Author: Janel Davis

Television news is a visual medium, but not all news is particularly visual. What does a reporter do if the story they’re working on is all about numbers, facts, or figures? If they work for WHBQ, chances are they call David Stotts, Fox 13’s award-winning promotions director.

Stotts may not be able to make a news segment as exciting as a game show, but he can certainly convince viewers that it might be. In fact, he recently received critical accolades for promoting “What They Make,” a story about government employees’ salaries, like it was an episode of Wheel of Fortune.

Stotts has won 17 regional Emmy awards for his work, 15 of them while working for WHBQ. He snagged an additional pair while working for WKNO-TV, the local public broadcasting affiliate. Over the past two years, he’s also taken home an unprecedented number of PROMAX awards: seven gold and two silver. These awards, considered to be the Oscars of news promotion, are internationally recognized as the highest award in electronic media for design, marketing, and promotion.

After receiving his undergraduate degree from Middle Tennessee State University, Stotts attended grad school at the University of Memphis, where he studied to be a filmmaker. He never intended to work in television promotions.

“I had been into short fiction. I didn’t get into documentaries until I started working for WKNO,” says Stotts. He served as co-director for the locally shot Intersections, a Robert Altman/Jim Jarmush-esque film on the life of a Memphis cab driver. “Once I started working at WKNO, I said, Forget this fiction stuff. You can have much more of an impact making documentaries.”

It was while producing and editing documentaries at WKNO that Stotts started making his own promos, the short commercial spots designed to tease the projects he was developing.

“Nobody told me what to do or how to do it,” Stotts says. “I just did it.”

And he did it very well. Paul Sloan, WHBQ’s creative director, says, “When our last promotions director left to take a job in San Francisco, she told me, There’s this guy you need to hire because he’s so much better than me.” The person was Stotts.

“First and foremost, we are in charge of promoting our television station and promoting our news,” Sloan explains. “Fifty to 75 percent is what we call topical promotion – you know, Tonight at nine on Fox 13 News. That’s where you have your greatest chance of getting somebody to watch your news. But that’s only part of what we do.”

In addition to promoting daily stories, Stotts worked to create Rightly Seasoned, WHBQ’s documentary about the 1973 U of M Tigers basketball team. While Stotts may prefer to make documentaries, he and Sloan agree that developing public-service announcements is the most rewarding work they do.

“I won’t say that [other stations] don’t try to make good spots, but you won’t see a lot of effort put into public-service announcements by most stations,” says Stotts. He approaches PSA’s with a filmmaker’s eye and an ear for good storytelling.

“When I was working on a campaign for the Memphis Homeless Coalition, the number one thought I had is that everyone sees them and everybody ignores them,” Stotts says. “Then we talked to them and found out that their slogan was, ‘Homelessness isn’t a crime; ignoring it is.'”

It was a perfect fit. Stotts also wanted to show that most homeless people were normal people who had landed on hard times.

“We’d show a woman holding up a cardboard sign that said Teacher. Another guy held up a sign reading Construction foreman,” Sloan says.

Stotts and Sloan hope to take the work they did developing the homeless campaign and turn it into a documentary when time and funding permit, but in the meantime they have their hands full promoting the nightly news.

“It can be exciting,” Stotts says. “I’ve discovered that you can really be creative in a 30-second spot.” n

To combat violence, police create a new unit, but don’t plan to confront gang members.

A newly formed group of law enforcement officials will investigate all aggravated assaults as aggressively as homicides. The Felony Assault Unit (FAU), unveiled last week, consists of eight members from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) and three prosecutors from the attorney general’s office. The unit was established to manage the violent crime wave that has plagued the Memphis area recently. In the past month, MPD logged 10 homicides in one week.

Police admit that gangs are responsible for many of the city’s violent crimes. Two youngsters were killed during the high-homicide week when opposing gangs waged a shootout in Raleigh. An e-mail also circulated this month warning of a gang initiation involving killing a woman and child at local shopping centers. But when asked if the department considered talking with gang leaders to curb the violent incidents, police director Larry Godwin said MPD has no plans to meet with gang leaders.

Local pastor Kenneth Whalum Jr. doesn’t understand why not.

“You and I know that the police know who the gang leaders are. Why don’t we at least come to the table and talk with them?” he told the Flyer. “It may be impossible, but how can you just respond by saying ‘We don’t deal with gang members’? Well, yes, you do. You deal with the results of their activity all the time.”

Prior to the creation of FAU, aggravated assault cases were handled by the General Assignment Bureau (GAB), but overburdened caseloads meant inadequate time and resources devoted to the crimes.

“GAB usually doesn’t have time to track down witnesses and get confessions and statements from them,” said FAU lieutenant Mike Miller.

Even without the new unit, MPD boasts an 84 percent solve rate in these type crimes, but it’s the amount of violent criminal activity that has them and other community leaders worried. In the past year, the number of aggravated assaults per month has increased from 175 to more than 200. Late last year, when Shelby County Mayor AC Wharton and Congressman Harold Ford Jr. announced plans for a peace task force, Whalum was one of the first clergy members on board.

When that group failed to materialize, Whalum took his message of peace to the airwaves with a radio show and television program.

“For the second time now, I’m asking law enforcement to meet with these [gang] leaders because they want the same things out of life that we do,” he said. “Gang leaders tell me that they want their children to live in peace and have something out of life. What perpetuates the violence in this community is sheer poverty and hopelessness.” n

City administrators heeded the cries of upset residents Tuesday when chief administrative officer Keith McGee presented a plan to discontinue car allowances for city employees effective November 30th. Mayor Willie Herenton also requested a similar policy be instituted at MLGW.

Some city employees who received car allowances will be given vehicles from the city’s fleet based on their job requirements, while the remainder will be eligible for mileage reimbursement. The city may hire someone to manage the newly established Fleet Services office, but city officials say savings from the new plan will cover the employee’s salary.

“We don’t have an estimate on that employee’s salary yet,” said McGee. “The area we’re traveling in will be new. We thank [the council] for trusting us to provide leadership.” n

by Janel Davis

During the Flyer‘s last visit to Bellevue, the congregation of more than 29,000 members was bidding farewell to its beloved pastor Adrian Rogers. Four months after his retirement we returned, along with a congregation antsy to find out the identity of the church’s new pastor. By now everyone knows that Dr. Steve Gaines of the First Baptist Church of Gardendale (Alabama) got the nod, but prior to Sunday services, it was all a mystery.

With the pastoral announcement scheduled for the 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. services, many church members arrived early for the first service. Surprisingly, chatter in the balcony included everything but information on the new pastor. After eavesdropping on about 10 conversations, we heard about a youth trip to California, relatives of the shark-bitten youth in Destin, duck hunting in Mississippi, and that many a Bellevue beauty wears the same makeup as Jennifer Aniston, but we were still in the dark about the choice of pastor. By the opening orchestral chords of the call to worship, we were ready for a resolution, maybe even a revolution.

About 15 minutes into the service, the pastoral search committee revealed their recommendation. Gaines emerged stage right with his family. He introduced his wife, Donna, his son, three daughters, and daughter-in-law, who each beamed smiles at the congregation. No deer-in-headlights looks from these young people; like young Kennedys, they had been groomed for this. Pretty heavy stuff considering their future lay in the hands of a sanctuary full of strangers.

In the congregation, we got a chance to mull things over a bit, talk amongst ourselves, and consider recommending our own candidates while the choir sang. Soon the stage switched into concert mode as a soloist delivered a hymn under mood lighting.

By song’s end, we were ready to hear from Gaines. His message on the “Marks of a Healthy Church” was moving and even included a fill-in-the-blank worksheet to keep Saturday night partyers awake during the sermon and on track. The left balcony section noticed that Gaines’ sermon was a little less “God is love” and a little more fire and brimstone. More importantly, he was good: He told a few jokes that were entertaining but chaste; the message was straightforward; and his remarks were concise.

With all the “amen”s uttered during the sermon, it was clear that Gaines was a keeper, so it seemed superfluous when every single member of the search committee told us their reason for recommending him. Needless to say, the vote was a bit of a formality and may have violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, as those voting in favor of keeping Gaines were told to stand.

“The search committee did a good job,” our elderly seatmates said, wiping tears from their eyes. “They sure did,” we answered, all the time knowing that somewhere in America, Jesse Jackson mourns another lost opportunity. n

“Is this where you turn in the brown forms?” asked Nancy, 53. At the Department of Human Services (DHS) office on Third Street last Thursday to turn in TennCare disenrollment material, she wasn’t optimistic.

“I don’t have any kids; I’m by myself; and I’m not sick. I know [the state] will cut me off, but it’s worth a try,” she said.

Nancy is just one of 200,000 TennCare enrollees who must return their completed brown forms to DHS before July 6th. Information collected on the forms will determine whether they can remain on the state’s insurance rolls. To accommodate enrollees, DHS offices around the state stayed open two hours later then usual last Wednesday and Thursday, accepting TennCare forms until 6:30 p.m.

By 4:15 p.m. Thursday, temperatures had reached the upper 90s and most enrollees entering the office were sweating profusely. Parked at the office’s curb was an ice-cream truck, but it wasn’t there to sell treats. The 32-year-old driver, who wished to remain anonymous, came to the Third Street office after his neighborhood rounds with a friend, a 22-year-old woman. Neither currently has insurance, and both have been kicked off the TennCare rolls.

“I don’t qualify for TennCare right now. They say I make too much money, but I still don’t have enough to buy the [three] sinus medicines I need,” the ice-cream man said. “I was in Walgreen’s last month just standing at the counter wondering how I was going to pay for my medication.” Fortunately, his uncle entered the store and purchased the medicine. “I was lucky that time, but what about when I need them next time?”

His friend, inside filing a disenrollment appeal, wasn’t so lucky. She visited a drug store for antidepressants last month only to learn that she was no longer covered by TennCare. Without coverage and no money for medication, she left without the drugs.

“She’s on medications like Zoloft and birth control to handle her depression, and they cost about $200 a month,” said the ice-cream man. “I don’t know how the governor can be reelected doing this.”

Inside the office, Frankie, a 63-year-old grandmother and former TennCare recipient, waited for her daughter to file her own brown forms. Frankie, a nursing-home cook, was removed from the TennCare rolls six months ago. She underwent open-heart surgery two years ago. She takes two heart medications each day and visits the doctor every two months.

“The first time [the TennCare bureau] sent me my forms, I couldn’t read and write, so I missed the deadline to send them back,” she said. “The second time they sent the forms, I got somebody to help me fill them out, but they still said I made too much money.” Since then she has scrimped and saved to make ends meet and sometimes relies on her sons to help pay for medicine. “I wish to God I could get back on [TennCare]. I would be the happiest woman in the world,” she said. 

With a final round of seven “aye” votes at a special Monday night meeting, the Memphis City Schools board settled the disputed question of maintenance service for its 191 facilities.

The board voted to bring maintenance services in-house under the jurisdiction of human-resources director Michael Goar and maintenance director Zeno Williams. “It will be a rough road for us to assume that responsibility,” said Goar. “There will be a need for additional resources in staff and so forth, but the employees are ready to step up if given the opportunity.”

For the last 12 years, facilities maintenance has been contracted to the Aramark company. A facilities-maintenance report detailing excessive overtime costs, employee complaints, and higher than average bid prices all played a role in the severing of Aramark’s contract. Aramark’s corporate office issued a brief statement saying only that the company has been “delighted” to serve MCS.

Aramark bid $3.3 million to renew its contract but was underbid by the Trammell Crow company, which offered to do the job for $2.7 million. But the board and Trammell Crow could not agree on cost caps. As Aramark’s June 30th contract-termination date neared, the board and administration went round and round with Trammell Crow — and with each other. An off-handed admonition from one board member for the district to have a backup plan hit home, and the board began to look into bringing the work in-house.

“We [custodial employees] had always felt that it was a slap in the face when Aramark was brought in,” said 21-year district employee James Fleming. “We were the ones doing the work anyway. They were just giving orders.”

Co-worker Martha Denman agreed. Denman, a building engineer, has worked for the district for nearly 28 years. “It was time for a change,” she said. “If the board didn’t give this to us, we were ready for a fight.”

During negotiations, Lavon Alston, the MCS staff member responsible for the transition to in-house services, resigned, leaving behind angry school board members and unanswered questions. “I know people may question why this is the board’s business,” said President Wanda Halbert. “But anything that affects the children of this district is our business.”

Goar estimates that bringing services in-house will cost the district about $2.5 million this year and $1.2 million next year. Savings for the second year are based on lower overhead and a drop in equipment costs.

“Aramark brought to the table customer service, classes, and training,” said Williams. “Prior to their coming here, we were not recognized as a group or appreciated for our work. I can’t speak for all departments, but for custodial, the services could have been brought back in-house four years ago.”

But even with the potential savings, some board members were still unsure about the plan. “We will be watching,” board member Deni Hirsh told Williams and his managers.

“I understand their concerns, but the employees have pride in their work and are going to prove it,” said Williams. “You’re always going to have that percentage of no-goods, but at least 93 percent of my people are good people. I look at it as my task to work on the other 7 percent. Most of us have been here at least 10 to 15 years, and no one knows our jobs better than us.”

The in-house staff is charged with completing its initial work by August 8th, a week before students return to school. 

From the beginning of the budget process, the City Council’s Capital Improvement (CIP) Committee chair Myron Lowery was asking, “What can be cut?” By the end, the council had trimmed $27 million, or 10 percent, from the mayor’s original CIP budget.

While both the CIP and operating budgets for fiscal year 2006 have been approved, financial constraints still loom large.

“We’ve got too many city projects on the table, and [the city] doesn’t have the infrastructure to carry them out,” said Lowery. “The administration must cut back on some projects.”

One project on the potential chopping block is the MATA light rail system. Through a series of close votes, the $280 million project survived for consideration next year.

While reports on the project were thorough, council member Carol Chumney sent out her own press release, detailing how light rail could decrease the car-rental tax payments that support repayment of arena bonds.

“If the car-rental tax collections decrease, then will city and county taxpayers be on the line for the deficiency?” she asked. “What are the actual projections of ridership for the airport/downtown light rail project, and do we really need it?”

The MATA information joined a series of releases Chumney sent out during budget hearings addressing everything from her votes on riverfront development to the city’s bond rating.

“These are issues that the public should be made aware of,” she said. “It is also to make sure that the media is aware of what happens in meetings and to take ownership of my ideas.”

When The Commercial Appeal published a story detailing Lowery’s CIP concerns, Chumney issued a correction, saying she had been the one concerned about the large amount of CIP expenditures.

“The logic [of Chumney’s MATA] release says that everybody renting cars goes downtown,” said Lowery. “You’ve got to take with a grain of salt these things that don’t make sense.”

To balance the budget, Lowery’s committee voted to delay several projects, pushing their start dates and funding requirements beyond fiscal year 2006: a fix for this year, but still a problem for the future.

Currently, Lowery is leaning toward the sentiments of Chumney and other council members who have wanted to veto projects such as the light rail, riverfront development, and construction of a 911 facility.

“Sometimes you can have a knee-jerk reaction to things, but you can deal with issues when they arise,” Lowery said. “The misconception has been that because we delayed some projects they were automatically approved, and that is not true. Each of those projects has to come before this council again and be voted on.” 

The media gets blamed for a lot: ruining careers, promoting negative images, and even false reporting. Just last month, many dancers involved in the Tennessee Waltz blamed the media for blowing the situation out of proportion.
But sometimes reporters get the wrong story. For example, two weeks ago, the Flyer wrote about the Memphis City Schools’ maintenance contract (“Yours, Mine, and Ours,” June 9th issue). That article detailed the latest wrangling between the district, school board members, and contractors.
What the article failed to mention was that district chief operations officer Lavon Alston had supposedly tendered his resignation at the end of May, a move that reportedly stemmed from the maintenance situation. The Flyer talked to MCS communications personnel, who denied the rumor. Then we discussed the matter with Alston. His response: “I heard that too. I’m still here, and those rumors are not true.”
Now, it looks like the rumors were true. Alston’s resignation was announced at an MCS committee meeting last week. A copy of his resignation letter, dated June 16th, stated that the letter was “a follow-up to my previous resignation letter dated May 20.”
Alston, hired by MCS last July, headed the contract transition between the two maintenance companies. Ultimately, negotiations broke down between the district and Trammell Crow, and this week, the decision was made to bring maintenance services in-house.
When a letter of agreement between the district and Trammell Crow was publicized last week, angry board members challenged that it had been done without their approval. In this instance — and most during the contract process — Alston received the brunt of the anger.
“With that letter of agreement, people are doing selective listening,” said Alston. “[Attorney] Percy Harvey presented it to board members previously. If I were trying to hide something, why would it have been presented to them?”
Reached by phone late Friday evening, Alston explained his misinformation. “I was still on the payroll when I talked to you [May 23rd],” he said. “When you’re in a leadership position, you don’t let people who work under you know that you are departing. You just depart.”
Although he acknowledged that his previous answers were misleading, Alston said his resignation didn’t indicate anything out of the ordinary.
“I decided to resign due to personal reasons. It does not have anything to do with the [facilities maintenance situation],” he said.
The Flyer is still investigating Alston’s resignation. 

The initials PFM have become a recurring theme in Memphis and Shelby County governments. Public Financial Management has been involved in projects ranging from the Sports Authority to the city of Bartlett. Last week, PFM played a critical role in Mayor Willie Herenton’s five-year fiscal presentation.

The Great Financial Hope? During the presentation to council members, PFM managing director Marlin Mosby billed the company as the only one in the nation providing comprehensive management and financial services. While the mayor and council members have challenged this statement, Mosby refuses to back down, saying other firms only offer “pieces” of their financial services.

Bragging rights aside, the company has earned a reputation for streamlining municipal operations. Locally, PFM is perhaps most noted for a similar study of Shelby County government last year. That $550,000 study proposed cutting the county workforce, among other things, to close a $200 million fiscal gap. The firm’s client list also includes the cities of Germantown, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, the state of Tennessee, and Rhodes College.

Cost for the city’s five-year plan would be about $600,000, but PFM has tied its compensation to a minimum savings of $50 million from the city’s budget. Although the council has not approved the plan, the city already owes PFM for its preliminary services.

Five-year Fix? PFM projected the city’s five-year cumulative gap between revenues and expenditures at $485 million. While dire, this predicament is nothing new to lawmakers who have battled for other types of revenue sources such as payroll transfer and increased sales taxes.

But the alternative revenue options failed — not because of overburdened taxpayers tired of tax increases — but because of the presentation deliveries.

“The new property-tax increase did exactly what it was designed to do: balance this year’s [budget] gap. It does not go beyond that,” Mosby says. “The [alternative revenue sources] were rejected because they were presented in a vacuum. If you present to the public, ‘Hey, we want another tax,’ the answer is no. What we have proposed is to look at the whole thing as a package.”

PFM’s package, composed in conjunction with Mayor Herenton, includes a mix of alternative revenues, better collections, and budget cuts. Preliminary plans include sharing city/county services and rekindling plans to streamline MLGW operations without merging the utility with the city.