On the Scene: Liz Claman Previews "Open for Business"
By Liz Claman
Fox Business decided that in this time of economic uncertainty, why not focus on great American cities that are fighting hard to grow and innovate. We are spending two full days apiece broadcasting live from these cities to show that business always finds a way. Our slogan at FBN is "Capitalism Lives Here." We identified several cities with great capitalist spirit and Cleveland was very much at the top of the list.
I'm a big cheerleader for Cleveland but I can tell you I had nothing to do with the choice, which perhaps gives it a little more legitimacy. The decision was made at the very top of Fox News and Fox Business that Cleveland deserves this. We looked at cities that have fought through tough economic times and managed to succeed.
We looked at bastions of Fortune 500 companies. Ohio has close to 30 and a solid bunch are in Cleveland. We also wanted to shine the spotlight on cities where the world says, "Wait a minute. They're doing it right. Let's follow their lead." The Cleveland Clinic is the perfect example of that. So is Sherwin Williams. Innovation and capitalist spirit are two mustl-have qualities. Cleveland's got them.
What a line-up we'll have Thursday and Friday. We've got Mark Shapiro, the President of the Cleveland Indians. I grew up in LA my whole life, but I"m an Indians fan after having lived in Cleveland from '91 to '94. How can you not support the team that A) is fighting the Curse of Rocky Colavito and B) had the best baseball movie ever made about them with "Major League"? I'm thrilled to say we have Art Falco, the CEO of Playhouse Square which is highly regarded nationwide. I'm a Tony Award voter, my mother is a formally trained theatre actress from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and she has always said Cleveland theatre is a notch above. I'm honored that Mayor Frank Jackson is joining us, and well as Governor Kasich. How are they leading in times of trouble? We've got Marcus Glover of Horseshoe Casino, a major point of revitalization in Cleveland. Dr. Toby Cosgrove of the Cleveland Clinic is one of my favorite guests. I interview him at least 4 times a year. It's rare that a doctor can also become a major business leader. Dr. Cosgrove has done it and now the world is watching. David LaRue and Chuck Ratner of Forest City are renowned in the world of mega-real estate deals. Can't wait to talk to them about all their projects. I'm so very excited to speak with James Hambrick, chairman, CEO and President of Lubrizol, the business so brilliant that Warren Buffett bought it. Beth Mooney of Keycorp, we have Anthony Alexander of First Energy, and the list goes on.
What are we trying to convey over these 2 days? I suspect it'll be obvious: Capitalism lives in Cleveland. It's alive and kicking. Fox Business picked Cleveland. Viewers will see that it's a cool Midwestern city that feels so big and Eastern. To me, Cleveland is more New York than Chicago. It's a grown-up city with grown-up issues and it's learned to fight. There's big money to be made in Cleveland and that's something a lot of people don't know.
How is it that I feel this way? Well I owe Cleveland. I have ALWAYS said I learned more in Cleveland about communicating with a viewing audience than I did anywhere else. The TV talent in Cleveland---Ted Henry, Fred Griffeth, Wilma Smith, Lou Maglio, Don Webster, Jenny Crimm, such giants in the industry... they are so very down to earth, so natural on the air, unafraid to admit they didn't understand something, They all could laugh at themselves and each other. All I did was watch and learn. They could talk a viewer through the most difficult of times, connecting so intimately with people watching.
I feel so lucky to have gone to their 'school.' Personally, I made some of the best friends in the world in Cleveland. And of course, learning to tough out Cleveland winters... I'll never forget having to dig my car out of about 7 feet of snow and thinking, "Ok, California girl. Let's see what you're made of." Now when New Yorkers kvetch about a foot of snow or panic about driving in flurries, I look at them and say, "I'll drive. I lived in CLEVELAND so let's go!"
That's what I want to convey during our Ohio shows: Cleveland Rocks!
Tune in to Fox Business, today and tomorrow at 3p ET!
