The reason I suppose I am bringing a bunch of these things out of storage concerning our group, as well as our radio and media werx is purtty simple. Back before we as a group cranked up our own station we went to just about if not everyone in Idaho as well as Utah's radio and TV stations wanting an hour or two to be on air talking the issues and concerns of those in trucking. From Boise to Pocatello I drove and tried to get the attention of so many station managers to get with us and allow us the air time, both paid for as well as free, but the answers were always, no. As to them in their words who besides truckers care? The connection of what they got, from the food store to their pantyhose to the fuel in their Lincoln's came from or was delivered by truck. Their small minds were up their behinds and could not grasp that the more truckers paid so to they would pay as well. Fuel was up in price back then and so was the stress of getting hammered by the Highway fuzz on breaking the double nickel(55mph speed limit). However then as now strike and formal big rig shutdown was in the works. In 1982 just shortly after my friend Bro and I came home from the first showing of ye ole General Lee, the ITA, the predecessor of our group the UAITA, called for a strike. Mike Parkhurst President then of the ITA and then publisher of Overdrive Magazine was on TV, in the newspapers and so on nationally. Well since my name had been dropped so often at all media locations in both Idaho and Utah, when the story of that big strike broke and local stations wanted a local tie to it all, guess who got the call? From my Mom, to our housekeeper to the staff of the TTA we all were busy answering the phone, with just one statement , You did not ant to hear from me months even years ago, why should I talk to you now? KMVT 11 in Twin Falls, KBCI TV in Boise, KSEI Pocatello, KIFI TV-8 Idaho Falls Idaho, all wanted a sound or video byte to air on their news casts. Only a very few and none of those before mentioned were among that few, but many nearly begged to talk to me. Fuel was high in price and nearly none available, other issues were hitting from deregulation to hours of service, but we did not get the media's attention, until that strike. Then they wanted to talk. But by then our own radio station was on the air, we were making history, and if it had not been me meeting up with a deputy of the Gooding County Sheriffs Office at 85mph in downtown Hazzard(Hagerman-Idaho) in April of 1982 and having to sleep for 90 days in their cross bar motel, much that waited until just after my Mom' death in March of 1983 would have happened much sooner. So I say this to KIFI-TV/8, KPVI-6 and others , do not ignore me now or later when you really want me to speak, I might be tempted to turn a deaf ear as our own media gig might be out there for those and us in big rigs, and all, then. Any way ya'll I need sleep see all on TV at 17:00 to 17:30 hours on our local CH-12.
