TV & VIDEO - Jan. 24, 1990

‘Inside Edition’ Legal Battle: In a move that could have ramifications for TV news coverage, a U.S. District Court judge in Detroit issued a temporary restraining order blocking the airing of footage in a segment on “Inside Edition,” the syndicated reality series. The disputed footage was contained in a segment on Dr. Stuart Berger, a controversial New York nutritionist who requested an injunction preventing “Inside Edition” from airing footage that was obtained with a hidden camera in Berger’s office by producer Amy Wasserstrom, who posed as a patient. “This is prior restraint of publication, which is not permitted under the Constitution except on grounds of national security,” said Av Westin, senior vice president at King World, the producer and distributor of “Inside Edition.” Westin--who said that he believes this is the first time a judge has successfully imposed prior restraint on a nationally televised series--said in an interview that King World intends to appeal the order and ask that the case be moved to New York. The segment on Berger--minus the hidden-camera footage--aired on “Inside Edition” on Monday.