What are some recent stories you’ve personally liked from your local station?

[jdcnow 14]

Just wondering what recent stories your local stations have done that you really enjoyed watching.

 

Here in North Texas, WFAA really hit one out of the park. Last night’s (11.6.2007) News 8 Update was the best one in literally months. They lead off with not just one, but two News 8 Investigates pieces: Brett Shipp with new developments in his ongoing investigation into these (FAKE) TV preachers. Brett’s investigation has mainly centered on the church of one Kenneth Copeland and his wife, Gloria. Apparently Mr. and Mrs. Copeland have bought a private commuter jet with money from the church. This would not be a problem if the plane were used to conduct church business. But the question Brett raised: How is a ski trip to Colorado, and a hunting trip to South Texas (the town of Uvalde, to be exact), how is that church business? So Brett went to Mr. Copeland and asked him this. Mr. Copeland’s response: “That’s none of your business!” Mr. Copeland was also stupid enough to say this to Brett on camera, when all Mr. Copeland really had to do was answer a simple question. Well, the new developments are that now, Washington politicians are starting to ask questions of the possibility of financial hanky-panky going on at not only Kenneth Copeland’s church, but also Benny Hinn’s (FAKE) church, and other TV-based church operations. More on tonight’s Update at 10 o’clock. It should be noted for fellow Texas TVNTers, that that old fake drug scandal that made the Dallas, Texas Police Department the laughingstock of the law enforcement profession worldwide...guess who originally broke that little story? Brett Shipp damn near won the Pulitzer prize for that one.. It will be interesting to see how this particular investigation with these (LIAR) churches pan out.

 

The other N8 Investigates piece was David Schector’s expose’ on how Texas politicians are getting free parking at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Not only the politicians themselves, but their friends and family as well. Even when the DFW Airport rulebook strictly forbids sharing your parking pass with family, etc., in separate vehicles. Nevermind that the rulebook also states that only DFW Airport management brass are the only people alive who are entitled to this free parking -- nowhere does it say anything about politicians. The Airport spokes-puppet, Ken Capps, (who used to be a KDFW reporter, back in the day...way back), basically told David that basically, “it’s our rule, and we get to interpret it the way we want to,” and that giving powerful local and state-level politicians (who make decisions governing the airport) free parking (are you sitting down?) “actually saves taxpayers money!” I don’t like to cuss, and I do it as seldom as possible, but when I heard that, I was like “BULLSHIT! What the f?!” An ethics professor from one of the colleges in town (SMU University) basically said that this had corruption written all over it. To his credit, David was also very fair in naming the politicians who paid DFW Airport back for the free parking they had gotten.

 

Also deserving of very high recognition is KDFW’s Becky Oliver. Monday night, the tough-girl watchdog (Pitt Bull) investigator with the raspy voice went after housecall servicemen (air-conditioner repairmen, Mr. Fix-It’s, etc.) who would come over to folk’s houses on service calls. Unbeknownst to the homeowners (who had children), the service repairman they have just let into their home...is a registered sex offender (RSO) with the State of Texas. Yup. The looks on some of the homeowner’s faces were priceless, somewhere between shock, fear, and rage. It’s like they’re waiting for Rod Serling to pop out and welcome them to The Twilight Zone. Thankfully, when some (not all, but some) of the companies got wind that the employees they have been sending to people’s houses were an RSO, they fired that employee immediately.

 

The last two nights in DMA 5 have been investigative journalism at its finest.

[Que 73]

I agree with the WFAA Brett Shipp report...

[NashvilleTV5 0]

WTVF has done a two part investigation of smoke alarms (ones that are in your home) that fail to go off when there is a fire. My dad works for a security alarm company, and the first day after WTVF's part one of the story aired, the office got flooded with calls.

 

WTVF did a great job with this one.

 

To read or see these two stories, just click the links below

 

Part 1: http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=7315806

Part 2: http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=7323147

[jhampsten 0]

KSDK did an awesome report last night investigating Computer techs around the STL metro, Geek Squad, Firedog, and a few other indpendent computer repair firms in STL totally blew the minor job that the reporter gave them.

 

http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=131998&provider=top

 

and tonight, they did a special report on the ones that patrol the tomb of the unknowns in DC. in this link includes video of an entire changing of the guard.

 

http://www.ksdk.com/news/cover_story/cover_article.aspx?storyid=133552