Sunday, August 12, 2007

Who Showed A Fledgling Broadcaster The Secret Of Being A Mogul?


The Answer Is Merv Griffin

I was a freshly-minted college student when I met Merv. As the host of a series of radio programs at KFMB AM and FM in San Diego I interviewed a number of celebrities.

Merv really fascinated me for many reasons. There was the show business aspect. Singer to talk show host to broadcasting and real estate uber mogul. I read about all of it as a prepared for our interview.

With facts and Betsey Johnson dress in place I was off to the studio for a morning interview.
I was just one of many reporters on the list. Why do I know? Because his staff sent me a copy of his schedule.

He could not have been more gracious.

We were set to meet again that night at a reception. After meeting with dozens of people he approached me with a smile and a greeting, "Hi Nozizwe."

To this day I still have that Betsey Johnson dress and I have an enduring admiration for Merv, his business and how it took care of it.