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Public TV producer crashes Storms' party
By BILL VARIAN, Times Staff Writer TAMPA -- Just when you thought it was safe to turn on the tube again, Hillsborough Commissioner Ronda Storms has launched a new attack on public access TV -- this time against graphic violence. And as if on cue, the circus that has accompanied this debate sprang back into business when the producer of a show she tried to shut down crashed her news conference Friday and brought it to a raucous end. Storms says that public access has again violated a county contract by airing a May 10 episode of Saheeb's Dream. On that 11 p.m. show, the host character, Saheeb Yusuf Al-Mahdi, going by the name Billy Willie, aired footage of the 1987 public suicide of Pennsylvania treasurer R. Budd Dwyer. Dwyer had recently been convicted of bribery. On a tape of the Saheeb's Dream show, Al-Mahdi can be heard saying, "Do it, do it," before Dwyer pulls the trigger of a .357 Magnum in front of reporters. As blood flows from Dwyer's head, Al-Mahdi says, "Cool." Storms said Al-Mahdi obviously couldn't have gotten a release from Dwyer to air the footage, as is required from all people appearing on public access shows. She said there are other contract violations but declined to specify them. She will refer a tape of the show to State Attorney Mark Ober to determine if any crimes were committed in the airing of the show. "I'm frantic for the people in our community and the standard we are setting," Storms said. "Clearly the people at public access are asking, 'Where is the line?' We can do nothing but answer the question." Her comments came during a morning news conference at County Center, held in a room inside the commission office area and open to "credentialed press" only. Then Charles Perkins, whose public access program The Happy Show was attacked by Storms three months ago for graphic nudity, showed up. Perkins was dressed in the character of his show's host, "White Chocolate," a self-described reformed pimp. And he was accompanied by local radio personality Dave "the Dwarf" Flood in a matching fur coat. Both were toting media credentials issued by the public access station, but were initially denied entry. Assistant County Attorney Christine Beck sent word that they should be let in because the news conference was taking place inside a public building. Three security officers arrived on the second floor of County Center. Storms ended the news conference, went into her office with one of the officers and closed the door. What ensued was another, albeit impromptu, news conference, with Perkins shouting that he was being denied free speech. He was confronted by Terry Kemple, a friend of Storms and former executive director for the Christian Coalition of Florida, who has helped organize a campaign called "No Taxes for Public Access." "My attorney is going to eat you and make you look like a fool in your church," Perkins shouted. "What planet are you from?" Kemple replied in an even voice. Al-Mahdi, who didn't attend the news conference, said the Dwyer images are within the public domain, and therefore permission wasn't required. The same footage is readily available from Internet sites, and the story made national news when it happened. He said he has complied with all contractual obligations, and that if his adult variety show is viewed in its entirety, it actually discourages drug use and violence. "She's taken the whole thing out of context," Al-Mahdi said. "I'm nonviolent and a vegetarian. I'm just a scapegoat." Asked what crime she thinks Al-Mahdi committed, Storms said she's not sure. "Maybe it's disturbing the peace," she said. Storms made it clear she intends to press on with her campaign against public access until the station's operators are out of business. "In my opinion, we're in Round 3 of a 12-round fight," Storms said. "You win some rounds. You lose some rounds." For those scoring the bout thus far, Storms lost the first round. That's when State Attorney Mark Ober refused her request to prosecute The Happy Show and Perkins for criminal obscenity. Round 2 went to Storms when she got fellow commissioners to agree that the publicly funded station violated a contract with the county by failing to police the show. However, the county and station operators are still trying to negotiate a resolution. -- Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report.
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From the Times Sandra Thompson |
