Matt Perrault ended his "Big Show" sports talk radio program Tuesday with a tongue-lashing toward the management of KETV (Cox Channel 9)."I will never talk about Channel 7 on this show ever again," Perrault told listeners on KXSP (590 AM). "I'm boycotting Channel 7. We will not have KETV people on, we will not mention them and I'm still deciding whether they will be a part of the competition next year."
The "competition" Perrault referred to was his "Hottest Local News Chick of 2006" contest that "KETV First News Weekend" co-anchor Brandi Petersen won on Dec. 22.
Petersen (pictured at right) beat out a fellow co-worker, KETV weekday morning meteorologist Andrea Bredow, in voting by the show's listeners. WOWT (Cox Channel 8) morning anchor Malorie Maddox finished third among the 25 candidates from five Omaha TV stations.Perrault said he was told second-hand Petersen would not be appearing on his program to accept congratulations for her victory - something The Reader's Media Notes confirmed Wednesday afternoon.
"We're flattered that Brandi won the contest, but people have a right to turn down interviews," said KETV News Director RoseAnn Shannon. "People turn down our interview requests every day. Public and elected officials are obligated to respond to interview requests. But private individuals and company officials have a right to decline to do an interview."
Shannon said the reason behind Petersen's decision to decline Perrault's invitation was that KXSP is owned by the Journal Broadcast Group, which also owns Omaha TV station KMTV (Cox Channel 5). KETV is owned by a competing media conglomerate, Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc."We hope people who listen to the show will tune in to us to watch Brandi," Shannon said.
Perrault calls the decision "simply ridiculous" and points out that he gave KETV "a month's worth of free publicity." He also reminded listeners Tuesday that Maddox, who won the inaugural contest last year, had no qualms about appearing on "The Big Show." (WOWT is owned by Gray Television, Inc.)
For winning this year, Petersen received a dozen roses and a $120 gift certificate to a beauty salon.
