Welcome to Dish-Houston.com! DISH Served up H-Town Style!!
Entries in lanny griffith (1)
Marty Ambrose, Dean of Traffic...and Everything Else
Houston is full of amazing history and that includes radio and television history. The man that actually started the act of traffic reporting anywhere started it right here in Houston and his name is Marty Ambrose. No doubt you've heard his peaceful, joyful voice over the air waves while you were stuck in traffic somewhere and instead of feeling road rage, you felt a smile break across your face because of the smile you heard in his voice. Marty has recently retired from the job he loves because he has been diagnosed with ALS. If you would like to learn more about the disease or help to raise money for research please CLICK HERE.
DISH Publisher Lori Freese spent a lot of time in radio in Houston and was honored enough to be included in the Roast and Toast of Marty Ambrose that took place on June 18th at the KUHF studios. When we say it was an honor to be included, the room was filled with the who's who of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame Inductees, former and some up for nominanation currently. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Radio Hall of Fame Inductees, Emmy winners, Edward R Murrow winners and so much more. To say were were in awe is an understatement.
We are going to publish Brent Clanton of CNN 650's speech to Marty because it was so beautiful and made all of the points we could ever consider making.
Thank you to Scott Arthur for putting this amazing event together!
No matter where you are in Houston (or most major Radio markets), Marty's the guy who created the network of observers, reporters, and "traffic personalities" that now provide you with up to the minute commuter intel each morning and afternoon.
It's incurable, and he knows it, and so do we.
It's rare that you get the chance to tell someone how much they've meant to you over the years, but on Friday night (6/18) a few of Marty's closest, longest, oldest, bestest friends converged on the Channel-8 TV Studios to pay tribute and roast The Dean of Traffic Reporting.
Some of the comments were hilarious...a few were scandalous...but all were heartfelt. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Here is my homage:
Ed Shane hired me to work for him at KODA-AM (1010) in 1975, and one day he called me at home and asked whether I’d have time to do traffic reports for his morning show as I commuted from Spring Branch to the University of Houston.
I was estatic…and a little intimidated. (For all you young-pups in the room, this was before cell-phones; to do a traffic report, you either had to have a two-way radio, or a pocketfull of quarters and a working knowledge of the locations of a thing we used to call a “pay-phone.”)
Marty Ambrose was running Houston Traffic Central in those days, out of a one-room efficiency apartment in the 2016-Main high rise, overlooking the Pierce Elevated. He invited me to come have a look at their Operation, and I was amazed: scanners and two-way radios packed onto every shelf-surface they could arrange…phones and cords stretched all over the room, and giant, dry-erase boards covered the walls that didn’t hold shelves, for near-instantaneous posting of the latest traffic conditions…as heard on the radios and scanners.
Reports were performed live, eyeballing the dry-erase boards, and a huge, analog clock with a sweep-second hand. I was mesmerized.
I learned a lot from Marty…never worked for him…and in fact, he fed traffic reports to me in later years when I was a Radio morning show host.
I am still learning from Marty Ambrose as he addresses his struggle with ALS with grace, good humor and humility…and a sense of purpose. And one other thing: Marty’s not a Bible-thumping evangelical firebrand. But the sermons he’s preached as he has lived his life are more resounding and profound than anything you’d hear from the pulpit on Sunday.
Marty—I thank you for your kindness…I salute you for your courage…and I am proud to count you as a friend.
KTRK News Anchor Dave Ward has more below.
DISHhouston
in Dish, Dish-houston, als, brent clanton, dishhouston, houston, lanny griffith, lori freese, marty ambrose, pbs, scott arthur
|
Post a Comment
