Posted by Bud on June 25, 2010 at 19:34:28:
June 21, 2010
Not yet on air, Cunningham's Tribune TV talk show sued
It's not even on the air yet, and Bill Cunningham's potential syndicated TV talk show for Chicago Tribune parent Tribune Co. already is facing its first lawsuit.
The mothers of some child beauty pageant contestants say they and their daughters were misled about how their topic would be handled, then were subjected to abusive treatment from the show's staff and a studio audience encouraged to harass them, according to a suit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.
The lawsuit names Cunningham, Tribune Broadcasting and a woman who works on the program, which taped test shows earlier this month at Chicago TV flagship WGN-Ch. 9, once home to Phil Donahue's daytime gabfest.
Tribune Co. declined comment Monday.
Claiming they were victims of battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent misrepresentation, and that their rights of publicity were violated, the women are seeking at least $50,000. They also want the video destroyed.
The shows are supposed to air in a few markets soon, but airdates could not be be confirmed despite the lawsuit mentioning June 25. Airing the show, the suit claims, will cause the plaintiffs to "suffer irreparable harm."
Cunningham is a popular, controversial radio host at Cincinnati's WLW-AM who recently flirted with jumping to Tribune Co.'s WGN-AM 720 before opting to stay in Ohio. He has a long history with many at Tribune Co., including Chief Executive Randy Michaels and Tribune Broadcasting President of Programming Sean Compton.
If it gives Cunningham and company the green light, Tribune Broadcasting is looking to air their daytime program -- tentatively called "Big Willie," although a page on WGN's Web site refers to it as "The Willie Show" -- on Channel 9 and its other stations in the fall with possible national syndication after that.
Richard Dominick, who developed "The Steve Wilkos Show" and for 18 years was the unseen hand behind "Jerry Springer" before exiting as executive producer in 2008, is overseeing production of "Big Willie." Guests on TV talk shows, including "Springer" and "Wilkos," customarily must sign waivers before any video is ever shot, detailing their rights and those of producers with regard to what's recorded.
It should not be surprising Cunningham's program would be produced with an eye toward meshing with the NBC Universal conflict-talk shows "Springer," "Wilkos" and Maury Povich's "Maury." Those shows also run on many Tribune Co. stations, although only "Maury" airs on Chicago's WGN.
In fact, a Tribune Co. renewal last November through 2011-12 on the majority of its 23 TV stations all but ensured that those three NBC Universal daytime programs weren't going away in the near future by keeping their shows economically viable.
Dominick also is working on a potential Tribune Co. talk show for Cox Media Group morning man and Sirius XM afternoon host Todd "Bubba The Love Sponge" Clem. That program also recently taped its test shows at Channel 9.
(Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune)