Commentary: Long day’s journey into night

Thursday, March 21, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

TWENTY-SEVEN HOURS. ... That's how long it was between our waking up in the guest room of George and Mary Waters' home in Nyon, Switzerland, at 6 a.m. Swiss time last Sunday (9 p.m. Saturday in LV) until we said "Good night" to Roberta at home here Sunday at midnight. ... Total flying time was 14 hours.

Reason for three weeks of column reminiscences: We were in Montreux, Switzerland, teaching three weeks of seminars at the International Academy of Broadcasting. ... Columns for the SUN and ShowBiz were done in advance, no faxes for us.

Switzerland has to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. ... Our hotel, the Miramonte, was on a hill overlooking Lake Geneva. ... The classrooms were in the hotel; downtown and the lake, just two blocks away. ... Weekends were spent at Gstaad, Zermatt and Roche de Nay.

Acknowledgements

We're grateful to Sandy Hackett, Nancy Metheny and Kathy Nelson, to UNLV Director of Concert Hall Programming Rick Romito, and attorney Mark Tratos for taking over our UNLV Hotel College Entertainment classes and to SUN columnist Jim Barrows for covering the UNLV Music Department Jazz Appreciation sessions.

Hackett, Metheny and Nelson are all part of the UNLV Hotel College's expanded entertainment program. ... Romito succeeded the late Charles Vanda and has done a great job of expanding the number, type and quality of concert programs on the UNLV campus and elsewhere.

This columnist takes pride in the fact that we were able to encourage Mark Tratos to specialize in entertainment and copyright law when he was between law school semesters some years ago. ... He was night manager in a supermarket at the time.

Anent the academy

Our seminar subjects at the International Academy of Broadcasting were Audio and Visual Communication Skills and the Creation of Magazine Shows. ... It proved to be a learning experience for me as well as for students from Holland, Hungary, India, Moldavia and Romania as well as the United States. ... Our magazine show will be used as a future model.

In addition to weekend trips, we made unofficial visits to Swiss hotel schools in Glion, Lausanne, Leysin and H.I.M. Europa in Montreux. ... It was gratifying to learn how well known and respected the UNLV School of Hotel Administration was at each of those schools. ... Las Vegans should be proud of UNLV's accomplishments.

Publican Tom Lally should have been a great St. Patrick in Sunday's Sons of Erin parade -- the first we've missed in a quarter century. ... We were en route all day Sunday.

Re George Waters

Waters was director general of Radio Telefis Eireann, Irish radio and television, when we were producing our six documentaries on Ireland, 1973-1987. ... He has been the director of engineering for the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva ever since. ... He is in demand as a lecturer throughout the world and founder of the IAB.

He is featured speaker at the engineering symposia when the National Association of Broadcasters meets in LV each April. ... One evening is always set aside for dinner together at the Aristocrat Restaurant. ... Michael Smyth, a Dubliner, is the proprietor.

This year the N.A.B. Convention coincides with this year's Variety Clubs International Convention at The Mirage. ... In addition to our regular chores, we will be doubling between the two events. ... We look forward to both.

Extra feature

Our hotel room television set had 31 channels, four each in French, German and Italian, plus CNN, BBS Prime, NBC Prime, Arabic and three Eurosport channels, but none in English. ... We watched "Arsenic and Old Lace" dubbed in German, the Cosby sitcom in French and a Whoopi Goldberg film in Italian, plus U.S. tennis matches with French narration.

We've been invited to do another three weeks next January. ... If we do it, no more 27-hour trips, we'll lay over a day somewhere. ... Wherever we do wander, the best part is always returning home to Las Vegas. ... Back to local events when we see you on Friday.

JOE DELANEY has been active in the entertainment industry for more than 50 years. His column appears Thursdays and Fridays in the SUN.

Hackett

Cosby

Goldberg