TheBuzz
TheBuzz
Oh no, Joe,
the dirty laundry
of it allYou won't be seeing KHON-TV anchor Joe Moore talk about his upcoming play "Dirty Laundry" during the Channel 2 News anymore.
"This is another fine mess I've gotten myself into," Moore chuckled.
At the end of the 6 and 10 p.m. news on Feb. 18, Moore talked about the play he wrote and will appear in, with Jason Scott Lee and others.
It was timed to coincide with the first day of ticket sales, Moore said. The play is a benefit for Manoa Valley Theatre, though it is to be staged at Hawaii Theatre April 18-20.
Moore met with News Director Dan Dennison and General Manager Rick Blangiardi after the 6 p.m. news Thursday.
"Rick did most of the talking," Moore said. The concern was that viewers might believe the play depicts Moore's unhappiness with the news at KHON.
"That is not the case at all," Moore said.
Nevertheless, "out of sensitivity for his concerns I agreed I wouldn't talk about it on our air," said Moore.
The tone was cordial and not as if he'd been taken out to the woodshed, he said.
He and Blangiardi don't agree on the play promotion issue, or on the decision to pull public service announcements scheduled to start Feb. 21, but "he's the GM and I'm the news anchor," Moore said.
Blangiardi confirmed the PSA would not air but would not comment further.
Earlier Thursday Blangiardi's address to the Hawaii Society of Corporate Planners' monthly luncheon was titled, "Are We Getting the TV News We Deserve?"
His remarks were similar to those made in previous appearances, along the lines of increasing competition in TV news to "create improvements not just for his stations but for everybody's," said Society President Michael Chong, a consulting engineer with Cedric Chong and Associates.
Members enjoyed the presentation, Chong said. "You can tell (Blangiardi) enjoys the challenge."
An audience member mentioned the play, and Chong said Blangiardi made it clear he wasn't pleased with the script. Moore has known that since he gave it to Blangiardi to read last fall. The play presents a critical view of the quality of television news.
"I shared the script with him and told him I intended to have it produced and to appear in it," Moore said. "He said while he was not thrilled with the idea, he would not prevent me from doing it."
KHON - About Joe Moore
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com