Book excerpt: What started out ten years ago as a required thesis for a Master's Degree in Communication has evolved into an intimate memoir of the author's professional and personal experiences during a forty-year, well-traveled career. Now retired, Pagnotti takes a look back at the ups and downs, of both climbing and descending the ladder of local television stations. He takes us on his colorful journey, with stops ranging from the hills of North Carolina., to 30 Rock in NYC. Along the way, Tony reveals how media notables such as Bill O'Reilly, Howard Stern, and Al Roker have had roles in shaping his own destiny. He shares with the reader a side of the TV celebrity that viewers don't see. Divorces, firings, and confrontations with contemptuous bosses and co-workers are just some of the challenges the peripatetic journalist faces once the red light goes off. STAND BY... CUE TONY!