Original subtitles

- Print legibly, no cursive, signature at the X. - Thank you.

WNYX News Radio?

- I'm the new news director. - Congratulations. - Thank you.

- Anything else I can do for you?

- Oh, you see, it's 8:57.

- I'll wait another 35 seconds to arrive at 9am on the dot. - Uh-huh.

- It's a nice jacket. - Just uniform.

- Comes with the job. - You don't say.

Thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty ...

Going to head on up now.

- So WNYX, it's on the 15th floor?.. - Fifteen.

See, now that's the business office. You probably want the broadcast offices, don't you?

That's at the Criterion building. 58th and Madison.

- That's three blocks up and six blocks over. - Oh my God. T-time...

8:59 and counting... Welcome to New York!

With traffic and weather together every twelve minutes, this is WNYX Newsradio.

Servinq Manhattan, the outer boroughs, and the entire tri-state area.

WNYX News time on this Monday...

- Excuse me, I'm looking for the station owner's office. - Down the hall on the right.

- Thanks. - Anytime, but he is not in there right now.

Do you know where he is?

- Mr. James? - Yes?

- Mr. James, I am so sorry I'm late. - Were you late? I didn't notice. Nine-fifteen?

What did you do -- walk all the way from Wisconsin, huh?

I'm kidding. Come on, Dave.

So, Dave, what are your goals here at WNYX?

I just want to be the best damn news director I can be.

Good. Good. That kind ot strong language don't fly with me,

- ...but you've got your own style, I guess. - I'm sorry.

Most of them had more experience than you. But you wanna know what made you so special to me?

- What's that, sir? - Just a moment.

What? Huh? Well, make it fast...

I'm in the middle of telling a guy why he's so special to me.

No, no. It's work-related.

- Afternoon, Ed. - Hi, Jimmy.

I'm sorry I'm late, but the traffic on the freeway was so bad...

- Oh hi, I'm Ed Harlow. - Hi. I'm Dave Nelson.

- Oh, yeah, the new guy, right. - Yeah.

- So, tell me what do you do here, Ed? - I'm your news director.

You know -- run the station, pick the stories...

hiring, firing, what-have-you. Come on back, Dave.

Uh, Ed? I think... I think Mr. James...

wanted to... uh...

see me... in here.

then I gotta go to the building site.

Uh? No, that's just for fun. I like watching big trucks.

Yeah. I gotta go.

Mr. James, I just met Ed Barlow. The news director?

Oh yeah. Ed. You mean the fOrmer news director.

Oh. So he's staying on to train me, is that it?

Dave, I haven't exactly told Ed he's being cut loose yet.

Oh. Well, I can come back tomorrow. Or it he needs a two-weeks' notice...

Two weeks? No, I'd rather have you do it today.

- Rather have me do what today? - Fire Ed.

You want me to fire Ed?

Well, it is in your contract: firing, hiring, what have you.

Come on, I want you to meet 'em today.

Pick it up!

Mr. James?

Oh, here you are. This is Lisa.

How long are the pandas going to be here for?

How many visitors have already seen the pandas?

Uh, alright, alright. Let me just ask you this.

Do the pandas make any kind of noise or anything that might be interesting on the radio?

Alright, thank you. Thank you. I didn't actually need you to do it for me now...

- What're you going to be doing here? - Oh, I'm a new ...guy.

I'm.. I'm a new guy.

Ten points? What're you kidding me? Are you pulling my chain?

- I'm sorry, sir, something wrong? - I had a lot of EuroDisney.

- Sir, do they know I'm the new news director? - Nope.

I thought I'd give you the pleasure of telling them.

Well, sir, I think I really have to tell Ed before I tell the rest of the staff.

- That's just, I mean, that's just common courtesy. - Whatever floats your boat. Matthew!

- Dave, it's Dave. - No, this is Matthew.

- This is Dave Nelson. - Hi, Dave. - Hi

- What is it you're going to be doing here? - Uh, sports. New sports guy.

- What?! - Dave, I'm just trying to keep your little secret until, uh...

until you give Ed the news. Have you told him yet, by the way?

- Well, I haven't really had a chance, sir. - Rick, this is Dave.

- Dave. What is it you're going to be doing for us, Dave? - Sp-ports.

I'm the new sports guy.

Dave, I've gotta run. I've gotta get to a sporting good store.

- Oh, what are you buying, sir? - The sore.

Actually, the whole chain. Today is my day to load up on the freebies.

Can I set you up with anything? Tubesocks, golfballs, what have you...

- Sir, I think we really have to talk about this. - Why, do you think it's bad investment?

No, sir, I want to talk about the Ed situation.

Thank you.

Now, sir, before I just into this Ed thing, I just want...

- Hi, Ed! - Ed, Dave. Dave, Ed.

New, uh, new sport guy. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about. I've gotta go.

Sports, huh?

Going to ball games and getting paid for it. Doesn't hardly seem like work, does it?

- I'd kill for your job. - Hey, why don't we trade then, huh?

Oh god, are you okay?

That? Ah, it's my back. It seizes up on me two, three, four times a week.

That's terrible.

That's just terrible, Is there anything I can...

Have you thought about maybe taking some time off?

No, no, no, this job is the only thing that keeps my mind off the pain. Beth!

I called Dr. Shelton, he can give you an adjustment...

if you go over there right now.

Dave, I have to run, but, uh... let's talk about this later.

Ed, I was actually kinda hoping to get this all squared away right now.

- Why, is it bad news? - Well, that sorta depends on how you look at it, Ed.

Bad news is terrible for his back. Try to keep it to the minimum.

Thank god this job gives me full medical coverage.

...at the U.N. Security Council the Secretary set an October timeline for the complete troop withdrawl.

WNYX Newstime -- 9:28. Catherine?

- Dave, would you like to see the production booth? - Sure, that's be great.

Well-well-well... Hello, young lovers.

Shut up, Rick.

So, that Ed guy... he's quite an interesting fellow.

Well, between you and me, Ed is on his way out.

Oh god, so you know? Oh god, I'm so relieved because...

it would great if I could just have...

oh, sorry... have someone I could talk to...

A cure for the common cold could be no further away than you kitchen cupboard.

Dr. Jeffrey Chin has been dispensing herbal remedies...

from his office on Watts Street since 1953.

Chinese medicine has been around for thousands of years...

- OK, what were you saying? - How do you think I should handle this?

Just do your job well, and you'll be fine,

'cause when Ed goes, Jimmy is gonna make me the news director.

Aha. Ah... Is this something Jimmy has told you?

No. Nobody else here's been putting 12-hour days, nights and weekends three years.

And Jimmy notices, believe me.

Lisa Miller, WNYX Newsradio, in Chinatown.

Excuse me.

Lisa, have you ever heard the expression that "journey is its own reward"?

That's very profound, Dave. You know, for a sports guy.

- Ed!.. Ed!.. Ed?.. - Down here.

- Oh god, Ed. Are you all right? - Yeah. Sometimes pain makes me a little nauseous.

What's on your mind?

- How long have you been here at WNYX, Ed? - Four years.

Four years, and, uh,... four good years from what I've heard.

Ed, I just heard you gave Catherine the Al Gore interview.

And I have some thoughts on that which I'd like to share with you...

Bill, have you, uh, met Dave?

New sports guy, right? Great, I love sports.

- I hear you are the best, buddy. - Where did you hear that?

I.. heard your audition tape...

- Good stuff. Good pipes, clean delivery. - I didn't send in the tape.

You're from Canada, "eh"?

- Wisconsin, actually. - Wisconsin! Cool.

The Badgers state, the nation's dairyland.

(in bad Wisconsin accent) "Great country out there!"

Not so fast, Ed!

Don't you think that I should do the Al Gore interview?

Because phone interviews keep me alert.

And if I'm not alert, I might just start reading the news very slo-o-owly-y-y-y,

...like thi-i-i-is.

- I will see what I can do. - Thanks, buddy,

I know you'll make the right deci-i-ision.

I love cheese. Ciao!

Alright, uh... that was completely disrespectful, wasn't it?

I'm the news director, he can't talk to me like that.

Ed, Catherine wanted me to tell you that, -- her words, not mine, -- ...

you have five seconds to drag your fat ass into the booth and make the right decision on the Al Gore interview.

- Coffee, Dave? - Yes, please.

Great. It's over by the booth.

Thank... thank you.

- Ed? - Alright, that does it. I quit.

- I, I'm sorry, what, Ed? - I said I quit.

I'm not gonna put up with this lunacy anymore. I've had it with Bill,

I've had it with Catherine, I've had it with the whole Bill and Catherine thing...

I don't need any Bills or any Catherines in my life.

- I'll pick this up over the weekend. - I got it.

Ed, I can't tell you how sorry I am that you feel this way, but, uh...

obviously, there's no point in me trying to talk you out of the decision that've put so much thought into.

You got that right.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, all i can tell you is how sorry I am...

You tell Jimmy he can find some other idiot to run this station.

I'll pass that along to him, Ed.

Dave, can you believe this?

They get 250 bucks for one of these things, doesn't even include the strings.

Look. See? No strings.

Mr. James, the Ed Harlow situation...

it has been confronted and resolved.

Wow, that was fast.

Boy, you are a cold-blooded son of a gun, Dave.

But, god bless you, I didn't think you were the firing type.

Well, actually, Ed quit. But that saves you two-weeks severance pay.

Quit? No, I didn't want Ed to quit. I wanted you to fire him!

Well, it's really sorta moot point now, isn't it, sir?

Get the box, will you, Dave?

Dave, Ed quits three times a week,

Sometimes he comes in on Sunday to quit a few times without any distractions.

Well, I did not know that.

Well, it looks like you've got a walking, talking moot point to deal with, doesn't it?

Pick it up!

- Ed, can we talk for a minute? - Not now, I'm busy.

Look, Ed, it's really only gonna take a minute...

- Ed! Ed! Ed! - What? - What did you think about my "New Yorker of the Week" segment idea?

It won't work.

But, you know what, though? I was reading an article in Broadcasting Monthly about this station in Los Angeles that just started doing it...

Yeah, but what do people in Los Angeles care about the New Yorker of the Week?

No-no-no. In Los Angeles, the call it "The Los Angeleno of the Week", see?

But that's funny, though.

Listen, uh... Broadcasting Monthly says that if you...

Matthew, I, uh, don't read Broadcasting Monthly.

Only idiots read Broadcasting Monthly, 'kay?

But that you for your input.

Matthew, it's alright. You know, I read Broadcasting Monthly too...

I just don't know why he has to talk to me that way.

Matthew, things're gonna change. You just have to give it some time.

I've given it enough time. Things won't change. Please.

Matthew, you can't tell anyone about this right now but...

I'm actually the new news director.

What?

- Yeah. I'm gonna be firing Ed. - Are you serious?

Finally!

Oh, this is great, this is... Thank you, David! Thank you.

That's all right. We'll have to keep it to ourselves for the time being, all right?

Ed, can we talk, please? Ed?

Ed? Thanks.

- I'm sorry, I got excited. I had to tell someone. - Matthew!

- Tell everyone what? - Dave here is the new news director.

(in low voice) Don't tell anyone, though.

What?

I'm sorry, Lisa. I really wanted to tell you about this earlier but...

Wait a minute. What's going on here?

Lisa, did you think you were going to be the new news director?

What are you talking about?

Are you going to cry right here or,... you're gonna save it up for the cab ride home?

Shut up! Rick, come on.

This is obviously very humiliating for her right now.

Her dream just died.

Well, actually, Jimmy offered this job to Lisa but she turned it down.

And that's right, isn't it, Lisa?

Yes. That's right, I'm very happy where I am.

I'm not at a point in my career where it is worth it to me to fire someone so I can take their job.

Dave, so I guess officially I work for you now. So, would you like me to fire Ed?

No, no, no, Beth. But thank you. Thank you very much for...

for your... let's just call it moxie.

Fire him as soon as he walks out that door.

- Excuse me? - Fire him right here, right now, in front of everyone.

Listen to me, it will help you down the line.

You are not exactly establishing yourself as an authority figure with the staff.

She's right, you know.

It's, like, you know how they say that your first day in prison you should act crazy...

and beat someone with a chair, so that nobody will mess with you?

I've never actually heard that before, Beth.

Will this chair do, or do you want a lighter one to beat him with?

- Ed, can I talk to you in your office for... - No, no, you've gotta do a sports update.

We do the sports at 11 after the hour. You've got 30 seconds. We'll talk later. Go! Go! Go!

What kind of cue to you want? Visual, rolling, audio pre-cue, countdown?

Whatever you normally do will be fine.

I don't know if you've worked with one of these...

we call it a microphone.

Thanks, Bill. You know, I did do a little bit of this in college.

Then you won't be needing my help.

Just, just let me know when I'm on, all right?

All right, New York 108, Philadelphia 96.

Philadelphia. Philadelphia.

Philadelphia. Is that alright for level?

Fine. Philadelphia.

Okay, uh, the Philadelphia 76ers.

Just let me know when I'm on, Bill.

The Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers....

...played a game of basketball today.

Here's Bill McNeal to tell you all about it.

The Knicks played an affair at Madison Square last night...

Charles Oakley led the boys in white and blue to the 108-96 embarrassment...

of the Orlando Magic in the second of the five game series...

What the hell was that?

Ed, uh, I'm sorry I'm not much of a, uh, sports guy.

Oh really?

- Ed, can we talk about it in your office, please? - No. We'll talk about it right here.

I don't know why Jimmy hired you, but get the hell out of here. You are fired!

Ed, I think if you go into your office, I can explain.

- This oughta be good. - Oh, it will be.

Ed, do you know the meaning of the word "irony"?

Oh come on...

Poor Ed.

What are you talking about? You wanted Ed out of here as much as anybody.

Lisa, it is still a very sad thing when a member of the family has to be terminated.

Ed will need a moment to digest this.

I was sure you were going to be in there for at least an hour.

Oh, no, no, no. I just spelled out the facts for Ed...

and I gave him a brief memo that sort of outlined the factors that led to this decision...

And... I believe that that is a perfectly reasonable response considering the circumstances.

Dave, if you have a moment, I have a few thoughts I'd like to share with you...

Oh yes, yes, the Al Gore thing, yeah, yeah.

- Catherine, you're gonna be doing the Al Gore interview, OK? - Thank you.

Thank you. I'm sorry, Bill, your thoughts?

Why? Because I'm the boss, Bill. That's why. That's why, Bill.

And I will not be manipulated, I will not be contradicted, and I will not be intimidated.

I didn't realize you were a man of such strong convictions...

of such deeply felt moral tenacity, or such remarkable center...

All right, Bill, I'm not gonna sucked up to either.

Well, you've eliminated all my options. All that's left is backstabbing.

Matthew, can I borrow you chair for a second?

Ed, look, I know this isn't gonna mean much but if you need a reference...

I'm more than happy to help.

Oh thank you but, uh, I'm fine. In fact, I'm great!

That's good, Ed.

Because I'm gonna go across the street right now, to WXYP.

- You know who runs WXYP? - No.

How could you. It has to do with news radio.

My old college buddy Tom Novachek.

And Tom Novachek has told me...

I have a standing offer to be his news director any time I want.

So... gosh... so long, suckers!

That's great, Ed.

I think that's great for Ed. I think we should all be happy for Ed.

I mean, that goes to show you. I mean, even the darkest cloud is gonna have a si...

Dave, WXYP went out of business three months ago.

I told Ed to read Broadcasting Monthly.

- What're you guys talking about? - WXYP.

You know, that place never really recovered since Tom Novachek passed away.

Dave, you wanted to talk to me?

Oh yeah. Oh, I see you bought that sporting goods store?

No, I've decided to buy a hockey team instead.

- What's on your mind? - Well, uh... two things, sir. - Good.

Well, first, I want to you to promise me that when my time is up here...

you will tell me yourself and not have my replacement fire me.

What's the second thing?

Well, I want you to know that I understand now that what you've put me through today, was a test.

Could be. Or it could be I'm just making it all up as I go along.

- Well, which is it? - You'll never know.

But, either way, you work for me now, so see you tomorrow, Dave...

at 9 a.m. this time!

- Good night. - Good night, Lisa. Oh, Lisa...

For what it's worth, I just want to tell you. I think you'd make a great news director.

Oh. Well, thank you.

And, who knows, maybe someday I will get much chance at a job.

I'm sure you will.

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but... within three months. Four, tops.

- Thanks for the vote of confidence. - You're welcome.

What?

You've got, like, an eyelash...

- No... You're not... - Here? Where?

You're not gett... May I?

- There we go. - Thank you.

Listen...

I want to thank you for covering for me out there today.

Oh, gosh, that? Please, forget about that.

- I already have. - Well, you don't really have to...

- See you tomorrow. - Bye.

Hi, I'm looking for Dave Nelson.

- Oh, I'm Dave Nelson. - Oh hi. I'm Jeff Adams.

- The new guy - Wh-wh-what kind of the new guy?

- Um, a new sports guy. - Sports?

- Are you OK? - Fine, yeah, yeah.

So, Jeff, what do you think of the big game tonight?

Knicks-Orlando? Oh, well, Shaquille's scoring in the low 30s but the Knicks're 28-8 at home. I take the Knicks by 12.

Good to have you aboard, Jeff!