Tampabay.com
MAY 26, 2009

The (Kathy) Fountain of Youth

Kathy Let me say right off the bat that WTVT talk show host Kathy Fountain is a brave woman for inviting me to appear for a half-hour on her show today, talking about summer movies and the box office sailing through recessionary times. (Ch. 13, 12:25 p.m. or so, for a shameless plug.)

We still joke about her former afternoon show, in front of a live studio audience, and my first time on it that also turned out to be my last. About 10 years ago, I joined former Tampa Tribune movie critic Bob Ross and freelancer George Meyer to discuss the upcoming Academy Awards with Kathy. Turned out to be a good show, informative and fun.

It also turned out to be Kathy's final show in that format. She got the word soon after taping that WTVT was canceling her program.

Of course she rebounded and thrived in her later slot under the banner Your Turn with Kathy Fountain, daily during the noon news report. But it has become a kind of mock threat: Do what I want or else I'll come on your show. I've done a half-dozen or so shows with Kathy since then -- my favorite was a tribute to the late comedy genius George Carlin -- without anyone losing their gig.

Of course, when you figure that the 4 p.m. newscast on WTSP where I appeared weekly for more than seven years just got axed, Kathy's invitation could be tempting fate.

Your Turn invites viewers to chime in with questions and comments. E-mail them at yourturn@wtvt.com or call (813) 875-8255 or (800) 826-4434. If you can't make it to a TV, Kathy's show is streamed live online at MyFoxTampaBay.com. I'll be the one with the red rose behind my ear.

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About the bloggers

For new movie reviews and movie news, this blog's for you. Steve Persall, movie critic for the St. Petersburg Times, weighs in on blockbuster movies, small-budget movies, the best movies, the worst movies ever and everything in between. Steve was conceived behind a drive-in movie theater his father operated and raised in projection booths and concession stands. He doesn't care how you did it up north.

E-mail Steve Persall:
persall@sptimes.com.

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