Meet Phil Beuth – Author of limping on water

by Kelly G. Cooper

Philip Beuth is a former producer and president of various television and radio programs, including Good Morning America. He was an original executive at Capital Cities Communications. His new memoir, Limping on Water, is an inspirational and entertaining tale of his illustrious career.

It chronicles his experiences in broadcasting as he excelled to the pinnacle of the entertainment industry while establishing a broadcasting empire. As Phil put it, “In some ways the book is a love story between myself and my company, but at the same time it tries to draw the lessons I learned and applied in terms of doing the right thing when you run a company.

Doing the right thing always pays off.”

Philip Beuth has a way of speaking to people and making them feel as if they were the only person in the room. If you have had the opportunity to meet or work with Phil you would agree his charisma and smile are infectious. Over a few cups of coffee in Phil’s library I learned his secret to his job fulfillment and success outlined in his memoir. With his honest eyes he simply said “I never had to work a day in my life because I liked what I did and I enjoyed the people I was surrounded by.” That sounds simple enough.

As a member of two Broadcasting Hall of Fames Phil emphasized that “success is not just about ratings, it is measured by honesty, integrity and being proud of the positive things you do. In broadcasting there is great responsibility and it is our duty as professionals to do it morally and ethically.”

Limping on Water provides the framework to a successful business model. “As the corporation evolved from a four station market into a plethora of stations with 200 signals over 40 years, the business concept remained the same.”

Capcities never veered from their mission statement. “We hire as few people as possible, we hire the best people we can find, we are not going to waste any stockholders money, and we are going to operate in a public interest and convenience of necessity according to what the FCC asks us to do and according to the license we have and the public trust that we have.” What was good for Capcities had to be good for the public as well.

There was also another code of conduct to live by at Capcities; there were no second chances. If you did anything to embarrass yourself or the company, anything illegal, and anything you wouldn’t want your mother to approve of you were fired and there was no second chance. Every meeting Phil reinforced, “I want you to be an individual entrepreneur, I want you to put all of your energy towards making the best product doing the best for the public and our advertisers but don’t disappoint me, don’t lie there is no second chance.” There were no favorites, nor a protected class, and it did not matter where you came from.

“If you were smart and determined enough to work hard, be a team player, be honest with yourself and others, you would thrive.” – Alan Nesbitt, Senior VP, ABC-owned TV stations.

Limping on Water is a remarkable story of leadership, perseverance and dedication, a must read for everyone! Philip Beuth is one of the savviest broadcast managers in history, which is why it is no surprise a lot can be learned from his memoir and the history of Capcities. As Irv Weinstein points out, “mavens of Wall Street know about the unparalleled success of Capcities.”

Order your book now and 100 percent of proceeds from the purchase will directly go to local charities in Southwest Florida. You may purchase Limping on Water on Amazon.com.