Posts Tagged TV
Corporate Shill Dennis Eckart Backs Monopoly Casino
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Media, People on October 26, 2009
October 26, 2009… Former Congressman Dennis Eckart has joined the party. He’s backing Issue 3. That makes it almost unanimous – every shyster in town is backing a monopoly casino for a billionaire.
What a wonderful town this is.
Eckart, a former Greater Cleveland Growth Association (now Greater Cleveland Partnership) top boss, played a liberal politician for years. It’s has been a money-maker as Eckart has become a corporate shill here.
WKYC-TV allows this lobbyist free air access many Sunday mornings on Tom Beres’s Between the Lines. A lobbyist as a political commentator. Do you go any lower?
WKYC reports that Eckart will fill-in for billionaire mortgage man and Cavalier owner Dan Gilbert He is supposedly ill. Gilbert will be one of the owners of a monopoly casino, if voters approve Issue 3, a constitutional change on Election Day.
Eckart will argue for Gilbert’s casino deal in a debate at Kent State University. He is a trustee at KSU.
Once a Golden Boy liberal politician, Eckart has bounced around after leaving Congress. He has been with law firms Baker & Hostetler and the now bankrupt Arter & Hadden. He served in Congress from 1981 to 1993, leaving to pursue business interests as the Republicans took ownership of the U. S. Congress.
Eckart is involved in real estate development and operates North Shore Associates. When he’s not doing business it is reported that he spends time with his family at his two estates. Well.
And then, of course, he plays a slick commentator for WKYC-TV. His liberal reputation makes him an ideal spokesperson for corporate interests.
By backing the casino deal, Eckart shows once again he played his liberalism into a money-maker.
Tom Beres WKYC Show Marred by Conflicts of Interest
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Media on September 6, 2009
September 6, 2009… WKYC’s Tom Beres remains one of the few serious reporters on local television. That said, it’s shameful that his “Between the Lines” Sunday show too often has conflict of interest written all over it.
Not his personal conflict of interest. Those of his “guests.” That, however, makes it his problem.
WKYC should either do this show right or not do it at all. Management apparently wants to take credit for Beres’ good reputation but doesn’t want to do the show as it should be done.
Beres, entitled Senior Political Reporter for WKYC, has a few minutes each Sunday to rush through comments about important issues – another problem with the show. More seriously his guests are typically people who represent political and business interest as consultants.
They shouldn’t be given air time.
This week was a perfect example when Beres had to disclose that both his guests represent gambling interests as he opened a discussion of gambling issues. Beres may believe that the quick and insufficient discloser he made covers his ass but really it points out a serious problem for his show.
One of the subjects they discussed: Gambling.
Both his guests – Mary Anne Sharkey and Dennis Eckart – represent gambling interests involved in current issues. Two gambling issues are heavy in the news – slots, as prescribed by Gov. Ted Strickland, and casino gambling up for a state-wide vote in November.
Here’s a link to his page for this week’s show:
http://www.wkyc.com/news/politics_govt/politics_article.aspx?storyid=120979&catid=130
These gambling issues involve millions of dollars in lobbying and tens or hundreds of millions of dollars that could be spent if realized. Serious problems evolve from gambling and any discussion about the issue should involve people with absolutely no interest in the financial outcome.
The other problem with this show and other Between the Lines is the little time given. That results in Beres rushing through important issues of the day hastily because of the time factor.
I believe he’s saddled with guests he might not choose if he had the authority. I hate to think they are his real personal choices.
However, the decision is his responsibility, but it also falls upon the Channel 3 station management to offer the public honest commentary in a show that suggests it is providing honest public analysis.
It’s anything but unbiased when you have lobbyist/consultants assessing the very issues that they depend upon for their livelihood.
It happens too often on this show.