CBS Sunday Morning correspondent and author Bill Geist is the recipient of the 2016 Governors' Award bestowed by the New York Chapter of NATAS at the 59th Annual New York Emmy® Awards. He was interviewed by Emmy® Award winner John Bathke, a member of the Board of Governors. Here is their conversation from March 15th, 2016.
Olbermann Broadcasting Empire v. Current TV, LLC – A Three-Part Series Uncovering the Legal Battle Between Two Media Titans By Fernando M. Pinguelo and Timothy Cedrone Part III: Is the End Close at Hand? Part I of this three-part series explored the history of the relationship between Keith Olbermann and Current TV, a television station owned by Current Media (collectively, “Current”). That relationship began in 2011, when Keith Olbermann joined Current TV as its Chief News Officer, and ended unceremoniously in March 2012, when Current notified Olbermann that it was terminating his contract. About a week later, Olbermann sued Current TV for breach of contract, as detailed in Part I of this series. Part II examined Current’s responses to Olbermann’s claims, including Current’s Answer and Cross-Complaint requesting monetary damages and other relief from the Court. So where …
Olbermann Broadcasting Empire v. Current TV, LLC – A Three-Part Series Uncovering the Legal Battle Between Two Media Titans By Fernando M. Pinguelo and Timothy Cedrone Part II: Current TV Counterpunches Part I of this three-part series explored the history of the relationship between Keith Olbermann and Current TV, a television station owned by Current Media (collectively, “Current”). That relationship began in 2011 when Keith Olbermann joined Current TV as its Chief News Officer, and the relationship unceremoniously ended in March 2012 when Current notified Olbermann that it was terminating his contract. About a week later, Olbermann sued Current TV for breach of contract, as detailed in Part I of this series. But what has Current done in response to Olbermann’s lawsuit? While the answer to that question is simple (Current countersued), the reality is that Current’s …
Olbermann Broadcasting Empire v. Current TV, LLC – A Three-Part Series Uncovering the Legal Battle Between Two Media Titans By Fernando M. Pinguelo and Timothy Cedrone Part I: The History and the Histrionics When Keith Olbermann joined Current TV in 2011 as its Chief News Officer and newest broadcaster, former Vice President Al Gore, now the chairman and co-founder of Current TV-owner Current Media (collectively, “Current”), proclaimed, “Keith Olbermann is a gifted thinker, an amazing talent and a powerful communicator, and having him tap Current as his new home is exciting and very much in line with the core vision we founded this network on: To engage viewers with smart, provocative and timely programming.”[1] Joel Hyatt, the executive vice chairman and other co-founder of Current Media, was similarly effusive in his praise for Olbermann, saying, “Keith Olbermann …
Bloggers Beware! News Reporter’s Privilege May Not Protect Posts On Message Boards By Fernando M. Pinguelo, Esq.and Andrew D. Linden, Esq. In today’s digital world, blogs, discussion boards, and message boards are becoming increasingly more popular and accessible. These media are used not only for socializing, but also, for many of us, a means of acquiring and disseminating “news.” Recently, in Too Much Media v. Shellee Hale, the Supreme Court of New Jersey considered whether the state’s Shield Law– which allows news reporters to protect the confidentiality of their sources and the news or information gathered during their investigations – applied to an individual who posted several allegedly defamatory message board entries. Defendant, a self-described journalist, contended that she was investigating and reporting on corruption in the adult entertainment industry. In particular, she focused on …
As we discussed in our last installment about “the Cloud,”[1] cloud computing is a computer networking model that gives users on-demand access to shared software applications and data storage. The Cloud offers businesses a flexible, low cost alternative to hardware-heavy IT infrastructure traditionally needed to operate a technology system. For example, by storing your data off-site, you may be able to drastically reduce the size of your server room, realizing cost savings in HVAC expenses and in physical hardware and upgrades, while also reducing your company’s carbon-footprint. Further, off-site storage offers more rapid disaster recovery, allowing your business to get back up and running in a matter of hours or days rather than weeks or months. The Cloud also takes the guess work out of determining what your IT needs will be in the future – as your business grows …
Apple’s recent lawsuit against Amazon opens a new front in the war for app dominance. Apple, it seems, could not abide Amazon’s launch of its own mobile app marketplace – Amazon Appstore. Yet this was not the first shot fired in this battle, as Microsoft last year opposed Apple’s attempt to register the APP STORE brand name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. So, why all this attention? Why are the app “super powers” – Amazon, Apple, RIM/Blackberry, Google, Microsoft – shifting their strategy from development and consumer marketing to the legal battle‐field? As the mobile phone market continues to undergo tremendous growth, the app creates a lucrative revenue stream that connects to consumers through their mobile phones, smartphones, and other devices connected wirelessly. In recent years, the smartphone has all but eliminated the basic mobile device …
Considered the worst act of bioterrorism in U.S. history, the 2001 anthrax mailings that followed the 9/11 attacks killed at least five individuals. Since then, litigation and investigations surrounding the anthrax mailings has spawned and taken unexpected twists and turns over the past few months. Bruce E. Ivans, the primary suspect in the anthrax investigation, committed suicide just before the Justice Department was about to file sweeping, but circumstantial, charges against him for his suspected role in the 2001 anthrax attack. Before that, the Justice Department settled a Privacy Act suit brought by former army scientist Steven J. Hatfill, who worked with Ivans at Fort Detrick, for $4.6 million where Hatfill claimed the Justice Department ruined his career when it leaked information about him to the media during the anthrax investigation. And several months ago, a federal appeals court …
Death Of The Noncompete For NY Broadcasters? February 2009 By Fernando M. Pinguelo, David T. Harmon, and Andrew D. Linden For years, broadcast industry employees such as news anchors and radio disc jockeys saw their opportunities in the job market severely limited because their employment agreements contained noncompete clauses. Upon the expiration or termination of the individual’s employment contract, a noncompete clause within that contract prevented employees from working for their former employer’s competitors or within their former employee’s market for a specified period of time. Courts regularly enforced these noncompete clauses if their restrictions were reasonable in scope, duration and geographic range. In August 2008, however, New York enacted the Broadcast Employees Freedom to Work Act (BEFWA), which prohibits broadcast industry employers from including certain noncompete clauses in employment contracts. The statute’s enactment was due in part to successful …
By Fernando M. Pinguelo, Esq. The June 2007 sentencing of Lewis “Scooter” Libby who was convicted on federal charges of lying and obstructing an investigation into the Bush administration''s actions leading into the Iraq war reminds us of how far reporters will go to protect their sources of information and the consequences of such confidentiality. New York Times reporter Judith Miller''s life changed dramatically on July 6, 2005 when a federal judge ordered her jailed for her continued refusal to give evidence in a grand jury investigation into the disclosure of the identity of a covert CIA operative. Miller’s imprisonment culminated from a series of events that began with President George W. Bush’s January 28, 2003, State of the Union address wherein it was revealed that British intelligence had learned that Saddam Hussein sought significant quantities of uranium from …