The other big deal was the Variety Club or as they call it The Variety Kids Telethon on Ch 7. Is it me or could Buffalo be one of the last places to conduct such things? I mean having 24 hours of programing with people singing and doing other crazy acts for pledge money must have been mind blowing in the 50's and 60's but I can't think of another city that I have been in where they still do that kind of thing. Plus it isn't really the same without Irv or some other kick ass old school personality.
I remember watching some OK indie film by Atom Egoyan
which has a telethon as one of it's key plot points which made me smile. But yea, Where are you Jerry Lewis? I guess in a way we still have them when Ch 17 begs for money but they're just really selling you some Ken Burns DVD set & a tote bag.
I sometimes wonder if the telethon could raise more money by having people make donations for them NOT to air it. They should just ask Annie DiFranco an/or the GooGoos and some other REAL local musical talent to do some benefit concert for them on air during which people could donate. I think it would be a little more appealing and palatable.