Video use may bring lawsuit

By ERIC DEGGANS

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 15, 1999

It was a notable gap in two highly-promoted stories WFLA-Ch. 8 aired last week on the Sheila Bellush murder case.

Despite lots of footage showing Bellush's ex-husband, Allen Blackthorne, and stories based mostly on evidence he has collected since the Sarasota woman's slaying two years ago, the NBC affiliate had no videotape of Blackthorne speaking about the case.

WFLA solved that problem Thursday, taping comments Blackthorne made in a report that aired at 10 p.m. on rival CBS's 48 Hours newsmagazine. WFLA credited CBS with the footage, aired on WFLA's 11 p.m. newscast.

"When Monica Lewinsky was on ABC, we all recorded it for stories," Dan Bradley, WFLA vice president said, adding their rebroadcast was "fair use" of published news materials.

Blackthorne has not been charged in the case, but two people have been convicted in connection with Bellush's death. Another, who prosecutors say was the hit man, is in a Mexican prison and is fighting extradition. Blackthorne originally avoided talking to WFLA on camera because he had promised 48 Hours his first public words on the case, Bradley adds.

An executive at 48 Hours says the program is considering legal action against the station. "This was an exclusive interview in a non-breaking news story . . . about as far from fair use as you can get," said Susan Zirinsky, executive producer of the show.

© Copyright 1999 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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