To add insult to injury, each band had to pay an entrance fee and pay to get their equipment, staff, and musicians there. The musicians did get marching experience, but if relatives were told to watch to see your nephew or cousin on TV, I'm sure there was quite a bit of disappointment. Some of the band parents did travel to the parade area, and some did buy the expensive tickets. I was considering going, but at the time I had a minor foot injury and didn't want to have to park a distance away and then try to find a freebie spot at the curb.Bandmaster wrote:You are being way to nice to the folks that broadcast that mess. This year's coverage had to be the worst I have ever seen. Some of the bands didn't even get 5 seconds of TV time. How will the travel agents be able to keep a straight face when trying to sell a travel package to an eastern band to come to next years parade? The producers apparently don't want a parade, they want a variety show. I wonder what the ratings were for this year's broadcast?flutemom wrote:Unfortunately I watched the Hollywood Christmas parade on TV (and only because my flute player was marching in it) and each band was on for at the most 18 seconds (I started counting out loud after the first band or so). The producers weren't showing a parade, they were showing a two-hour commercial for various sponsors in between musical performances (that had been recorded on December 1 in a concert for paid ticketholders on Hollywood Blvd. before the parade actually started).
Before last month, I hadn't watched this parade in years and feel I hadn't missed anything in all that time. Don't know about the ratings -- maybe I'll do some googling.