Police Relations Rocky or Cozy, Take Your Pick

Depending on whom you talk to, KGTV (Channel 10) is either the San Diego Police Department’s best friend or its worst enemy. Recently, the entire Channel 10 editorial board, including news director Paul Sands and station general manager Ed Quinn, accompanied SDPD officers on patrol, as a sort of good-will gesture. Today, the department’s Channel 10 enemy number one, commentator Michael Tuck, is scheduled to be interviewed for the police association newsletter, a chance for Tuck to explain his often critical viewpoint.

Ironically, at the same time Channel 10 officials are working to patch up the station’s shaky relationship with the SDPD, its competitors gripe about the cozy relationship of some Channel 10 staffers with police officers.

Channel 10 always seems to get the hot, exclusive police action video these days. They get invited to go on the drug raids. If there is a chance for some great arrest video, Channel 10 always seems to get the call before the other stations.

Most of the good Channel 10 cop video comes from Bob Lampbert, a former reserve officer who is known to be chummy with several beat cops. His wife, Alicia, is an SDPD sergeant. Another Channel 10 staffer, cameraman Lee Louis, is a reserve officer.

“It’s obvious that people there have an inside track with certain individuals at the Police Department,” said a reporter at a rival station, who requested anonymity. “It’s frustrating being a competitor. We feel like we’re closed out of a lot of stories. But you can’t fault them. They’re doing their job.”

It was Lampbert who arranged for Channel 10 to get exclusive video of a recent drug operation in south San Diego, which upset both police officials and the other TV news operations.

“That should not have happened,” Cmdr. Keith Enerson said. “Other network affiliates had asked to go, but that particular unit chose to take (Lampbert). The other stations had some complaints I thought were legitimate.”

Overall, Channel 10’s relationship with the department, especially with the line officers--the cops on the beat--has been rocky at best, particularly since Michael Tuck loudly took up the cause of Sagon Penn, who killed a police officer and wounded another (along with a ride-along civilian).

But it’s not just Tuck. Quinn’s editorials and Channel 10’s perceived willingness to take sides against the cops, most recently in the case of a police officer shooting a middle-aged Southeast San Diego resident, Tommie Dubose, also have turned officers against Channel 10.

Channel 10 staffers often face resentment at crime scenes and in other situations where they come face-to-face with beat cops. The station has never had any problems with the SDPD administration, news director Sands emphasized, nor has it changed its coverage in any way.

“We don’t think cops are any different than any other guys,” Sands said. “Some of them may feel we’re out to get them, but it’s not true.”

XTRA-AM (690) is turning over the key morning slot in its new news-talk format to Mark Williams, who leaves a mini-controversy in his wake in Phoenix.

Originally, Williams’ employer, KFYI, refused to allow Williams out of his contract to take the XTRA position. Station management demanded $25,000 a year for the remaining two years of his contract and a percentage of his XTRA salary in exchange for letting him go, Williams said. Williams countered with an offer of a $2,000 cash payment, which was accepted on the condition that Williams sign a statement, which was read over the air, stating he had participated in a conspiracy to make the station look bad with Arizona Republic columnist Bud Wilkinson, a frequent critic of the station.

Williams handled a variety of duties for KFYI, including hosting weekend talk shows and a weekly program called “Dial-a-date.” He developed a reputation as an outspoken, opinionated announcer with the ability to rally people to causes.

“I’m vocal on anything I perceive as an injustice,” Williams said Friday. His main competition will be ex-Mayor Roger Hedgecock on KSDO, who seems to get more conservative every day.

“In Boston I was considered an extreme conservative,” Williams said, “but in Arizona I’m a liberal.”

Prepare for traffic report wars. Houston-based Metro Traffic Control, which has branches in 26 cities, is moving in to San Diego to do battle with Airwatch Traffic, Aero Traffic and the Automobile Club of Southern California’s traffic service, the companies that provide traffic reports to local television and radio stations. Metro President David Saperstein said Friday that Metro, which will begin service in San Diego on the first Monday of October, already has stations signed up, although he declined to elaborate. Metro reportedly is attempting to woo Monica Zech away from the auto club. . . .

The folks at KCBQ (Eagle 105) are crediting a weekly promotion at Earthquake Cafe for a huge jump in the station’s Saturday night ratings. Since the station began broadcasting its oldies tunes from the Earthquake in January--every Saturday, commercial free, from 8 p.m. to midnight--the station’s Saturday night share went from a practically non-existent .9 to 4.9 in the last Arbitron book. . . .

Channel 10 has signed Mike Ambrose, Marti Emerald and Roland Steadham to long-term contracts. Channel 10 will be unveiling a new set next month, a week after Channel 8 trots out its new look. . . .

For those so inclined, stock up now on your adult videos. Video Library, which is purging X-rated videos from its stores, is selling them at a discount until tomorrow. They’ve already sold 23,500 of the 28,000 they had in stock. Any remaining videos will be sold to a company that deals in used videos.