View From The Front Porch- August 29, 2012

There is a nice cool breeze on the porch this morning, as I enjoy my coffee, and the closeness of Denise, sitting by my side engrossed in her morning Bible study. The early morning quiet time on our front porch is an important start of our day, a settling and calming effect that lasts into our busy days as business owners trying to move our television network forward in this rough economy. I worked most of the day yesterday and late into last night on my new series, "The Stan Hitchcock Show", searching my vault of classic performances, stories, songwriter sitdowns, special moments with friends in music, some special fishing times, some of my music heroes singing songs you haven't heard in a long time because radio and tv no longer play them. One of the reasons I am still doing television after all these years is this: About 6 years ago when we were first starting to put together BlueHighways TV, I got a call from one of my country music friends inviting Denise and I to have supper with he and his wife at their beautiful farm on the Cumberland plateau. This friend is a country music star, has had many hits and is a tremendous entertainer. At their home, my friend invited me into his music studio to listen to his latest project. He played me his new session of great music, and just knocked me flat out with how good it was....at the end of the music, I was just really excited for him...He had produced another Hit!! As I said just that to my friend, he shook his head and started telling me what had just happened. "Stan, years ago (1984-1990), when you were running CMT, I was just starting out and you gave me a window on CMT and played my music videos and helped break my records. I started having number one records and a career that I had only dreamed about before. I've had a great run since then and thought that I was just really into my finest years with this new project. When I finished this session and took it in to the record label this week, the head of the label listened to it, shut the machine off and told me, ""That's good alright, but we have made the decision to not renew your contract, you are just getting into the age group that radio won't play anymore, so our promotion money is now going to younger artists, thanks for all you have done for the record label, but we are going in a different direction with country music."" I was stunned that this fine artist, who had made so much money for that record label was just tossed out at the time when he was singing better than ever, looked great and was still drawing great crowds in concert...what? early 40's was too dang old? He then went on to say this, "Stan, it's not just me....all the artists that you broke on television during your CMT days are going through the same thing, radio is only playing the young acts now, and your old network, under the MTV leadership, is doing the same thing. We don't have a window anymore.....Stan, we need you to give us another window to our fans." Friends, we are talking about some of the finest talent that country music has ever known, losing their record contracts, losing their radio play, losing their television play that is essential for an artist to continue to market his career. The artists that I started introducing to y'all in the early days on Heart to Heart in the 80's and 90's have lost their window....their connection to the world of fans that supported them. Well, as long as I can draw a breath, they will have what window I can give them, simply because...."Good music deserves to be heard and enjoyed by everyone that loves it." That has always been my motto and it continues to be what drives me to continue in my pursuits. So, when you see one of my Heart to Heart programs that you may have seen before just remember, that is not just an old tv program....that is some artist's window, and I intend to keep it open.   -Stan