WCHB's Mildred Gaddis loses TV show "Meet the Candidates": Allegations of Fraud
"Steve, you use the word 'fraudulent' about this," Gaddis said, chiding him. "You know where that word came from?" Wilson replied, "From the Federal Communications Commission. It perpetuates a fraud on the viewer when they are not told that these people have paid to be on the program." Mildred Gaddis of Detroit's AM 1200 WCHB, has been cut loose from her weekend TV show on Channel 38 WADL. She was cut from WADL as a result of a report by Channel 7's investigative reporter Steve Wilson. Wilson uncovered that Gaddis charged fourteen candidates $1000 to appear on her show.
WADL station management said Gaddis is not paid to appear on the program, but makes money selling ads for the shows and being paid by those she interviews. Charles Pugh, a former TV news anchor who is running for City Council, paid for his appearance and thought of it as an "infomercial," but he would have liked it to be labeled as such.
Mildred Gaddis invited Steve Wilson, where the above exchange took place on her radio show to discuss the issue. Her show on AM 1200 remains unaffected by this.
What's the main problem here? The TV station should have run a disclaimer identifying the program as a paid block program. It's not the host's responsibility to say "The candidate I'm interviewing on Channel 38 paid me $1000 to be on the show today."
What are we missing? She was allowed to sell 30 sec spots. If she doesn't know the difference between a $200 commercial and a 1/2 hour interview, Cathy Hughes should help her pack her desk. From everything you read. She was given a show free of charge. So it was not paid programming. From what the reporter showed on TV there was a general disclaimer ran. The REAL problem is no one knew she was CHARGING POLITICAL CANDIDATES to appear on her show.
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