Bucks for Buck

A battle for exclusive rights to the story of Buck Helm--survivor of the Interstate 880 (Nimitz Freeway) collapse in the Oct. 17 Bay Area earthquake--is shaping up in Oakland. Highland General Hospital administrators have been swamped with “over 90 calls a day” about Helm, spokeswoman Pat Pino told us, many from publishers and film producers.

“We made an offer to Mr. Helm within hours of him arriving at the hospital,” said National Enquirer editor Charles Montgomery, who wouldn’t reveal the figure.

So far, while Helm’s condition continues to improve, there’s apparently been no deal.

“We’ve been trying to talk to his family,” said Hal Wingo, People magazine news editor. “But we’ve been told they are not going to do anything until he can speak for himself--and who knows how long that will be?”

Both ABC and CBS have acknowledged that they are attempting to develop earthquake projects. No word on whether they’ve got calls in to Helm.

Meanwhile, the hospital phones keep ringing. “But we are not acting as middlemen or advocates,” Pino said. “We are just taking messages for the family.”