Have you ever wondered whose brainchild it was while you’re sitting watching a fabulous TV show or enjoying a news website? If so, this episode is for you.

It was a privilege to chat with Phil Balboni recently. His pioneering contributions to broadcast and cable TV are extraordinary.

A former vice president and news director of WCVB-TV Boston (Channel 5), he created and launched “Chronicle” a nightly news magazine, making it a staple of local journalism for over forty years.

He has had his fingers in all facets of the news and broadcasting industry for years, including notable projects such as New England Cable News (NECN) and the subscription-based Daily Chatter newsletter, which showcases his versatility and influence.

He’s a Vietnam vet, and beyond his achievements, his service strengthens his reputation as dependable, inspiring respect and admiration among the audience.

I caught up recently with Carson Lund, the director and co-writer of the independent film Eephus, and a New England native who grew up in New Hampshire. Carson, a cinematographer and film editor, holds a BA in Film Production from Emerson College in Boston. In an impromptu chat at the Dedham Community Theatre in Dedham, Massachusetts, I quickly learned that an “eephus” is a pitch rarely used in baseball but carries a significant metaphorical meaning in the 98-minute film. Eephus is Lund’s first major film project; it premiered in 2024 at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, a testament to its high-quality emotional impact. The film was released in the United States on March 7th, 2025.

Set in the 1990s, Eephus is a comedy-drama about an amateur New England baseball league in a small town in central Massachusetts (it was filmed at Soldier Field in Douglas, MA). The Adler’s Paint baseball team faces the Riverdogs in one last game before their ballfield is demolished to make room for a new school. The film stars Keith William Richards (“Phil” in the 2019’s Uncut Gems) in his first lead role. Boston Red Sox pitching legend Bill “Spaceman” Lee appears as Lee.

Eephus has garnered rave reviews: 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 83 on Metacritic, and 7.9 on IMDB.com. You don’t need to be a baseball fan to love this cinematic gem, as the real star of the film is the nostalgic and humorous portrayal of an essential part of small-town life in bygone New England.

Sam LaGrassa’s Deli, situated just off the Freedom Trail, is an excellent spot to refuel during your walking tour of Boston. Since 1968, this family-operated sandwich mecca has been piling the meats high. Hats off to the Rumanian pastrami & Swiss on light rye. Honorable mention to the pickles. Sure, LaGrassa’s swarms with locals at lunchtime so you know it’s good, but don’t be put off – the line moves quickly.

Each sandwich can easily feed to adult appetites. Leave room for the 7-layer bar for dessert. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available. It’s pricey but worth it! Open Monday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Closed on weekends. Parking: Forget about it.

Creative podcasters welcome the chance to spread their wings and try something new. After a very successful series of “true crime” podcasts, Diane Godfrey is now pursuing her passion for sharing stories about the people, places and things she loves about her fair City of Boston. We talk about the adventure Diane is about to begin which will have her out and about at local restaurants, cultural landmarks and interviewing fascinating people, including celebrities, who make Boston what it is, “The Hub of the Universe.” You’re invited to come along for the ride!

We’re going “off road” to talk again with the writer Joseph P. O’Donnell. He is the author of the successful 2022 memoir of E. Steven Sachs, “Living On the Fringe of the Mob”, which we talked about on February 5, 2023. Joseph’s latest project was to put down on paper the gripping true story told to him by Daniel Kolmann, a gifted young athlete born in 1948 in Communist-occupied Czechoslovakia. Daniel was removed from his family at age twelve and forced to live in a Russian-controlled sports camp where he was trained for six hours a day, seven days a week to be a soccer star, and allowed to see his parents only once a month. As Daniel grew up, his yearning for freedom led to a nail-biting, death-defying escape. Daniel told his exciting life story to Joseph, who captured it in “ Run for My Life”, published this past February. We will talk with Joseph about his craft and about the crimes of the Communist regime that trampled over human rights with impunity.

The fascinating and fearless best-selling author Jillian Lauren joins me to discuss her upcoming true-crime book, Behold the Monster: Confronting America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer (due out July 18, 2023). Before Samuel Little died in 2020, he confessed to having murdered 93 people, mostly women, between 1970 and 2005. Jillian was determined to give a voice many of his victims and so fostered a personal relationship with him to get material for this book.

She is a candid and engaging guest. I first encountered Jillian by viewing her 2014 TEDx talk on adoption and was immediately hooked. Jillian is also the author of Everything You Ever Wanted, Pretty, and my personal favorite, Some Girls: My Life Inside a Harem, where she recounts her time in a harem as the girlfriend of the brother of the Sultan of Brunei. Jillian is married to Weezer bassist Scott Shriner. They live in Los Angeles with two adopted sons, one from Ethiopia and one from a foster-to-adopt program.

F-Bomb Warning: this episode contains expletives but we decided to keep them in the final cut as they are true to Jillian’s expressive delivery.

Meet Bill Powers, the Retired Massachusetts State Police commander of the Detective Unit for Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. Bill guides us through every step of a truly bizarre murder investigation he recounts in his book, When the Smoke Cleared, A Murder Mystery in Malden Massachusetts. Powers and his colleagues knew someone had been murdered, but who? Where was the body? Who are the suspects? What was the motive? And where was the murder weapon? Against all odds, Powers and his team put the puzzle together to bring justice for the July, 2000, brutal murder of teenage runaway Kelly Hancock and her family in Malden, MA.