Hey, remember Channel 3? We used to have this channel (3) here in northern Minnesota that was like a real channel. It had news and people worked there and back in the 1960s there were clown shows and whatnot, the whole deal.
There is still a Channel 3 (CBS) in Duluth, but it’s operated by Channel 6 (NBC) which replicates its newscast on the new Channel 3 and makes sure that the CSI shows play on time so the oldsters don’t revolt. This led to an amusing exchange when George Clooney came to town to promote a movie. From the DNT at the time:
There were a few jabs in the news conference about the city’s size. Northland NewsCenter News Director Barbara Reyelts introduced herself as being from the city’s NBC and CBS affiliates, to which Clooney responded, “Now that’s a small town. I’m the priest and the heart surgeon.”
Anyway, back when there was a real Channel 3 there were anchors on a newscast: Eric Olson and Amy Rutledge. Eric Olson left to work public relations for Minnesota Power before Channel 3 was assimilated by the Borg … er, Northland NewsCenter. Amy Rutledge found herself back on the air as anchor at the new newscast on Fox 21. Well, last night she signed off for the last time … as she prepares to take a new job at Minnesota Power.
Unless I’m missing something, Minnesota Power now employs a fully functional news team. For what? For why?
Oh …
Oh no … they’ve done it. They’ve really done it!
They said it wasn’t possible. They said it was madness!
Minnesota Power has found a way to produce electricity from the benign banter of local news anchors! As they discuss the weather and the cuteness of water skiing squirrels, turbines will rotate firing electrons into a massive grid, all carbon free!
They better be careful; just as with nuclear power, this form of energy production can go horribly awry.
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