Reporter Slander Settlement!

[Roy Hobbs]

SLANDER SETTLEMENT
http://newsblues.com/Secure/Images/Grafix/wkrg.jpgA settlement has been reached in a slander lawsuit brought by Glenn Austin, a former reporter at Media General's WKRG-5-CBS in Mobile (Market #61), who was fired in January 2007 amid accusations of plagiarism. Austin was accused of rewriting an article from the Pensacola News Journal and, without crediting the newspaper, submitting the story as his own to the station website.
WKRG News Director Dan Cates fired Austin and issued a statement saying, "WKRG and its parent company, Media General, has zero tolerance for plagiarism. As a result, reporter Glenn Austin is no longer employed with the station."
Austin, 52, now a public information officer for the Escambia County (FL) Sheriff's Office, sued Media General in March. He denied plagiarizing the article and said station managers slandered him with false accusations.
On Friday, the case was settled out of court, and Cates grudgingly issued the following statement: "After further investigation, WKRG accepts Austin's position that there was no intent to commit plagiarism." The retraction, which appeared briefly on the station website over the weekend (and then quickly disappeared), was labeled simply, "WKRG Statement."
http://newsblues.com/Secure/Images/People/austin_g.jpgAustin (right) refused to discuss the financial settlement reached, but he added in an email to NewsBlues, "I can tell you that I feel fully vindicated from this disgraceful charge. The past year has been very difficult on me and my family. You spend your entire career committed to the truth and then to be fired for such a contemptible allegation is outrageous."
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-above from Newsblues.com
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Attaboy Glenn!
http://sachem.suffolk.lib.ny.us/advisor/pix1/tombstone.jpg

"You tell 'em Justice is coming!! And Hell rides with me!"
--Wyatt Earp in Tombstone
Lawman, journalist, Alaska gold miner

[!]

"You tell 'em Justice is coming!! And Hell rides with me!"
--Wyatt Earp in Tombstone

The actual quote from the film is:

"You tell 'em I'm coming! And Hell's coming with me, you hear? Hell's coming with me!"

[Roy Hobbs]

Quite so!
http://celluloidheroreviews.com/images/tombstone-2.jpg
Don't forget the part about "You miserable cur!"

[Delta Dawn]

Background and updates (http://openline.medialine.com/showthread.php?t=17317) over on the journalism forum

[Roy Hobbs]

Delta Dawn, what's that flower you have on?
http://www.regansautographs.com/curentth/kilmervalphoto.jpg

"I'm a daisy if you do!"

[Sultanosurf]

Great lines in 'Tombstone' "It's like playin' with my brother's kids!" "Maybe poker's just not your game Ike. I know! Let's have a spelling contest!"

And of course the all-timer -- "Well are you gonna do something about it or just stand there and bleed!"

[Sultanosurf]

BTW, there's still a bunch of confusion on whether the station posted the statement on their site, and just how the email Austin sent as an FYI ended up posted on their site -- for what - seven minutes ?!? The whole thing sounds goofy, but good for Austin for sticking to his guns in this soulless business.

"I want your blood. And I want your souls. And I want them both right now!"

http://www.thelastbestwest.com/graphics/2007/Hats/Ringo/225_ringo_230.jpg

[Roy Hobbs]

(when falsely accused of cheating)

"Why Ike...whatever do you mean?"
http://ferncanyonpress.com/tombston/images/val1.jpg

"Come along Darlin'..we will seek our entertainments elsewhere..."

[!]

"Your boys might get me in a rush, but not before I make your head into a canoe!"

[Sultanosurf]

Roy, there's a whole bunch of interesting stuff about "Tombstone." Like Val Kilmer saying the production insisted on actors wearing authentic wool, which meant it was like 130 degrees at one point, Kilmer saying it wasn't the TB but the heat the killed Doc.

Also, Russell evidently was reportedly signaling direction while the film was shot, and Kevin Costner had the original rights. I need to see the DVD version, which has a "making of" feature...

[jrat33]

My favorite line.

"I'm your huckleberry."

[!]

Also, Russell evidently was reportedly signaling direction while the film was shot, and Kevin Costner had the original rights. I need to see the DVD version, which has a "making of" feature...

Costner, who didn't like the direction this film was taking while it was in development, quit to make his own version.

He released the miserable "Wyatt Earp" six months after Russell's movie.

"Tombstone" made a huge profit, while "Wyatt Earp" lost millions.

[Spike]

Costner, who didn't like the direction this film was taking while it was in development, quit to make his own version.

He released the miserable "Wyatt Earp" six months after Russell's movie.

"Tombstone" made a huge profit, while "Wyatt Earp" lost millions.

A couple of friends of mine worked on The Bodyguard as PAs right after we all graduated film school together. They were invited to a party one night, where Costner was "holding court" on a couch as his assistant cycled people through to talk with him. Costner would be talking with someone on his left, while his assistant would seat the next person to his right. When Costner turned to his right, the assistant would usher away the dismissed party and seat someone else for the next turn.

My PA friends got to wait their turn with Costner and were finally seated on the holy couch. One of these guys was completely starstruck. He was an aspiring director and came to the couch with all sorts of enthusiastic questions intended to impress Costner. In his mind it was a valuable networking opportunity.

When Costner turned his direction, the first words out of his mouth were, "Don't bore me."

Not "hi howya doin'" or "thanks for your eighteen hour days on my crappy movie."

"Don't bore me."

I would have said, "Okay," and gotten up and left.

My friend recently directed his first feature and saw it released in theaters last year. He's on his way up. I wonder if Costner would be bored with him now.

[Mom]

I've got a ton of "inside scoop" sort of Costner stories but I'll only "bore" you with a few. He filmed "Dances With Wolves" in western South Dakota while I lived there. I was managing the community theatre at the time and managed to line up a few friends of mine with work. "General Hospital" had come out the year before for a week to tape episodes at Mt. Rushmore and I had provided the producer with many locals to fill bit roles. GH paid really well. Most of my friends were paid $500+ for one day's work of sitting around. That's even more money when you realize this was 1989. Apparently GH dropped a million bucks in our economy for that one week's worth of shows.

When Costner's people contacted me about getting extras for "Wolves," they told me the people would be paid $50 a day for 12+ hour days. I told her that I'd be unlikely to find many people to work at those wages. She handed me the "tell them this is their chance to be in a major motion picture" line and I laughed when she said, "We'll also provide meals at no cost to the people you hire." She also only wanted Native Americans and my short list was short. The only person I was able to talk into doing the film for $50 a day was an insurance buddy who was already filthy rich and could afford not to work for a few weeks to hang out on a movie set. Wouldn't you know, he ended up being Kevin Costner's stand-in? Another good friend worked in make-up but was paid well because he was getting union scale.

While the crew was in Rapid City, they'd work dawn to late night 6 days a week and then come to a certain bar at a certain hotel on Saturday night and let loose because they could sleep in the next day. Costner was a hound dog (still "happily" married with young kids at home). So, one night Costner and the crew were at the bar and I was at the bar and after a few drinks, while Costner was standing at the bar I almost (came so close) reached out and grabbed his ass. But I didn't. Darn.

Even though it was a closed set there were enough people I knew who were on the set so I heard all the stories. Costner had a beautiful, gorgeous, pretty, did I mention gorgeous assistant on the film who was let go the day after Kevin's wife Cindy came out for a visit. The night I was at the bar, I saw Costner hit on a girl that I kinda knew. I found out later from a guy who was in love with this girl that Costner arranged for her to come to the house where he was staying. He left the bar alone, then sent a car back for her. She claimed all they did was play pool well into the wee hours of the morning. (insert eye rolling smiley here)

He also broke up a marriage of someone I know by playing nice with the wife who got stars in her eyes and even ran off to California after him thinking he really liked her. (another eye rollling smiley goes here).

That's all for now but I've got more.

[Roy Hobbs]

There's really only one thing you need to know to appreciate the movie Tombstone...

http://www.playbill.com/images/photos/dana.jpg

...the main actress.:worship: :worship:

[s'news]

"After further investigation, WKRG accepts Austin's position that there was no intent to commit plagiarism."

Not the strongest statement.

[!]

"After further investigation, WKRG accepts Austin's position that there was no intent to commit plagiarism."

Not the strongest statement.

What does this have to do with "Tombstone?"

[s'news]

Sorry.

[Roy Hobbs]

What does Tombstone have to do with Dana Delaney?
http://www.memorabiliamkt.com/images/DANA%20DELANEY%20ME.jpg

[!]

Not as much as "Exit to Eden" did.

[Delta Dawn]

An update; Austin is working for the Pensacola Sheriff’s Office doing public relations and bought a bar with the settlement money.

[wx or not]

...and probably making a heckuva lot more money than as a reporter.

[Roy Hobbs]

Then we shall drink to his good fortune.
http://jbeavers.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/doc-holiday1.jpg

[Delta Dawn]

Correction. It's the Escambia County Sheriff's Department.

[Rambunctious]

"Eventus stultorum magister."

http://www.cinemablend.com/images/news_img/5141/5141.jpg

[Spike]

An update; Austin is working for the Pensacola Sheriff’s Office doing public relations...

No! Really? How did you ever discover that?

Austin, 52, now a public information officer for the Escambia County (FL) Sheriff's Office, sued Media General in March.

Wow! Delta's investigative skills sure are impressive!

[Roy Hobbs]

I fear my hypocrisy knows no bounds...
http://www.collectiblesofthegame.com/images/P/16CELEB-VKILM080702.jpg

[Rambunctious]

Wow, you guys really are cowboys.

http://www.ieatpaint.com/topgun/gayiceman.jpg

[Produce man]

Not as much as "Exit to Eden" did.You're just mad Rosie didn't do a nude scene...:whistle:

[Produce man]

Wow, you guys really are cowboys.

http://www.ieatpaint.com/topgun/gayiceman.jpg
Don't you ever make fun of that movie. I became a pilot because of that movie.:eek:

[News Is Broken]

Don't you ever make fun of that movie. I became a pilot because of that movie.:eek:

Sitting in the bathroom stalls at work loudly pretending to be the red baron as you "drop the big one on Nagasaki" doesn't make you a pilot, numbnuts.

[Produce man]

Sitting in the bathroom stalls at work loudly pretending to be the red baron as you "drop the big one on Nagasaki" doesn't make you a pilot, numbnuts.Oh, toilet humor. Naww, you're not MD...:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[News Is Broken]

Oh, toilet humor. Naww, you're not MD...

Produce Man, ladies and gentlemen, showing us what happens when Special Software meets Special People.

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Mighty Dyckerson]

Ibecame a pilot because of that movie.

Flying an RC plane in your mama's back yard doesn't make you a pilot, Ace.

[Mr. Rugen]

I became a fake pilot to impress people I didn't know.

[Produce man]

Flying an RC plane in your mama's back yard doesn't make you a pilot, Ace.Yhe funniest part is that you wish you could even accomplish THAT.


L-O-S-E-R...:rolleyes:

[Roy Hobbs]

I became a pilot because of that movie.:eek:

Did your pant cuffs ever get stuck in the pedals?
http://www.planebuzz.com/american-retro-classic-pedal-plane-american-airlines-airplane-ride-on.jpg