WJHG General Manager Tracy Connors has allegedly had a little run in with the law. She was arrested on DUI charges and for refusing a breathalyser test and resisting arrest in August. According to the police report the cop had to ask her 5 times to step out of the car before removing her from the car with the help of another cop.
Her charges were later reduced to reckless driving and a $500 fine.
Not surprising this story was kind of swept under the rug and allegedly not given any airtime by her station, WJHG. The Florida News Center blog reports that according to sources, WMBB was ready to run with the arrest when WJHG news director Tom Lewis, allegedly, called WMBB and asked the station not to run the story and they agreed. The Panama City News Herald, partner of WJHG, also didn’t report Connors’ DUI arrest.
Looks like someone forgot about the Internets, again
Florida News Center has more details on the story and links to the public Bay County records
Below is the video of Conners’ alleged post-arrest video:
I believe WMBB was planning on running the DUI story. It sounds like WJHG and the Panama City News Herald wanted to sweep the DUI story under the rug, like nothing ever happened. They called WMBB, and asked them to not run the story… and WMBB agreed to not run the story. I didn’t think WMBB would want to agree to things like this.
Anybody else have any thoughts about this?
We’ve not heard the last of this…
I don’t think it’s much of a story in the first place. This person isn’t an on-air personality. She’s just an executive at a business that happens to be a TV station. Unless she does on-air promotions for the station or community service announcements or editorials, it’s just another boring DUI. I know it’s small market TV, but still.
She may not be an on-air person, but her employer allegedly making sure the story didn’t get out is a story.
Classic hypocracy of some TV news heads, everyone is fair game but them
On-air or not, she received privileges, not only by the media, but by law enforcement. Any other member of the general public would be plastered all over the newspaper and on TV.
Bay Co.,
What are you talking about????? Do you have any idea how many DUI arrests are made that DON’T make it on TV or in the paper???? The ones that make the news are those involving serious crashes and/or celebrities. This one involved neither.
Jodie, I agree. At UCF there are at least 5 DUI arrests a night – you think WESH airs each and every one of them. Imagine the number of DUI arrests on South Beach in one night. I dont see WTVJ running down the list each night. I dont have enough time to watch the entire video, however I would like to know how exactly she got special treatment. I know they reduced the charges, and didnt suspend her license (which I dont think they do if its ur first DUI, but I could be wrong) but was there another reason (like faulty police work) or do u guys seriously think she got special treatment? I watched the first couple of minuets when she was saying that she was the President of WJ…, What would the judge get out of reducing her charges???
In television news you are required to sign a contract stating that (among many other things)you will not use your affiliation to benefit your personal life. She told the officers numerous times during the video that she would “fry them in the media tomorrow.” Not to mention the fact that she used the names of on-air personalities that have outstanding reputations in the community to try to get herself out of trouble. This is a good ‘ol boy town. It is to be expected that rubbing elbows with the right people often keeps you from paying your dues, but it is the news’ responsibility to make the public aware that the good ‘ol boy system is still running strong. At the corporate level (grey Communications out of Atlanta) this should have been handled. At the very least, she should have been fired.
After listening to this, I am shocked at Tracy’s performance. I know her and have known her for a long time. Power has gone to her head. Wake up Tracy! You hear that flushing sound… thats your life and you are wasting it.
The charges were reduced to reckless driving and a $500 fine? Did everyone else see what I saw? Did everyone else see her behavior and threats toward the officers? Gray gives her a pass when she acts like this yet they fire others for nothing. Our justice system is bought and paid for. The good ole boy network is deep in our courts where people get away with just about anything depending on who you know and what side of the who you know you are on. I have seen both sides. In the media major advertisers can go and ask for a pass. This get out of jail cheap deal Tracy got was in exchange for not running a negative story about the police at some point. I hope the whole world sees this and understands just how powerful our media really is. Imagine that our justice system and our media working arm and arm. I remember years ago when a WMBB employee had stolen the head off the Santa statue down town. WJHG goy the tip where it was and they called the police asking if they could follow along on the bust. The police agreed. The girl claimed it was a joke while WJHG cameras rolled and as she was being arrested she yells out… “I work for WMBB you can’t arrest me!” I am surprised WMBB didn’t cover the story. Years ago WMBB’s General Managers wife was involved in a hit and run. The story was buried by WJHG and WMBB. I guess this was WMBB’s return favor.
And the cover-up grows. A recent discussion about this matter on http://www.talkradio101.com simply disappeared from the forum board with no explanation. Add this to the stations and local newspaper (News Herald) that ignored the story.
Channel 7 WJHG has had no problem with reporting DUIs in the past (http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/3762062.html).
Hope this bites them all in the posterior.
Once upon a time there was a little girl.
This little girl lived, worked and played in the Land of Oz-Bay.
This little girl held a somewhat important position in the Land of Oz-Bay and rubbed elbows with a number of the “movers and shakers” in the community. She was viewed by some as actually being a community leader. One evening this little girl was coming home from a ball held in the Land of Oz-Bay … they have many you know … when she ran into a Knight. Well, she didn’t actually run into the Knight, but it was close!
The Knight was in the employ of the high Sheriff of Oz-Bay and he noticed that the little girl had a foul odor and appeared to be under an evil spell or maybe just had a few too many grape Ne-Hi’s. Sir Knight offered to help the little girl but she viewed herself above this and told Sir Knight to stick it where the sun don’t shine. Needless to say the situation deteriorated and the little girl found herself in ‘ye royal shackles.
Now in the Land of Oz-Bay, many things are done differently than in other lands. One of those is that the royal court is actually run by the Court Jester. Sir Knight brought the little girl before the Court Jester to face her punishment. The royal Court Jester considered the facts and after consulting with He of the High Meadows, thought it best to simply apply a spank to the little girl. After all, she was part of the partying “mover and shaker” clan and was a lot of fun at those grape Ne-Hi parties! It just wouldn’t be right to have her suffer like a commoner, don’t you know.
Now the little incident would have simply gone away and been just a “bump” on the yellow-bricked news road, but the little girl couldn’t just leave well enough alone. As she left the palace of the Court Jester she decided that this tale must never be told! EVER- EVER!!! If her fairy godfather found out about this, she might actually have to explain what really went on at the grape Ne-Hi parties … heaven forbid!
She gathered all her “mover and shaker” friends and they decided it is best handled through simple extortion of the media … after all … similar plans had been done in the past within the Land of Oz-Bay. A common tale was that of the great wizard of JOE, but that is another story to be told.
The little girl agreed that this would be best so she contacted major advertisers in the Land of Oz-Bay. She knew many of them from some of the more popular grape Ne-Hi parties. She instructed them to threaten the media outlets in the Land of Oz-Bay that they would pull ad accounts should those media outlets publish a story about the very embarrassing tale.
Her plan worked at first, but she did not take into consideration that the tale might spread beyond the Land of Oz-Bay …
… now there is no, “and they lived happily everafter” to this tale as it is still being written. Take heart dear reader in knowing that this is only a fairy tale and could NEVER EVER happen in real life. Nighty-nite!