Lincoln Parish News Online has learned that KEDM’s award winning News Director Sunny Merriweather has been fired.
The Word On The Street weblog first broke the news last Friday evening.
When contacted by LPNO, Station Manager Joel Willer said he could not discuss the firing as it was a personnel issue. Asked if the termination could be construed as a First Amendment issue (government officials firing news reporters), he said that was not the case.
In point of fact, the station is owned by the University Of Louisiana at Monroe – a taxpayer supported government entity.
Keep an eye on this story. Lots more to come in the next few days.
Lincoln Parish News Online 
07/22/2009 at 4:06 pm |
Actually the station license is in the name of the Board of Supervisors of the UofLa System. Under the Public Radio rules, the station staffing is a power of the station’s Board, not the university…..although Jim Cofer has taken on that authority will little rebuke from the Board members.
07/24/2009 at 5:49 pm |
In fact, there are no public radio rules that grant the Board the power of hiring and firing. KEDM has a Community Advisory Board, emphasis on advisory, with no power to take action of this sort. All KEDM employees are employees of the University, all serve at the will of the president, and all are subject to firing at will.
07/24/2009 at 6:13 pm |
Government controlled media, in other words?