Scott Ott

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Geithner's 'Legacy Assets Roadshow' Comes to PBS

By: Scott Ott
Examiner Columnist
March 24, 2009

News fairly unbalanced. We report. You decipher

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner today announced a public-public partnership with PBS to produce and host a program tentatively dubbed 'Legacy Assets Roadshow', with a format reminiscent of the network's popular 'Antiques Roadshow.'
Part adventure, part history lesson, and part treasure hunt, the Legacy Assets Roadshow hopes to "tap the viewer's ongoing curiosity about whether that dusty old thing that looks virtually worthless might turn out to be a precious keepsake worth big bucks."
Geithner plans to travel to locations around the nation inviting bankers and other financial firm executives to bring in mortgages, mortgaged-backed securities and other items formerly known as "troubled or toxic" but now called "legacy" assets. At the mobile "Roadshow" studio,  Geithner and a panel of leading financial experts will offer their appraisals of the debt instruments.
"It's like discovering grandma's old hope chest in the attic and then finding out what its contents are worth," said Geithner. "Our Legacy Assets Roadshow cameras will capture the atmosphere of eager anticipation as bank executives hope their trash can turn to treasure. Of course, most of the time, the paper has nothing but sentimental value...but the speculation will have you on the edge of your seat."
Unlike the Antiques Roadshow, Geithner said that on his show appraisals will be followed by offers from financial firms and wealthy individuals to purchase the heirlooms. The buyers will put down 10 percent of the appraised value, and get the other 90 percent from Geithner, whose crew will actually print legal-tender U.S. currency on the spot.
"We got the idea for the show," said Geithner, "when we realized that this economic crisis has all the elements of great entertainment -- jeopardy, unexpected twists, and a happy ending when the U.S. taxpayer comes to the rescue of the banker in distress. As PBS fundraisers like to say, 'TV worth watching is TV worth paying for'."
Examiner columnist Scott Ott is editor in chief of ScrappleFace.com, the family-friendly news satire site, and anchor of ScrappleFace Network News (SNN), seen on YouTube.
 



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Reader Comments

All comments on this page are subject to our Terms of Use and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Examiner or its staff. Comment box is limited to 250 words.

Mar 24, 2009

Brilliant, as always. I'm grinning from ear to ear. You, sir, are a genius!

 

Gary

Mar 24, 2009

This pitch really fits in well with the recent move by PBS affiliates to extend their "Pledge Week" schedules, which now occur approximately monthly on many stations, and with the traditional fund raising Auctions. Combining the toxic, er, Legacy Assets Roadshow with the Auction format on the Pledge Week schedule would let Mr. Geithner sell that worthless paper to People Like You. Er, unless you're a taxpayer, in which case, as with Public Broadcasting in general, you'd be paying twice.

 

dennisl59

Mar 24, 2009

Investment=Spending; Budget Cut=Decrease in the amount of the Increase. Thank You.

 

Bozo

Apr 14, 2009

Is this for real? This guy needs to get a life and pay his taxes. What about his Mammy???

 

Bozo

Apr 14, 2009

Is this for real? This guy needs to get a life and pay his taxes. What about his Mammy???

 

flyingpa

May 21, 2009

These guys are definately the dullest knives in the drawer.

 


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