(WXYZ) - One of Detroit’s best-known media personalities, Mildred Gaddis has railed against the “pay-to-play” approach that’s already corrupted city government. But has she been caught using the same tactic herself? Our chief investigative reporter Steve Wilson broke this story earlier on Action News, and it’s fast become the talk of the town among those who have an interest in Detroit politics and the current race for city council.
What’s the fuss? A weekly TV show on another station, and how it’s well-known host has chosen which candidates to feature.
Wilson: Explain to me why a candidate for city council has to pay you to get access to be interviewed by you on what looks like a news program, a public affairs program.
Mildred Gaddis/Journalist: It’s not a public affairs program!
Mildred Gaddis (from The Mildred Gaddis Show): Hi, I’m Mildred Gaddis and I’m happy you’ve chosen to join us today…it’s our meet-the-candidate series.
It’s a weekly television show not connected with the
Inside Detroit radio program that’s made Mildred Gaddis one of the city’s most respected and powerful voices in public affairs. But how does she decide which of the more than 160 council candidates to feature on her show? Jay-Lee Dearing had a chance to be on.
Wilson: The viewer looking thinks Mildred Gaddis is doing a public...you smile, you know what I’m talking about.
Jai-Lee Dearing/Detroit City Council Candidate: I hear ya.
What I’m talking about is something viewers have never been told.
Wilson: This was a deal to be on her TV show.
Dearing: Be on her TV show for a thousand dollars.
Wilson: And you had to come up with the cash.
Dearing: Yes, yes.
Gaddis: There is nothing illegal about that. There is nothing unethical about that.
But actually, it’s both illegal and unethical as she ultimately acknowledged in an hour-long interview. The thousand-dollar “package” she offered some, but not all the council candidates, included:
•production of two low-budget, 30-second TV commercials
•a promise she’d air them on her show
•and a half-hour interview which to most candidates like Charles Pugh, was the most attractive part of the deal.
Charles Pugh/Council Candidate: This would be longer form and a chance to talk about our issues versus to talk generically in 30 seconds.
Gaddis: Why would I knowingly, why would I knowingly violate a law?
Wilson: To make $2,000 a show?
Gaddis: No, I would not do that. I would not do that.
But she admits her own production company has been pocketing the payments because that’s how she and at least two other prominent hosts on WADL are compensated, by selling as many commercials as they can on their own shows.
Wilson: When you interview these people and they’ve paid you $1,000, you’re not going to be too tough on them, are you?
Gaddis: That’s not true, that’s not true.
Mildred Gaddis (from The Mildred Gaddis Show): Ahh, this man is awesome.
Gaddis: There was not a love fest…oh my goodness. Okay. Alright. I mean, I’m not Steve Wilson.
WADL’s president Lewis Gibbs says he knows some guests who appear on the Gaddis show pay her to be on.
Lewis Gibbs/WADL-TV President: I’m sure.
Wilson: But it’s never disclosed. How would I know this?
Gibbs: Again, that half-hour is Mildred Gaddis' time and we run a disclaimer before that.
Announcer (from The Mildred Gaddis Show): The opinions expressed on
The Mildred Gaddis Show are not necessarily those of WADL TV-38 or the Adell Broadcasting Corporation.
Wilson: The disclaimer does not contain any hint that what I’m about to watch is paid programming.
Gibbs: You know what, you bring up a good point.
Not just a good point, it’s an FCC rule with the force of law: “When a broadcast station transmits any matter for which money…is paid, the station…shall announce that such matter is paid for” and by whom it was paid.
Wilson: You took no action to disclose that you were collecting money from interview subjects you were interviewing. What ethical journalist does that?
Gaddis: Well, I’ll tell you Steve, I’m an ethical journalist. I made a mistake… that’s all I can say to you about that, I learned something and it won’t happen again.
And in fairness to Gaddis who says she is guilty of “neglect” and not intentional deception, she’s not the only one whose been operating this way. John Mason, the public address announcer for the Detroit Pistons, does essentially the same thing on his WGPR radio show. Frankie Darcell makes money at Channel 38 the same way but not with political candidates, she insists.
And in the last few hours came a letter from Kevin Adell, owner of WADL. Citing what he calls her "unauthorized charges" to political candidates, he says "...we have terminated our relationship with Ms. Gaddis..." effective immediately. No further episodes of her show will air.
To learn more about candidates running for Detroit City Council, log on to MiVote, a service of UM-Dearborn and Detroit Public Television that was provided to all candidates, free of charge.If you have a tip for the Action News Investigative Team, contact us at wilson@wxyz.com or at (248) 827-9466.
