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PmHeetILBEUTH Pby Kelly G. Cooper
hilip Beuth is a former producer and
author of limping on water 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.

8 Life in Naples | March 2016