[CLOSED CAPTIONING HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY CARDI'S FURNITURE AND MATTRESSES] JIM HUMMEL: THIS WEEK ON "A LIVELY EXPERIMENT," FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS WE HAVE BROUGHT YOU THE GOOD, BAD, AND UGLY IN RHODE ISLAND POLITICS.

RHODE ISLAND CELEBRATES ITS FLAGSHIP PROGRAM'S 30TH ANNIVERSARY.

>> "LIVELY EXPERIMENT" IS GENEROUSLY UNDERWRITTEN BY -- >> PARTNERING WITH RHODE ISLANDERS TO LEAD, AND INSPIRE OUR STATE.

LEARN MORE AT RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION.ORG.

JOHN HAZEN: FOR 30 YEARS, "A LIVELY EXPERIMENT" HAS BEEN HELPING US UNDERSTAND THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FEATURING RHODE ISLAND.

I AM PROUD TO BE A SPONSOR OF THIS GREAT PROGRAM.

♪ JIM HUMMEL: JOINING US WITH THEIR INSIGHTS, THE FORMER HOST OF "A LIVELY EXPERIMENT," STEVE KASS, JIM HAGAN, AND DYANA KOELSCH.

HELLO AND WELCOME TO THIS 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION.

I AM JIM HUMMEL, THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK.

WE CELEBRATE THREE DECADES OF A SHOW THAT HAS BEEN THE SIGNATURE PROGRAM AT RHODE ISLAND PBS AND FEATURED MEMORABLE MOMENTS SINCE 1987.

YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THOSE MOMENTS FOR MY PREDECESSORS WHO HAVE SHARED THIS CHAIR WITH ME.

WELCOME.

WE HAVE A LOT OF COLLECTIVE YEARS.

I HAVE ONLY BEEN IN THIS CHAIR A YEAR AND I HAVE 17 MORE TO GO TO EQUAL YOUR RECORD.

STEVE: THAT IS RIGHT.

JIM HUMMEL: SUSAN FARBER WHO WAS WELL-KNOWN AND WAS LEADING THE STATION, CAME TO YOU IN 1987.

STEVE: SHE HAD AN IDEA FOR A SHOW ON CHANNEL 36.

SHE HAD SOME PEOPLE IN MIND TO STAFF IT AND WANTED ME TO BE THE MODERATOR.

JIM HUMMEL: YOU WERE AT THE OLD BUILDING ON -- STEVE: MASON STREET.

I ALMOST WENT THERE THIS MORNING.

JIM HUMMEL: YOU WANT TODAY GOOD, STRONG PANEL.

STEVE: WE HAD MIKE VAN LEESON.

I AM SURE MANY FOLKS ARE MEMBER HIM.

WE HAD TOM TO JULIO.

M CHARLES BAX, I THINK HE WENT FOR SOME NEWSPAPER YOU ARE WRITING FOR AGAIN.

WE HAVE BEEN RECYCLED.

AND LILA SABIN STEEN WHO WAS JUST A TREASURE.

JIM HUMMEL: YOU ON THE SAME PANEL, THAT CORE GROUP CARRIED YOU FOR MANY YEARS.

STEVE: THEY DID, BUT WE ALSO HAD GUEST.

WE WOULD HAVE AN ADDITIONAL PERSON OR WE WOULD HAVE A GUEST FILL IN.

JIM HUMMEL: STEVE GETS THE CALL FROM THE GOVERNOR AND HE WANTS HIM TO COME AS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR AND YOU GET A CALL FROM BOB FISH.

JIM HAGAN: I GET A CALL FROM BOB FISH AND HE ASKS, BECAUSE I WAS LEAVING THAT HE WAS LEAVING, IF I COULD FILL IN FOR FIVE WEEKS.

THAT TURNED INTO FIVE YEARS, VERY EXCITING AND MEMORABLE YEARS.

JIM HUMMEL: YOU TOLD FIVE WEEKS AND THEN WEEK AFTER WEEK YOU KEPT COMING BACK TO THE GOLF COURSE?

JIM HAGAN: I KEPT DOING THE SHOW.

BOB, I WAS ALWAYS IMPRESSED WITH HIM.

AT THE END OF A SHOW, WE HAD A DIFFERENT SET UP.

WE HAVE IT -- WE HAD DIFFERENT PANEL MEMBERS.

WE HAD FOUR FORMER GOVERNORS ON, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, ALL SORTS OF POLITICAL AND BUSINESS LEADERS.

AND MUNICIPAL LEADERS, LIKE ONE OF MY FAVORITE WAS HAVING BUDDY CIANCI.

JIM HUMMEL: NEVER A DULL MOMENT.

YOU FINALLY GIVE JIM THE PAST TO GO TO THE GOLF COURSE AND THEY CALL YOU.

HOW DID THAT COME UP?

DYANA: I THINK I HAD BEEN ONE OF THE GUESTS ALONG WITH YOU AT ONE TIME.

I HAD STOPPED WORKING AT CHANNEL 10 WHERE I HAD BEEN A LONGTIME REPORTER AND THEY ASKED IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN COMING BACK IN HOSTING -- I THINK YOU WERE OFF ON VACATION AND TAKING ONE OF YOUR MANY TRIPS.

IT KIND OF MORPHED INTO TAKING THE SEAT AS THE MODERATOR.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I REALLY LIKED IT BECAUSE AS A REPORTER, I REMEMBER ALWAYS, THERE WAS SO MUCH WE COULDN'T PUT INTO OUR STORIES AND REALLY FEELING LIKE WHEN I LEFT, THERE WAS SO MUCH I DIDN'T KNOW ANYMORE, AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, THIS SHOW IN AND OF ITSELF, STILL IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE PEOPLE TO SEE THOSE THINGS LEAD OUT.

I KNOW HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THERE IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T GET TO HEAR, AND IT WAS A GREAT VENUE TO GET REPORTERS IN AND HAVE THEM TELL US WHAT WE DIDN'T GET IN THEIR STORIES, AND ALSO EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE NOW A MUCH BROADER WAY TO GET INFORMATION, WE STILL HAVE -- IT IS STILL USEFUL TO GET AN OVERLAY OF THAT INFORMATION BASED ON PEOLE WHO HAVE CONTEXT AND INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDE.

JIM HUMMEL: IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMPOSITION, YOU CAME OUT OF TELEVISION, YOU HAD YOUR SUNDAY SHOW.

JIM, YOU WERE STATE SENATE BUT YOU WERE A BUSINESSMAN.

YOU DID NOT HAVE THE BROADCASTING SIDE.

JIM HAGAN: MY DAUGHTER WORKS FOR "MORNING AMERICA."

-- "GOOD MORNING AMERICA."

JIM HUMMEL: DOES SHE GIVE YOU TIPS?

JIM HAGAN: SHE DOES AND SHE KICKS ME FOR SOME OF THE SHOWS.

I DID A FIVE MINUTE PREGNANT ON WPRO.

-- SEGMENT ON WPRO.

HE DID NOT HAVE ANY MEMORY OF THAT.

I PULLED MY CAR OVER, HAD NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS GOING TO ASK ME, AND WE DID THE FIVE MINUTE SEGMENT.

I SAID, THIS IS PROBABLY NOT DOING VERY WELL.

I GOT A CALL FROM JACK WHITE AND HE SAID, I LOVE THAT FIVE MINUTE SEGMENT.

I SAID, YOU ARE PROBABLY THE ONLY PERSON TO TELL ME THAT AND BECAUSE YOU ARE A PULITZER PRIZE WINNER I AM GLAD.

JIM HUMMEL: LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT EARLY PANEL.

IT REALLY WAS MUST SEE TELEVISION, AND YOU HAD CHARLIE AND TOM AND LILA AND MIKE AND JOHN HACKING CAME EARLIER -- LATER.

THERE WERE SOME IDEOLOGICAL BATTLES ON THIS SET.

STEVE: YOU THINK?

JIM HUMMEL: IT STARTED IN SHARES.

STEVE: TOM AND CHARLIE WERE REALLY THE ANTAGONIST FOR THE MOST PART.

THEY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE OPPOSITE AND CHARLIE WAS A MSTER AT GOADING HIM, AND TOM WAS HAPPY TO RESPOND.

HE COULD BE VERY ACERBIC AND HE WAS A GREAT ATHLETE.

HE DID NOT LIKE CHARLIE.

WHY?

HE DIDN'T PLAY BALL.

YOU DIDN'T PLAY BALL, YOU WERE NO GOOD.

BUT IT REALLY WAS FUN.

AND LILA WAS REALLY A GIFT.

I AM NOT SURE HOW MANY FOLKS STILL REMEMBER HER -- I AM SURE DYANA KNOWS.

DYANA: UP UNTIL HER FINAL DAYS SHE WAS DOING GOOD WORK.

JIM HAGAN: I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHERIFF WITH TOM AND LILA IN THE SENATE AND THEY WERE BOTH DIFFERENT.

JIM HUMMEL: WHAT ABOUT THE TIME THEY ALMOST CAME TO BLOWS?

STEVE: TOM SAID SOMETHING IN REFERENCE TO NAZI GERMANY OR HITLER'S, AND CHARLIE EXPLODED, SAYING HE WAS TRIVIALIZING THE HOLOCAUST, IMPLYING HE WAS ANTI-SEMITIC, WHICH HE WASN'T.

TOM SAT TO MY RIGHT AND TOM IS A VERY PHYSICAL GUY, GREAT ATHLETE, AS I SAID.

I THINK HE IS ABOUT TO GET UP AND WHACK CHARLIE ON THE SET, AND I FEEL HIM STANDING UP.

HE IS NOT STANDING UP FOR ANY OTHER REASON OTHER THAN HE IS GOING TO WHACK HIM, AND I HAVE MY HAND ON HIS KNEE ANTICIPATING WHAT WAS COMING.

JIM HUMMEL: WHAT HAVE BEEN GREAT TV BUT YOU WANTED TO KEEP THINGS TOGETHER.

STEVE: IT WOULD HAVE BEEN UGLY, BUT FOR RATINGS BY TODAY'S STANDARDS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT.

JIM HUMMEL: WE ARE IN THIS YOU TO FULL STUDIO AND WE HAVE A CLOCK WHERE I CAN SEE HOW MUCH TIME IS LEFT.

I REMEMBER THEY WOULD HOLD UP THE CARDS.

THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF JUGGLING.

A COUPLE OF TIMES YOU DID NOT LEAVE SPACE IN THE END TO SAY "A LIVELY EXPERIMENT" AND AS YOU WERE SAYING CONTINUES THEY WOULD CUT OUT.

JIM HAGAN: THAT IS MY LACK OF BROADCASTING EXPERIENCES.

I LOST MY EARPIECE AND THANK GOD FOR DAVE WHO WAS SITTING AT MY RIGHT.

I AM TALKING AND I CANNOT HEAR THE PRODUCERS GETTING BACK TO ME.

JIM HUMMEL: MAYBE THEY WERE LOVING WHAT YOU SAID, DID NOT NEED TO TALK YOU.

JIM HAGAN: I REACHED DOWN AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF WIRES AND DAVE RETRIEVED ONE AND WE GOT IT IN MY EAR.

THAT IS THE LACK OF BROADCASTING EXPERIENCE, I GUESS, BUT I FOUND THE WHOLE THING A LOT OF FUN.

I FOUND THE PANEL FUN AND WITH THE MIXED PANEL, I ALWAYS TRIED TO GET A CONSERVATIVE ON ONE SIDE AND A LIBERAL ON THE OTHERS AND A PROGRESSIVE ON THE OTHERS.

JIM HUMMEL: OTHERWISE, EVERYBODY IS SINGING OFF THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC.

YOU DID THAT A LOT.

YOU HAD SOME THEME SHOWS ABOUT HEALTH OR MUSIC.

DYANA: WHAT I REALLY LIKED WAS THE ABILITY TO GO IN DEPTH ON ISSUES THAT EVEN WHEN I WAS A TELEVISION REPORTER, WE DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OTHER THAN SOME SUNDAY MORNING SHOWS.

WE WOULD ALWAYS TRY OF COURSE TO BALANCE IT OUT, AND I REMEMBER DOING SHOWS DURING THE COURSE OF MY FIVE YEARS ON "LIVELY EXPERIMENT," WE HAD RACE ISSUES AND IT GAVE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR VIEWERS TO SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

I THINK ONE OF OUR REAL STRENGTH WAS WE WERE ABLE TO BRING TOGETHER THE POLICE COMMUNITY, THE GENERAL COMMUNITY, AND THE NAACP, AND GET THOSE PEOPLE SITTING TOGETHER, NOT PERSONAL, NOT PERSONAL ATTACKS BUT SORT THROUGH THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES THAT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ELSE WAS REALLY DOING.

THE NURSE -- THE NEWSPAPER COULD DO IT BECAUSE THEY GET MORE IN-DEPTH, BUT BROADCASTING IS HARD.

JIM HUMMEL: GET TO IT IN FIVE.

DYANA: YOU LOSE A LOT OF THAT CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION.

TO GET THEM SITTING TOGETHER, YOU REALIZE THEY ARE PART OF THAT ONE COMMUNITY.

TO SEE THEY HAVE THAT COMMONALITY, I ENJOYED THAT KIND OF DISCOURSE.

STEVE: LONG BEFORE WE SEE THESE TALKING HEADS TABLES, CNN IS LIKE 43 PEOPLE ON THE PANEL.

THIS WAS GROUNDBREAKING BECAUSE YOU WERE ABLE TO PICK AND CHOOSE.

TALK ABOUT CHEMISTRY OF THE PANELISTS ON THE SHOW.

TALK ABOUT THAT AND WHY IT AIDED SPECIAL.

JIM HAGAN: I THINK IT DID AND THERE WERE ADVERSARIAL OPINIONS.

SOMETIMES I WOULD TRY TO LEAN IF I HAD A LIBERAL OR PROGRESSIVE ON TOO OFTEN, I WOULD TRY TO FIND A DEMOCRAT.

JIM HUMMEL: DID YOU FIND ONE?

JIM HAGAN: JOHN BRING HIM WAS A CONSERVATIVE.

THE BALANCE WAS IMPORTANT.

WE ALWAYS HAD A MEDIA AND ACADEMIC PERSON ON THE PANEL SO THAT HELPED BALANCE IT AND BRING SOME SENSE OF PEACE TO THE PANEL.

JIM HUMMEL: WERE YOU THE BALANCE AT TIMES?

YOU KNEW WHAT YOU GOT BUT AS A BROADCASTER AND SOMEBODY WHO EXPRESSED HIS OPINION ON THE RADIO, YOU SOMETIMES WERE UNPREDICTABLE, WERE YOU NOT?

STEVE: I WAS WALKING A TIGHT ROPE IN A WAY BECAUSE TIGHT -- TALK RADIO IS DIFFERENT FROM THIS PROGRAM.

THE LEGISLATURE FUNDED THE STATION SO I WAS A BIG FOE OF THE LEGISLATURE FROM DAY ONE.

I SUED THEM TO TAKE AWAY THEIR ILLEGAL PENSION SO I WAS PROBABLY THE MOST HATED PERSON BY THE LEGISLATURE, WOULD YOU SAY SO?

JIM HAGAN: I WOULD SAY SO.

POOR CHARLIE.

STEVE: THAT IS TRUE.

I WALKED THAT TIGHT ROPE.

I HAD THREE HOURS ON THE RADIO EVERY MORNING SO I GOT TO DO IN-DEPTH STUFF LIKE DYANA IS TALKING ABOUT EVERYDAY.

SO THIS PROGRAM WAS MORE FOR ME ABOUT INFORMING THE PUBLIC, AND WE HAD SUCH A DISTINGUISHED GROUP.

YOU COULD NOT HAVE HAD A MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE GROUP OF PEOPLE ABOUT RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL AND POLITICS IN SPECIAL.

JIM HUMMEL: IT WAS MUCH WATCH TV.

STEVE: MANY OF THE PROGRAMS, THE GOVERNOR HAS THEM IN THE ARCHIVES WHICH I DISCOVERED NOT LONG AGO -- JIM HAGAN: MANY OF THE PROGRAMS, THE GOVERNOR HAS DISCOVERED NOT LONG AGO.

THEY WATCHED IT EVERY WEEK.

JIM HUMMEL: WERE YOU SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE WATCHED?

I WAS AT CHANNEL SIX AND WE STRUGGLED IN THE RATINGS.

WERE YOU SURPRISED OR DID YOU EXPECT THAT?

JIM HAGAN: I WAS NOT SURPRISED AND I AGREE WITH STEVE.

AT THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE, THEY DID WATCH THE LIVELY AND FAMED SOME OF THEIR OPINIONS ON THAT.

WHEN I WAS IN THE SENATE, TOM TO JULIO WAS THE PRESIDENT AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT TOM, AS MUCH AS WE WOULD DISAGREE, WAS VERY FAIR.

I HAD TO OVERRIDE A GOVERNOR'S BILL, THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATION FIRST -- FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE, AND THE GOVERNOR VETOED IT.

WE HAD TO GO BACK TO THE SENATE AND FORTUNATELY, LIKE MY ADVERSARIES LIKE JOHN HAWKINS, THEY HAD BEEN AWAY FROM THE SENATE THAT DAY, SO I MOVED TO OVERRIDE THE VETO AND I THOUGHT TOM WAS FAIR BECAUSE NORMALLY HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON THE OTHERS, BUT HE WAS VERY FAIR AND ALLOWED IT PROCEED THAT ALLOWED IT TO PROCEED.

JIM HUMMEL: DID YOU FIND THAT WHEN YOU WERE IN THE FIELD?

DYANA: I DID, BECAUSE I HAD BEEN OUT OF -- I HADN'T WORKED ON CHANNEL 10 FOR 18 YEARS BUT I STILL HAD -- PEOPLE WOULD STILL RECOGNIZE ME.

I WOULD THINK, HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

JIM HUMMEL: YOU KNOW HOW RHODE ISLAND IS.

I LEFT CHANNEL SIX AND PEOPLE ARE GOING, I LOVE YOU ON CHANNEL SIX.

HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING?

DYANA: IT SPEAKS TO THE VALUE OF THE SHOW.

THAT WE WOULD PRESENT IT AND A LOT OF POLITICIANS WOULD COME.

A LOT OF TIMES IF THEY DON'T THINK THEY WILL GET A FAIR SHAKE THEY MAY BOYCOTT, BUT THEY WOULD LIKE TO COME ON HERE.

FROM MY BUSINESS IF I HAD A CLIENT, I WOULD LOVE TO PUT THEM ON THE SHOW.

IT IS NOT THAT YOU WILL GET 100% QUESTIONS IN YOUR FAVOR, IT WILL NOT BE AN EASY ONE, BUT YOU WILL GET A FAIR SHAKE, AND THAT SPEAKS TO THE HISTORY.

JIM HUMMEL: YOU POSTED 10 NEWS CONFERENCES AND THAT IS A LITTLE OF THE TIM RUSSERT MODEL.

HERE, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL COME FROM THE PANELISTS.

DYANA: WE HAD SENATOR REID AND MAC ON'S ON -- OWENS ON, VERY CONSERVATIVE GUY, WRITES FOR "THE WASHINGTON STREET -- "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL," AND THEY DIFFERED STRONGLY ON FORMULATION AND ISSUES OF DEFENSE, BUT IT WAS COURTEOUS AND THEY BOTH HAD REALLY GOOD POINTS OF VIEW.

I THINK IT IS DIFFERENT THAN SOME OF THE DISCOURSE WE SEE NOW POLITICALLY WHICH IS SAD, BECAUSE IT BECOMES PERSONAL, AND THAT IS HARD TO SORT THROUGH.

IT GETS A LITTLE PERSONAL BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE TO ALL BE PERSONAL.

JIM HUMMEL: AS YOU WATCH SHOWS NOW AND ARE STILL PLUGGED IN, YOU HAVE BEEN DOING RADIO YOUR WHOLE LIFE, AS YOU WATCH OTHER SHOWS DO YOU SOMETIMES THINK SITTING IN THE MODERATOR SEAT, WHEN WE HAD IT IN LIVELY, DOES IT EVER RUN THROUGH YUR HEAD THE WAY YOU DID IT IN THE SHOW YOU HAD?

JIM HAGAN: MY REACTION TO A LOT OF THE STUFF ON TV, THEY MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS TWO PARTIES.

WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN SINCE ROCKEFELLER?

IT HAS BEEN TWO PARTIES.

THEY SAY THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE MUCH SENSE TO ME.

I HAVE A LOT OF EMOTION.

I WAS PRETTY PASSIONATE ABOUT POLITICS, STILL AM.

I GET FIVE DIFFERENT NEWSPAPERS A DAY, WHICH COSTS A LOT OF MONEY.

JIM HUMMEL: AND THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY THANKS YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE LOSING.

STEVE: IT IS REALLY A SHAME BECAUSE YOU CANNOT BEAT A NEWSPAPER.

THE SCOPE, "THE NEW YORK TIMES" IS READ WORLDWIDE AND ANYBODY IN ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD SEES IT.

I HAVEN'T BEEN TOO PLEASED WITH THE TRUMP ANGST ABOUT WHAT HE HAS BEEN UP TO, BUT WHEN THEY CRUCIFY HIM EVERY DAY, AND IT HAS BEEN EVERY DAY, AND "THE WASHINGTON POST," I AM NOT HAPPY WITH HOW THE WORLD SEES THAT AND THINKS OUR PRESIDENT IS A JOKE AND AN IDIOT AND MENTAL ILLNESS AND ALL SUCH STUFF WHICH I THINK JIMMY CARTER POINTED TO THE OTHER DAY.

JIM HUMMEL: IS THIS LIKE THE FORMER PRESIDENT GATHERING?

I AM LOOKING AT THE MODERATORS.

WHEN I FIRST CAME ON, I JUST LEFT CHANNEL SIX AND SOMEBODY INVITED ME ON.

I HAD MY OWN SHOW.

I CAME ON AND THEY SAID, WHAT IS YOUR OUTRAGE?

I HAVE WORKED IN THIS MARKET 25 YEARS, HAD MY OWN SUNDAY SHOW, AND IT TOOK ME LEAVING MY JOB TO COME ON "LIVELY EXPERIMENT," THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS.

THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE WAS LIKE, WHO INVITED THIS GUY ON?

IS HE REALLY OUTRAGED?

YOU WERE ALWAYS A DIPLOMAT AND A GENTLEMAN, AND THEY INVITED ME BACK.

JIM HAGAN: I HAVE NEVER ASKED A PERSON TO COME ON, DECLINE.

JIM HUMMEL: SOMETIMES THEY WERE CLAMORING TO GET ON THE SHOW.

DYANA: PEOPLE COME UP TO ME, SENATORS, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE ME ON?

WE ALWAYS HAVE PEOPLE ASKING TO BE ON.

STEVE: THE SENATOR, I REMEMBER INTERVIEWING HIM EVERY WEEK.

I FORGOT HE WAS HEAD OF THE CHAMBER AND THAT IS WHY YOU WERE THERE AND NOW I REMEMBER VIVIDLY.

YOU BECAME SUCH A WELL-KNOWN FIGURE ON TELEVISION ON "LIVELY EXPERIMENT," YOU OVERRIDE IT THE ENTIRE CHANNEL.

JIM HUMMEL: I HAD 27 YEARS AT TUPPERWARE AND SMITHFIELD AND IS EIGHT SENATOR AND I SAID, THAT ADDS UP TO 108 YEARS.

JIM HAGAN: THE REASON IS NOW OF COURSE, IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY YOU CAN HAV YOUR OWN JOB.

DYANA COULD RUN IF SHE WANTED TO RUN.

STEVE COULD PROBABLY RUN IF HE WANTED TO RUN.

WHILE I WAS WORKING FOR TUPPERWARE, I WAS A MEMBER OF THE RHODE ISLAND STATE AND IT.

-- SENATE.

THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE UP THERE LIKE THAT.

RAYTHEON ALWAYS HAD PEOPLE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

STEVE: WE USE TO TOGETHER, THE SUMMERS IN BARRINGTON AS CHILDREN.

JIM HAGAN: AMAZING.

I LIVED RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO HIS COUSIN ALAN.

BAR MITZVAHS, I DID THE WHOLE THING.

JIM HUMMEL: THAT WAS BACK IN THE 1840'S?

JIM HAGAN: [LAUGHTER] JIM HUMMEL: LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME MEMORABLE MOMENTS, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYTHING STOOD -- YOU COULD PROBABLY -- DID ANYTHING STAND OUT IN YOUR MIND?

YOU HAD AN 18 YEAR STRETCH.

STEVE: ONE OF THE MEMORABLE MOMENTS, SUSAN FARMER ALWAYS HAD ENOUGH MONEY -- PROBLEMS GETTING ENOUGH MONEY TO RUN THIS OPERA RATION SINCE WROTE -- OPERATION SINCE RHODE ISLANDERS WOULD SEND THEIR MONEY TO CHANNEL TO -- TWO.

SHE WAS ALWAYS IN A BEGGING POSITION.

WHEN SHE WAS GONE, HE STARTED TO CUT THAT BUDGET.

ONE DAY SHE ACTUALLY THREW HERSELF ON THE HOOD OF HIS CAR AND WHATNOT LET THE CAR GO UNTIL HE MADE A DECISION ON THE BUDGET.

THAT WAS AN EMOTIONAL MOMENT BUT SHE DID IT.

JIM HUMMEL: AND HE CAME THROUGH.

ANYTHING ELSE?

STEVE: I COULD GO ON FOR DAYS.

JIM HAGAN: THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT, JUST HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS AND SHARE THE EXPERIENCES WITH OTHERS.

GOING BACK TO WHAT DYANA SAID, EVEN LABOR LEADERS I WOULD DISAGREE WITH, I HAVE FOUND TO BE VERY NICE PEOPLE, AND TRYING TO BE COOPERATIVE WITH PEOPLE AND STILL GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS.

YOU MENTIONED THE GOOD, BAD, AND IN DIFFERENT, AND CERTAINLY A LOT OF IN DIFFERENT.

YOU ARE TRYING NOT TO BE TOO NEGATIVE.

I AM A POSITIVE PERSON AND LIKE TO BE POSITIVE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THERE IS A LOT OF ISSUES, MORE NEGATIVE PROBABLY THAN POSITIVE, THAT THE LEGISLATIVE AND POLITICAL LEADERS NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT.

I CAME PREPARED WITH A LIST OF THOSE THINGS I THOUGHT WERE THE MOST INTERESTING SHOWS WE DID AND MOST OF THEM WERE VERY CONTROVERSIAL.

I APOLOGIZE IF THEY WERE TOO CONTROVERSIAL BUT THAT IS WHAT I LIKE.

JIM HUMMEL: I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY NEED BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT STIRS THE DRINK.

SETTING UP THE PANEL IS MEMORABLE.

YOU AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH PRODUCERS THINKING ABOUT, WHO IS GOING TO BE ON HERE BECAUSE WE DON'T WNT EVERYONE SINGING OFF THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC.

DYANA: I AM NOT SURE I WOULD SAY THERE IS ONE.

I DO NOT HAVE ONE MEMORABLE MOMENT, BUT I THINK WE TRIED TO STRETCH A LITTLE BIT.

WE DID SOME REMOTE SHOWS, WHICH WAS KIND OF FUN.

WE DID A COMMON CAUSE SHOW WHERE WE TAPED OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR US.

WE TRIED TO DO SOME ONE-ON-ONE PIECES, TRYING TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE A LITTLE BIT AND MAKE SURE WE WERE ALWAYS BEING CURRENT BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, THE TIMEFRAME FROM HOLDING UP THE TIME CARDS TO GETTING AN ELECTRONIC CLOCK, JUST THINK ABOUT ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY FROM ONE STEVE WAS DOING IT TO WHEN YOU ARE DOING IT NOW, WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, WITH THE DIGITAL AGE.

WE ARE ABLE TO GET ON THE AIR IMMEDIATELY.

ALL OF THOSE PIECES WHERE THE CHANGE HAS BEEN SO RAPID, TRYING TO STAY CURRENT AND A STRONG VALUE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GREAT GIFTS.

MY FINAL THOUGHT, I THINK PBS AND "LIVELY EXPERIMENT" IS AN AMAZING GIFT FOR RHODE ISLAND.

IT IS A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN STILL GET UNENCUMBERED THOUGHTS.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT -- AND I NEVER FELT PRESSURE FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OR ANYTHING WHEN I WAS THE HOST -- DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GTTING A SPONSORSHIP OR SUMP PAID -- SOME PAID PERSON.

JIM HUMMEL: WITH SOME STORY.

DYANA: SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY SO VALUABLE, AND DURING THE TIME I WAS, WE STRUGGLED A LOT WITH TRYING TO BREAK AWAY FROM THAT DATE FUNDING -- STATE FUNDING SO WE COULD BE MORE INDEPENDENT, DOUG OUR HEELS IN.

IT REMAINS A STRONG ASSET.

STEVE: ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALWAYS TRY TO GET ACROSS IN THIS REMAINS THE SAME, THE FACT THAT RHODE ISLAND IS STILL ONE OF THE TOP THREE WORST PLACES IN THE COUNTRY TO RETIRE -- NOW THAT I AM RETIRED I THINK ABOUT THAT.

RHODE ISLAND IS 49TH IN THE COUNTRY FOR BUSINESS ATMOSPHERE.

I BLAME THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND I THINK YOU CAN DO A LOT OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND YOU CAN PROMOTE THE STATE.

THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CHANGE THOSE NUMBERS IS THROUGH ACTION BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

JIM HAGAN: THAT WAS THE THEME OF WHAT I DID -- STEVE: THAT WAS THE THEME OF WHAT I DID ON THE RADIO FOR 100 YEARS.

WE NEED PEOPLE TO VOTE AND COME FORWARD AND RUN FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

OTHER STATES HAVE THAT.

WE DON'T.

WE HAVE VERY FEW PEOPLE WITH A BUSINESS BACKGROUND IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

JIM HAGAN: PEOPLE THINK IT TAKES A LOT OF MONEY TO DO IT.

10 YEARS AND THE SENATE, I RAISED $5,000 SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO RAISE $35,000, $50,000 TO HAVE A SEAT.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE GOOD SHOE LEATHER AND POUND ON THE DOORS.

STEVE: SOCIAL MEDIA IS A BIG FACTOR.

JIM HUMMEL: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART?

DYANA: THE SAME THING I LIKE BEING A REPORTER, I LIKE LEARNING.

I LOVED BEING ABLE TO SIT IN THAT CHAIR AND GET PEOPLE WHO WERE SMARTER THAN ME AND LEARN.

STEVE: SMARTER THAN YOU?

DYANA: I AM SO CURIOUS ALL THE TIME.

JIM HUMMEL: THAT IS THE REPORTER'S INSTINCT.

JIM HAGAN: I AGREE, TRYING TO GET MY POINT ACROSS THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE'S VOICES.

STEVE: I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW THOUSANDS OF LEADERS, AUTHORS, 3000 BOOKS IN THE BASEMENT TAKING UP SPACE.

JIM HUMMEL: YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO MOVE.

DYANA: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE?

JIM HUMMEL: THE SAME AS YOU, THAT WE WORK VERY HARD TO GET A PANEL TOGETHER AND THEY MIX IT UP AND IT IS UNSCRIPTED.

THE FASTEST 30 MINUTES IN TELEVISION BECAUSE IT IS OVER.

STEVE AND JIM AND DYANA, FORMER MODERATORS, IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR FOR ME TO HAVE US IN YOUR LIVING ROOM.

"A LIVELY EXPERIMENT" CONTINUES.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK, EVERYONE.

[CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CAPTION CONTENT AND ACCURACY.

VISIT NCICAP.ORG] >> A LIVELY EXPERIMENT IS GENEROUSLY UNDERWRITTEN BY -- >> THE RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION, PARTNERING WITH RHODE ISLANDERS TO LEAD, TRANSFORM, AND INSPIRE OUR STATE.

LEARN MORE AT RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION.. >> FOR 30 YEARS, "A LIVELY EXPERIMENT" HAS BEEN HELPING US UNDERSTAND THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING RHODE ISLANDERS.