Seven years ago, amid flying spittle and other signs of deep agitation, a notorious crank predicted the end of network television by 2020. Audience hyper-fragmentation, DVR ad avoidance, online competition and the immutable law of supply and demand were conspiring, this guy claimed, to undermine broadcast's business model.

In college, one of my pals bought an 80-watt Dynaco stereo control amp kit and painstakingly built it over four months. That fall, he pulled a 0.2 GPA - a lost semester that cost him, after figuring in his $30 savings on the amp, about two thousand 1974 dollars. I bought the identical model, pre-assembled, and listened to music while he soldered.The point of the story? One is to beware of false economies. The other is that I'm no DIY boy.

It is a great pleasure now being associated with MediaPost, a position I attained thanks in no small part to a resume compiled over many decades and a spotless reputation. However, in the past few days, a few matters have arisen that I believe must be cleared up before they get blown out of proportion.