National media lining up
to interview shark victim
LIHUE >> Shark attack victim Bethany Hamilton, 13, is meeting with reporters from "First Edition," "20-20" and MTV this week for her first national television interviews since she lost her left arm Oct. 31.
Bethany did not appear at a fund-raiser Saturday on Kauai, and television news crews were barred from the event because of exclusive contracts the Hamilton family has signed with the national shows, Hamilton family spokeswoman June Lantz said yesterday.
Bethany's father, Tom Hamilton, appeared briefly Saturday to thank more than 2,000 people who attended, but he did not give any interviews.
The contracts with the national media involve interviews with Bethany's parents as well as herself, and all are forbidden to appear on nonpaying media until the paid interviews are run, Lantz said.
Bethany has scheduled a news conference for Saturday to talk with news media from Hawaii.
Roy Hofstetter, a part-time Princeville resident and marketing agent for entertainers and artists, was retained by the Hamilton family within two days of the shark attack to negotiate contracts for Bethany.
Lantz said she did not know how much the Hamilton family or Hofstetter was being paid for the interviews.
She did not have a schedule of the airing dates or a complete list of the shows that paid for the interviews.
