Deep Tape.
Tapers taping tapers taping. What is this? Dr. Seuss?
The very public hissing match between consumer advocate Tom Martino and investigative reporter John Ferrugia evolved into a case of “I double-dog dare ya.”
To recap for those who missed this Very Big Story – and how could you after KHOW became Radio Free Martino? – KMGH-
Channel 7 investigators Tony Kovaleski and Ferrugia set out recently to get the goods on KDVR-
Channel 31’s Martino, rumored to give preferential treatment in consumer stories to those who pay to appear on a referral list run by his private company. They offered a former Martino target cash to test the advocate’s morals and planned to tape it surreptitiously.
Martino got wind of it, outfitted the source with his own hidden camera and taped the tapers. Both sides chose not to air their respective footage.
Martino maintains it’s fine by him if someone wants to investigate him and his methods but spent the first 20 minutes of his Thursday show on KHOW 630-AM raging about it, followed by long-winded defenses on Peter Boyles and Caplis and Silverman, also on KHOW.
“I’m not upset that I’m being investigated. It comes with the territory,” said Martino. “(But) if you’re going to be a journalist like Kovaleski or Ferrugia, do what I do – call these people, interview them. What they did instead was try to set up a sting. I have never once taken money to slant my opinions. Never. They couldn’t find anyone who said I slanted a story. They wanted to take down Tom Martino.”
Then he challenged Kovaleski/
Ferrugia to dueling polygraphs. He even marched into the offices of Channel 7 and called out K/F and their news director. He was kicked out.
Channel 7 news director Byron Grandy is puzzled by Martino’s posture. “We’ve not aired a single story about the business practices of Tom Martino. Period. We have to look into any of these complaints. Ask any reporter. The first thing you do is to research. That’s what we were in the process of.”
It’s a lot of bloviating about not much, a talk-radio specialty. Does Martino charge businesses to get on his preferred list? Of course. He’s said so many times. His is a commercial enterprise. However, he wrongly equates advertising with his referral list.
Does he give preferential treatment to those who pay? He swears not.
Like one of our quickie summer squalls, this, too, will blow over. Bill Dallman, Channel 31 news director, whose station did a story on the flap but chose not to air Martino’s secret tape, says he’s had enough. “We didn’t want to pick a fight with Channel 7, but, then again, it was their action that demanded a response,” he said. “This was clearly an attempt to embarrass him and embarrass us. I hope this is the end of it.”
Not if Martino has his way.
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
