Down at American Tobacco, the Crowe Building lobby recently got a big honkin' flat screen TV and comfy, soft seating outside the Saladelia area. American Tobacco management recently hoisted the screen up to the wall, near the terrific barber shop at the site where the shoe shine stand used to be.
After one day or so on CNN, the channel changed. Which means that now, visitors to the ATC or folks grabbing a coffee or scone from Saladelia can watch...
...infomercials?
Apparently, the TV is tuned to a channel that's all infomercials, all the time. Sitting downstairs for a half hour, I was deeply ed-you-kated by the "make money fast in real estate" show (talk about a re-run from 2005), before the ab-cruncher special came on.
Damn you, AbCoaster, for mocking me while I eat a blueberry muffin and drink a delicious peppermint mocha!
Yes, the American Tobacco Campus -- owned by Capitol Broadcasting, a major broadcaster with TV outlets in multiple cities -- runs cable to their own property. And, apparently, with their vast knowledge of television, radio, new media, and so forth, they can't find anything better to put on than infomercials?
The real question is, what will be running come Tuesday? For one thing, Tuesday's election day, and we'd expect people to be anxious to see what's going on with the presidential and state races.
For another thing, Tuesday is Jim Goodmon day at the ATC -- the day the big-boss from Raleigh comes to visit, the day son Michael (who's in charge at Ambacco) puts on a suit, the day landscapers are at their peak, putting out flowers and other accoutraments.
For heaven's sake, put on WRAL come next week, lest Jim-G throw a latte through the screen or something.
Doesn't 'RAL have both an all weather and all news channel? Or how about rotating images of the phases of the AmBacco project from demo to completion.
I'm just sayin' :)
Posted by: Will | October 31, 2008 at 11:36 AM