Straight Talk | Not good “news”

ROGER MONROE

A number of incidents in the local media prompts me to focus on Peoria’s broadcasting industry. Let’s start with the dismissal of WEEK TV’s talented meteorologist, Jesse Guinn. Guinn reportedly was unceremoniously fired without notice or any kind of preliminary warning. The weather professional was called into the news director’s office after the noon news block and told his career at Channel 25 was over. Guinn was not even permitted to grab his personal belongings and was immediately escorted out of the East Peoria station on Springfield Road. Most employers today try to work with an employee to avoid putting someone on the unemployment line. Managers of TV stations seem to have a different “playbook” and have for decades.

Guinn, though, landed on his feet. Rival WMBD-TV immediately hired him for weekend work. He started June 12 on Channel 31. Former WMBD radio program director, John Malone, Ph.D, wasted little time hiring Guinn to the broadcasting faculty he heads at Lincoln College/University. Malone, by the way, knows all about how people are sent packing in the electronic media with little sympathy or empathy.

WEEK-TV, which promotes its news department for “digging deeper,” failed to dig very deep on its own news producing story except for a terse comment by news director, Gavin Maliska. He simply said, Guinn doesn’t work at WEEK any longer. That comment was about as revealing as their 30 minute “investigation” of the murder of Dr. William Marshall.

The turnover at Channels 25 and 31 is probably the worst of any industry in Peoria. Here today and gone tomorrow might be a good themeline for broadcasters. Recently, local outlets announced, with surprising pride, seven new hires at one station and five at another. It was so important it made for a feature story at the Peoria Journal, something they didn’t do when they sent their own veteran reporters packing over the past five years. Some good advice for the new local TV hires is “keep your bags packed.”

Former WEEK-TV news reporter Alex Menke appeared exclusively on our morning show and talked about working in the industry. She said the work is hard, the deadlines filled with pressure, and the pay poor. When asked why she just didn’t work at a McDonalds for the same pay, Menke said she loved the profession. However, she quit several months ago and doesn’t miss it.

Congratulations to “Threesome”

We congratulate Scott Robbins, David van Camp and Jamie Markely on their amazing talk show success. They’re heard across the country on some 100 stations. Originating in the studios of WMBD, the three are heard in such large and small markets as San Antonio, Portland, Kewanee and Peoria. The growth of their mostly right-wing political show continues and is heard at various times of the day and night. WMBD has chosen to broadcast the three local talents instead of the Dan Bongino Show that now airs as the replacement for the late Rush Limbaugh. Bongino is growing in popularity and can be heard in our area on WLS, radio 89 AM out of Chicago. Robbins and Markley are former disc jockeys while van Camp did a news stint on WMBD. If they’re not making six figures each for their great success, they’re getting cheated.

Mixed reviews for city council

When at-large council member Rita Ali was elected Mayor, the council was faced with appointing someone to complete the final two years of the four year term. In accordance with the usual process, calls were made for applications. The thrill of serving in a paid elected office without having to campaign or spend a penny was too much to ignore for 26 people. They literally bumped into each other sending and delivering their hopeful resumes to City Hall. They ranged from the politically experienced to the inexperienced like Gale Thetford and Denise Moore to Kim Armstrong and Dr. Kiran Velpula.

After a laborious executive session and the wise withdrawal of Denise Moore, council members narrowed the list to three. To some observers, the final selection, James Kemper, Kim Armstrong and Dr. Velpula, was surprising. None had experience and two lost their respective races. Kemper not only lost trying to unseat Chuck Grayeb for City Council in the Second District, but finished last. Dr. Velpula lost his bid to serve as a trustee for Illinois Central College. Both applicants were rejected by voters. Kim Armstrong, to my knowledge, never ran for public office. It seems odd, from my perspective, council members did not consider as a finalist someone who would not need to experience a “learning curve,” such as former council veterans Gale Thetford or Clyde Gulley. It takes time to learn people, programs, processes and the “playing field.”

The selection of Dr. Velpula did not come without debate. To the surprise of no one, Mayor Ali wanted Kim Armstrong to have her at-large seat. Armstrong, after all, had served as her campaign manager. The two worked together at Illinois Central College. In the end, the votes were not there. While members cannot vote in executive session, the consensus favored Dr. Velpula. Mayor Ali and those who wanted Armstrong, agreed to make the vote unanimous, so the new Mayor and council are off to a good start. We wish Dr. Velpula much success.