of telling a guy
why he's so special to me.
No, no. It's work related.
Yeah.
Okay.
Afternoon, Ed.
Hi, Jimmy. I'm sorry I'm late,
but the traffic on the
freeway was so bad...
Oh, hi. I'm Ed Harlow.
Hi. I'm Dave Nelson.
Oh, yeah, the new guy, right.
Yeah, yeah. So tell me
what do you do here, Ed?
I'm your news director.
You know, run the station,
pick the stories, do the
hiring, firing, what have you.
Come on back, Dave.
Uh. Ed?
I think Mr. uh...
I think Mr. James,
uh, wanted to, uh...
see me in here.
No, no, I'm at the
station right now.
Yeah. No. Then I got
to go to the factory,
then I got to go
to the building site.
Huh?
No, that's just for fun.
I like to watch the big trucks.
Yeah.
I got to go.
Um, Mr. James, I
just met Ed Harlow,
the news director.
Oh, yeah, Ed.
You mean the
former news director.
Oh, so he's staying
on to train me, is that it?
Dave, I haven't exactly told Ed
he's being cut loose yet.
Oh, uh...
Well, I can come back tomorrow,
or if he needs two
weeks' notice, that's fine...
Two weeks? No. I'd
rather have you do it today.
Rather have me do what today?
Fire Ed.
You want me to fire Ed?
Well, it is in your contract...
Hiring, firing, what have you.
Come on, I want
you to meet the gang.
I...
Pick it up.
Mr. James.
Mr. James.
Oh, Dave, there you are.
This is Lisa.
How long are the pandas
going to be here for?
How many visitors have
already seen the pandas?
Uh-huh.
All right. All right.
Let me just ask you this...
Do the pandas make any
kind of noise or anything
that might be
interesting on the radio?
All right, thank you.
Thank you. I didn't actually
need you to do it for me.
What are you going
to be doing here?
I'm the new g-guy.
I... I'm the new... new guy.
10 points! What?
Are you kidding me?
You pulling my chain?
Sir, is there something wrong?
I own a lot of Euro Disney.
Sir, do they know that
I'm the new news director?
Nope. I thought I'd give you
the pleasure of telling them.
Well, sir, I think I
really have to tell Ed
before I tell the
rest of the staff.
That's just... I mean,
that's just common courtesy.
Whatever floats your boat.
Matthew. No, Dave.
No. This is Matthew.
This is Dave Nelson.
Hi, Dave. Hi.
What is it you're
going to be doing here?
Uh, sports. New sports guy.
What?
Hey, I'm just trying to
keep your little secret
till, uh...
till you give Ed the news.
Have you told him
yet by the way?
Well, I haven't really
had the chance to...
Rick! This is Dave.
Hey, Dave.
What is it you're going
to be doing for us, Dave?
Sports.
I'm the new sports guy.
Dave, I've got to run.
I've got to get to the
sporting goods store.
What are you
buying, sir? The store.
Actually, the whole chain.
Today's my day to
load up on the freebies.
Can I set you up with anything?
Tube socks? Golf
balls, what have you?
Sir, I think that we
really to talk about this.
Why? You think it's
a bad investment?
No, sir. I wanted to talk
about the Ed situation.
Thank you.
Now, sir, before I
jump into this Ed thing,
I just want... Hi, Ed.
Ed.
Dave. Dave, Ed.
New... new sports guy.
I'm sure you two
have a lot to talk about.
I've got to go.
Sports, huh?
Going to ballgames
and getting paid for it.
Doesn't hardly seem
like work, does it?
I'd kill for your job.
Hey, why don't
we trade then, huh?
Ha-ha-ha!
Ah-ah-ah... ow!
Ha ha! God. Are you okay?
Beth? It's my back...
It seizes up on me two,
three, four times a week.
Oh, that's terrible.
That's just terrible.
Is there... Is there
anything I can...
Have you ever thought
about maybe taking time off?
No, no.
This... this job
is the only thing
that keeps my mind off the pain.
Beth!
I called Dr. Shelton and he
can give you an adjustment
if you can get over
there right now.
Dave, I have to run,
but let's talk about this later.
Ed, I was actually
kind of hoping
we can get this all
squared away right now.
Why? Is it bad news?
Well, that would depend
on how you look at it, Ed.
Bad news is
terrible for his back.
We try to keep it to a minimum.
Thank God this job gives
me full medical coverage.
Has asked the
U.N. Security council
to set an October deadline
for a complete troop withdrawal.
WNYX news time 9:28. Catherine?
Dave, would you like to
see the production booth?
Uh, sure, that'd be great.
Well, well, well.
Hello, young lovers.
Shut up, Rick.
Uh...
Oh.
So, uh, that Ed guy,
he's quite an
interesting fellow.
Well, between you and
me, Ed is on his way out.
Oh, come on, so you know?
God. I'm so relieved,
because it'd be
great if I could have...
Oh, I'm sorry.
It would be great
to have someone...
The cure for the common cold
could be no further away
than your kitchen cupboard.
Dr. Jeffrey Chin has been
dispensing herbal remedies
from his office on
Mott Street since 1953.
Chinese medicine has been around
for thousands of years.
Okay, what were you saying?
Oh. How do you think
I should handle this?
Oh, just do your job
well, and you'll be fine,
because when Ed goes,
Jimmy's going to
make me news director.
Uh-huh.
Is this something that
Jimmy has told you?
No, but, uh, nobody else
around here has been putting in
12-hour days, nights, and
weekends for three years.
And Jimmy notices, believe me.
Lisa Miller, WNYX
news radio in Chinatown.
Um...
Excuse me.
Uh, Lisa.
Lisa, have you ever
heard the expression
that the journey
is its own reward?
That's very profound, Dave...
You know, for a sports guy.
Ed. Ed? Ed?
Down here.
Oh, God, Ed. Are you all right?
Yeah. Sometimes the pain
makes me a little nauseous.
What's on your mind?
How long have you
been here at WNYX, Ed?
Four years.
Four years, four good years
from all that I've heard, Ed.
Ed, I just heard you gave
Catherine the Al Gore interview,
and I have some thoughts on that
which I'd like to
share with you.
Bill, uh, have you,
uh, met Dave?
New sports guy, right?
Great, I love sports and I
hear you're the best, buddy.
Oh yeah.
Where did you hear that?
I... heard your audition tape.
Good stuff. Good
pipes. Clean delivery.
I didn't send in a tape.
You're from Canada, eh?
Wisconsin actually.
Wisconsin, cool.
The badger state.
The nation's dairy land.
Great country "out dair."
Not so fast, Ed.
Don't you think I should
do the Al Gore interview?
Because phone
interviews keep me alert,
and if I'm not alert,
I might just start reading
the news very slowly...
like this...
I will see what I can do.
Thanks, buddy.
I know you'll make
the right decision.
I love cheese.
Ciao.
That was completely
disrespectful, wasn't it?
I am the news director.
He can't talk to me like that.
Ed?
Catherine wanted
me to tell you...
Her words, not mine...
That you have 5 seconds
to drag your fat ass
into the booth and
make the right decision
on the Al Gore interview.
Coffee, Dave?
Oh, yes, please.
Great. It's over by the booth.
Thank you.
Ed, um...
All right, that does it.
I quit.
I'm sorry. What, Ed?
I said I quit.
I am not gonna put up
with this lunacy anymore.
I've had it with Bill. I've
had it with Catherine.
Uh-huh.
I've had it with the
whole Bill-Catherine thing.
I don't need any Bills or
any Catherines in my life.
I'll pick this up
over the weekend.
I got it.
Ed, I can't tell you how sorry
I am to hear you feel this way,
but, obviously, there's no
point in me trying to talk you
out of a decision you've
put so much thought into.
You got that right.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, all I can
do is tell you how sorry I am.
You tell Jimmy he can
find some other idiot
to run this station.
I'll pass that along to him, Ed.
Yes! Hi.
Dave, can you believe this?
They get $250 bucks
for one of these things.
Doesn't even
include the strings.
Look. See? No strings.
Mr. James, the Ed
Harlow situation,
it has been confronted
and resolved.
Wow. That was fast.
Boy, you are a cold-blooded
son of a gun, Dave.
But, God bless you.
I didn't think you
were the firing type.
Actually, Ed quit,
but that saves you two
weeks' severance pay.
Ed quit? No, I didn't want Ed
to quit. I wanted you to fire him.
Well, that's really sort of a
moot point now, isn't it, sir?
Get the box, will you, Dave?
Dave, Ed quits
three times a week.
Hell, sometimes he
comes in on Sundays
just to quit a few times
without any distractions.
Well, I did not know that.
Well, looks like you got a
walking, talking moot point
to deal with, doesn't it?
Pick it up.
Ed, can we talk for a minute?
Not now. I'm busy.
Look, Ed, it's really
only going to...
Ed, Ed, Ed. What?
What did you think about
my New-Yorker-of-the-week
segment idea?
It won't work.
But you know what, though...
I was reading an article
in Broadcasting Monthly
that said a station
in Los Angeles
just started doing it.
What do people
in Los Angeles care
about the New
Yorker of the week?
Oh, yeah. No, no, no.
In Los Angeles,
they call it the
Los-Angelino-of-the-week, see?
But that's funny, though.
Listen, um...
Broadcasting
Monthly said that if...
Oh, Matthew, uh...
I don't read
Broadcasting Monthly.
Only idiots read
Broadcasting Monthly, okay?
But thank you for your input.
Yeah.
Oh, Matthew, it's all right.
I read Broadcasting Monthly too.
I just don't know why he
has to talk to me that way.
Um, Matthew...
Matthew, things
are going to change.
You just have to
give it some time.
I've given it enough time.
Things won't change. Please.
Matthew, you can't tell
anyone about this right now,
but, uh, I'm actually
the new news director.
What?
Yeah, I'm going to be firing Ed.
Are you serious?
Finally.
Oh, this is great.
This is... Thank you, David.
Thank you.
That's all right,
but we'll have to keep this to
ourselves for the time being.
Oh, yeah.
Thanks, Matthew.
Highs reaching the upper 40s.
Tonight, temperatures
will dip into the low teens...
Ed? Ed, can we talk, please?
Ed, thanks.
I'm sorry. I got excited.
I had to tell someone.
Matthew.
Tell everyone what?
Dave here's the
new news director.
Oh, but don't tell
anybody, though.
What?
I'm sorry, Lisa.
I really wanted to tell
you about this earlier.
Wait a minute.
What's going on here?
Lisa, did you think that
you were going to be
the next news director?
What are you talking about?
Are you gonna cry right here
or, uh, you gonna save it up
for the cab ride home?
Shut up, Rick. Come on.
This is obviously very
humiliating for her right now.
Her dream just died.
Well, actually,
Jimmy offered this job to Lisa,
but she turned it down.
That's right, isn't it, Lisa?
Yes. That's right. I'm
very happy where I am.
I'm not at a point in my career
where it's worth it
to me to fire someone
so I can take their job.
Hey, Dave, I guess
officially, I work for you now,
so would you like me to fire Ed?
No, no, no, Beth...
but thank you very much for, uh,
for your, uh, let's
just call it moxie.
Fire him as soon as
he walks out that door.
Excuse me?
Fire him right here, right
now, in front of everyone.
Trust me. It will help
you down the line.
You're not exactly
establishing yourself
as an authority
figure with the staff.
She's right, you know.
Please. Thank you.
It's like,
you know how they say
when it's your first day in prison
you should act crazy and
beat someone with a chair
so nobody will mess with you?
I've never actually
heard that before, Beth.
Will this chair do,
or do you want a lighter
one to beat him with?
Ed, can I talk to
you in your office
for just a minute, please?
No, no. You've got to
do the sports update.
We do the sports at 11 after
the hour. You've got 30 seconds.
We'll talk later. Go. Go, go.
We'll talk after
this, all right, okay?
What kind of cue do you want?
Visual? Roll-in? Audio
precue? Countdown?
Whatever you
normally do will be fine.
I don't know if you've
worked with one of these
we call it a microphone.
Thanks, Bill. You know, I did
do a little bit of this in college.
Then you won't be
needing my help.
Just let me know
when I'm on, all right?
All right. "New York,
108, Philadelphia, 96."
Philadelphia, Philadelphia.
Philadelphia. Is
that right for level?
That fine? Philadelphia, okay.
The Philadelphia 76ers.
Just let me know
when I'm on, Bill.
The Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76...
ers...
played a game of
basketball today,
and here's Bill McNeal
to tell you all about it.
The Knicks made it a pair
at Madison Square last night
as Charles Oakley led
the boys in white and blue
to a 108-96 embarrassment
of the Orlando Magic
in the second of
a five-game series.
What the hell was that?
Ed, uh, I'm sorry.
I'm not really much
of a sports guy.
Oh, really?
Ed, can we talk about
this in your office, please?
No, we can talk
about it right here.
I don't know why
Jimmy hired you,
but get the hell out of here.
You're fired.
Huh?
Ed...
I think if you go
into your office,
I can explain.
This ought to be good.
Oh, it will be.
Ed, do you know the
meaning of the word "irony"?
Oh, come on. Poor Ed.
What are you talking about?
You wanted Ed out of
here as much as anybody.
Lisa, it is still
a very sad thing
when a member of the
family has to be terminated.
Ed will need a
moment to digest this.
I was sure you're gonna be
in there for at least an hour.
Oh, no, no, no. I just
spelled out the facts for Ed.
And I gave him a brief memo
that sort of
outlined the factors
that led to this decision,
and...
I believe that that is
a perfectly reasonable response
considering the circumstances.
Dave, if you have a moment,
I have a few thoughts
I'd like to share with you.
Oh, yes, the Al Gore thing.
Catherine, you'll be doing
the Al Gore interview, okay?
Thank you. Thank you.
I'm sorry, Bill. Your thoughts?
W-w-why?
Why? Because I'm the boss,
Bill. That's why. That's why, Bill.
And I will not be manipulated.
I will not be contradicted,
and I will not be intimidated.
Well.
I didn't realize you were a
man of such strong conviction,
of such deeply
felt moral tenacity,
of such remarkable centeredness.
All right, Bill. I'm not going
to be sucked up to either.
Well, you've eliminated
all my options.
All that's left is backstabbing.
Matthew, can I borrow
your chair for a second?
Okay, okay, okay.
Ed, look.
I know this isn't
going to mean much,
but if you need a reference,
I'm more than happy to help.
Oh, thanks, but I'm fine.
In fact, I'm great.
That's good, Ed.
Because I'm going to go
across the street now to WXYP.
Do you know who runs WXYP?
No.
How could you? It has
to do with news radio.
My old college
buddy, Tom Novachek.
And Tom Novachek has told me
I have a standing offer
to be his news director
any time I want.
So, uh, gosh...
so long, suckers.
That's great, Ed.
I think that's great for Ed.
I think we should
all be happy for Ed.
I mean, that goes to show you,
even the darkest cloud
is going to have a silver...
Dave, WXYP went out of
business three months ago.
I told Ed to read
Broadcasting Monthly.
What are you guys talking about?
WXYP.
You know, that place
never really recovered
once Tom Novachek passed away.
Dave, you wanted to talk to me?
Oh, yeah. Oh, I see you
bought that sporting goods store.
No, I decided to buy
a hockey team instead.
What's on your mind?
Well, uh, two things, sir.
Good!
First, I want you to promise
me that when my time is up here,
you will tell me yourself
and not have my
replacement fire me.
What's the second thing?
Well, I wanted to let you
know that I understand now
that what you put me
through today was a test.
Could be.
Or it could be I'm just
making it all up as I go along.
Well, which is it?
You'll never know.
But either way, you
work for me now,
so see you tomorrow, Dave.
9:00 a.m. this time.
Good night.
Good night, Lisa. Oh, Lisa.
Um, for what it's worth,
I just wanted to tell
you I think you'd make
a great news director.
Oh. Well, thank
you. You're welcome.
And who knows?
Maybe some day I'll
get my chance at the job.
I'm sure you will.
Yeah. Maybe not today,
maybe not tomorrow,
but within three
months, four, tops.
Thanks for the
vote of confidence.
You're welcome.
What?
You've got, like, an eyelash.
No, you're not...
Here? Where?
M-m-may I?
There we go.
Thank you.
Listen, I, um,
I want to thank you
for covering for me
out there today.
Gosh. That? Please.
Forget about that.
I already have.
Well you don't really need to...
See you tomorrow.
Bye.
Hi. I'm looking for Dave Nelson.
Oh, I'm Dave Nelson.
Oh, hi. I'm Jeff Adams,
the new guy?
W-w-w-what kind of new guy?
Uh, the new sports guy.
Sports? Are you okay?
I'm fine. Yeah, yeah.
So, Jeff, what do you think
of the big game tonight?
Knicks/Orlando?
Well, Shaquille's
scoring in the low 30s,
but the Knicks are 28-8 at
home. I take the Knicks by 12.
Great to have you aboard, Jeff.
Name, date, time
in, destination.
Print legibly, no cursive,
signature at the "X".
Thank you.
WNYX news radio, huh?
I'm the new news director.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Is there anything
else I can do for you?
Oh, you see, it's 8:57.
So I'm going to wait
another 35 seconds
before heading up
so I can arrive 9:00 on the dot.
Uh-huh.
That's a nice jacket.
It's just a uniform. It
comes with the job.
Ah, you don't say?
Let's see, 33, 34...
I'm going to head on up now.
WNYX. That's on
the 15th floor, right?
15. But, see, now,
that's the business office.
You probably want the
broadcast offices, don't you?
Uh, yes, yes.
That's at the Criterion
building, 58th and Madison.
Three blocks up and
and six blocks over.
Oh, my God. The time?
8:59 and counting.
Welcome to New York!
This is WNYX news radio.
Serving Manhattan,
the outer boroughs,
and the entire Tri-State area.
Joining us at 6:00...
Excuse me. I'm looking
for the station owner's office.
Down the hall to the right.
Thanks.
Any time, but he's
not in there right now.
Oh, uh... do you
know where he is?
Mr. James? Yes?
Oh, Mr. James,
I'm so sorry I'm late.
Were you late? I didn't notice.
9:15. What'd you do?
Walk all the way
from Wisconsin, huh?
I'm kidding. Come on, Dave.
So, Dave, what are your
goals here at WNYX?
Well, I just want to be the best
damn news director I can be.
Good, good. That
kind of strong language
don't fly with me, but, uh,
you got your own style, I guess.
I'm sorry.
You know, Dave,
I considered what, 30,
35 people for this job.
Most of them had more
experience than you,
but you want to know what
made you so special to me?
Oh, what's that, sir?
What? Huh? Well, make it fast.
I'm in the middle
of telling a guy
why he's so special to me.
No, no. It's work related.
Yeah.
Okay.
Afternoon, Ed.
Hi, Jimmy. I'm sorry I'm late,
but the traffic on the
freeway was so bad...
Oh, hi. I'm Ed Harlow.
Hi. I'm Dave Nelson.
Oh, yeah, the new guy, right.
Yeah, yeah. So tell me
what do you do here, Ed?
I'm your news director.
You know, run the station,
pick the stories, do the
hiring, firing, what have you.
Come on back, Dave.
Uh. Ed?
I think Mr. uh...
I think Mr. James,
uh, wanted to, uh...
see me in here.
No, no, I'm at the
station right now.
Yeah. No. Then I got
to go to the factory,
then I got to go
to the building site.
Huh?
No, that's just for fun.
I like to watch the big trucks.
Yeah.
I got to go.
Um, Mr. James, I
just met Ed Harlow,
the news director.
Oh, yeah, Ed.
You mean the
former news director.
Oh, so he's staying
on to train me, is that it?
Dave, I haven't exactly told Ed
he's being cut loose yet.
Oh, uh...
Well, I can come back tomorrow,
or if he needs two
weeks' notice, that's fine...
Two weeks? No. I'd
rather have you do it today.
Rather have me do what today?
Fire Ed.
You want me to fire Ed?
Well, it is in your contract...
Hiring, firing, what have you.
Come on, I want
you to meet the gang.
I...
Pick it up.
Mr. James.
Mr. James.
Oh, Dave, there you are.
This is Lisa.
How long are the pandas
going to be here for?
How many visitors have
already seen the pandas?
Uh-huh.
All right. All right.
Let me just ask you this...
Do the pandas make any
kind of noise or anything
that might be
interesting on the radio?
All right, thank you.
Thank you. I didn't actually
need you to do it for me.
What are you going
to be doing here?
I'm the new g-guy.
I... I'm the new... new guy.
10 points! What?
Are you kidding me?
You pulling my chain?
Sir, is there something wrong?
I own a lot of Euro Disney.
Sir, do they know that
I'm the new news director?
Nope. I thought I'd give you
the pleasure of telling them.
Well, sir, I think I
really have to tell Ed
before I tell the
rest of the staff.
That's just... I mean,
that's just common courtesy.
Whatever floats your boat.
Matthew. No, Dave.
No. This is Matthew.
This is Dave Nelson.
Hi, Dave. Hi.
What is it you're
going to be doing here?
Uh, sports. New sports guy.
What?
Hey, I'm just trying to
keep your little secret
till, uh...
till you give Ed the news.
Have you told him
yet by the way?
Well, I haven't really
had the chance to...
Rick! This is Dave.
Hey, Dave.
What is it you're going
to be doing for us, Dave?
Sports.
I'm the new sports guy.
Dave, I've got to run.
I've got to get to the
sporting goods store.
What are you
buying, sir? The store.
Actually, the whole chain.
Today's my day to
load up on the freebies.
Can I set you up with anything?
Tube socks? Golf
balls, what have you?
Sir, I think that we
really to talk about this.
Why? You think it's
a bad investment?
No, sir. I wanted to talk
about the Ed situation.
Thank you.
Now, sir, before I
jump into this Ed thing,
I just want... Hi, Ed.
Ed.
Dave. Dave, Ed.
New... new sports guy.
I'm sure you two
have a lot to talk about.
I've got to go.
Sports, huh?
Going to ballgames
and getting paid for it.
Doesn't hardly seem
like work, does it?
I'd kill for your job.
Hey, why don't
we trade then, huh?
Ha-ha-ha!
Ah-ah-ah... ow!
Ha ha! God. Are you okay?
Beth? It's my back...
It seizes up on me two,
three, four times a week.
Oh, that's terrible.
That's just terrible.
Is there... Is there
anything I can...
Have you ever thought
about maybe taking time off?
No, no.
This... this job
is the only thing
that keeps my mind off the pain.
Beth!
I called Dr. Shelton and he
can give you an adjustment
if you can get over
there right now.
Dave, I have to run,
but let's talk about this later.
Ed, I was actually
kind of hoping
we can get this all
squared away right now.
Why? Is it bad news?
Well, that would depend
on how you look at it, Ed.
Bad news is
terrible for his back.
We try to keep it to a minimum.
Thank God this job gives
me full medical coverage.
Has asked the
U.N. Security council
to set an October deadline
for a complete troop withdrawal.
WNYX news time 9:28. Catherine?
Dave, would you like to
see the production booth?
Uh, sure, that'd be great.
Well, well, well.
Hello, young lovers.
Shut up, Rick.
Uh...
Oh.
So, uh, that Ed guy,
he's quite an
interesting fellow.
Well, between you and
me, Ed is on his way out.
Oh, come on, so you know?
God. I'm so relieved,
because it'd be
great if I could have...
Oh, I'm sorry.
It would be great
to have someone...
The cure for the common cold
could be no further away
than your kitchen cupboard.
Dr. Jeffrey Chin has been
dispensing herbal remedies
from his office on
Mott Street since 1953.
Chinese medicine has been around
for thousands of years.
Okay, what were you saying?
Oh. How do you think
I should handle this?
Oh, just do your job
well, and you'll be fine,
because when Ed goes,
Jimmy's going to
make me news director.
Uh-huh.
Is this something that
Jimmy has told you?
No, but, uh, nobody else
around here has been putting in
12-hour days, nights, and
weekends for three years.
And Jimmy notices, believe me.
Lisa Miller, WNYX
news radio in Chinatown.
Um...
Excuse me.
Uh, Lisa.
Lisa, have you ever
heard the expression
that the journey
is its own reward?
That's very profound, Dave...
You know, for a sports guy.
Ed. Ed? Ed?
Down here.
Oh, God, Ed. Are you all right?
Yeah. Sometimes the pain
makes me a little nauseous.
What's on your mind?
How long have you
been here at WNYX, Ed?
Four years.
Four years, four good years
from all that I've heard, Ed.
Ed, I just heard you gave
Catherine the Al Gore interview,
and I have some thoughts on that
which I'd like to
share with you.
Bill, uh, have you,
uh, met Dave?
New sports guy, right?
Great, I love sports and I
hear you're the best, buddy.
Oh yeah.
Where did you hear that?
I... heard your audition tape.
Good stuff. Good
pipes. Clean delivery.
I didn't send in a tape.
You're from Canada, eh?
Wisconsin actually.
Wisconsin, cool.
The badger state.
The nation's dairy land.
Great country "out dair."
Not so fast, Ed.
Don't you think I should
do the Al Gore interview?
Because phone
interviews keep me alert,
and if I'm not alert,
I might just start reading
the news very slowly...
like this...
I will see what I can do.
Thanks, buddy.
I know you'll make
the right decision.
I love cheese.
Ciao.
That was completely
disrespectful, wasn't it?
I am the news director.
He can't talk to me like that.
Ed?
Catherine wanted
me to tell you...
Her words, not mine...
That you have 5 seconds
to drag your fat ass
into the booth and
make the right decision
on the Al Gore interview.
Coffee, Dave?
Oh, yes, please.
Great. It's over by the booth.
Thank you.
Ed, um...
All right, that does it.
I quit.
I'm sorry. What, Ed?
I said I quit.
I am not gonna put up
with this lunacy anymore.
I've had it with Bill. I've
had it with Catherine.
Uh-huh.
I've had it with the
whole Bill-Catherine thing.
I don't need any Bills or
any Catherines in my life.
I'll pick this up
over the weekend.
I got it.
Ed, I can't tell you how sorry
I am to hear you feel this way,
but, obviously, there's no
point in me trying to talk you
out of a decision you've
put so much thought into.
You got that right.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, all I can
do is tell you how sorry I am.
You tell Jimmy he can
find some other idiot
to run this station.
I'll pass that along to him, Ed.
Yes! Hi.
Dave, can you believe this?
They get $250 bucks
for one of these things.
Doesn't even
include the strings.
Look. See? No strings.
Mr. James, the Ed
Harlow situation,
it has been confronted
and resolved.
Wow. That was fast.
Boy, you are a cold-blooded
son of a gun, Dave.
But, God bless you.
I didn't think you
were the firing type.
Actually, Ed quit,
but that saves you two
weeks' severance pay.
Ed quit? No, I didn't want Ed
to quit. I wanted you to fire him.
Well, that's really sort of a
moot point now, isn't it, sir?
Get the box, will you, Dave?
Dave, Ed quits
three times a week.
Hell, sometimes he
comes in on Sundays
just to quit a few times
without any distractions.
Well, I did not know that.
Well, looks like you got a
walking, talking moot point
to deal with, doesn't it?
Pick it up.
Ed, can we talk for a minute?
Not now. I'm busy.
Look, Ed, it's really
only going to...
Ed, Ed, Ed. What?
What did you think about
my New-Yorker-of-the-week
segment idea?
It won't work.
But you know what, though...
I was reading an article
in Broadcasting Monthly
that said a station
in Los Angeles
just started doing it.
What do people
in Los Angeles care
about the New
Yorker of the week?
Oh, yeah. No, no, no.
In Los Angeles,
they call it the
Los-Angelino-of-the-week, see?
But that's funny, though.
Listen, um...
Broadcasting
Monthly said that if...
Oh, Matthew, uh...
I don't read
Broadcasting Monthly.
Only idiots read
Broadcasting Monthly, okay?
But thank you for your input.
Yeah.
Oh, Matthew, it's all right.
I read Broadcasting Monthly too.
I just don't know why he
has to talk to me that way.
Um, Matthew...
Matthew, things
are going to change.
You just have to
give it some time.
I've given it enough time.
Things won't change. Please.
Matthew, you can't tell
anyone about this right now,
but, uh, I'm actually
the new news director.
What?
Yeah, I'm going to be firing Ed.
Are you serious?
Finally.
Oh, this is great.
This is... Thank you, David.
Thank you.
That's all right,
but we'll have to keep this to
ourselves for the time being.
Oh, yeah.
Thanks, Matthew.
Highs reaching the upper 40s.
Tonight, temperatures
will dip into the low teens...
Ed? Ed, can we talk, please?
Ed, thanks.
I'm sorry. I got excited.
I had to tell someone.
Matthew.
Tell everyone what?
Dave here's the
new news director.
Oh, but don't tell
anybody, though.
What?
I'm sorry, Lisa.
I really wanted to tell
you about this earlier.
Wait a minute.
What's going on here?
Lisa, did you think that
you were going to be
the next news director?
What are you talking about?
Are you gonna cry right here
or, uh, you gonna save it up
for the cab ride home?
Shut up, Rick. Come on.
This is obviously very
humiliating for her right now.
Her dream just died.
Well, actually,
Jimmy offered this job to Lisa,
but she turned it down.
That's right, isn't it, Lisa?
Yes. That's right. I'm
very happy where I am.
I'm not at a point in my career
where it's worth it
to me to fire someone
so I can take their job.
Hey, Dave, I guess
officially, I work for you now,
so would you like me to fire Ed?
No, no, no, Beth...
but thank you very much for, uh,
for your, uh, let's
just call it moxie.
Fire him as soon as
he walks out that door.
Excuse me?
Fire him right here, right
now, in front of everyone.
Trust me. It will help
you down the line.
You're not exactly
establishing yourself
as an authority
figure with the staff.
She's right, you know.
Please. Thank you.
It's like,
you know how they say
when it's your first day in prison
you should act crazy and
beat someone with a chair
so nobody will mess with you?
I've never actually
heard that before, Beth.
Will this chair do,
or do you want a lighter
one to beat him with?
Ed, can I talk to
you in your office
for just a minute, please?
No, no. You've got to
do the sports update.
We do the sports at 11 after
the hour. You've got 30 seconds.
We'll talk later. Go. Go, go.
We'll talk after
this, all right, okay?
What kind of cue do you want?
Visual? Roll-in? Audio
precue? Countdown?
Whatever you
normally do will be fine.
I don't know if you've
worked with one of these
we call it a microphone.
Thanks, Bill. You know, I did
do a little bit of this in college.
Then you won't be
needing my help.
Just let me know
when I'm on, all right?
All right. "New York,
108, Philadelphia, 96."
Philadelphia, Philadelphia.
Philadelphia. Is
that right for level?
That fine? Philadelphia, okay.
The Philadelphia 76ers.
Just let me know
when I'm on, Bill.
The Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76...
ers...
played a game of
basketball today,
and here's Bill McNeal
to tell you all about it.
The Knicks made it a pair
at Madison Square last night
as Charles Oakley led
the boys in white and blue
to a 108-96 embarrassment
of the Orlando Magic
in the second of
a five-game series.
What the hell was that?
Ed, uh, I'm sorry.
I'm not really much
of a sports guy.
Oh, really?
Ed, can we talk about
this in your office, please?
No, we can talk
about it right here.
I don't know why
Jimmy hired you,
but get the hell out of here.
You're fired.
Huh?
Ed...
I think if you go
into your office,
I can explain.
This ought to be good.
Oh, it will be.
Ed, do you know the
meaning of the word "irony"?
Oh, come on. Poor Ed.
What are you talking about?
You wanted Ed out of
here as much as anybody.
Lisa, it is still
a very sad thing
when a member of the
family has to be terminated.
Ed will need a
moment to digest this.
I was sure you're gonna be
in there for at least an hour.
Oh, no, no, no. I just
spelled out the facts for Ed.
And I gave him a brief memo
that sort of
outlined the factors
that led to this decision,
and...
I believe that that is
a perfectly reasonable response
considering the circumstances.
Dave, if you have a moment,
I have a few thoughts
I'd like to share with you.
Oh, yes, the Al Gore thing.
Catherine, you'll be doing
the Al Gore interview, okay?
Thank you. Thank you.
I'm sorry, Bill. Your thoughts?
W-w-why?
Why? Because I'm the boss,
Bill. That's why. That's why, Bill.
And I will not be manipulated.
I will not be contradicted,
and I will not be intimidated.
Well.
I didn't realize you were a
man of such strong conviction,
of such deeply
felt moral tenacity,
of such remarkable centeredness.
All right, Bill. I'm not going
to be sucked up to either.
Well, you've eliminated
all my options.
All that's left is backstabbing.
Matthew, can I borrow
your chair for a second?
Okay, okay, okay.
Ed, look.
I know this isn't
going to mean much,
but if you need a reference,
I'm more than happy to help.
Oh, thanks, but I'm fine.
In fact, I'm great.
That's good, Ed.
Because I'm going to go
across the street now to WXYP.
Do you know who runs WXYP?
No.
How could you? It has
to do with news radio.
My old college
buddy, Tom Novachek.
And Tom Novachek has told me
I have a standing offer
to be his news director
any time I want.
So, uh, gosh...
so long, suckers.
That's great, Ed.
I think that's great for Ed.
I think we should
all be happy for Ed.
I mean, that goes to show you,
even the darkest cloud
is going to have a silver...
Dave, WXYP went out of
business three months ago.
I told Ed to read
Broadcasting Monthly.
What are you guys talking about?
WXYP.
You know, that place
never really recovered
once Tom Novachek passed away.
Dave, you wanted to talk to me?
Oh, yeah. Oh, I see you
bought that sporting goods store.
No, I decided to buy
a hockey team instead.
What's on your mind?
Well, uh, two things, sir.
Good!
First, I want you to promise
me that when my time is up here,
you will tell me yourself
and not have my
replacement fire me.
What's the second thing?
Well, I wanted to let you
know that I understand now
that what you put me
through today was a test.
Could be.
Or it could be I'm just
making it all up as I go along.
Well, which is it?
You'll never know.
But either way, you
work for me now,
so see you tomorrow, Dave.
9:00 a.m. this time.
Good night.
Good night, Lisa. Oh, Lisa.
Um, for what it's worth,
I just wanted to tell
you I think you'd make
a great news director.
Oh. Well, thank
you. You're welcome.
And who knows?
Maybe some day I'll
get my chance at the job.
I'm sure you will.
Yeah. Maybe not today,
maybe not tomorrow,
but within three
months, four, tops.
Thanks for the
vote of confidence.
You're welcome.
What?
You've got, like, an eyelash.
No, you're not...
Here? Where?
M-m-may I?
There we go.
Thank you.
Listen, I, um,
I want to thank you
for covering for me
out there today.
Gosh. That? Please.
Forget about that.
I already have.
Well you don't really need to...
See you tomorrow.
Bye.
Hi. I'm looking for Dave Nelson.
Oh, I'm Dave Nelson.
Oh, hi. I'm Jeff Adams,
the new guy?
W-w-w-what kind of new guy?
Uh, the new sports guy.
Sports? Are you okay?
I'm fine. Yeah, yeah.
So, Jeff, what do you think
of the big game tonight?
Knicks/Orlando?
Well, Shaquille's
scoring in the low 30s,
but the Knicks are 28-8 at
home. I take the Knicks by 12.
Great to have you aboard, Jeff.