Truth And Consequences – The Mendte Case – Celebrity is Overrated
Like all of you. I’ve watched with fascination as the Larry Mendte saga played out. I have offered no opinion, nor will I on exactly what transpired , except to say that I was astounded by it all. I was astounded because of the level of the problem, and how it seemed to careen out of control, like a car speeding toward a ravine with no driver at the wheel.
I was astounded, but not surprised, because I have been watching the seeds of insecurity and anxiety planted in many newsrooms. What I’m talking about here is the impact of celebrity, the distorted image someone gets by being famous, and the insecurity of it all. I have watched normal people sucked into believing their own press notices, some of them fearing the next young anchor or reporter. Way before this traumatic case, I watched people plant negative news stories, try to harm others in newsrooms, and play a scary and sickening game of “he-said, she said.” Some of the antics I’ve witnessed were ugly – others just juvenile. But even to an experienced newsroom “lifer” like me, this story of the past six months was astonishing.
I suppose it happens outside of TV, but TV newsrooms are a breeding ground for this kind of behavior because of the egos and sometimes the feeding of those egos. Sometimes it is fed by executives who enjoy watching the “show’, or who fail to provide the support system to reinforce good work. Other times it is simply a case of ambition gone wild. In most cases, it involves on-air personalities forgetting that it’s really all about the news – and not themselves.
It is interesting to me that the most successful station of the last 38 years has been the station where the cult of personality is overwhelmed by the search for a quality product. There is no one at Channel Six who counts the amount of stories they read, or who seems to put their own personality above the importance of the “team.”
I won’t judge Larry Mendte.The justice system has. The truth is that he worked very hard to get where he got to. He’s done a lot of good, but apparently behind that hard work was a troubled soul. I will only say that if there is a heroine to his story, it is his devoted wife who has managed to keep this all together. Dawn Stensland has gone through hell and back on this one. Those of us who have worked with her have a deep respect for her loyalty.
As far as Alycia Lane: I wish her well. By the formal plea of her former co-anchor, she is a victim. You have to wonder what this has been like for her and her family. She is not alone.
This kind of insecurity-bred behavior that was exposed by the investigation is even more prevalent the higher you go. Network newsrooms are famous for these games. But in local news operations, I’ve always found that there is a special place for trouble, especially when the anchors have too much power. Was that the problem here? No one can answer that, but this story, it’s truth and its consequences, is really a living lesson on several fronts: celebrity can be distorting; unbridled insecurity can cause uncontrollable behavior, and managers and editors must have control over their newsrooms.
The management at Channel 3 acted quickly to change the casts once it realized that there was no going back. The new team seems pleasant and energetic. One would hope that all relationships in TV, in your workplace, and in all team endeavors would be based on mutual reliance, and not on fear and loathing.
Comments(54)
Larry,thank you for finally stating that channel six is the beat in the business,would it have hurt to mention Jim Gardner by name,that was the best move in local news history to replace Larry Kane with Jim Gardner.
The other stations are garbage and are only interested in selling their selves during sweeps month,channel six is a great team with great management,though Jim Gardner will not last forever but I can see Rick Williams as the next anchor.
Larry Mendte should be blackballed from the news business.
Larry — enjoyed your piece a lot — it was the most sane, level-headed commentary I’ve read yet on this whole overblown mess.
OOOJ-Well,the blog changed.Are you excited about the opportunity to comment on local newsreaders ? Give me the signal & I’ll change the topic to something interesting.Pirates maybe.
larry– you’re a great guy who does outsatnding work throughout your career but i hate the way you semi-pussy foot around this. your like “i have offered no opinion, nor will i…but i was astounded.’ come off the holier than thou tip. and jack russell, you are an idiot. if you can’t see that their will be redemption for mendte based on his skills, honesty and remorse may you be subjected to a lifetime of sucking on 6ABC’s teat
Gosh gentlman, we only have four posts and its already so angry. Larry, glad you finally commented on this,but danny ozark is right, you’ve got to stop this pussy footing around writing style where you are commnenting but trying to qualify it as not commneting or not offering an opinion. Say what you think and let us discuss it, who are you afraid of in the newsrooms at your age and point in your career? Say what you mean and mean what you say!
Happy Thanksgiving Larry!
Nice to see that Leo has returned.I think it’s nice.But please leave jr alone,he’s getting crushed on another site for referring to McNabb as McSoftee.
yes, happy thanksgiving to everybody here too. it’s wonderful that these forums exist for people to exchange honest opinions
Danny, these forums exist for those of us with too much free time and too many opinions. You are still on the MLB schedule if you are emailing at 2:53AM. Don’t sleep through Thanksgiving.
Top Ten questions for Dinner at Larrys:
1) Will the Media’s Obama lapdance ever end?
2) Why did the Media choose Obama over Hillary and bury her?
3) Does the Media really hate Sarah Palin or did they merely ‘Vince Foster’ her?
4) Who is the last local media person you rode next to on SEPTA?
5) Other than the shock factor, does anyone really care about Larry Mendte or Alycia Lane?
6) Will Andy Reid and McSoftee be replaced by Josh McDaniels and Matt Cassel from the Patriots?
7) What is the over/under on Patricia Arquette’s marriage to Paul McCartney?
8) Is Ringo Starr the pompous, no-talent drummer he appears to be?
9) Will George W Bush become the next Commissioner for MLB?
10) White or dark meat (Turkey)?
OOOJ, Loved the 6:13 post. We do indeed have too much time and too many opinions (all well reasoned and insightful) Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!
In honor of Obama- it’s dark meat for everyone this Thanksgiving!
to the other, other, other jim– you’re way right…i was just trying to be polite after my edgy debut
Highlights from Thanksgiving at Larry’s (not to be confused with Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner)
Main table seating in dining room (clockwise from head of table): Larry, Mrs Larry K, Larry Mendte, Gene London, myself, Mayor Nutter, Joe Biden, Bob Casey, Alycia Lane and Ed Rendell.
Jack Russell was actually at the kids table in the basement. Larry’s kids are actually in their 40′s. All in all an interesting group.
Initially, each was taking credit for Obama getting elected. Casey pointed out that Biden’s inane comments throughout the campaign actually hurt the cause.
Nutter asked Biden if there were any good deals at Home Depot.
Larry Mendte was claiming he’d never been on the internet and did not know how to use a computer. Biden said he couldn’t either.
Alycia Lane went on and on about her current boy-toy Chris Wragge. Mrs Larry was the only one interested in the lurid details.
Fast Eddie left before dessert because “he was on a diet”. Bob Casey then left because “he had a long drive”.
I tried to advance the cause of Free Air. No one was listening. I reiterated that it was actually a socialistic measure which did catch their attention.
I found out that SEPTA GM Joseph Casey gives Larry an annual free pass to ride the system. That would explain Larry’s lust for SEPTA – free rides!
I was diasppointed that none of the Beatles (or their estranged wives) were not in attendance.
There was no mention of socialist causes like gay marriages or universal healthcare. There was a hearty toast to taxing the rich.
You’ll have to ask JR what happened in the basement. And yes, when he introduced himself to Larry, he did start out with “Hello Larry”.
Wow, this is about as dead as this blog has ever been. Could be the holiday weekend, but more likely its just dying a slow painful death. Actually, it’s rather healthy that nobody besides Larry Kane gives a damn about Larry Mendte and Alicia Lane story. It is fun to hear Larry say ” I will not judge” then he goes on to judge that Mednte has a “troubled soul”. Jesus Christ, if that’s not juding I don’t know what is.
Time to pull out the turkey carcass and make a nice big stew on this rainy Sunday. A great way to fight the recession, bring family together and make many good low cost meals. Larry, why don’t you share your family recipe for turkey stew or soup? It would be much more useful to readers than anything else you’ve written recently, of course, I not one to judge either.
Stop and Think
By Larrey Anderson
Really. Stop and think. What does your government actually do for you? This article is a series of quick thought experiments to help answer that question.
First thought: Where are you physically situated? Unless someone has printed off this article and given it to you on paper, you are probably sitting in a room and reading the article on a computer screen.
Second thought: How many things can you find in this room that were created by the government? Let’s look around the room.
We will start with the words you are reading. An individual (me) wrote them. The words I have written appear on the computer screen you are viewing. The transmission system that sent the words to your computer was not invented or created (nor is it maintained) by the government. (Al Gore’s claim to be the inventor of the Internet notwithstanding.)
None of the components of either the monitor or the computer that allow you to read these words were invented or created by the government.
The screen probably sits on a desk. The plastic, wood, varnish, vinyl, and screws in the desk were all manufactured by privately owned businesses. Private citizens designed the desk. Non-governmental employees built the desk.
Unless you are reading outside from a laptop, you are still sitting in that room. The sheetrock on the walls of the room was produced by a private company. The walls were installed, finished, and painted by individual hired laborers.
Glance at the door to the room. Same story. The door and its hardware were all privately invented, manufactured, and mounted.
In short, nothing tangible in the room is a “gift” from the government. Not one thing. (This is true even if you happen to work for the government and are situated in a government owned building. All of the work on the building was subcontracted. All of the items in the building were privately produced.)
Third thought: Are there things you can locate in the room that are a “gifts” from the government? Sure there are. Lots of them.
Let’s run through the things in the room again. We will start with my written words.
Unless my words incite or threaten some form of violence they are, for the moment, free from government regulation.
When we move to the transmission system that gets my words to your screen the “gifts” from the government start to appear. The behind the scenes tussle for broadband access has greased the hands of lots of politicians. And, rest assured, in the future it will grease a lot more. The government taxes, monitors, and regulates the transmission (not, at this point in time, the content) of the information you are now reading.
How about that monitor you are looking at — and the computer? There are literally thousands of government regulations on each of them. The rules state, as examples, how much energy the products can use, what chemicals can (or cannot) be used in the manufacturing process, and how to throw the computer in the trash (if you are using VISTA).
The desk and chair where you sit? The government regulates those as well.
Not the walls. Surely the government has nothing to do with the regulation of the walls? It does. And the door. And the door handle.
The government does not make any of the things you see around you … but it regulates every one of them.
Fourth thought: Is this regulation necessary? Arguments can be made for the government’s requirements for each of the items in the room. Some of the arguments might even be good ones. Some governmental requirements might make these items safer to use. Every requirement makes them more expensive to buy and to maintain.
Fifth thought: Exactly what does the government give us? It is important to understand, as you look around the room, that the government has nothing to do with the provision of the goods and services of the things that you see. Government has everything to do with the regulation of those goods and services.
Sixth thought: The next time an elected representative of your government tells you that he is going to make your life better, or fix the economy, or make America great again, ask yourself one question: How?
Americans are like kids. Without adult supervision, imagine the trouble they’d get into. Besides, they would eat, sleep or do their chores. Have I mentioned that my kids do chores? Don’t view big government as a bad, unnecessary, inept and proven ineffective. That is glass half empty thinking. View big government as a beacon on the hill redistributing wealth to the unemployed, blissfully uninformed and those unwilling to function in society. By the way, did I mention that my daughters have chores?
The Religion of Peace Strikes Again
By Alan Caruba Thursday, November 27, 2008
The attacks in Mumbai, India are the latest in the 1,400 year history of Islam and yet people continue to express surprise that the alleged religion of peace could harbor so many cold-blooded killers of innocent people.
Since 9/11, Muslims have carried out more than 11,000 attacks all in the name of Islam and Muhammad. Americans got a taste of it when 3,000 of their own were mercilessly killed without warning and, I might add, without any better reason than Muhammad’s call to “wage war against such of the infidels as are your neighbors.”
With more than 1.3 billion Muslims in the world, about 21 percent of the world’s population, that’s a lot of neighbors and wherever Muslims are gathered in great numbers or wherever they have immigrated, the demand for unbelievers is always the same, convert or die.
The death toll in Mumbai as of this writing is nearing 130 and the target area, just as with 9/11’s attack on the World Trade Center, is the financial center of India. Islam takes a dim view of capitalism wherever it is practiced, but then Islam takes a dim view of everything that is not Islamic.
To understand Islam is to understand two central factors, its sense of superiority and its certitude. While other religions exercise tolerance for those who do not share their faith, Islam requires that “unbelievers” either convert or be killed.
While not all Muslims seek their neighbor’s blood and many are good and decent people, the single truth about Islam is that its holy book is a call to war. This thought is so frightening that most in the West end up denying the threat it poses to their lives. Terror, however, was a means to secure new adherents from its beginning.
In a new book, “The 9/11 Verses: Terrorist Teachings in the Koran”, author Karl J. Trautwein has painstakingly studied the book that Muslims are taught is the word of Allah and the Haddith a collection of stories about Muhammad’s life that are intended to guide the lives of Muslims. Islam lays down rules for every single aspect of a Muslim’s life and it requires prayer five times a day, always facing Mecca. One can purchase the book from http://www.The911Verses.com.
Muslims often point to the Koran’s verses on tolerance, but Trautwein notes that, “Passages teaching peace and tolerance are believed to come from the early days when Muhammad lived in Mecca. Verses calling for hate and violence are believed to have been revealed in Medina, which was later in his life.” In Medina, after Jewish tribes that lived there refused to accept him as a prophet and convert, Muhammad had between 600 and 900 men killed. Their wives and children were taken as slaves.
Trautwein calls Islam “bi-polar” because it contains two totally opposite beliefs and sets of behavior. The violence that the Koran demands cannot be “misinterpreted” any more than its more peaceful, earlier statements. Even so, the Koran promises great rewards for hunting, harming or killing non-believers. A statistical study of the Koran found that 52.7 percent of the verses are hatred aimed at infidels.
The lesson of 9/11, the attacks in Spain, the United Kingdom, Mumbai, and elsewhere around the world is that neither the West, nor anywhere else can “peace” be achieved with Islam. Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, animists and all others are the legitimate targets for Muslims because they are not Muslims or refuse to submit to Islam.
The 21st century is now challenged by the 7th century and, everywhere, it finds itself bewildered by what appears to be appalling and senseless killing.
It makes perfect sense, however, to those who believe they are practicing Islam as commanded by Muhammad and the Koran. The Koran heaps scorn on both Judaism and Christianity despite incorporating aspects of both faiths that preceded Islam, claiming that Muhammad received the Koran from the archangel Gabriel and is the last of the prophets. This is a thin veneer to suggest the legitimacy of Islam.
Western and other nations put themselves at peril when they seek accommodation with Islam and it is an irony that 9/11 marked a moment in time when many Muslims began to question their faith, often leaving it either openly or secretly.
An “insult” to Muhammad carries with it a death sentence. Perceived insults can result in riots and attacks as occurred when a Danish cartoonist drew an unflattering picture of Muhammad. Apostasy, the act of converting to another religion is a death sentence for Muslims. Adultery, homosexuality, alcohol, and a long list of other “offenses” can get you killed.
It is an irony, too, that Muslim nations such as Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, and others find themselves the victims of Islamofascism because Islam does not separate the state from the religion.
The final irony is that the United States of America has elected as its next President, Barack Hussein Obama, born to a Muslim father, adopted by a Muslim step-father while living in Indonesia, and amerced in Islam in his formative years.
Mumbai now becomes another page in the history of Islam’s war on the world when its two major sects, Sunni and Shia, are not making war on one another.
For the West and all around the world, there can be only one response to Islam… Resistance.
The Philadelphia Inquirer online edtion has 41 random photgraphs of local news readers. From John Facenda to the most unknown, didnt’s see Larry Kane, but also didnt look at them all. The point was that paying Lane and Mendte a combined $1.5 million was a joke, and good talent can be had for a fraction of the cost. Marc Howard was making $800k for one 4pm newscast before retirement, he looked half dead at the end. Jim Gardner is apparently the last million dollar man on local TV.
The local stations have realized that talented young newsreader are eager to work for a fraction and are often better than the more expensive news readers.
Hall of fame vote: Who is the greatest news anchor among the following?
A) Larry Kane
B) Marc Howard
C) Jim Gardner
Extra triva bonus, what do they all have in common?
George,the greatest anchor is:
1)Jim Gardner
2)Larry Kane
3)though not an anchor:Jim O’Brien the weatherman was one of the best phila.TV news personalities ever.
I was a big fan a Jim O’brian too JR, even remember where I was when I heard the news of his tragic death. Did you know his daughter was on Frazier (Kelsey Gramer show) she played his assistant in the radio station.
John Facenda by a country mile!
George,yes (roz)his daughter looks like him too,i believe the date was sept 25,early 80′s.
I did see the photo piece on Philly news anchors. It was a joke to put some of those people in the same article as John Facenda. There was a person you believed in!
George-I believe these three men are all Jewish & that’s what they have in common.What do I win ?
YAP, you are correct that they are all Jewish, but its not the bonus trivia answer. Would you like to try again?
I’ll try again as soon as I stop laughing at my sentence structure.At one time I really did know how to write,though you may have trouble believing that.
LARRY, PLEASE CHANGE THE BLOG TOPIC!
LARRY, THIS TIRED TOPIC NEEDS TO BE PUT TO REST!
LARRY, IF YOU CAN NOT FIND A MORE CURRENT TOPIC TO COMMENT ON, YOUR BLOGGERS CAN HELP YOU.
All three men anchored at WPVI Channel 6 at some point.
The 3 wisemen of WPVI.
LARRY, DOES SOMETHING POSTED 7 DAYS AGO STILL QUALIFY AS A “NEWS FLASH”?
LARRY,I AM HAVING A MELTDOWN,PLEASE CHANGE THE BLOG TOPIC!PLEASE LARRY PLEASE!
Meltdown, no. Letdown, yes.
Hello Larry first of all thank you for the inviting me and my wife to dinner on thanksgiving.it was great. I really enjoyed thepolitical talk and sweet potatos. I had no idea thatLarry Mendte was such an Eagles fan. He knows the west offense better than Mcsoftee. I bet he knows games can end in ties too. lol.
Last week the UN’s commission on climatology admitted ” Global Warming” is no longer appropriate phraseology and have now elected to use the more benign, ” Climate Change.” Hundreds of scientists world wide have chimed in ( at least the ones not receiving federal grants to study global warming) that this is the proper approach. Since the 1995 Earth temperature spike we now have over a decade of data indicating the planet is now decreasing in temperature. Plz keep in mind that in all cases we are talking about tiny fractions of a degree in temperature.
So is climate change manmade or a cycle of nature. The responsible scientists admit they don’t know yet.
But what of our old buddy Al Gore. The inventor of the internet, global warming’s guru and the instrument to save mankind from himself? Seems Uncle Al has now recanted and admits that; “calling it Global Warming may have been premature and climate change is more accurate.”
I simply have one question; since millions of school kids were forced to watch ” An inconvenient truth” to the point that kids in Boston public schools had to have seen to graduate, what now?
I suggest we get Steven Spielberg to film and direct a correction.
LARRY,PLEASE CHANGE THE TOPIC!IT’S BEEN 8 DAYS,I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!
OOOJ-Is your job equally stressful ?
I’m back from a sojourn in sunny SoCal. Oh, yeah, it was hot. The Obama love is flowing freely, my friends.
Larry Mendte’s problem is that he doused himself in too much Sex Panther, which works every time 60% of the time. Alycia was like Veronica Corningstone, but without the brains and with a crazy streak a mile wide.
Local news is generally a travesty. It’s a waste of air time. Fire, fire, murder, fire, dead cop, fire, STORM OF THE CENTURY!, kid from homeless shelter gets new coat and lesson in kindness, etc., ad nauseam.
Hello Leo, they don’t have internet out there in sunny So Cal? It’s been abysmal in here. Larry doesn’t write anything for days and OOOJ has become increasingly unhinged every time the blog topic doesn’t change, I don’t know what’s happened to him. Anyway, the fact that I’m happy to see you speaks volumes about how bad it is in here- yet many of us do not have the power to leave….we’ve been seduced by Larry’s newsiness..
By the way, I rank Gardner #1, Howard#2 and Kane #3 in terms of quality and watch-ability. These three old gray haired Jewish newsmen really had quite a local run if you add up their total years of air time. Its got to be something like 90 or 100 years on air. One must then ask, if these guys had a socially and politically liberal agenda, given the amount of air time they’ve had, then Philadelphia hasn’t really had enough diversity of views based on race, ethnicity, or religion in our broadcasting. Thanks to another gray haired Jewish newsman, Bernard Goldberg, we’ve become aware of the bias in the national news, but what about the local bias?
YFAP, someone is having some fun at my expense. Initially I thought it was JR but I think he was sock puppeted today as well. Must have been George. He’s the only active participant recently.
Fast Eddie stuck his foot in his mouth yesterday. Real VP material there. PA should be so proud!
not me OOOJ, but i really did think that was you screaming to change the blog, glad it wasn’t.
Fast Eddie is a disgrace. He’s a good pol for Philadelphia, but beyond that he gets to be something of an embarrassment.
#33 and #37 not me. Just bad impersonation.
Leo, be careful what you say about Larry’s close friend and confidant Fast Eddie. On second thought, Larry will never see your comments here. BTW, welcome back from SoCal.
LARRY,I AM ON THE 57th FLOOR OF THE COMCAST BUILDING!PLEASE CHANGE THE TOPIC!PLEASE LARRY PLEASE!
I thought Fast Eddie was Alycia’s close friend and confidant. Isn’t that why she called him? Or was she trying to tell him she doesn’t have a family and is therefore available to work long hours?
LARRY, YOUR WHOLE FOLLOWING HAS EFFECTIVELY LEFT THE WEBSITE DUE TO YOUR LACK OF PARTICIPATION. I DON’T BLAME YOU FOR NOT PAYING ANYMORE ATTENTION TO THIS SITE. IT’S BORING AT BEST AND A WASTE OF EVERYONE’S TIME.
LARRY, PLEASE CHANGE YOUR BLOG TOPIC AND COMMENT ON EDDIE RENDELL’S MONUMENTAL BLUNDER IN SPEAKING ABOUT JANET NAPOLITANO BEING PERFECT AS DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY BECAUSE SHE HAS NO LIFE. IT’S NO WONDER HE’S BEEN PASSED OVER BY OBAMA FOR ANY POSITION.
LARRY, MAYBE SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON WILL NOMINATE FAST EDDIE AS AMBASSADOR TO IRAN.
I feared for OOOJ. Lazarus was raised from the dead, but only once. I thought we’d have to raise OOOJ a second time. Hang in there, the topic will change any week now.
LARRY,WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?WHY?WHY?WHY?
NEWS FLASH! Blog change… well sort of…
At least Mendte used the keystroke program on someone interesting. If he had done it, to say, Marc Howard, the most we would have learned is that he has a penchant for googling “non-threatening blacks.”