Columnist Joe Delaney: Long day’s journey to the Las Vegas night

Joe Delaney

Thursday, Jan. 29, 1998 | 9:47 a.m.

GOOD TO BE BACK. ... It was 24 hours from a wake-up call at 9 a.m., Central European Time in Montreux, Switzerland (9 p.m. Saturday in Las Vegas) until we turned off the lights at home Sunday night. ... Our journey included train travel between Montreux and Geneva (90 minutes), Air France to Paris (60 minutes) and Paris-Los Angeles (11 hours).

L.A. to L.V. via Southwest took 50 minutes. ... We watched the last six minutes of the Super Bowl first half in the L.A. airport and the exciting last two minutes of the game at a set near Gate 27 in the C Gates section of McCarran International Airport. ... Packer fans were silent there.

Daughter Kathleen and I, via fax, had agreed on taking Denver and the points and the over-50 points total but lost our parlay on the number of quarterback sacks, taking the over. ... It was worth losing to see Elway and the Broncos end the NFC's 13-game Super Bowl win streak.

What we did

This is our third year teaching at the International Academy of Broadcasting in Montreux. ... Three wonderful weeks, interacting with students from all over the world, creating a magazine program utilizing each of the students on camera, behind the camera, and at the various technical positions involved in the production process.

George Waters, former Director General of Telefis Eireann (Irish radio and television) and later, Director of Engineering at the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva, founded the school with the brilliant Aleksander Todorovic as dean. ... The I.A.B. Board of Directors includes many top people, including the USA's Walter Cronkite and Quincy Jones.

We're committed to return for another three weeks, starting Jan. 11, 1999. ... This past Tuesday, we started the second half of our 25th year teaching the three-credit course in Hotel Entertainment at UNLV.

Anent Montreux

Montreux and nearby Vevey, on the shores of Lac Leman, are known as the Swiss Riviera. ... The school is located in the Hotel Miramonte, overlooking the lake, 120 steps below. ... I counted them twice a day, once each way. ... The area pretty much closes down from the first Sunday in January until mid-February. ... It is quiet, but pleasant.

Thanks to the International Edition of the Herald Tribune and USA Today, plus CNN and NBC on television, we could keep up with current events in the U.S. ... Eurosport on TV gave comprehensive coverage of tennis but not much else that is American in origin. ... Soccer is the big thing.

In addition to the above, our hotel TV carried 29 other channels, including Arabic, French, German and Italian telecasts. ... On our first Sunday, I watched "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," with Spencer Tracy and all the great comedians, dubbed by German actors.

Back at home

Monday was spent opening mail; and trying to get into the much faster flow of Las Vegas, telling good buddy Terry Little that we did manage a weekend in Ireland during our three weeks away. ... We watched Andre Agassi lose to Alberto Berasategui in the morning and have the PBS series, "The Irish In America," on as we type this.

The series continues through Wednesday on KLVX channel 10. ... It is well done, worth seeing, and should be available now on a Disney videocassette. ... It belongs in every Irish-American family's home library.

It was sad to read in Monday's USA Today that the executive producer of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" said, "It doesn't matter to me if the accusations (about President Clinton) are true. For us it matters that the story is as big as it is. If it turns out to be fake, then we cover that." ... So much for fairness in the media.

Thursday addenda

Good to learn that comedian-magician Nick Lewin has been renewed for another year, doing his afternoon "Comedy Magic" show at the Maxim. ... Richard Jeni (Sahara) checked in Monday; Louie Anderson (Bally's) and Wayne Newton (MGM Grand) open tonight and Luther Vandross (Caesars Palace) starts Saturday. ... See you Friday.