Tim Hermes, BGR CEO

Writers. I give them credit. Making a living out of words – and crafted words at that – is an enviable living. One that I doubt I could ever do. Oftentimes it’s a tough gig, and when you are a journalist specializing in a specific vertical discipline like sports, business, or technology, it can get downright ruthless. There are more writers than jobs, always. And in our business, having the “way with words” won’t get you far unless you actually understand what you are covering. That can take years. Let’s face it, very few journalists have an engineering degree. And even fewer have built a headend.

We’ve been lucky here at BGR to have one of the best writers out there – and believe me they are few and far between. Laura Hamilton has been my partner for over five years and has done some amazing things. The most impressive of which has been her implementation of BGR’s annual Diamond Technology Reviews. Laura helped me in the beginning shape the editorial mix of BGR and when we went from bi-weekly to weekly in 2006 she absorbed the double-workload as if to say “ain’t no thang.”

This issue marks Laura’s last for the next few months as she takes a break to focus on a heavy school course-load. Miss her? Oh yes. Besides her dry sense of humor, appreciation of the National Football League, the Ramones, and being a fellow Mac-junkie, Laura’s just plain cool. And she never, not once, missed a deadline. That’s over 200 straight issues. Dimaggio-esque, ain’t it?

So we bid thee adieu. Learn well, my tech-goddess, and bring us bounty upon your return.

While Laura will still be a partner with Rob and I, we’ve brought in two veteran broadband journalists of equal pedigree to provide an even more thorough coverage of the market. Carl Weinschenk has forgotten more about cable than I’ll ever know. He’s also managed to work on all the broadband publications I haven’t. Carl will be writing our bi-weekly Features issues, which focus on a specific technology and its applications. Ron Hendrickson, on the other hand, was a colleague from my days at Communications Technology magazine and has been an industry technical writer for more than 10 years. Ron steps in to handle our Products issues, which debut the latest technology from the vendor community. A pretty potent mix if I say so myself.

And as for the Diamond Reviews, this year we are going all pro-style as industry engi-legend Steve Johnson, formerly of Time Warner and now Johnson Associates, will be the Program Chairman and will be running this year’s Reviews. So welcome to you too, Steve.

So, we’re in good, good hands. Thanks Laura for a great run. Come home soon. In the meantime, don’t worry – the store is in great shape.

Tim Hermes is CEO at Broadband Gear Report. Email him at timhermes@broadbandgear.net.