Things got complicated on October 3 thanks to President George W. Bush, who revealed that he'd chosen Harriet Miers to serve on the United States Supreme Court at just past 8 a.m. Eastern (6 a.m. Mountain) time. Because Channel 9 screened the Bush-Miers event in real time, it couldn't run the hour of Today originally shown at 7 a.m. back East, because that segment would have been filled with reports anticipating an announcement that had already happened. So the network advised Mountain-zone stations to take the 9 a.m. Eastern slice of Today -- the program's third hour, which is generally its puffiest. That certainly was the case on October 3: The block opened with a live performance by musicians Irma Thomas and Allen Toussaint and contained few details about Miers or her nomination. TV-watchers wanting to know more about that had to surf elsewhere -- and while CNN and other cable-news channels use tape delay as well, especially in prime time, they're live in the mornings and so were up to date on Miers.
Channel 9 news director Patti Dennis was annoyed by this error, which she describes as a "miscommunication. I don't think anyone in their right mind would have done that on purpose." And while Today spokeswoman Lauren Kapp doesn't cop to a mistake -- the approach was "the cleanest solution to make sure your market didn't get dated news," she says -- the results were hardly ideal.
Incidents like this one can be even more embarrassing for stations on the West Coast, where the tape delay is an hour longer than it is in Colorado. In late September, according to an insider, a Southern California signal had to run a network newscast whose report about fast-moving wildfires near Los Angeles was three hours less timely than those the local outlet transmitted before and afterward.
For the most part, Dennis and fellow news directors Tim Wieland and Byron Grandy (with channels 4 and 7, respectively) believe their networks do a fine job of time-zone juggling. Still, inconsistencies crop up on a fairly regular basis, and those considered to be minor are allowed to stand. For instance, Channel 4 routinely discloses Oscar nominations live during its local newscast before throwing to the tape-delayed Early Show, during which anchors hype the supposedly upcoming picks. Bigger stories can't be shrugged off, though, and they're usually not. "Especially recently, with hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the Supreme Court nominations, the networks have been producing a live morning show for all time zones," Wieland notes. "Could I see a time when they do that every day? Absolutely."
Such moves could have drawbacks, says Grandy, whose station is home to Good Morning America: "With GMA, they're going to produce the best two hours they possibly can, and the best ones may not be hours four and five." Interviews with celebrities and newsmakers could be recorded during the initial sequences and inserted into later hours, but that method "wouldn't be much different from what we've got now," he maintains. Yet Grandy concedes that live is infinitely better when it comes to breaking news: "The Saturday that Rita hit, GMA gave us six hours live -- 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. -- and, holy cow, I loved that. It did big numbers, too, because it was happening right then."
This approach is expensive, but sending viewers west of the Mississippi the message that network affiliates deliver older news than their cable competitors may cost more in the long run. "If your news isn't up to the minute, you risk losing credibility," Wieland says. "The networks that recognize that and do the best job of adapting will win."
They made a deal: The three-sided conflict involving consumer advocate Tom Martino, contractor Steve Nickels and homeowners Tony and Debbie Marquette that was detailed here in March is officially over. Nickels and the Marquettes confirm they've reached a settlement that precludes them from discussing the accord. Predictably, Martino didn't make such a pledge, and his e-mail account of the resolution is clearly slanted in favor of Nickels, whose firm is once again listed on Troubleshooter.com, a Martino-owned website that requires businesses to pay thousands annually for his recommendation. The ensuing contradictions suggest that, in this instance at least, Martino's oft-declared tough standards aren't quite as important to him as cash.
In 2004, the Marquettes chose Nickels from the Troubleshooter.com register to put in new kitchen flooring and upgrade other portions of their aging home. When they weren't satisfied with his efforts, they complained to representatives of Martino's Troubleshooter Network, who couldn't resolve the increasingly ugly dispute. At one point, Nickels even had an associate imply that he was a Martino employee in order to videotape portions of the Marquette home. Such subterfuge should have been enough to get Nickels kicked off Troubleshooter.com permanently, but no; he was restored to the roster twice following brief suspensions. Finally, after an analysis determined that Nickels had tackled plumbing and electrical tasks without pulling proper permits, Martino de-listed him for a third time.
Martino subsequently lined up an attorney to represent the Marquettes on something of a trade-out basis; the lawyer promised to do $5,000 worth of work in exchange for a spot on Troubleshooter.com. The Marquettes said before their vow of silence that they decided against this offer because the lawyer's charges were too far above that amount. Martino, in contrast, writes that the lawyer "decided NOT to take the case." In any event, the Marquettes hired a different attorney and began moving forward on the legal front prior to a meeting at which the combatants and their representatives hammered out a secretive peace treaty.
In his e-mail, Martino notes that after consulting with various "experts," he concluded "that Anthony Marquette exaggerated his claims in this case. There were definitely problems with the job, and according to all parties concerned, Nickels settled the matter to the satisfaction of the consumer as specified in a written settlement. Many of the claimed additional problems resulted from the poor condition of the home to begin with and the consumers' desire to cut costs." Martino adds, "I reviewed Nickels' past record and saw no reason not to reinstate him." Hence, Nickels is back in Martino's good graces, albeit under a slightly different name: He changed his company's moniker from American Hardwood and Tile to American Hardwood and Stone.
Nickels's rehabilitation should hearten any future Troubleshooter scofflaw. If someone who sent an impersonator to a consumers' abode and disregarded the odd construction permit is now worthy of Martino's endorsement, what else can folks with enough bucks do wrong and still win his favor? Sample everything in the liquor cabinet? "Borrow" the jewelry and silverware? Put the family shih tzu in the blender? Hard to say -- but in the meantime, more of Nickels's nickels have apparently landed in Martino's pocket. When the Troubleshooter aims at someone's wallet, he seldom misses.
On the Outs: At the time of its September debut, "Colorado Sunday," a new Denver Post section, included a feature called "Out There" -- a name that was already being used for ex-Westword-er Robin Chotzinoff's travel column. After the duplication was mentioned in this space, Chotzinoff's column was rechristened "Way Gone." Dana Coffield, who oversees "Colorado Sunday," says she didn't request the switch, and Kyle Wagner, the travel editor (and another Westword alum), declined comment. That leaves Post managing editor Gary Clark to provide an explanation. "After some discussion, features editors thought it indeed made sense to limit the use of this name to one section, and they opted for 'Colorado Sunday,'" he e-mails. As for why this happened in the first place, Clark stresses that "the editors knew at the time they titled'Out There' for 'Colorado Sunday' that they were using the same name in two different sections. They believed readers would understand that the two columns contained different content that would appeal to each sections' readers." Nevertheless, he adds, "they have reconsidered their decision."
Going, going, "Gone."
