So there twuzz reading and contemplating on the shitter and was reading a newer attempt by somebody, obviously one who has never been in the industry, let alone driving, one but a new tow truck magazine. And it was talking about all the Tow shows the one in Orlando Florida, and the Southern Tow Expo, and I though , " My why don't there be one of those tow shows out here in the Mountain West? After all with our severe winters and all towing is a way of life, not just a job, but certainly an adventure to be sure. That All said, I always ask the obvious question, why can't these things happen here? Its not just toewing either, how about tech type schools? Of interest to us in toewing, I have seen only about maybe 8 and that's being kind, but only 8 full on all classes of Wreckmaster courses taught and tested here in our area, no matter Utah,Idaho or Wyoming. For that matter a big toew show. I can think Salt Lake City, Pocatello, Twin Falls or Boise, and if its just a quaint show how about Etown Wyoming? Everybody in the business, gets together, shares shop talk, road talk, a Wreckmaster class and so on, but nope the closest to us is in Reno, Nevada, some years Las Vegas, and or Arizona. WHY NOT HERE?
Same goes for those in broadcasting. Sure just recently there was a pow wow, in Wyoming's Capitol City but how about one in say Salt Lake City, the travel distance between most areas of Southwest Idaho, western Wyoming and Mountain West area is minimal. A few hours away from the station, or for that matter out from behind the wheel of our trucks to attend such is not bad. But, 12 hours to Vegas, 16 hours to Reno, or back east if you can drive it, is oddball at best. What small owner-operator can take a week or better off the job of toewing, or out of the radio studio, drive 2,000 miles one way, spend BIG $'s for motel or hotel, attend still to pay for admission, seminars, then go home after a week and a half. Sorry NAB, TRAA, CTTA and others the economy has not bounced back that well yet. The last big toew anything that I attended was back in 1985 at Medford Oregon. Even that was an adventure, got there finally, checked into a $150.00 a night room, then to attend a seminar for another $300.00 then eat, then battery puked so had to get a jump start(glad there were demo tow trucks there) then creep home another 48 hours, only to be ridiculed by several of Speeds Towing of Portland, Oregon, for being old fashioned, at which time, I pretty nearly threw away my TRAA Certificate, and it was that we created then the Hazzard County Towing Association. A toewing organization dedicated to very small toewing operations in the Mountain West. We had 3 small toew shows, had Road Resque Certification, classes, and pretty much rewrote the book on what a toewing Association was supposed to be. The second one that I went to was held at just barely opened, Idaho Wrecker Supply. The makers of that side puller(funny a Holmes split boom rig does the same thing and is more able) Once I got to this class of a demo show of a bunch of high tech gadgets, found that the self appointed President of then ITRPA owned not only Idaho Wrecker Supply, but also a toewing service. Bottom line here was a person who could buy gizmos at dealer jobber wholesale prices, but resell to other organization members at full retail prices. Kind of an unbalanced scale. Again HCTA jumped in and said, we are all equal here, lets do something for the industry not just one or two big time tow services, and the rest gets peed on. We must have done something right. Oh sure we're not loved by everybody in the business, and the HCTA membership numbers as low and small, but we serve each other and our industry and profession not a bunch of spoiled super mega companies that think their diesel don't stink, and don't care of us out in the middle of no where, like many of the HCTA are.
So why doesn't those things like big toew shows happen here? Well hold on to your chains. In both 2018 in Idaho and 2019 in Utah, the HCTA will stage TOEWJAMB
Which promises to be one big show, with low cost and I MEAN LOW COST, Road Resque Certification classes.
As far as the big media gig in Vegas, and the Radio show in Texas amongst others, not much we as an organization of gear heads can do about that, but it would seem that the NAB(National Association of Broadcasters) overlook the really small markets, like rural Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. The problem is there are needs and tech skills that need to be taught here. Products that our fellow rural broadcasters could use, and would buy if only we had access. The problem is, who is going to have time as a GM of a small radio/TV station in these parts to travel the distances, absorb the costs of the week to two week stay over, and still buy product? I would think that the NAB, and organizers of these events, from computer tech to in studio tech and much in between that have all these mega events in NYC, Florida, and California. What about Salt Lake City, or Idaho like Boise?
Trade press is about the same way. Radio Ink, RadioWorld and so on, only report on things in metro areas. When was cause it still hasn't been done, but when did you ever see an article in either of them, on HazzardAyre Radio? HazzardAyre pretty much wrote the book, on taking the best of terrestrial radio and taken it to cyber or as its called digital/online radio. But no trade press ink. Wuz up with that? There's not only Gold up here in these hills, small to medium sized radio stations, many still mom and pop stations that are retaining the very things that made and make radio what it was and needs to be. Everything from Radio Dramas, to reaching out to schools to doing old style radio plays, then those being aired LIVE, like the old show When Radio Was hosted by EG Marshall.
Nobody except local and I mean local LIVE radio can and will do that. But the NAB, is one organization whose members are more interested in racking up big Money numbers rather than being there as a public service serving their communities. The recent move by Trumps FCC Czar is pushing for FM's being on AM towers, as well as removing the local requirement for stations. In our area, it means the station might be there in tower form, but not in LIVE form, the people on air are not there LIVE you never visit with, have coffee with, see at Church, but hey they say they are your radio friends. Problem is they voicetrack from back east or a major metro area. NOT LOCAL at all. Recently for example why do you think there has been a rash of Pirate stations being hammered? Simple; the Pirate stations supply old fashioned radio that the mega radio giants like IHeart, and such just cares about money and not much public or at least the local publics wants or desires. My thoughts? Sure there is a need for some interaction on the part of some Government agency to prevent the footprints of other stations not to be trampled on by some others. That said, there needs to be a better reach out, from those doing the regulatory shuffle here to really look at the landscape, radio distances, prp levels and understand that these small rural communities like Hazzard, Wendell, Buhl, even Malta Idaho have no service, only that what filters in late at night. The very reason we are on the airwaves is simple, we fired up because, owner operator truckers the community of that big black ribbon called the Interstate, have no over the air representation. Sure there's Sirius/XM , but by the time they get a hold of anything important, the whatever it is has happened and done. Example, few weeks ago now, hauled a bunch of stuff up to the new RodeHouse in Wendell. Coming back on the old highway from Strevelle into Utah, 4 miles from the last bend was a car that was totalled with glass, plastic and all all strewn out over the highway, blocking the highway only one meat wagon, and one Smokey there. I had to throw on binders like you never saw trying to stop. It would have been nice to know something was up before I got to it. Imagine if I'd have been a big bullwagon hauling down that mini slab? It could have been a real disaster. A local on air radio station, barking about it, would have prevented a near collision. The result? One lady severely injured a toddler barely alive, and yet neither KSL-5 or FoX 13 out of Utah, had a story on it that night. Where Utah 30 joins Idaho 81 there going to the Utah/Nevada line is closed. Except for a neon sign, there is no warning. Summer months no biggy, but imagine being stuck trying to turn around there in the winter? A local radio station for truckers howling about that would be a key thing. The answer to the question why don't we have a branch station there? Simple; an antiquaited terrain coverage laws showing there are nearby stations. Trouble is the one that was once in Tremonton, Utah is dark and silent, can't put one in Malad Idaho because there is a coverage overstep by a station all the way in Logan Utah. In reality the area is bare and naked, but the FCC can't see that. Why not open up the turf a bit? Having broadcast trade events out here in the frontier area states, might open up discussion with the Feds to where their eyes might be uncovered and they see that hey Mert, there is a need for REAL local radio there. There has to be a change made of being ignored, by Washington DC, and the rest of the nation, as to what is out here in these frontier states and what ain't available here. The what's not available here is the problem and only full on trade events can uncover the minds and eyes of those big outfits. To close I say; Why Can't that happen here?
