Judge: Times writer must reveal anthrax sources
Another legal conflict is percolating over journalists' right to maintain the confidentiality of their sources. Federal Magistrate Judge Liam O'Grady Friday issued a decision that The New York Times must give up three confidential sources that columnist Nicholas Kristof used while writing about the government's investigation into the anthrax mailings that killed five people shortly after 9/11, the paper reports today. The judge ordered The Times to cough up the sources' names to lawyers for Dr. Steven Hatfill, who is suing The Times for defamation. Hatfill, a germ warfare expert who worked at the Fort Detrick, Md. army labs, claims that Kristof's columns about the investigation implied that he was behind the attacks. Federal authorities have cited Hatfill as a person of interest in their investigation, but he hasn't been charged with anything. Kristof wrote that a government scientist he called Mr. Z was at the center of the government's investigation. At a July 13 hearing, Kristof wouldn't name five of his sources, but two later agreed to let him reveal their names. The Times said it will appeal the decision. Times reporter Judith Miller spent almost three months in jail last year after refusing to reveal who gave her the identity of a CIA agent.
Congressman wants CNN banned from Iraq embeds
When does reporting about a war cross the line between objective relaying of facts and hurting American troops? Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), a Bush administration supporter, claims CNN was serving the enemy by showing insurgent snipers shooting at U.S. troops on a recent telecast. He sent a letter yesterday to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld urging the Pentagon to prohibit CNN reporters from traveling with U.S. military groups in Iraq under the embedding program. In an interview on CNN, he asked whether the network wants the U.S. to win the war. Hunter, chairman of the House Armed Service Committee, and fellow California Republicans Darrell Issa and Brian Bilbray claim in the letter that CNN was the equivalent of enemy propaganda for a film showing the killing of a U.S. soldier. Actually, the CNN segment didn't show the death or wounding of any military personnel. It did show a service member hanging out in a public place. Then a shot was heard, and the picture went black. CNN released a statement saying that it was a difficult decision to air the video but that it was necessary to report about the war.
Atlanta talkers sue rival hosts over bathroom humor
Two early casualties of Clear Channels zero tolerance policy are back off the air after once again offending listeners with their shenanigans, but this time the offendees are fellow radio hosts. Juan Tapia and Jose Carias, hosts of the WWVA 105.7 Latin pop stations morning show, are suing crosstown Clear Channel rival hosts Larry Wachs and Eric Von Haessler, of WKLS in Atlanta, for allegedly making derogatory statements about the Viva crews sexuality, race and nationality. The suit specifically documents one incident earlier this month in which Tapia and Carias claim the rival DJs followed them into a restroom and recorded their conversation as well as the background noises, then played them on the radio. Wachs and Von Haessler, who are called The Regular Guys, actually were dumped by Clear Channel in March 2004 after a recorded conversation with a porn star that was supposed to be played backward on the air was actually played forward during a commercial. But after serving a probationary period with sister Atlanta talk station WGST-AM, they returned to WKLS last year. Clear Channel has not commented but has taken The Regular Guys off the air pending an investigation.
Programming notes: Catching Conan in skelevision
Youve seen him in Claymation, as an infomercial and (semi-)live from Finland. Now NBC late-late-night host Conan OBrien is going boney. The Oct. 31 episode of Late Night with Conan OBrien will be shown in skelevision; that is, all the participants will be shown as skeleton puppets instead of flesh-and-blood people. It will be a reinterpretation of a show that originally aired last May with Larry King and Houses Omar Epps, using the same audio. In other programming, CBS has ordered four more scripts for the comedy The Class, which switched timeslots with How I Met Your Mother two weeks ago after plummeting following its premiere. The move from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays has helped. Last weeks episode averaged a 3.5 adults 18-49 rating, almost even to its premiere. Oxygen plans to premiere the second season of Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency in December. And the thriller Afterlife will debut on BBC America Nov. 30 at 9 p.m.
Out-Sourced: Jury rules against title in editor's suit
Finally, an end to the sexual harassment case against The Source, the influential but troubled hip hop title. It came to a conclusion yesterday, when a federal judge asked the co-founders of the magazine to stump up $14.5 million for Kimberly Osorio, according to The New York Daily News. The Source had canned Osorio, 32. She said the dismissal came in retaliation for her complaints about sexual discrimination at work. In fact, the jury found that Osorio, who was the magazines first female editor, didnt suffer discrimination at work. However, the jurors decided that the manner in which she was fired was vindictive. The two founders of the magazine, Raymond (Benzino) Scott and David Mays, have said they will appeal the decision.
