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Welcome back.

We're on TV.

It's Last Call.

And in St.

Louis, channel 4 is like channel one because it's by itself right now after a merger.

Um, three of our local broadcast uh stations are owned by one entity.

Sarah, I can't see much good coming out of this.

Yeah, this seems like it's going to be bad for the viewers.

It's definitely going to be bad for the people that are working for these stations.

So, now it's going to be channel 2, channel 5, and channel 11 are all owned by NextStar.

And uh you know, it sounds like they're going to be consolidated into a single building.

It sounds like they're going to be looking for things that are redundant.

Um I think we're going to see more layoffs and this is in an already decimated news industry.

I don't like it at all.

Well, here at Channel 9, um I don't know where we're going to fall, but I I think we could do something well with it.

I think it reminds me with what is it?

Was it Vonaga's book where the whole world everything's owned by Ramjack Corporation?

I mean, and we've seen it over the years coming down to that where it's five companies in a field and then it's three, now it's two.

And when does it come to where it's just one owner deciding everything?

So, in in that sense, monopolies are are bad.

and especially I believe in the news business because now you just have less people's point of view uh deciding or tailoring what it is we see >> and so and I think when it especially comes to news businesses the less corporations and the less independence there is between stations the less variety you're going to get I agree with both of you that the only saving grace is that it's a business that's dying I mean, you know, 20 years ago, the TV stations, just like the newspapers, were a bigger deal than they are now.

So, the fact that it's happening now at the end of an era, it's not quite as bad.

>> Well, and I think with I I think No, he I mean, he's absolutely right because I mean, every like channel 5 was just a juggernaut.

Channel 4, channel 2, they all had their day in the sun, you know, in terms of ratings and cycles.

And even, you know, channel 11 was always kind of a traditional uh story or a traditional station, but when you had when you had the advent, you had, you know, obviously cable, then now you've got streaming.

We all get our news that we're looking for on our phone.

We get alerts all through the day.

So, I I I felt badly for the for the programmers locally who were trying to keep their viewers, but they went, I think, entirely too far into the fluff or feature type back in the 80s, back in the 90s because they had some really solid solid great reporters and now it's like everybody seems like they're just out of J school and uh and that's that's tough and they're only here for six or seven months at a time.

It's become such a hard job for these young TV journalists.

Like they have to film, edit, uh you social media.

It's >> crazy.

>> It's unbelievable to me how the how they do the work that they do.

And it's become like entirely a young person's game.

It used to be, you know, you'd hire young people because they were like good-looking.

Now it's like any person who's of middle age is like that job is way too hard.

Like there's no way I'd work.

>> Well, and they're not paid.

They're not paid what they >> Well, newspaper reporters work a lot harder than they did when I started.

>> Yeah.

>> I mean, you know, we we we I remember a lot of us, we spent time in the Missouri Grill talking about Lou Rose's latest story about how city employees aren't working hard enough and and we going, you know, Lou's got a point here.

Well, I I want to point out there's a little difference between a columnist and a reporter, but I I won't go down that way.

But, uh, as to who worked harder, but I I think as far as the other problem is is that >> because you talk about that overwork and you've got to, you know, set up the camera, you know, do all your shots, post this stuff.

Basically, they end up looking for a job in public relations after about seven years.

The idea of I want to do this for the rest of my career is kind of going away.

It seems to be nothing but a mere stepping stone to doing something else.

>> There's not much in the way of public relations these days.

You know, I mean, the old days, Fleshman Hillyard, you know, they'd hire exorter.

Yeah.

>> No, not so much.

>> All right.

Well, as a 65year-old with gray hair, I'm still hanging in there.

All right.

Hey, Tom Brady, friend of St.

Louis, is opening a card uh store in Ballpark Village.

So, are we gonna forgive Tom for that cheating in the Super Bowl and other uh, you know, mayhem that he may have festuned on the entire NFL?

Joe, >> I will go into that shop when it opens and we'll ask whoever's behind the counter if they sell deflated football and then maybe we have something.

If they don't, I will never go in there again.

Okay?

Uh, and it's not only because I just don't care for Tom Brady and the Patriots and how they >> conducted themselves uh during that period under Bill Bellichic.

I also here again we're talking about yet another chain that is going to come in and take away businesses from some local people who struggle to make it with the few independent card shops that are left or the people who on weekends go to card shows and make some extra money.

Some of them make a living.

A lot of them just supplement their living.

And there was sort of a uh non-corporate feel to a card show where you were set up on folding tables and you went in and you talked baseball with somebody and you know same way if you went into a shop the guy behind the counter was an you know expert.

If you say, "I need a 64 Mickey Manel."

You know, you now I I got a feeling what I'm going to get is some clerk who got the job doesn't know about cards.

And maybe not, but I I just don't I don't like the idea of having a corporate card.

>> I I agree completely.

But I could say that your effort to boy your decision to boycott Tom Brady IS A PETTY ONE.

>> I GOT YOU THERE.

>> GOT YOU THERE.

BUT WHAT I'M not going to do is do an interview with anybody and broadcast it on.

I was asked the question >> tonight.

It feels like you're uh doing an interview.

>> Also, I don't believe the store is owned by local people.

So, there are some differences.

Good luck.

>> Well, and I say to his to his incred to his credit, Joe Buck is not one of those analyst.

And I really love Tom Brady on Fox with Kevin.

I do.

I love I think he's fantastic.

>> I think he's horrible.

Well, sorry.

I I like them.

But anyway, they Tom Brady has so many there's so many divisions of Tom Brady, Inc., you know, I think it dilutes the effectiveness when you're an icon, you know, just Tom Brady trading cards.

I don't know.

That seems kind of sad.

>> Seems kind of sad.

>> I'm gonna I'm gonna be >> Joe Buck never does that.

>> I'm gonna be the lone to center here.

And it might be because I know literally nothing about baseball cards, but I just like the idea of having a little more retail in downtown St.

Louis.

I like taking people there.

And it's nice to have like just sort of things you can do, experiences.

Let's go look at these cards rather than having to like buy something on the internet, which is just such a deadening way to do commerce.

>> So in this case, you're far supporting businesses in the city of St.

Louis as opposed to, let's say, a pancake.

>> All right.

Now, keep in mind that the St.

Louis Cardinals are a, you know, local company and they own Ballp Village.

So, you know, so you're boycotting the Cardinals.

>> I'm not boycotting.

I'm just not going in there.

>> She's young and fresh and optimistic and we're all old and dusty.

That's all there is.

>> Younger and fresher.

>> Younger and fresher.

And by the way, for all the card people who are collectors and whatnot, I'm sorry, for those who don't do that, it's it's fun, but it's also business.

I think it has changed over the years.

Now it's kind of a humorless kind of thing.

People get things just because they want to turn around and make a profit.

>> I agree.

>> All right.

Speaking of old and dusty, and I mean that in the funnest of ways, Grass Farm is re is opening again.

And I for one went to Grant's Farm as a kid.

One of the goats ate one of my mittens.

>> Eat anything.

>> And I still love Grant's Farm.

So I just want to throw out there.

Do you guys Do you Sarah, you got the youngest kids here?

>> Oh, we love Grant's Farm.

like this is like a a right of passage every summer.

Uh ideally maybe more spring with the way summer has been lately, but it's just such a fun experience.

And again, it's something I like to take out of towners, too, because it's like, where else in the world can you go to this place where you feel like you're in Munich and they're giving you free beer and you're checking out exotic animals and oh, like Ulysus Srant used to live right there.

Like that is quite a combination.

No, >> you're absolutely right.

And back in the day, Gussy used to hold court like out in the out in the Baronhoff area, Barnhof area.

And you know, with that grally voice and his cane and he was such a presence presence and and you're right, the it but what they have done which is really remarkable is they have kept up with the demand.

They have kept up with technology.

The last time we were there with the grandkids, they had people like 20 deep in the middle of a rainstorm.

I figured they must have had a subterranean level with 2,000 workers because the food was coming up.

It's like if everything in life were as efficient as the food lines at Grant's farm and everything else.

So, it's a it's a great season.

Anytime that's that's starting and open, it's something to be excited about for family.

>> Big fan of the place.

Took my kids there, taking our grandkids there.

Yeah.

>> And you know, the idea that it's free.

So, when you've got that thing, it's like, what do we do today?

And the kids are anxious.

It used to be the zoo or Grant's farm, right?

Because you could let them run around in the zoo and they could look at all the animals they wanted and it didn't cost you to walk in the door.

Same with Grant's farm.

And >> St.

Louis loves Grant's farm.

And I know why.

Because the the Grant's Trail, a bicycling trail, goes right by it.

And when it's any kind of decent weather, it is jammed without exception.

So, it's not only a cool thing, it's it's much beloved.

>> And if you walk down it, I'll tell you what, there's nothing like looking at a baby Clydesdale.

and they have them out there sometimes.

It is nothing like looking at you once again.

Have a great week.

It was great being with you for the last month.

Back to my seat, back to reality.

See you next week.