Newspaper Page Text
Prince
sued for
sls million
Page 1
VOLUME 14 NUMBER 39
Mr. ‘Today 9 —Bryant Gumbel
moving on up
Los Angeles, CA.—His name is
Bryant Gumbel...lf he has a
nickname, it isn’t known.
Bryant Gumble is the anchor on
National Broadcasting Company
News’ “Today” show, which is
seen early mornings by
multimillions of Americans.
Bryant Gumbel is a former
television sports commentator,
sports director sportscaster, one of
the best who ever did any of it.
Bryant Gumbel is one of the
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BRYANT GUMBEL
highest-paid Blacks in the history
of television, possibly the hightest
paid of all in his category.
He reportedly earns $600,000 a
year.
He earns it the old-fashioned
way, working 12 hours every day.
Bryant Gumbel is han
dsome-handsome as a matinee
idol, in fact. He is well-built and he
possesses a modicum of athletic
ability—enough, at least, to con
vince him that he should play third
base in one of those Hollywood
Civil rights activists indicted
BIRMINGHAM,AL.—FederaI
Grand Jury indictments alleging
mail fraud and voting conspiracy
have been returned against three
Alabama civil rights activists,
Albert Turner, his wife Evelyn,
and Spencer Hogue.
Albert Turner, the best known
of the three, was a former
lieutenant under the command of
the late Dr. Martin Luther King
during the turbulent 60s while
daily marches for Black voting
rights were held in Perry County.
Turner led most of those marches.
He was also selected one of the
pall-bearers for the King funeral.
Prince sued by photographers
Three freelance photographers
last week filed a sls million
lawsuit against rock superstar
Prince and the bodyguards they
claim assaulted them when they
tried to photograph the singer as
he left a Sunset Strip restaurant.
In their Los Angeles Superior
Court action, Vinnie Zuffante,
Richard Kolnsberg and Kevin Win
ter claim they were at Carlos ‘N
Charlies Restaurant Jan. 29, where
a reception and media event was
being held to celebrate the
American Music Awards presen
tation to Prince Rogers Nelson and
his band. The Revolution.
The lawsuit alleges that while
they were at the Sunset Boulevard
restaurant, they were assaulted by
“Big Chick” Huntsberry, Lawren
ce Gibson, Wallace Safford and
“Sgt. Slaughter.” The alleged
assault was conducted “all at the
Augusta Nms-Steutm
All-Star games the Los Angeles
Dodgers promote every year.
Bryant Gumbel has been, if he is
not now, something of a con
troversial figure.
He stirred up a bit of controver
sy out here when he siad, “I’m not
a Black sportscaster. I am a spor
tscaster who happens to be
Black.”
He was good and he knew it,
and his Gibraltar-like confidence
rubbed certain people the wrong
way. But, they couldn’t dent his
armor with snide remarks.
Ever since he became the
“Today” anchor in January, 1982,
some television critics have tried to
tear him down on the basis of his
involvement with sports.
To the unfamiliar, that may
seem strange, especially when they
consider the previous celebrity of
sportscaster/sports commentator
Howard Cosell, who became a
legendary figure after claiming
that he told it “like” it was.
In more recent history, during
the Carter administration, Turner
was placed on the lecture circuit by
former President Jimmy Carter
because of his invention of
gasohol. Turner often was sum
moned to Washington to testify
before Senate committees on the
merits of gasohol as an alternative
fuel source. His unheralded inven
tion took him all around the coun
try speaking and teaching on the
subject.
Because of the nature of the in
dictments and the public acclaim
of those indicted, internationally
known Black trial lawyer Howard
"'Wi'
PRINCE in a scene from Purple Rain
‘Today’ show
Bryant Gumbel
moving on up
Page 1
Moore of Los Angeles has agreed
to be a co-counsel in the case with
Selma attorneys J.L. Chestnut and
State Senator Hank Sanders.
Moore was defense counsel for
Angela Davis during her famous
courtroom ordeal.
Both Turners and Mr. Hogue
have been arraigned before a U.S.
Magistrate and both men have ben
charged with 29 counts each of
“alleged mail fraud and using the
mails to facilitate and illegal voting
scheme’’ said co-counsel Chestnut.
Mrs. Turner was indicted on 12
counts. Many of the charges, ac
cording to Chestnut, allege illegal
Petty jealousy probably fueled
that criticism, at least in part. And,
also in part, racism probably had
something to do with it.
But, Bryant Gumbel, a great
competitor, never has wavered,
never has crumbled, always has
triumphed.
One of his most significant
triumphs was logged two or three
weeks ago when the “Today”
show tied American Broadcasting
Company’s “Good Morning,
America” in the Neilsen ratings.
That was proof positive that
large numbers of American
televiewers approve of his work
and that of Jane Pauley, the coan
chor; weatherman Willard Scott,
John Palmer, Gene Shalit, and
Company.
“Bryant Gumbel and Jane
Pauley are the most powerful one
two punch in television,” Steve
Friedman, executive producer of
the “Today” show, told me recen
tly.
“The ‘Today’ show is strong,
competitive, and moving on up,”'
an NBC staffer said.
Although the show has fallen
behind “Good Morning,
America” by a slight margin in the
last week or so, the mere fact that
“Today” tied “GMA” is proof of
its vibrant, good health.
No longer is that sports beef
held against Gumbel by anyone
who knows how really good he is,
how knowledgeable, how ar
ticulate, how deeply committed he
is to excelence.
“Since joining NBC News’
“Today” program as anchor, a
network auditor says, “Bryant
Gumbel has quickly mastered the
task of setting the pace for the
program’s millions of early
morning viewers—directing their
attention to the latest developmen
ts and interviewing the people that
most affect their lives.”
Michael,Jackson,
Lionel Richie ; 1
song for sta
Ethiopeans
Page 2 ||
February 23,1985
Gumbel seems to be equally
comfortable—or at home—regar
dless of whether he is interviewing
a sports figure, a major politician,
a foreign dignitary, an author, a
famous model, or a show business
celebrity.
Apparently, judging by the
evidence, which is his performan
ce, he always does his homework.
For he is rarely, if ever, caught
in a tongue-tied position. He can
be serious or he can be a
jocular—especially when he and
Willard Scott are kidding
around—depending on the
demand of the occasion.
Briefly put, Bryant Gumbel is a
superstar.
An all-time great television
journalist.
A winner!
Bryant Gumbel was born in New
Orleans on September 29, 1948,
and reared in Chicago in comfor
table circumstahces.
In 1970, he earned a Liberal Arts
degree from Bates College in
Lewiston, Maine. It has been said
that he majored in Russian studies.
Prior to embarking on his career
in television, Gumbel pursued a
career as a writer.
After submitting his first piece
on a trial basis to Black Sports
Magazine in 1971, he was given
additional freelance assignments
and was soon hired as a staff
writer.
Within eight months, as
previously said, he was elevated to
editor-in-chief.
Gumbel first became familiar to
“Today” audiences through his
thrice-weekly sports reports,
beginning in September, 1980.
Prior to that time, he was known
to millions as an NBC Sports host.
Gumbel’s meteoric rise in
broadcasting had begun in Oc
tober. 1972, when he was named,
See ‘Today’, Page 2
notarization of absentee ballots.
“I see no difference in the
Maggie Bozeman-Julia Wilder
cases down in Pickens County
from these cases” Chestnut said.
“I tried those cases then and said
they were nothing but a racist far
ce.”
“I know all over the country,”
Chestnut continued, “Ronald
Reagan’s Justice Department and
the F. 8.1. are investigating voting
in many areas with sizeable Black
populations. They’re investigating
in Atlanta, Chicago, and even
Birmingham” he said, “They’re
See Black Belt Three, Page 6
direction of Prince and under his
control,” the suit claims.
The action claims that Zuffante
suffered permanent disfigurement
and eye damage as a result of the
alleged incident.
Another plaintiff in the lawsuit,
Virginia Loehle, the owner of a
national commercial photography
agency and news bureau called
Star File, claims the bodyguards
seized and destroyed camera
equipment, film and photographs.
Also named as defendants are
the restaurant and Warner Com
munications, producers of Prince
and the Revolution.
Both Gibson and Safford were
arrested following the incident.
Gibson, 26, was booked for
robbery because he allegedly took
Zuffante’s camera and Safford,
25, was booked for battery because
•he allegedly punched Zuffante in
the right eye.
I Black Belt
rights activists
°-aud
I
Less than 75 percent Advertising
RICHMOND COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Employees listed by race. Fifty-two percent of the
students are Black. _
TITLES WHITE BLACK * TOTAL
Superintendent i 1
Associate Superintendent j j
Assistant Superintendents
■Directors & Controller 14 5 19
Assistant Director 1 1
Coordinators 8 2 10
Administrators '5 1 6
I Principals 33 17
Assistant Principals 18 14 32
Lead Teachers 20 8 .28
Class Room Teachers 861 487 1,348
Guidance 14 16 30
Librarians 31 19 50
Aides 128 152 280
I Clerical 139 60 199
Custodians 4 243 247
L/M Managers & Asst. 11
Lunchroom Workers 54 54 192
Maintenance 54 31 85
Transportation 82 74 15$
Rank racism
Editorial
Rarely in one week has
Augusta seen so many
manifestations of racism.
While many people
woundered which Black
would become associate
school superintendent, it
was not to be. None of
them was chosen. And it
seemingly matters less
that 52 percent of the
school propulation is
Black.
On Monday some 800
residents of predominan
tly Black Albion Acres
petitioned to be annexed
into the city. But the
mayor denied their
request.
This is the same mayo,
who is setting up an Office
of Annexation to work
specifically to annex
people into the city. But
it is clear, that he is not so
anxious that he is willing
to see the Black voting
strength in the city in
crease.
The sad truth of the
matter is that in spite of
all the talk about the
possible loss of federal
funds due to decreasing
population is not the cat
astrophe that it is cracked
up to be. Certainly, it
would not be as
catastrophic for many of
the racists now in office
as seeing Blacks gain
enough power to throw
them out.
It is a power struggle,
based on one race’s effor
ts to keep the other
down. That’s ail that
racism is.
3O€