KALB: Slocum Campaign Issued Ultimatum About Debate

According to a report on the 10PM KALB broadcast news, on Wednesday, KALB President and General Manager Les Golmon met with David Roach, the “advertising consultant for Mike Slocum.” Mr. Roach told Mr. Golmon that Mike Slocum did not want Michele Godard to participate in moderating the debate. “As a matter of fact, he said his candidate would not show up unless you (Godard) declared you that were a supporter of his opponent,” Golmon said. “There were threats made by Mr. Roach. In fact… that he would turn us over to the FCC Commission (sp).”

Golmon explained the reason he decided to pull Ms. Godard from the debate was because he felt it more important to encourage people to vote than to participate in politicking. He stated the reason Godard was pulled had nothing to do “with the threats” made by Mr. Roach.

Moreover, Golmon declared his confidence in the objectivity and the reliability of the story KALB aired regarding sheriff’s deputies being intimidated by the Slocum campaign. “We have a source,” Golmon said. “It was a reputable source. And that it was not biased in any way. And we’re doing the job we’re supposed to do. I know there’s rumors and innuendos out there, but that’s part of politics…. Employees were actually intimidated to the point that they feared not only for their job but who they voted for.”

Let’s get this straight: Slocum’s advertising consultant called Golmon and threatened to report them to the FCC unless they played by Slocum’s rules.

For more, click here to watch the video.

Responses

Bird

November 14, 2007

I’ve already voted so the “debate” last night would not have persuaded me one way or the other. Here’s my problem with the story KALB ran. IF they wanted to ensure the public there is no bias on their part towards the Wagner camp, then perhaps the optimum choice for someone to interview Mr. Golman would have been someone other than Ms. Goddard. In my opinion, all this interview does is allow Ms. Goddard to throw it back in the Slocum campaign’s face and say, “Hey you thought you shut me up, but I’m still here and can hurt you.”

As for the Slocum campaign, they need to learn you NEVER get into a pissing match with the media. They will always have the last word and can reach more people than you can. In this case, the KALB video is all over the blogs, the story is getting play across the net, not just Rapides Parish. You would think a true advertising person would have understood the ramifications of such. The better thing to do would have been to let sleeping dogs lie and allow Goddard to appear, then if she misspoke and the bias came through during the “debate” everyone watching would have seen it for themselves.

Both of these entities could use a good media consultant.

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PawPaw

November 14, 2007

Calm down, Lamar. Debates and forums are always negotiated. What one might call a threat another might call a negotiating point. Les Golman called it a threat to call the FCC. We don’t know what was actually said.

That said, it’s never a good idea to get into a pissing contest with the media. It’s also never a good idea for a media personality to be so blatant about her political bias. I’ve never heard her say anything critical of Mr. Wagner, but she and Mike Slocum are like cats and dogs.

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taxpayer

November 15, 2007

“We don’t know what was actually said.”

Typical Slocum response. Just deny it ever happened.

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lawnmower

November 16, 2007

Your biased little website is as tainted as Ms. Goddard. The little reel that she did at the end of the news Angered most people. It seems to me that she is in the match and all she has is urine.

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Lamar White, Jr

November 16, 2007

That was a really creepy comment.

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Lamar White, Jr

November 16, 2007

PawPaw, don’t worry; I’m calm.

However, I don’t think debates and forums are “negotiated” by threatening to turn the sponsoring venue over to the FCC on scurrilous charges. That’s calling threatening and bullying— not “negotiating.”

And you’re absolutely right: It’s not too smart to attack the media in the middle of a heated campaign.

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