A Newsman Steps Down, And Broadcast Journalism Will Never Be The Same

Buzz Burbank was a bright guiding star of decency and truthfulness while aboard an otherwise dark ride.

by Bob Cesca

WASHINGTON, DC -- “I don't report the news to you. I feel the news at you.” That’s how Stephen Colbert described the right-wing pundit he played on Comedy Central for nine years. It was one of the most perfectly satirical descriptions of what’s become of modern journalism on too many platforms, especially on Fox News and its copycats. In a universe of fake news, propaganda, unsubstantiated opinion, and insincere entertainers disguised as anchors who “feel the news at you,” Buzz Burbank, a decades-long veteran of broadcast news, has always stood alone.

You might not know who he is, but, gratefully, millions of others do. And if you’re just now catching up with his reporting, you’ve missed a lot. Today, Friday the 19th of February 2021, marks Buzz’s final “News & Comment” podcast in a career as colorful and varied as the news itself. So today, I’d like to tell you about what made my friend, my mentor, my spiritual brother Buzz one of the finest and perhaps most underrated newsmen of our time. 

To be clear: this isn’t a eulogy, it’s a tribute to a living broadcaster who, through his integrity and quest for the facts, not only reported the news “to you” but made The News better. In other words, Buzz’s approach to journalism is one of the best examples of what the news ought to sound like -- not just in terms of his unmistakable radio-guy voice, but specifically in terms of its content and its often hidden truths.

For those of you who only recently discovered Buzz and his work, he spent most of his career as Michael Elston, making his way “up and down the dial,” as the WKRP In Cincinnati theme poignantly describes the life of a radio broadcaster. His career brought him to towns spanning the continent, from San Diego to Chicago to Albany, New York to Washington, DC. It was in DC where Michael Elston became “Buzz Burbank,” and it was in DC where I first had the opportunity to work with him at WJFK-FM. 

The pseudonym, by the way, was given to him by radio comedian Don Geronimo, host of the old Don & Mike Show, where Buzz worked as both news anchor and third seat in the show’s personality roundtable for 17 years, from 1991 through 2008. As fate would have it, had all three principals on the show used their real names, the show would’ve been hosted by Mike (Don’s real name), Mike (Mike O’Meara), and Mike (Buzz’s real name). The Mike, Mike, and Mike Show. Hence the fun, peppy, throwback radio name, partly derived from Laugh-In announcer Gary Owens’ trademark introduction, “From beautiful downtown Burbank…”

The radio name, however, is where Buzz’s show business facade begins and ends. Everything else you hear from Buzz, be it jokes in the conversational mix or the news itself, was genuine, earnest, and invariably real, composed with carefully chosen words and delivered with heft and precision. With Buzz, you know you’re hearing the truth: his completely honest and agenda-free summation of the day’s events. (And if you sense an agenda, it’s only because the facts make it unavoidable.)

Those of us who comment on politics and the news media for a living have this ideal in our heads for what broadcast news is supposed to be. Many of us spend our lives as activists, striving to improve the Fourth Estate -- chasing perhaps an old-fashioned notion of how those who gather and report the news should do their jobs. After all, the press is one of the only industries specifically protected in the Bill of Rights and therefore it ought to rise to an exemplary standard. This sacred notation in our founding documents wasn’t granted frivolously but through immense and tragic experiences, knowing how badly the press could be bought, manipulated, and bastardized by tyrants or wealth. In America, however, we reserve special protections for the news, while, conversely, taking the press for granted.

I don’t mean to speak for Buzz, but in listening to his views on journalism ever since those days at WJFK in 1993, he’s always been rightfully protective of his vocation and his colleagues in the news media. He’s a champion for an often maligned sector of mass media. Sure, there are unprofessional and generally crappy people in every job, and the news media is no different. But Buzz has always sought out and emphasized the best news sources, and yes, there are many great sources of news -- still to this day. Buzz isn’t wrong about that. And while we’ve all slammed our fists on our keyboards, wondering out loud what happened to the press and why this reporter or that network isn’t doing its job, we often overlook newsmen like Buzz who have reliably excelled beyond all that. From both personal experience, watching him produce the news up close every day, to simply being a listener myself, I can assure you: all of the ideals you wish for from the news media have been embodied in the writing, form, and voice of Buzz Burbank.

His laser-focused quest for the truth, aggregating his newscasts with a critical eye on every source, as well as his uncompromising delivery of it, is why when it came time for me to report the news on the radio myself, I practically copied Buzz verbatim -- everything from his careful approach to selecting and prioritizing the news, to many of his familiar verbal trademarks -- even his half-sheets of paper and his signature “and finally” sendoffs. Needless to say, Buzz has always been a generous and patient teacher, and I’d like to think that over the years, myriad students went on to likewise make the news better by following Buzz’s singular example. 

I don’t know if he realizes it, but yes, in ways too numerous to count, Buzz has made a meaningful difference in our lives and therefore our world -- a bright guiding star of decency and truthfulness while aboard an otherwise dark ride.

But today, the world becomes a less informed place without Buzz to tell us what’s what every Thursday. The facts will be a little murkier and, in an age when the line between reality and fiction becomes more and more blurred, we will all miss his weekly delivery of the truth -- our fearless captain guiding us through the wilderness.

And finally… I usually begin my commentaries on his podcast with variations on the words, “Thank you, Buzz.” Today, it’s much more than a transitional greeting. Today, I speak not only for my own podcast listeners who will continue to be treated to Buzz’s voice every Tuesday but for everyone who’s come to rely on his expertise, professionalism, and unwavering honesty as a newsman: Thank you, Buzz.

Read an excerpt from the latest for Banter Members:

There Are No Words Left To Describe The Depths Of Republican Cowardice

Mitch McConnell had one chance to rid the party of Donald Trump forever. But he was too cowardly to take it.

(image: CQ Roll Call / Tom Williams)

by Ben Cohen

If you have been listening to The Banter Podcast, you will have heard that I had a bet with my co-host Mike Luciano this past weekend. I believed Republicans would vote to convict Donald Trump in the impeachment trial, then ban him from ever running for office again.

My bet was based on the fact that Mitch McConnell had indicated back in January that he backed impeachment. McConnell, who was rushed to safety during the Capitol riots, had been livid with Trump and cut off all contact with him. McConnell had always despised Trump, and the second impeachment trial would have been the perfect opportunity to get rid of him once and for all. McConnell’s statement that he was keeping an “open mind” was a clear an indication that he sensed an opportunity to de-Trumpify the party.

Mike told me that I was underestimating the cowardice of the Republican Party. I didn’t disagree that Republicans were spineless, but I did think they might act in their own self interest, particularly given Trump had quite literally nearly gotten many of them killed.

I lost the bet…

This is an excerpt of today’s Members Only piece. Go here to read the rest and get 50% off a Banter Membership.