Old School TV News Rules Vs the New School

When I first posted my column Thursday lamenting the habit of local TV health reporters to retrack nearly word-for-word stories prepared by other affiliates and news services such as Ivanhoe Broadcast News, I got an interesting email from an out-of-town TV professional who suggested the rules of TV news have changed significantly in the last 15 years.

This person tagged the blame on the preponderance of sales managers becoming TV station general managers, the pressure to squeeze more money out of understaffed stations and the flood of veterans leaving the industry -- leaving younger executives with less grounding in ethics.

My email pal, who shall remain nameless, also provided a funny list of rules -- old school TV news vs new school -- to illustrate how much things have changed. To preserve this person's job, I pass the list along without attribution as a little bit of funny you can take with you to enjoy the weekend... 

Old rule: news is news.  New rule: news is marketing.

Old rule:  news is never old  New rule:  news has an expiration date

Old rule:  live shots compliment the story  New rule:  live IS the story

Old rule:  weather gets the attention it deserves   New rule:  rain is a lead story

Old rule:  Cover the issues    New rule:  cover the emotions

Old rule:  Staff experience is valuable  New rule:  1 year is experience

Old rule:  Cover breaking news  New rule:  make up breaking news

Old rule:  Build credibility and you'll gain a bigger audience   New rule:  Reach more people through the Internet

Old rule:  Be good storytellers    New rule:  more stories, less telling 

Old rule:  Report the facts    New rule:  report what people say

Old rule:  Follow the news director's lead   New rule:   Who's the news director?

Old rule:  Consultants suggest   New rule:  Consultants control

Old rule:  Ratings rule   New rule:  Demos dominate

Old rule:  Know your community   New rule:  know your research

Old rule:  Bad staff behavior is not tolerated   New rule:  address your questions to our attorneys

Should Local TV Reporters Disclose When They are Reciting Someone Else's Words?

It was something I noticed when I decided to take a closer look at the health reporting on local TV stations.

Often, stories would present sources without identifying where they lived. Or the piece would unfold over long minutes without showing the reporter with the subjects or at any of the locations.

For the educated viewer, these were giveaway clues: these anchors were likely voicing a script prepared somewhere else, using footage shot somewhere else. A few Google searches later, I found several stories where local health reporters had simply re-voiced stories, almost word-for-word, provided by news services such as Ivanhoe Broadcast News and Medstar Television.

Typically, the reporters don't reveal these sources in their pieces, which I think leads viewers to believe they are reporting these stories themselves. It's a practice TV stations have indulged for many years, but I've never felt it was totally honest with the viewer, so I wrote a column dissecting the issue for today newspaper.

I understand why it happens: TV stations want their health franchises to appear regularly -- usually too often to rely on stories turned by a single reporter. At WFTS-Ch. 28, health reporter Linda Hurtado also happens to be the station's 5:30 p.m. news anchor, which makes negotiating the workload a challenge. And producers have often written scripts for reporters and news anchors to voice.

But at a time when new outlets are handling more sources of information than ever, we'll have to be more careful about disclosing where that material comes from -- particularly when it involves taking stories wholesale which are repeated, word-for-word, at other stations.

Here's a story on the use of art to help those suffering from Alzheimer's disease that ran on WFTS.

And here's the same story on a station in Moline, Ill. And also the same story done in Orlando; though the text on their Web site is different, the video uses the same script.

Two Examples of an Important TV Truth: Never Lose it on a TV News Set

I don't know why experienced TV journalists never learn this lesson. But the current online climate makes it plain: famous anchors lose their tempers on set at their own peril.

Industry veterans know that production staffers, who often earn many times less the salaries of the highly-paid, high-strung primadonnas losing it publicly, love to secretly roll tape when a famous face is having a tantrum. Rest assured that the embarrassing video will surface later, plunked online by someone who got a bootleg tape from a friend of a friend and can't wait to share it with cyberspace.

Here is Bill O'Reilly blowing his top when he was an anchor on Inside Edition, apparently upset that someone didn't write a tagline capping the end of the show, just before proving that he didn't really need the script, anyway.

Here's the F-word heard around cyberspace -- New York anchor Sue Simmons loosing the F-word at the end of a promo she thought was being taped, but was actually airing live.

    

Syesha's Scrapbook: Deggans Tries His Hand at Photojournalism

The Pulitzer committee doesn't need to be alerted just yet. But I had more fun -- and success-- than I expected shooting pictures of American Idol contestant Syesha Mercado's visit to the Tampa Bay area Friday.

Tracking the visit itself was like walking the Bataan Death March -- cruising to Tampa at 7 a.m., Sarasota by lunchtime, then back to St. Petersburg in rush hour traffic to hassle with the crowd at Tropicana Field so I could watch Syesha nail a national anthem she's sung at baseball games since she was 9 years old.

A few things did stick out while I was shadowing the Last Woman Standing in TV's most popular singing contest:

-- Syesha pretty much admitted that she doesn't listen to the judges, telling reporters her vocal coaches have more impact on her creative decisions in the competition.

-- Syesha's dad Jose said he didn't mind the barbs directed his way by idol judge Simon Cowell because most of his criticisms are just a shtick, anyway.

-- Idol is still a phenomenon, and huge draw locally for WTVT-Ch. 13. Still, it was a little surprising to see the amount of news resources the station devoted to covering her visit, including two remote trucks and their helicopter.

-- Sarasota's 70-year-old mayor, Lou Ann Palmer, reportedly did three handstands last Tuesday, during a massive Idol party hosted by an area radio station at Mattison's restaurant.

-- When Palmer failed to hold a handstand on her first try during Mercado's visit to the Ringling Museum, the mayor cracked "I pulled a Brooke," in referenced to ejected Idol Brooke White, who had two false starts while competing on the show.

-- Reality was rarely good enough for idol's camera crew; Mercado had to redo her entrance at WTVT twice and redo her departure from the stations three times before they got the footage the producer wanted. Palmer had to say the name of the song Randy Jackson picked for Syesha to sing Tuesday four times before she got it right. 

Here's a host of photos from my time Friday. Click on any photo to see an enlarged, more detailed display.

Another American Idol Surprise: Sarasota-Bred Finalist Syesha Mercado is a Playful, Poised Star-in-the-Making

TAMPA -- This was not the Syesha Mercado I've seen tackling the big songs each week on American Idol.

That woman, appearing on my TV each week belting out classic diva tunes despite all advice to the contrary, is by turns intensely serious and emotional -- focused on nailing the increasingly showy tunes she picks each week for America's biggest talent competition.

But the Syesha who emerged during the start of her daylong local publicity tour of the Tampa Bay area this morning was so much more appealing. Funny. Humble. Given to playful teasing and spot-on impressions -- she cracked up the crew on WFLZ-FM's morning show with a dead-on impersonation of Idol judge Paula Abdul -- Mercado seems born to bask in the attention afforded a major singing star.

So why does so little of this superstar charisma make it onto the Idol stage during the competition?

"American Idol kind of put me in a stage fright mode," said Mercado, speaking backstage at the studios of Tampa Fox affiliate WTVT-Ch. 13, where the station had assembled a phalanx of media to document the return of a local hero. "I've learned to loosen up a bit and go with the flow."

By 8 a.m. this morning, Mercado was deep into a day of media appearances and public performances that would challenge the most experienced performer. As her gigantic stretch limousine pulled up before WTVT's Kennedy Blvd. headquarters, she had already knocked off two radio interviews, singing snatches of the National Anthem she would recreate tonight at the Rays baseball game in St. Petersburg and firing off a dead-on impersonation of Tina Turner.

At WTVT, a small knot of fans culled from the station's staff waved signs before a makeshift red carpet, providing the kind of celebratory greeting that will look good for Idol's cameras.

Inside the Fox affiliate, reporters from People magazine, Sarasota magazine, Orlando's fox affiliate and host of area newspapers jockeyed for good photos while the station's Idol correspondent Charlie Belcher goofed around with Mercado. And because cameras were on hand filming this for Idol's Welcome Home show next week, reality wasn't quite good enough: Mercado stepped out of her limo twice and re-enacted leaving the station three times, to catch the perfect shots.

Ask Mercado whether consistent criticism from the judges has ever affected her -- she is, after all, the only contestant this season to land in the Bottom Three of audience votes multiple times and survive to stand among the Top Three contenders -- and you learn that she pays far more attention to what her vocal coaches advise than what Abdul Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell offer.

"The judges say stuff to me, and it doesn't affect me...I never take it to heart," she says, expertly directing her attention to each member of the media crowded around her while speaking. "Paula is really cool -- she came backstage and told me the other day 'Simon liked your performance, he just didn't have anything else to say.' I'm like, why didn't he just say that he liked it on national television?"

Mercado even let a bit of showbiz dish drop, inadvertently; admitting that she can't get permission to sing a version of Beyonce's Listen because Cowell remains in a tiff with the singer. Back in 2005, he criticized Beyonce's figure and singing ability in an interview for Esquire magazine, promoting the singer's dad to challenge Cowell to a competition to develop the most successful singing group.

"That last show, he kind of...(nixed the song)," said Mercado. "Simon doesn't like to apologize to people, so..."

Mercado blamed her early, ice queen image on an illness early in the competition which forced her to conserve her voice, communicating with people mostly through rudimentary hand signals and written notes. Her turning point came during a performance of Andrew Lloyd Weber's One Rock N Roll Too Many, which allowed her to be a little flirty and theatrical -- separating herself from the experience by playing a bit of a role.

"Being on vocal rest kind of dampened who I am," she said. "It kinda made me silent -- you can only hold up note cards (to communicate) for so long. But slowly and surely, I came into my own."

Certainly, she looked born to the role this morning, fielding every question with enthusiasm and sass, jousting a bit with Belcher on WTVT and basking in the chorus of camera shutters set off every time she moved to a new position on WTVT's set (she even graciously handled WTVT's request that she read an endless list of on air promos, sure to fill their airwaves leading to the Idol finale).

Later today, she'll head for her old high school, Booker High School in Sarasota, headline a short performance at the Ringling Museum (rumors are, some folks are leaving work early to check it out) and angle back to St. Petersburg for the Rays game.

Something tells me, this woman who has been angling for a showbiz career since she was 9 years old -- singing the National Anthem at spring training games for the Pittsburgh Pirates -- will be just as energetic at 7 p.m. as she was at 7 a.m., well aware that she's living her dreams in a way few performers ever achieve.

"People tell me to smile more...but YOU stand up here and try to smile," said Mercado, noting how hard its been to show her true performing personality on Idol's super-visible stage. "This experience is so amazing, I just don't want to go home. sometimes I don't smile...because its just so nerve wracking."

Apologies for the low-quality photos...but I was forced to shoot pictures myself. Click on any one to enlarge.    

Bay News 9 Hires New General Manager From CNN

When Bay News 9 founder Elliott Wiser was kicked upstairs to Bright House Networks' Group Vice President for Local Programming, it was obvious he would need to find a successor as general manager for the area's 24-hour local newschannel.

Today, the company announced Terry Dolan as the new vice president/general manager at Bay News 9, taking over responsiblity for managing Bay News 9, Bay News 9 en español, Tampa Bay On Demand, Bay News 9 On Demand, Travel Weather Now and the Bay News 9 website. Dolan comes to Bay News 9 from CNN/Atlanta, where he served as VP of sales and affiliate relations for 15 years.

I couldn't find out much about Dolan -- you don't make many headline working in sales. And Bright House Networks didn't even have a current picture of him they could provide to the St. Petersburg Times.

But Wiser says 200 people applied for the job, including local people and managers working in Top 20 markets. He chose Dolan, in part, because he was already familiar with Bay News 9's many different operations from working on the channel's partnerships with CNN.

Given Wiser's hands-on management style, local media insiders will probably buzz a bit, wondering how Dolan will fit into the mix. "Over the last couple fo years, i've been doing two jobs," Wiser told me a minute ago. "I'm not going to be hands on....I've got 12 channels to keep me busy."

Here's the press release:

CNN VETERAN NAMED VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER OF BAY NEWS 9

ST. PETERSBURG, FL— Bright House Networks announced today that CNN Veteran Terry Dolan will be joining Bay News 9 as the station’s new Vice President/General Manager. 

Dolan succeeds Elliott Wiser who has served as VP/GM of Bay News 9 since the 24-hour news channel’s inception in 1997.  Wiser was recently promoted to corporate Vice President of News and Local Programming for Bright House Networks where he will oversee the company’s local programming products.

Dolan’s role as VP/GM includes managing Bay News 9, Bay News 9 en español, Tampa Bay On Demand, Bay News 9 On Demand, Travel Weather Now and the Bay News 9 website.

Dolan, a television veteran, has an extensive management and sales background including his current position as Vice President of Sales and Affiliate Relations for CNN in Atlanta for the past 15 years. Dolan has also been, Vice President and Sales Manager for Carolco Television, Vice President/Midwest Sales for Orbis Communications, as well as Director of Broadcast/Station Manager at WISN-TV in Milwaukee.

Dolan assumes his duties with Bay News 9 on May 19. “I am very excited to join the talented team at Bay News 9.  While at CNN, I visited with them several times each year.  From their launch, I watched them quickly grow into the nation’s leading regional news network.  I look forward to continuing Bay News 9’s powerful community presence and providing our viewers with the best news, weather and online experience.”

"Bright House Networks is fortunate to attract someone of Terry's experience and caliber," said Elliott Wiser Vice President of News and Local Programming for Bright House Networks, "Bay News 9 will be in very good hands and I'm excited to turn the reins over to Terry."

New Tidbits Revealed About Media General Buyout Offer

I recently received a copy of the packet sent to Media General employees laying out the terms of the buyout offer from the company. As I noted Monday, the offer has gone out to half the 1,326 employees of Media General subsidiary Florida Communications Group, which includes outlets such as WFLA-Ch. 8, the Tampa Tribune, TBO.com, Hernando Today and many more outlets.

The information in the packet is mostly technical, with details on handling 401 (K) plans, medical benefits and such. Rumors abound that certain types of employees -- copy editors, photographers and people who already practice a lot of convergence -- have not been offered the buyout. The fate of some of the Tribune's biggest stars, including columnists Dan Ruth and Steve Otto, has not yet been announced (TV anchors and on air types working under contract and are also exempt).

"It has become clear that the recession in Tampa is now so deep, that the cost-saving steps we have implemented will not be enough," reads a letter from FCG head John Schueler included with the packet. "If the necessary staff reducations are not achieved through this voluntary program, we are likely to  require an involuntary program."

The money provided in the buyout is the same amount an employee would receive if they were laid off involuntarily, so there doesn't seem to be a lot of incentive to participate -- particularly if certain employees are not being informed that they will be laid off involuntarily if they don't take it; Schueler insists that is not happening.  And because the company hasn't announced target levels for savings or buyouts, it's tough to anticipate whether involuntary layoffs will be necessary

Some notes:

-- The packet says positions reduced in the buyout will not be replaced, resulting in a "permanent reduction" of positions.

-- If more people apply for the buyout than the company need, they will accept requests according to hire date -- first in, first out.

-- According to the company's timeline, employees who apply for the buyout will be notified between May 20 and May 23 if they have been accepted, with June 15 as their last day of employment.

-- Employees rehired within six months of their last day of employment must repay their severance. (Small update: I wonder, after talking with some friends about it, if this provision may also help prevent managers from giving someone a buyout and then rehiring them right away at a lower salary).

Here's a clip from my appearance on Media Talk, speaking on Dr. Phil and the buyouts.

Lessons of the Tampa Bay Media General Buyouts: Florida's Media Economy is Terrible

It's hard to know what to feel when a competitor falters.

Those outside the media might assume folks at the St. Petersburg Times would be popping champagne corks as Media General Monday presented a buyout offer to about half its 1,326 employees in the Tampa Bay area, but that's not necessarily true.

Because we know what this news really means: the state's media economy is getting worse, not better. And the result will be fewer media jobs for everyone.

The problem, as has been noted here before, isn't circulation figures. Here at the Times, we've kept our paid circulation numbers stable and even increased a small bit. But that hasn't helped with the faltering advertising scene, where free classifieds services such as Craigslist have taken huge bites, and problems for retail and real estate have meant fewer ads sold (when business plunges, advertising budgets usually take the first hit).

The result is a tough decision for media managers: If you cut staff enough to bring profits, you may also thin out your product so much it loses credibility with readers. But if you don't cut expenses, especially at a public company like Media General, the market will not tolerate sinking profits for long.

I'm hardly the expert many are in the field, but I heard a few things in reporting yesterday:

--- Florida Communications Group president John Schueler denied rumors that specific employees were being told to accept the buyout offer. he also denied rumors the company specifically hoped to save $3-million. And he doesn't expect to accept buyouts from anywhere near then umber of employees who are eligible for them.

-- Much as Schueler says their reorganization has nothing to do with the proxy fight underway at Media General, it will be tough for company executives to argue their efforts aren't a way to show the company is trying to cut costs in a market that both sides in the proxy fight agree is dragging down the company's stock price. And the deadline for applying for the buyout is one day after stockholders vote on directors for the company's board, choosing between nominees suggested by Media General and dissident investors Harbinger Capital Partners.

--- Much as Harbinger seems to want it, a sale of the Media General properties in Florida makes little sense. Credits markets being what they are, its tough to imagine anyone who could afford the purchase, or anyone who could even make money by selling off the parts. At a time when everyone from Clear Channel to Tribune co. is trying to get smaller, who would want to buy such a huge operation in such a depressed media market -- and why would Media General sell when they are likely to get a rock bottom price?

-- The typical view of convergence -- having staffers work across media platforms such as print, online and TV -- is that its a difficult tool for reducing staff costs, both because its tough to find people who are talented enough to work in multiple mediums, and because it is tough for one person to find the time to complete tasks across all platforms.

For example, if a photographer at a news event has to also shoot video, do reporting for the web site and do "talkback" interviews for a TV station, it may be tough to do every task as well as competitors who only have a couple of those tasks. With this new streamlining, Media General will put that concept to the test.

Jailed Trucker Jean Claude Meus Gets New Trial: Did TV Help Make It Happen?

Score another win for media-savvy attorney John Trevena.

It has taken years, but Trevena has finally won a new trial for the 44-year-old Haitian immigrant truck driver, who started a 15-year prison sentence in 2003 after his conviction on vehicular homicide charges after an accident in which prosecutors alleged he fell asleep at the wheel.

I wrote about Meus and Trevena back in 2005, when Trevena tipped WTVT-Ch. 13 investigative reporter Doug Smith to the seeming disparity. At the time, Jennifer Porter, a 29-year-old, part-Cuban woman widely perceived to be white, had received three years of probation, two years of house arrest and 500 hours of community service after leaving the scene of a car accident in which she struck two children, who died.

Didn't hurt that she was represented by the most powerful criminal lawyer in town, Barry Cohen.

I wrote about how national media outlets were surprisingly indifferent to Meus' story, despite its parallels with the Porter case and questionable outcome. Trevena and Smith stuck with the case, however, and saw their efforts pay off Tuesday. See Smith's story from last night here.

Meus, who stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators, was charged with homicide in Hardee County for the accident, which killed a 40-year-old woman and her daughter. His case was striking enough that two sisters of the woman killed in the accident took up his cause, arguing that the trial wasn't fair.

Smith's story, along with a later piece in the St. Petersburg Times, suggested Meus may have faced tougher charges and received a stiffer sentence because of his race and lack of wealth (Trevena didn't represent him in the original trial). Smith noted, for example, that another trucker, Thomas Smith, had a similar accident in 2002 in Hardee County which killed a man, but that driver admitted falling asleep at the wheel and got a traffic citation for it as his only punishment.

The difference between Smith and Meus? Smith is white and Meus is not.

But it sounds like justice may finally be at hand, thanks to a persistent lawyer and TV reporter. 

 

Deggans PunditWatch: NPR's Barbershop and Florida This Week

As if bloviating on CNN weren't enough, I'm flapping my gums in two more places this week, which you can enjoy at the comfort of your own computer screen through the magic of the Internet (sounds like some late '90s instructional film, I know).

Click here to check out my first-ever participation in The Barbershop, a regular feature on former ABC News reporter Michel Martin's National Public Radio show Tell Me More. Every Friday, a group of brothers gets together to razz each other and talk about the week's events. I was a last-minute addition, but I had been wanting to join this crew for a while, so this was fun (for those of you who know, it's one step below the hang late night in the hotel lounge at an NABJ convention. Nuff said).

As Michel describes it: "The guys in this week's Barbershop — Arsalan Iftikhar, Nick Charles (VP of BET.com), Roy S. Johnson (Editor-in-Chief of Mens Fitness magazine) and Eric Deggans (Media Critic for St. Petersburg Times) — have a lot to say about Sen. Hillary Clinton's conflicted account of a trip to Bosnia, Chelsea Clinton's snappy response to a question about Monica Lewinsky during a recent campaign stop, the latest song release by the "Obama Girl" and the NCAA's March Madness.

If THAT weren't enough, you can also catch me on Rob Lorei's public affairs show for WEDU, Florida This Week. This time, I'm appearing with former Florida Senate president Tom Lee, Democratic consultant Vic DiMaio and leadership director at USF Sarasota, David Klement. What do I know about Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the state's apology for slavery and the teaching of intelligent design in the state's schools? Tune in at 8 p.m. tonight or 12:30 p.m. Sunday to find out!

The State of the News Media in 2008: More Unraveling Ahead

The Project for Excellence in Journalism yesterday released its latest, comprehensive survey/analysis of the news media. And like most news about big institutions these days, it's mostly frightening.

The big headline: Many things we thought we knew about how digital media is unraveling traditional news media outlets aren't really true. More individuals aren't really creating meaningful news content, the diversity of news platforms (online, podcast, web video, etc.) isn't really translating into a diversity of subjects covered. And while newspaper newsrooms in particular are trying hard to experiment and reinvent, the advertising and marketing department which are expected to generate the revenue which pays for their efforts are lagging behind.

The scariest part of their analysis: news and advertising are decoupling.

Many people don't realize it, but modern news consumers almost never directly pay what it costs to gather the information they absorb. TV, radio and newspapers make most of their money selling their audiences to advertisers, allowing them to offer the news product which creates the audience for free or almost free to the public.

Digital technology is pulling that model apart, like an insistent child tugging on a woven sweater's loose thread. Cynical critic that I am, I think the hidden truth here is that digital media removes a lot of doubt about who is consuming what; on a newspaper website, for example, you can see how many users are reading each story and whether they are local consumers. So advertisers have much more information to lower and target their advertising dollars, which limits revenues for publishers.

Other high points from the PEJ study:

* News is less a finished product and more a continuing service. This is something I've only noticed in part of our work -- namely, the breaking news stuff we do on the Web. But our most popular stuff tells people something they didn't know, or helps them do something they couldn't before.

* Citizen journalism and blog sites are nearly as resistant as old school media in allowing public posting. The hidden truth here is that creating media content is tougher than it looks, especially in news. Most sites are recreating the "gatekeeper" model, where a relatively small circle of contributors create content.

* While newsrooms are working hard to innovate, advertising and marketing departments are having trouble changing their game. This is something I've seen locally; as the established adversing model unravels, business side departments are having a tough time finding new methods to earn the same dollars.

* Story subjects have narrowed in American news media. This is something else I've seen up close. We have more platforms than even here at the Times, but we're chasing a harder-to-reach audience. So our efforts are focused on subjects and approaches which we know our audience finds compelling. Nationally, the PEJ found that more 25 percent of news coverage in 2007 focused on two stories: Iraq and the presidential election.      

Bill Carey's Farewell Letter to Staff

From:   Bill Carey
To:       WFTS-TV Staff,  Scripps TV Group, Ken Lowe, Rich Boehne, Bill Peterson
Date:   Friday, March 14, 2008


Please forgive this formal email but it is the quickest way to reach most of you and try to offer a personalized note regarding news about me.

Two headlines:  after waiting six months, I am cleared of any/all charges.  I’m grateful to the prosecutor’s office for their careful review and conclusion.  I have always believed it was the right one, and it is very satisfying to have their undeniable confirmation.  The case is closed, and thankfully, that chapter of my life ends.

The second headline comes with heavier heart, and that is that I’m also announcing my resignation from my position as vice president and general manager of WFTS-TV in Tampa, effective March 31st, but my duties and responsibilities end today.

The two are of course related, but related because of how long this took to come to a conclusion, not because a resignation announcement was ever considered to be concurrent with news from the prosecutor.  I state that because I am well aware of appearances and perception, and appearances and perception do matter, and I want to take the time to explain.

In case you don't know the background on this, six months ago, Donna and I were involved in a bumper-to-bumper auto accident.   I'm purposefully skimming over the details here because charges stemming from the accident will not be filed and no summonses will be issued.  And because finally, it is the proper time for me to speak.  After first wanting to issue summonses, Tampa police chose to pursue more charges against me.  I was placed on paid administrative leave.   That the Company and so many of you offered unqualified supported is appreciated and always will be appreciated by me and my family.  It is a great source of comfort for me, for after sampling some reports and blogs, I don’t know if I would support  me!  Your support can only come from the heart, not the brain, in times like that, and I will be forever grateful that I was once a colleague of so many good hearts.

Much time has passed.  Too much.  And to answer a question I anticipate many of you have, there is no specific timetable, and you have no specific control, when you are faced with this.  As a process, it tends to linger and take its time… and its toll.  To the extent it has been unsettling in the station I am painfully aware of the distractions it caused and assure you I did what can be done to move it along.  Yesterday came the prosecutor's decision to not file any charges in the case, not even the original summons.  And while I'm grateful, it is a bittersweet ending.

A few weeks ago Bill Peterson and I began discussions regarding the unfortunate fact that the length of my absence had passed the tipping point, and that it would be best for the station for me to step down.  Too much time had gone by, and the waiting was wearing everyone down, interfering with business.  I'm trusting of Bill Peterson’s judgment, and have accepted this perspective much the way a starting player never likes to ride the bench: reluctantly.  I want back in, still do, but as a leader, I also want what is best for the team.  Make no mistake, you have made me feel that if this were open to popular vote, I’d be welcomed back by the team.  But I want to appeal to your sense of what it takes to run a business, how difficult it is to have not just the station absorb this event, but how to square that with the larger picture of running a company.  Truthfully, for all the right reasons, if any of us had known it would have been six months, I would not have been on leave this long, I would have left or been asked to leave.  Ultimately, we passed a point where returning was not in the best interests of the company.  Scripps has been extremely fair and supportive throughout this ordeal, so I am agreeable to this decision, so much so that I chose to announce my own resignation as a signal to you that you should also accept this decision. 

I guess you have figured out that I'm proud of the team, and each of you.  Our mantra is to "be the best station in town" and I do believe we are in many tangible ways already, and I hope you keep that mantra alive and in sight.  For those of you not in Tampa, allow me a paragraph to brag about our dedicated men and women:  "ABC Action News" is now a regular competitor for top ratings in late news, we added the top hit programs "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" to our line-up, and we hit a trifecta in HD conversion by being the first station in Tampa to present news with HD studio cameras, HD field cameras, and HD weather graphics.  That was a high point for all our morale and competitive fire.  During the last four years, our sales team consistently outperforms its goals, and our managers and supervisors are expense management savants. We have the most creative, most viewer and client-friendly staff in town, and I know that because I get the compliments everywhere I go.  Additionally, we have won national and local awards for our journalism, a source of great personal satisfaction, and not least importantly, we are more firmly and strategically entrenched in the goings-on in the Tampa Bay community, perhaps most notably as the proud broadcaster of the annual MLK Day parade. 

The department heads and management team, in fact each of you, are doing a terrific job at running the business as you awaited my return.  I want to most particularly thank Sarah Tyrrell who ably absorbed the bulk of my duties while skillfully doing her own, and Chris Jadick, who had been empowered as the final editorial decision maker in my absence.  Judging by the content I’ve viewed, Chris and his team made many good decisions with the rest of you in the newsroom.  Naming Sarah and Chris in no way slights the department head team and the management team that runs the station each day.  Each of you are noted here, and I thank you for working together as you always have.  I’ve been complimented on how well the station ran without me, and I want to express my pride in you as a team, and make sure you know that I’m not at all surprised.

I therefore have deep regret that it took so long to have this matter resolved.  For a person accustomed to calling shots and being in control, the word "patience" has been redefined to a degree I would not have thought possible!  Believe me, I wish this experience on no one.   I sincerely regret the impact it had on our family, friends old and new, Scripps, and you.   It has been frustrating, but I have understood from the beginning that this is hardly the worst travail life will throw my way, and I have kept my perspective.  I watched more cable and local news than I ever have in my life, I have too many scribbled notes on what is wrong with television newscasts, and I can hear the newsroom breath a sigh of relief that they will now be spared all those scribbles.  On a brighter, more serious note, I did get to spend some unexpected time with my dad and family, and I am grateful for that, and for the countless people they (and many of you) had praying on my behalf.

Among the other good things that happened in the past six months were the incredible expressions of support that came my way, from inside the television station and out.  It was overwhelming at times, and I am humbled by it.  I have no way to pay you back, except to assure you all that I will pay it forward.  Some of you went out of your way to reach out, and to keep the proper distance, I did not do a good enough job of reaching back.  But the cloud is lifted and we can openly talk again, and I am thankful for that.  Tampa has been home for four years, and so many of you have made it so very comfortable.  As for lessons learned, I, for one, will certainly be quicker at reaching out to others who run into problems in the future, and a little slower to judge until I see how things turn out.  It's only when you are down that you can better see how many hands are always there to pull you up.  Now today, with the news that everything is dropped, I feel a sense of gratitude that your blind support was well invested.

Scripps is a great company, and I've been told I'm welcome to look inside for my next career opportunity, just another signal of how committed Scripps is to making my resignation as smooth as possible.   I appreciate that greatly.

In the short term, I will be in the station over the next week or so to get my office in order.  I look forward to seeing you, but without being a distraction.

I will serve out my term in June as Chairman of the Florida Association of Broadcasters, but I will immediately begin a job search for something as dynamic and satisfying as I've had these past seven years in Detroit and Tampa. 

I'm eager to catch up with you on a more personal level, so please feel free to reach out by email or phone whenever you can.

Best regards,
Bill Carey

The Other Shoe Drops at ABC Action News; General Manager Resigns Six Months After Arrest

Six months after he was arrested and accused of burglary and battery following a hit and run accident, WFTS-Ch. 28 general manager Bill Carey will not face prosecution on the charges.

Hillsborough County prosecutors decided Thursday not to file charges against Carey, after the victim in his case signed a waiver of prosecution and reached a civil settlement for an undisclosed sum. But the news came too late to save his job; Carey resigned from the ABC Action News station Friday afternoon.

Regarding Carey's job, his attorney Ed Suarez said, "Too much time had passed from the time he went on leave until now…The decision was made mutually that the best thing was for him to move on."

Carey turned himself into police two days after a Sept. 12 traffic accident on the Courtney Campbell Causeway in which his 2006 Ford Explorer rear-ended a Mercedes driven by Ok Yi of Lutz.

Police said Carey initially didn't stop after the accident, which occurred in a driving rain, causing Yi to follow him for a mile. When he did stop, Carey handed his driver's license to Yi and then struggled to grab it back after she announced plans to call law enforcement, police said. Yi said she wound up running down the highway, Carey chasing after her, police said.

Suarez declined to outline Carey's version of events that evening, but said the conflict was a misunderstanding which did not involve alcohol. The attorney speculated Yi may have signed the waiver of prosecution "because she felt (Carey) had been punished enough.

Executives at WFTS referred questions to a spokesman for the station's owner, E.W. Scripps Co, who would only confirm that Carey had resigned. They expect to conduct a nationwide search for his replacement.

Sports Anchor J.P. Peterson Leaves WFLA, Finds New Radio Home

On the day that he made his final appearance on WFLA-Ch. 8, sportscaster J.P. Peterson had one more bit of news to break.

Peterson will be leaving his noontime show at WHBO-1470 AM for a 3 p.m. program at WQYK-1010 AM. The sports anchor, who is leaving WFLA after the station failed to renew his contract, announced his new radio home on his last TV broadcast Friday.

WHBO canceled Peterson’s show immediately, though his new three-hour program for the CBS Radio station won’t begin until March 24. Peterson is also developing a new TV project, which he declined to describe in detail until it was finalized.

There was a bit of tension in the announcements, with WHBO issuing a press release that Peterson's show was canceled and former Sirius Radio host Marc Benarzyk would take his place in April (Colin Cowherd will fill in until then) just before Peterson could reveal his plans on WFLA Friday night.

Peterson said WHBO executives were a bit upset, because his show was their highest-rated program. "I asked WHBO for a contract in January, but they were dragging their feet," he said. "Now we're in a better time slot with a better signal."

Here's a look at the dueling press releases:

JP Peterson Signs with CBS Radio

New Show to Air on 1010Sports from 3—6pm

Tampa, FL March 14, 2008 – JP Peterson, who is making his final appearance tonight as the lead Sports Anchor for local NBC affiliate NewsChannel 8, has agreed to terms to move his popular radio show from 1470am to 1010am, providing a huge boost to CBS Radio's sports line-up in the Tampa Bay Market.  JP's popular Hot Lunch with JP show previously aired from Noon-2:00pm on a small 5,000 watt station on 1470am.  His new show will move to the coveted "drive time" from 3-6pm on the much larger 50,000 watt, 1010am know as 'The Beast'.

"I am pleased to announce my new affiliation with 1010sports.  While I appreciated my time at 1470, the weak signal strength of the tower brought limited exposure and complaints from listeners who wanted to hear my show in Eastern Hillsborough county and beyond.  With 1010's signal extending all the way to Orlando, this is a great opportunity for me to expand my show.  I look forward to the new opportunity"

JP notified the management team at 1470 this afternoon that he was moving to the larger 1010 station.  1470 was trying to sign JP to an extension, but JP turned the offer down to pursue the new opportunity.  1010 is owned by CBS Radio which also owns several other FM stations in the Tampa Bay market, giving JP other opportunities to work with some of the largest stations in the area.   

JP Peterson Show Cancelled on WHBO ESPN 1470

Tampa, FL…Management at ESPN 1470 announced today that the JP Peterson Show has been cancelled.  Peterson and management could not come to terms on a new agreement.

Kimo Gray, WHBO Operations Manager stated that “JP is a very talented sports personality but it’s now time to go in a different direction.  We wish JP the best.  We will be making an announcement on the new talent shortly.”

Peterson’s Radio show began in 2006 and aired from Noon to 2 PM, Monday-Friday.  He recently ended his relationship with local television station News Channel 8.  WHBO also carries Mike & Mike, Colin Cowherd, Mike Tirico and Scot Brantley.

WHBO ESPN 1470 is the sister station to News Talk AM 1040 WWBA.  Both stations are locally owned and operated by Genesis Communications, Inc.  Genesis also owns WHOO ESPN 1080 and Talk Radio WAMT 1190 in Orlando as well as WIXC ESPN 1060 in Melbourne, FL

Local TV News Ratings Show Typical WFLA/WTVT Fight

I 've only got detailed numbers for the core viewer demographic most local TV stations sell to advertisers, those aged 25 to 54.

But among this group in February's ratings race, WFLA-Ch. 8 was slightly on top in early evening and 11 p.m. newscast timeslots, pretty much flipping places with close rival WTVT-Ch. 13 from results we saw in November's ratings race.

The two stations are pretty much even in the early morning, from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. And though some local folks insist that the switch to daily demographic information back in October has changed the way advertisers buy time, the local TV stations continue to get $$ for promoting their stations from national sources in the sweeps months of February, May, July and November -- so that's when you see billboards, radio ads and other, non-TV advertising.

Here's the February numbers, among viewers aged 25 to 54, for the ratings junkies, courtesy of WTVT. The first number is the rating, or percentage of Tampa Bay area TV viewers aged 25 to 54 with TVs. The second number is the share, or percentage of Tampa Bay area viewers aged 25 to 54 with TVs turned on at the time.:   

5 p.m. newscasts:
Dr. Phil/WTSP   N/A
WFLA                                         2.0/9
WTVT (Fox 13)                           1.7/7
WFTS-Ch. 28 (ABC Action News)  0.8/4

5:30 p.m. newscasts:
WFLA                 2.0/8
WTSP (shows Dr. Phil; no news ratings)   
WTVT                 1.6/6
WFTS                 0.9/3

6 p.m. newscasts:
WTSP-Ch. 10          1.8/6
WFLA                     2.3/8
WTVT Fox 13          2.2/8
WFTS Action News  1.1/4

6:30 p.m. newscasts (network, except for WTVT):
WTSP                    1.5/5
WFLA                    2.5/8
WTVT Fox 13         2.3/7
WFTS Action News  1.5/5

10 p.m. newscasts:
WFLA on WTTA-Ch. 38       0.4/1
WTVT Fox 13 News  11p     4.3/10

11 p.m. newscasts:
WFLA                                2.1/6
WTSP-Ch. 10                     1.5/5 
WTVT Fox 13 News  11p     1.9/6
WFTS Action News             1.6/5

6 a.m. to 7 a.m. newscasts:
WFLA-                2.7/16   
WTSP-                0.4/2
WTVT                 2.6/15.5
WFTS                 0.8/5

Deggans Favorite News Blooper of the Day: Anchor and Reporter Fight On Air!

What happens when a know-it-all news anchor gets in the face of a reporter who used to be his boss? On air?!

Take a look and enjoy....

Family Sets Saturday as Memorial for WTSP-Ch. 10 Weatherman Dick Fletcher

From the moment WTSP-Ch. 10 meteorologist Dick Fletcher's death was announced Tuesday, area fans have asked about details regarding a public memorial service.

Today, the station announced a memorial set for 11 a.m. Saturday titled a "Celebration of Life," scheduled at the Suncoast Cathedral, 2300 62nd Ave. North in St. Petersburg. WTSP news director Darren Richards said the location, chosen by Fletcher's wife Cindy, may have been picked due to its large capacity -- 2,500 seats. Richards said Fletcher's immediate family, including three adult children, will also have a separate, private ceremony.

WTSP reporters Mike Deeson, Fletcher's friend for 26 years, and Beau Zimmer are expected to speak. Richards could not provide any more details on the programming.

Currently, the station doesn't plan to air the entire memorial service, though it will film parts of the event for a news story to air later. WTSP will also re-broadcast it's hourlong tribute to Fletcher at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Dick Fletcher's Death Caps a Tough Year for Tampa Bay Area TV Industry

This was a sentiment which came up repeatedly Tuesday, as I juggled interviews with local TV personalities about the death of WTSP-Ch. 10 weather forecaster Dick Fletcher: the Tampa Bay area TV industry has had a rough year.

Starting with the suicide of WFLA-Ch. 8 forecaster John Winter last April through the arrest of suspended WFTS-Ch. 28 general manager Bill Carey, the retirement and DUI arrest of former WFLA anchor Bob Hite, the death of former WTVT-Ch. 13 anchor Hugh Smith, the retirement of WTVT anchor Bill Murphy and the revelation that WTVT anchor Tom Curran has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, the local news industry has seen the roughest string of headlines in a long while.

Fletcher's death Tuesday morning, eight days after suffering a massive stroke in his home, seemed an awful culmination of a terrible trend.

That may help explain why WTSP devoted so much airtime Tuesday and today to the 65-year-old meteorologist's passing. It was a flood of coverage I have never seen before for a local TV personality, with special broadcasts at 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., along with lots of coverage in the station's regular newscasts.

  The on air reports seemed most effective when Fletcher's co-workers shared stories. Meteorologist Sherry Ray's emotionalism and obvious closeness to her boss made an impact, along with well-chosen anecdotes from longtime pal Mike Deeson, who knew Fletcher for 26 years. Other testimonials seemed a bit of a stretch -- like the interview with the woman who served Fletcher nachos every morning at a local convenience store.

I didn't get to see as much of the coverage as I would have liked; traveling back to the area from a conference in North Carolina, I had to beg my wife to record some of the tributes on our DVR for later viewing.

I wondered how a forecaster who seemed to focus so much of his work on THE work of informing viewers would feel about so many minutes devoted to him personally -- especially when there were fierce storms locally and power outages in south Florida which reached all the way up to parts of the Tampa area.

Still, the reports were obviously a catharsis for a staff -- and many viewers -- caught off-guard by this unexpected tragedy.  Fletcher's passing also marks a further changing of the guard in local TV, as yet another long-tenured personality who forged a lasting connection with viewers leaves the airwaves in a market where the big names rarely leave.

Dick Fletcher, WTSP-Ch. 10 meteorologist, has died

View a photo gallery of Fletcher

Offer your condolences

Officials at local CBS affiliate WTSP-Ch. 10 have confirmed that meteorologist Dick Fletcher died early this morning after suffering a stroke at his home last week.

The 65-year-old meteorologist, who was considered the dean of local forecasters with a nearly 30-year tenure in the market, never recovered from a stroke suffered in his home on Feb. 18. Initially, the station offered hope that Fletcher might rebound quickly as he did after his first stroke in November 2003, which kept him off the air just a few weeks. But Fletcher died at 4:30 a.m. today at St. Anthony's Hospital.

Hundreds of well-wishers have offered condolences through the station's Web site and cards sent to the CBS station. Fletcher's wife Cindy declined to speak with the St. Petersburg Times Tuesday; he is also survived by three adult children.

"We've lost a legend," said WTSP President and General Manager Sam Rosenwasser. "People counted on Dick Fletcher for their weather. He really did touch a lot of lives and he will be missed tremendously."

WTSP news director Darren Richards was juggling phone calls from reporters while assembling material  for a special 10 a.m. tribute and segments throughout the CBS affiliate's newscasts today.

"Dick was an icon in this market -- and his impact goes beyond the Tampa market to all the young meteorologists he helped train and inspire," said Richards. "The guy was encyclopedic in his memory -- not just about the weather, but about everything in the market. And if he didn't know the answer he would try to find the answer."

A native of Omaha, Neb., Fletcher joined WTSP as the station's first chief meteorologist in 1980 after stints in Texas and Colorado, when the then-ABC affiliate decided to get serious about the news, said Fletcher's longtime friend and co-worker, WTSP reporter Mike Deeson. Fletcher, a former news anchor, was part of a new breed of local TV weathermen who concentrated more on delivering solid forecasts than serving as comic relief or delivering jokes.

WTVT-Ch. 13 anchor John Wilson was hired as a news anchor at WTSP one year after Fletcher in 1981. Wilson remembered that the weatherman insisted the station set aside large parts of a planned Labor Day telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in 1985, when a hurricane named Elena looked as if it might get close to the Tampa Bay area.

Elena wound up stalled off the Gulf Coast for three days. Fletcher turned in a marathon performance, spending long hours updating viewers on the storm's progress, gaining a huge local following in the process.

"He could be incredibly blunt when talking about the weather," Wilson recalled. "There was no question when Dick told us something was coming, whether it was going to happen. He wouldn't stand and shout in the newsroom. But he would say 'This is going to happen. If you don't pay attention, then don't blame me.'"

Indeed, Fletcher once offered a "3-degree-guarantee," giving a Ch. 10 mug or t-shirt to a lucky viewer if his forecasts were off more than 3 degrees. Later, he presented "Weather Whys," answering questions from viewers on air about weather issues.

"There wasn't any other competition in the Roy Leep era until Dick Fletcher came along," said WTVT weatherman Howard Shapiro, referring to WTVT's immensely popular weatherman, who retired in 1997. "You don't stay in the top spot in a station as long as he did without people having confidence in what you say. (WTSP) didn't bring him in to be a funny guy -- you knew he knew his business."

Deeson, Fletcher's friend for 26 years, recalled his friend as someone who might seem crusty on the outside, but was a good friend at heart. Knowledgeable over a wide range of subjects "he was not the kind of guy you could have a short conversation with," noted Deeson. "He didn't like lazy people and he didn't suffer fools gladly. I'll miss him a lot."

He received numerous awards and recognitions, including a national award for Outstanding Service by a Broadcast Meteorologist from the American Meteorological Society in 1987, the Media Award from the Governor's Hurricane Conference in 1993 and the distinguished service award from the National Hurricane Conference in 2003.

"I can't count the storms that Dick has been on the air for endless hours, but it sometimes would cut into his life," wrote Deeson in a tribute to Fletcher. "I'm not sure what storm it was, but Cindy had planned a birthday party. We were all at Cindy and Dick's house as he kept checking the computer and said he had to leave his own party, because the storm was heading our way. Dick was the first to go and slowly we all ended up leaving the party and reassembling at the station for another weekend of storm duty."

WTSP anchor Reginald Roundtree remembered how Fletcher kept tracking Hurricane Charley on air in 2004, even as the approaching storm forced the station to evacuate its St. Petersburg studio and broadcast from a county-owned public access studio in Clearwater. "He just had one radar loop, and explained (the storm) like he had a whole symphony of equipment behind him," said Roundtree. "I remember him telling me, 'Every time I think about leaving (during storm coverage), I think about that older couple in Pinellas Park who is hanging on my every word. And I stay.'"

Fletcher also spent time in the community educating school children, business groups, senior citizens and others on the importance of preparing for tough weather. He was also involved with the station's efforts to collect school supplies for needy children and support research for breast cancer and heart disease.

He could be a private man, spare with details about his personal life. Several co-workers noted that he was a heavy smoker who quit the habit after his first stroke in 2003. Roundtree recalled Fletcher's close connection to wife Cindy, who he met while she was working in WTSP's sales department, noting that the weather man called her every night after the 6 p.m. broadcast ended.

"I guess the hardest part is understanding that he was so athletic," Roundtree said during WTSPs 10 a.m. memorial. Fletcher loved sports and played tennis with a passion.

"He was a great tennis player," said Mike Mayo, a St. Petersburg a public affairs and political consultant who played tennis with Fletcher on Sunday nights at Northshore Courts. "I think I beat him once, and I think it was probably the highlight of my life."

Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto, a friendly rival from Tampa's Fox station WTVT-TV Channel 13, appeared on WTSP's tribute. He said he saw Fletcher a few times a year at weather conventions. Fletcher always had a story - he spared no detail. Once, Fletcher told Dellegatto about a backhand tennis lob he was working on, down the 85-degree angle.

"He would just go on and on and on," Dellegatto said, laughing.

During WTSP's tribute, friends described a man intensely knowledgeable about everything, especially the weather, sports and religion. He was opinionated and didn't sugar coat things.

"He was never shy about expressing his opinions," said Channel 10 anchor Dave Wirth. "That's one of the things I loved about him."

Hundreds of well-wishers have offered condolences through the station's Web site and cards sent to the CBS station since Fletcher's stroke last week. WTSP officials kept Fletcher's family aware of the outpouring from fans, taking cards and email printouts over to the hospital.

"Dick was one of the true leaders at our station," said Rosenwasser in a statement from Channel 10. "We all learned from him. He made us better. And we will miss him terribly."

Two foundations have been selected by Fletcher's Dick's wife, Cindy, for those who wish to make donations in his memory. One fund will help to fund programs at the Pinellas Education Foundation selection by Cindy, another will provide scholarships at the University of South Florida.

The Dick Fletcher Memorial Fund
The Pinellas Education Foundation
12090 Starkey Road
Largo, FL 33773
Note on the check:  Dick Fletcher Memorial Fund

The Dick Fletcher Memorial Scholarship Fund at USF

Make checks payable to:
The USF Foundation, Inc.
Attn:  Julie Benson
4202 East Fowler Ave.-CPR 107
Tampa, FL  33620
Note on the Check:  Dick Fletcher Scholarship Fund

(Editor's Note: Many thanks to various Times staffers, including Tom Scherberger, Leonora LaPeter and Karen McAllister, who contributed reporting as I worked to file and update this blog post from North Carolina, where I flew last night to appear at a civil rights conference.)

Tone of Coverage Changes at WTSP-Ch. 10, Amid Delayed Recovery of Weatherman After Stroke

It's a tough subject for folks at WTSP-Ch. 10 to talk about. But news director Darren Richards admitted today that the recovery of weatherman Dick Fletcher, who was found in his home Monday suffering from a stroke, is not going well as they had hoped.

Initially, staffers at the CBS affiliate were optimistic that Fletcher's recovery might go the same way as in 2003, when the longtime forecaster had a minor stroke and was back at work in weeks. But the station posted an update on its Web site today noting that "despite the best efforts of doctors and all your prayers, Dick is not making the kind of recovery we’d hoped for."

Still, Richards could not answer the toughest question about this situation: Is Fletcher's condition still life-threatening?

"I hate to veer into speculation about this," said Richards. "We've reported what we know on the Web site."

The tally of public comments on WTSP's Web site now stands at more than 700 messages; mostly well-wishes and hopes for a speedy recovery. WTSP has revealed which hospital is treating Fletcher, struggling to inform the public about his condition without violating laws regarding the confidetiality of employees' health information. So far, Fletcher's family members have not decided to speak with the media, Richards said.

But even as fans wish fervently for Fletcher's quick rebound, staffers at WTSP are steeling themselves for the possibility that the weatherman's return may be more complicated and difficult than they first realized.

PBS Funding Threatened Again: What Does This Dance Tell Us?

Recently, I spent some time talking with an executive from a local PBS station about George W. Bush's latest attempt to cut funding for public broadcasting.

This time, Bush advanced a proposed budget cutting $200-million from 2009 funding levels and $220-million from 2010's budget (about 50 percent). The move brought a flurry of lobbying, as PBS executives from across the country flew into Washington D.C. to beg their legislators to do what they always do -- put the cash back in.

"One (legislator) said to me, 'Why do you guys get so worked up about this?'" the exec said to me. "We always put it back in.' But we can never be sure that's going to happen again."

Indeed, this is a dance that reminds me of a phrase coined by Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Doing the Kabucki." Sometimes in politics, people feel the need to go through motions to advance their point of view, even when they will quite obviously never get what they're shooting for.

It's hard to see why Bush once again has tried to cut funding for PBS. It's not a move that's popular with voters; one reason why Congress has kept putting the money back -- even when Republicans had iron control of Congress -- is because most Americans want publicly funded radio and TV offerings. And now that the Democrats control Congress, it seem highly unlikely to  be approved by the legislature (my suspicion: he's upset about the amount of PBS public affairs programming highly critical of his administration).

And when the New York Times lets some knucklehead try making the case that PBS isn't necessary, a flood of reader letters reminding folks of all the quality, non-flashy programming offered by PBS, NPR and local stations comes pouring in.

I mean, at a time when the government admits $8-billion in cash has just disappeared in Iraq, does it really make sense to quibble about $400-million spent over two years or the home of Sesame Street, Nature, Masterpiece Theater, Antiques Roadshow, Washington Week, Fresh Air, Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation, Frontline and Florida This Week?

   

Little Information Available Following WTSP-Ch. 10 Weather Anchor's Stroke

A spokesman for local CBS affiliate WTSP-Ch. 10 couldn't offer much elaboration to the story featured on their Web page noting meteorologist Dick Fletcher suffered a stroke yesterday.

According to WTSP spokesman Pete Nikiel, Fletcher's wife Cindy found him at their home early Monday afternoon. He would not say which area hospital was treating the meteorologist; only that news director Darren Richards is in touch with the longtime forecaster's wife and hoped to have an update soon.

The station's Web site has logged more than 350 comments since WTSP announced Fletcher's stroke Monday evening. The 66-year-old forecaster, a WTSP employee since 1980, had a previous stroke in November 2003, which kept him off air for two weeks.

According to a St. Petersburg Times story from December 2003, that stroke occurred at about 3:45 p.m. Nov. 26, when Fletcher was sitting at his computer, preparing the graphics for his forecast on the 4 p.m. program.

Back then, Fletcher told the Times of the experience: ""I turned my head fairly quickly to the right and literally lost control of my eyes. It felt like they were rolling. I couldn't stop to make them focus on anything. And I felt dizzy. I told myself, 'Calm down, just open one eye and control it.' But I couldn't."

The Times story in 2003 said: "Anxious co-workers told Fletcher they would call 911, but he insisted on contacting his wife instead. His family doctor's office had closed for the holiday, so his wife drove him to St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Petersburg."

Now, anxious co-workers are waiting for word from Fletcher's family about his condition, gratified by the community interest.

"We're on pins and needles waiting for information, just like everyone else," said WTSP's Nikiel. "But it has been amazing to see the response from the community."

Deggans Weekend News Blooper: Local TV Anchor Takes Cellphone Call During Newscast

Even a knucklehead like me, who only occasionally appears on TV, knows Rule Number One about going on air: always turn off your cellphone ringer.

So not only is it amazing that WXII news anchor Margaret Johnson let her cellphone go off during a newscast, the North Carolina journalist also answers it on air, asking her meterologist to take over the show for a bit. This clip is making the rounds a bit, but in case you haven't seen it, I offer it now for your amusement as the weekend begins.

PBS' Prince Among Slaves Proves an Inspiration

I just spent last night sitting next to royalty.