1967

One day I had a talk with Carlton about a raise. I was making $80 a week and I wanted £100. It wasn’t going to happen, according to Carlton. 

He would, but the bosses across the street were adamant that I should stay at a lower tax bracket. 

So I quit Channel 9, falling back on a friend, Brooks Read, who had one time said “If you ever need a job, call me.” Brooks hired me at $100 a week.

I went to work at Brooks Read and Associates in Baton Rouge, a political consultant/public relations agency as news director. My job was interviewing politicians to order, ad nauseum, and sending interviews throughout Louisiana to client’s stations by Greyhound Bus. For this was a time when long, boring interviews were the staple of local television news.

The job lasted one month until Carlton Cremeens gave in to my wage demands of $125 a week. 

(Brooks was the man responsible for Brer Rabbit voices).

I was back at WAFB-TV for three months before I was offered and accepted a job at WVUE-TV at $167.50 a week, plus talent fees ($12.50 per show), for doing weekend news.