Charles Cullen

Local film maker, actor, singer, live performer and established television personality Charles Cullen writes weekly columns about life on the chicken farm and beyond.

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I keep getting more mail and comments on what is going on with the TV show locally and Cox Communications. As I have mentioned before, an email can trigger an excellent column topic. Here is one that came in a few days ago. This person was at a meeting with Cox Communications in Roanoke, interviewing for a contracted TV show production. Here is what they experienced. This is an exact copy and paste from the email.

Charles-

I've been out of touch for awhile, but had to write regarding an email you received from "Michael"

regarding changes at Cox concerning your show. In response to Michael, you indicated that you were, rightly so, giving more attention to other stations that have shown greater respect for your show.

A couple of years ago my wife and I applied to co-host a Cox outdoors show (now known as "Inside the Outside,") being avid fans of the outdoors and adventure travellers. We thought Roanoke's outdoor scene as portrayed in the media could use a little kick in the pants in hopes of getting more people outside and bringing more folks to the Roanoke area to enjoy the outdoor offerings we have. I mentioned in the interview that if contracted for the show, I would like to "reach out to local celebrities like Charles Cullen" to join us on an episode or two to keep things interesting and attract viewers.

The interviewer, a Cox producer, almost fainted. She started preaching to us about how Charles Cullen was not the type of show Cox was proud of and that the only reason Charles Cullen was on Cox was that federal regulations required them to give independents free air time, and "assured" us that if they had any choice in the matter you would not be on the air, or something to that effect, I don't recall the exact words.

Needless to say, we didn't get a call back and the show turned out to be nothing but a weekly local advertisement with about 2 minutes of real outdoor activities thrown in.

I am not sending you this to breed negativity.

However, I am sending you this to encourage you to keep it up and keep it local! I have spent a lifetime throwing it back in the faces of people who have tried to say "no" to me when trying to do something productive with my life, and I think you know just how empowering that can be. Make 'em play you Charles, and make it wild! More mummified cats, more of the real underworld. There are a lot of us out there from all walks of life that love your show, and Roanoke needs you!

Jay

Jay,

Wow, what an email! A few comments here. First, I am very glad you sent me this info. I have never really known "on the inside" how Cox feels about me exactly. There is not much communication between them and me. So I am glad you shared this with me. Other station managers in other cities sometimes spend 30 to 45 minutes on the phone with me, laughing it up and discussing my shows along with other "TV type talk".

I did approach Mike Petalled about a year ago and offered to produce a show for channel 9 that would be spiffed up a little more than my access productions. I put it in writing and he did actually have me come to his office and discuss it .My main concern was to get back on the channel that people knew where to find me. He acted like he wanted to do it. Then it just faded to dust.

It is a shame they think this way, there have been huge amounts of response to my shows over the years.

Even in the days before email was big, the written letters could be overwhelming at times. Then all of a sudden, we were moved from channel 9 and you began seeing what appear to be efforts at entertaining shows..."hmmmm, Charles Cullen does successful shows on just, well, 'Whatever', maybe we could do that?"

I would like to post your email and/ or write a column concerning it. Let me know if that would be OK with you, I could keep it "Anonymous" but the part about the show you and your wife mentioned, well, that might be a giveaway. Or I could just pull certain quotes, just let me know. And sorry if I was the cause of them not taking you guys on, but great info and great advice! By the way, who was the interviewer that all most fainted? I'd love to know.

Thank you,

Charles

Hey Charles, me again! I didn't have much time to respond more fully yesterday, so let me add a couple of things. Yes, I will consider putting my name in the column when it is completed, just send me a rough first for me to review it. I check my email frequently so it shouldn't get in the way of any deadlines, etc.

Secondly, in the interest of being as ACCURATE as possible with respect to what went down at the Cox offices that day, I want to give you a more detailed account. As I've already told you, I was applying as a host for a local program on the primary Cox Channel.

(Until That day, I didn't realize that there was the "Cox" channel and the "Public Access" channel, and that Cox seems to see the 2 channels as completely different entities).

I stated that one thing I might do if selected to host the show was to "reach out to local celebrities like Charles Cullen to join as a guest on an episode or two to keep things interesting and attract viewers" or words to that effect. The reason I brought up your name was two fold-you're clearly an interesting kind of guy who really does keep things interesting, AND you keep yourself physically fit, and fitness in a guest host would have been necessary given the type of show, i.e., one potentially involving strenuous outdoor activities.

The interviewer (and producer, I assume) appeared to be both shocked and defensive at this suggestion. In response, she stated words to the effect of "We broadcast Charles Collen's program because we HAVE to." She indicated that state or federal law or perhaps some local agreement required them to do so.

She did not seem happy at all with having to broadcast you, and did not seem thrilled with the idea of having you on the show if we were hired. "We broadcast Charles Colleens program because we HAVE to." She indicated that state or federal law or perhaps some local agreement required them to do so.

She did not seem happy at all with having to broadcast you, and did not seem thrilled with the idea of having you on the show if we were hired.

....yes, a lot of people do know who

I am, but I don't know if that's a good thing! (Ha Ha).

Jay

This topic comes up quite a bit, from viewers and from access producers. I think the overall feel I give to it will be a positive one. Cox has been quite good to me. They have given me a break on advertising fees when promoting live shows and once called me to make sure I was aware another producer had used one of my songs on their own show and wanted to make sure I was aware of it (copyright, etc and might have been poking fun at me). Mike Pedalty even had me come in one morning at 8:00AM and address the whole Cox staff as to how I got started doing my show, then had me perform two songs. It was a warm reception. I do feel things have changed a little though. So I am thinking that this one lady might have made her own thoughts seem to reflect all of Cox. Also, Cox still gives you the most bang for your buck. Turn in one show, it airs twice a week for seven weeks. That's 14 airings! Most stations give you one airing per show. (End of emails)

Now, my thoughts to YOU the reader:

Just today, I received a phone call from a friend who asked why he doesn't see me on TV as much. Within an hour another email comes in concerning the same. A quick excerpt:

Charles,

"I finally found your show way up on channel 78! Sorry Cox doesn't understand how many people in Roanoke like your show, I find it one of the high points of my day or night..."

So, as I was saying before, these TV concerns come in all the time. Where as it used to be, wherever I went , the response was always: "Hey man, love your show", or "Love the puppets, but please stop singing", or "I really like your TV show, especially the animal segments!". Now the question has changed to "Are you still doing your show", or "Hey, how come your show doesn't come on anymore?"

I do feel Cox understands the amount of viewers the show has had in its 7 years of run time. I have discussed it with managers there before. I have a couple of theories as to what has happened that may help the people concerned to better understand what has been going on.

Cullen TV theory #1: When I first began turning shows in 1999,there was hardly any programming on Cox channel 9 in Roanoke. After consistently turning more and more in, the shows (Chicken Chat and Charles E. Cullen's Worst Puppet Show Ever Made) began to garner a lot of attention. Soon came a three full page spread in the Roanoke Times, nicely produced by Beth Macy.

The PO box was sometimes so full of mail, you could hardly pull it out . Cox became aware of this as the TV station was also receiving calls (both good and bad) concerning the two programs. Soon it was on 7 days a week. Cox soon moved the programs to channel 19. Then strangely enough, began producing their own local shows..starring none other than "Them" the employees themselves along with some other local hired talent. Now keep in mind, these are MY thoughts and opinions, that's it. Were they thinking: "Hey, Charles just does a low quality , unedited show on whatever ...you know whatever he decides to talk about, sometimes he just sits there and drinks beer, then cuts to a chicken, and people love it, they eat it up...just "whatever". Strangely enough out comes a Cox produced show titled "Whatever". Hmmm...but something was missing, why wasn't it the same?

Next, you saw lots of paid advertising surrounding these Cox produced shows. The channel filled up.

Access was now bumped to channel 19. This was to differentiate Cox shows from access scum, oops, I shouldn't have said that, sorry. Then Channel 19 gets popular and fills up. So what is the next move. Bump the access scum...oops again..up to channel 78 and move paid advertising in to the 19 slot. Maybe its a money thing , or, maybe its a fame thing, I don't know, you would have to ask them.

Cullen TV theory #2: I don't have one.

So, to go back to Jay's original email and try to shed light on it. Well, why bother turning in good material that is so far up in the obscure channels that nobody finds it. While there are other stations out there in big cities. Cities that hit large amounts of T.V.'s Here in Roanoke my show will go to about 70,000 T.V.'s a night. In Manhattan it will hit well over a million in one night. Also, these other cities keep it in good time slots on good channels and actually promote the shows!

I guess I should sum up here, because I could certainly continue or could I. You see, that is the best way I think to deal with situations like this. I have steadily and cosistently turned in shows for 7 years. Always on time and always a good show packed with variety. When it got moved and put in worse spots, I made appointments with managers and offered solutions. I have tried my very best to keep the show going here in Roanoke and keep it in a well located spot. Once that I became quite sure that my efforts were not going to be appreciated or worked with to please the viewers...well, then, I catered to other stations that wanted it. Local is nice, mainly because I am here. I can reap the benefits of all those nice comments (and even the bad ones). I'm not walking the streets of Hawaii or Minnesota or any of the other 12 or 14 cities airing the show.

I would absolutely LOVE to produce a prime time, full variety, Charles Cullen show for Roanoke , I just ask that it be in a somewhat decent timeslot on a good channel. I have offered this to Cox, Fox and WDRL. If not, I've got other things to be doing.

I love Roanoke, I grew up here, left it and came back.

It is a fantastic city, but it needs a LOT of work in the art department.

So, I'm here and willin' , but as of right now ,all the good stuff is airing elsewhere...

Charles E. Cullen