No matter where you live, local TV newscasts tend to be pretty awful: a mash-up of crime, spectacle and celebrity--along with sports and weather.

According to an item in the Hollywood Reporter, though, ABC has told its local affiliates not to cover one celebrity in particular: actor Johnny Depp.

The actor is doing interviews to promote a new film called The Rum Diary, based on a book by Hunter S. Thompson.  But according to the Reporter, Disney-owned ABC seems to think interviewing him about a movie that isn't part of the Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean franchise would be bad business:

According to Houston's KHOU, no ABC affiliates were allowed to speak with or even shoot the actor at the event, due to a clause in his contract with Disney for its successful film franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean.

"We came here expecting to talk to one of the biggest names in Hollywood," say KHOU news reporter Shelton Green. "But apparently Disney doesn’t want Johnny Depp's new movie premiering here at the Paramount [Theatre] to get more exposure than his new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. So they wouldn’t allow us to interview him, nor would they even allow us to get video of him, but hundreds of other people did."

Tossing out old papers in preparation for an upcoming office move, I came across what was probably the best hate letter I've ever received.  It came in response to FAIR's work on talkshow host Bob Grant--who, after FAIR had documented his bigoted, violent rants and promotion of white supremacy, had been fired by Disney's ABC, and prompty hired by rival station WOR. The unsigned fax contained a page of doggerel:

Hey, "FAIR,"

Bob's still here.

Your little plan didn't work so well, so all of you can go to Hell.

Bob Grant lives, he talks, he rules,

And you look like a pack of mules. Or ghouls?

This is the Land of Liberty & it's what I take free speech to be.

When you monitor one, you monitor all, you have some gall,

To single out one to take the fall.

Bob's real name is Bob Gigante,

Don't try to be a vigilante.

It won't work, don't be a jerk,

As you lurk, to find a quirk, in everything he says.

Black & white is not the issue,

A pleasant day I do not wish you.

BOB GRANT RULES THE AIRWAVES!

I wrote "FAIR's Bob Grant Success" (Extra! Update, 6/96) pretty much in response to that poem. But while I disagreed with the critique of our work, I did appreciate the style with which it was expressed. And I do try not to be a vigilante.