Print-on-TV action

Gene Maddaus at the Daily Breeze continues his watchdogging of local television news with a story yesterday that Fox 11 got it wrong when they reported City Councilwoman Janice Hahn provided city funds to active gang members:

"But a review of the Fox 11 News story found major flaws that undermine its central allegations. Most notably, records and interviews show that the gang intervention workers identified in the report have not received city funding."

Indeed, that would seem a major flaw, given that the central allegation made by Fox was that Hahn provided "city funds to active gang members under the auspices of gang intervention programs."

This is not the first time Maddaus has questioned the reporting of a television news station. In 2006, he wrote a column for the Pasadena Star-News about KTLA "Morning News" anchors receiving free rooms, along with free wine and chocolate, in exchange for giving air time to the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel in Pasadena. Turns out shilling violates certain ethical standards, even for TV. Maddaus won several awards for his work.

Incidentally, the Ritz is now the Langham, and the KTLA "Morning News" is now the KTLA "Morning Show."