The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 47

Orlando Sentinel THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2001 E3 Maldonado has WKMG focused on local scene NEWS 77 v--x 1 J'. GEORGE SKENEORLANDO SENTINEL Teamwork. WKMG news director Skip Valet and Maldonado like the way things are going in the new-look Channel 6 newsroom. aged and Hollywood, but it was close enough to the reality of what America became for me. It put me closer to navigating in the society." He earned a degree in broadcasting and film from Boston University and did master's work at Emerson College.

He worked as a film editor and became a director at WBZ in Boston. He has worked at WGBH in Boston and WNBC and WCBS in New York. He was vice president of programming and promotion at WDIV before moving two years ago over to marketing and sales at Post-Newsweek. "I firmly believe whatever we market has to be substantiated," he says. "We have to prove to the community that we mean what we're saying." Since his arrival in Orlando, the WKMG newscasts have gained more energy and graphic dazzle.

He remains committed to Problem Solvers, reports that highlight issues, such as asbestos dangers in abandoned buildings. Ratings are not an evil term to this unabashed TV fan, who enjoys taking viewers' calls. "Ratings represent individuals" Maldonado says. "In many ways, this is the most democratic of businesses. Every day I walk in here, and there's been an election the night before, and I see how we did." I And yet, there's the matter of how long he's going to be here to watch those returns.

He says his Post-Newsweek job has almost disappeared. "I'm going to be here as long as it takes to make this station a solid station and one whose success is not only reflected in community support and a good product but in ratings, too, and revenue," he says. Asked about the acting before his title, he says jokingly, "Oh, I'll be acting forever. The day somebody asks me to be general manager, I'll quit." You can reach Hal Boedeker at hboedekerorlandosentinel.com or at 407-420-5756. In the current terrorism crisis, his local commitment has grown more intense.

"We're very, very involved in discussing what the local need is, what the local angle is, and we're covering them," he says. Maldonado sees WKMG's responsibility to give the community the best national coverage immediately. The station is drawing on not only CBS but The Washington Post. "When it gets to the local level, it's more about the mood of the community," he says. "It's how can we help?" Another important function, he adds, is "to maintain a united front and a sense of patriotism." Tony Pipitone, a respected investigative reporter, has seen a lot of changes and departures in his 14 years at the station.

"Previous managers had said they had long-term plans, long-term commitments, but then poof! They're gone," Pipitone says. "Now the feeling is we want stability. The fact that our news director and acting general manager are both longtime Post-Newsweek people, well known to the top corporate managers, we think is a good sign. It's hoped that they'll get us on track." News director Skip Valet joined WKMG in June from WJXT, the Post-Newsweek station in Jacksonville. "He's one of the stars of the company," Maldonado says.

"We think exactly alike. Part of my job here is to give him support and let him do what he does best." Valet praises his new boss as passionate and excited. "He's just a fun guy to work with," he says. Maldonado and Valet echo each other on what makes a good newscast: good stories. "People tend to make this harder than it is," Valet says.

They gained insight into the Orlando market when WKMG followed Apopka's celebration of its Little League champions Aug. 27. "This is a town where people are going to react to things that are worthwhile and children: two in college and a 15-year-old in high school. "We'll do anything we can, my wife and not to let jerks control the airwaves," he says. "There's a lot of questionable leadership in a lot of television.

What we put on the air affects a lot of people, and you have to be aware of this." WKMG angered a lot of viewers earlier this year when it didn't renew the contract of anchor Wittman. Maldonado says he doesn't look at the furor as a negative. "Every time you make a change, people are upset," he says. "You have to face it and move on." Wittman's replacement, Frier, earns Maldonado's unstinting praise. "I like everything about him," he says.

WKMG last week promoted London to 5:30 p.m. anchor, which makes her only the third African-American in the market's history to have the position on a weeknight newscast on one of the big three broadcast affiliates. "Diversity is key to not only good broadcasting but good business," Maldonado says. "It's important that you have diversity of thinking in a TV station." He would like to have a Hispanic anchor, but he says it's more important to have a Hispanic general manager. "The issue is not who's in front of the camera, although that's important," he says.

"It's who's running the ship." Lessons in English Television means so much to Maldonado because of what it gave to him: He learned English from the medium when he came here at 10 years old from Caracas, Venezuela. He was speaking English in six months after watching such shows as I Married Joan, The Twilight Zone and Love Lucy. "It's a wonderful memory of growing up watching television in a cockamamie hotel room in New York," he says. "It may have been commercial, pack El says. "Ho's a very brilliant, creative thinker and a very nice guy." He is the fourth general manager at WKMG since Post-Newsweek bought the station in 1997.

The station has had five news directors in five years. The turmoil reflects WKMG's longtime position as the station that couldn't get ahead. Whenever poised to challenge WFTV-Channel 9 and WESH-Channel 2, it would stumble back. Even as it placed No. 2 in the May sweeps at 1 1 p.m., it angered viewers for parting with longtime anchor David Wittman.

The station has been the butt of jokes in local industry circles. Some quip that it is built on a Native American burial ground and will be forever haunted. Others dub it "the mistake by the lake." "They said the same thing about the city of Cleveland. Now it's one of the jewels," Maldonado says. "I love to build up a TV station because if you do it right, it's a value for everyone." Stability sought Maldonado's building plan is driven by his belief in local television, a philosophy he describes in ebullient style.

The Local 6 slogan, his baby, reflects his conviction that local stations are the strength of American television. He says that broadcasting's competition with cable and the Internet will be determined at the local level. When anchor Perkins speaks lovingly of local news in commercials, she's talking the boss's talk. "Everybody knows the station has been through a lot of changes," Maldonado says. "Both within and outside, that's out there as a concern and maybe confusion on the part of the viewer and employees.

I'm here to sort out that confusion, to define a very simple approach, an emphasis on everything local, from sal to news to programming." fr 'it are traditional," Maldonado says. "We want to be members of the community." Maldonado has worked for Post-Newsweek for 20 years and has shuttled among the company's six stations in such cities as Houston and Miami. Tim Kiska, TV writer for The Detroit News, said Maldonado had a hand in making Post-Newsweek's WDIV the No. 1 station in Detroit. Kiska recalls that Maldonado had to defend putting Jerry Springer on at 4 p.m.

in 1998. After viewers reacted negatively, he took the show off, a sign of his willingness to serve the public. "I listened to what my audience was saying," Maldonado says. "These were parents who would call me up, concerned about their kids. I did some research that showed our viewers considered it not to be in character with the station." He moved the show despite high ratings, and he says viewers applauded the action.

"He cares about TV as a medium," Kiska says. "He's a real thinker. He'd rather sit in an editing room than put on a suit and tie and hard shoes and be nice to somebody." How long will he stay? Maldonado had been work i' a ft ing with WKMG's news and marketing for a year and a half before becoming acting general manager. WKMG, which carries the initials of late Washington Post doyenne Katharine Meyer Graham, is a priority for the company, he says. Post-Newsweek President Frank says it's not a great station yet, but that he feels good about its future.

"We just need to settle things down, focus on a few broad themes and do the best we can every day to serve the community," he says. But then there's the matter of how long Maldonado will be here. At a recent preview of local stations' fall lineups, he told the crowd that as interim general manager he'd probably be here longer than his predecessors. "He's going to be there through the end of the year, and then we'll determine what we're going to do," Frank says. Maldonado says there's a good chance he'll move to Central Florida.

"I have a responsibility to some nice people not to perpetuate the revolving-door premise that they've gotten used to here," he says Living apart from his wife, Jo, is difficult, but he says she understands his passion and responsibilities. They have three ft ti ft Save Our Farm! AND (for a Small donation) SEE THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD! Mo Mume andMLDLD See the world's most astounding mystery! FREE (at no cost to you) FREE See The Presidential Bunion See: The Rock That Never Moves! See: The landing site of a UFO and the hubcap it left behind! See: The Bermuda Triangle walk through boo-hoo land and hear The Well of Troubles speak! See: The Mystery Spot, and watch your legs grow longer on one side and shrink on the other! See: The FLJ Mystery why do flying long johns flock together on Thursdays? See: Big Hoof is she watching? looked at her bunion. "I don't get it," she said. "How is George Washington's face on a bunion going save the farm?" don't you see?" said Moo. "Everyone loves an oddity.

loves a mystery. They may say they don't, but sooner curiosity gets the better of them. There isn't an animal farm who wouldn't pay to see a bunion with the father of our country' on it." Moo pointed to bump. "THAT," she said, "is a presidential bunion!" said Minnie. said Moo, pacing back and forth again.

"But George We need to convince everyone that what we say is way, they'll believe the other things as well." things?" said Minnie. said Moo. "The other mysteries on the farm. the unexplained, the wonders of the world. That's SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD!" stood up and looked across the farm.

"Moo, I don't wonders," she said. "I see a barn and some chickens." said Moo. "I see The Presidential Bunion. I see Triangle. I see The Mystery Spot, UFOs, FLIs!" only five," said Minnie.

her eyes and pointed into the distance. "I see The Never Moves," she said. said Minnie HOOF!" Moo yelled. said Minnie. "Who's Big Hoof?" never heard of Big Hoof?" shook her head.

Big Hoof is the missing link between dinosaurs Some animals claim to have seen her in Mr. woods. Her footprints are huge." looked toward the dark woods next to their farm. TOMORROW, THURSDAY 9 a.m. UNDER THE OLD OAK TREE Donations welcome SAVE OUR FARM! in and sauce it Minnie to "Minnie, Everyone or later on this face of 'the Minnie's "Really?" "Really," will be free.

true. That "Other "Of course," Life's puzzles, it! SEE THE Minnie see any "But I do," The Bermuda "That's Moo closed Rock That "That's six!" "And BIG "Big Hoof?" "You've Minnie "They say and cows. Wilkerson's Minnie "Really? In "Well, I've "But listen, your bunion Washington they will believe believe "Moo, isn't asked Minnie. "No, no," taking something new out own recipe." Minnie put "Making up "Yes," said take a little and mix it not true. Then QBIrMfr3ir2Jpaigjgja The Seven Wonders of the World Chapter Two of Ten The Seven Wonders A Breakfast Serials Story Written and Illustrated by Denys Cazet DiscussionActivities Week Two 1.

What will happen to animals at The Mystery Spot? 2. In what scary location will one of the Seven Wonders be located? 3. What is the Bermuda Triangle? Why are people afraid of it today? I ii' READING IS Irain It Is- is, i Tins is chapter two of ten from Minnie and Moo in The Seven Wonders of the World, copyright 2001 by i Denys Cazet. All rights" reserved. The unauthorized reproduction of this mate-', rial is expressly prohibited.

Minnie and Moo in The- Seven Wonders of the World series is published by' Breakfast For information about Newspaper in Education and available Teacher Guides, call 407420-f201 Orlando Sentinel Newspaper in Education I orlandosentinel.comNlE' (c jo "There!" said Moo. "That's what the posters should look like. You can help by making more. When you're done, just tack them up around the farm." Minnie read the poster. "Moo," she said, "I know where The Presidential Bunion is, but where are all these other 'wonders'?" Wilkerson's Woods?" she said.

never seen her," said Moo. Minnie. No one will believe has the face of George on it. But once they see it, it. After that, they'll anything!" that like cheating?" said Moo.

"It's more like old and making something of it. Like making up your her hooves on her hips. your own recipe?" she said. Moo. "All you have to do is something that's sort of true with something that's sort of you toss it around a little Moo stood up.

"Out there," she said, waving her arm. "Out there." Then she turned and started to walk away. "Moo, where are you going?" asked Minnie. Moo smiled. "I'm going to cook up some new recipes," she said.

"You know, take a little of the truth and mix it in with a little of the not so true." Minnie pointed toward Wilkerson's Woods. "Moo, don't forget there are some things that should be left alone." "Minnie, tomorrow The Seven Wonders will start here with The Presidential Bunion. Then, one by one, we'll find the other mysteries along the road. Some will be in the meadow and in Mr. Farmer's garden, and some will be at the edge of Wilkerson's Woods." A cool breeze blew across the hill, and Minnie shivered.

"That's what I mean dark. Things NEXT WEEK: The Presidential Bunion up a bit. Soon you have she said, The woods are Reading fey Nine live in there. Maybe things you think you made up, but didn't. Maybe there really is a.

Moo looked out toward Wilkerson's Woods. "You mean-" "Big Hoof!" Minnie whispered. something new, different, more interesting and more tasty." "Sounds like a salad," said Minnie. "More like a bowl of mock turtle soup," said Moo. "More like a bowl of fibs," said Minnie.

"I don't like it!" "But Minnie, what will happen to all the animals on the farm if we don't do something?" Minnie sighed. "Okay," she said. "What do we do first?" "Make posters!" said Moo, sitting down at a table. She put a box of felt pens and some paper on the table. Then wrote in large letters: 1 Orlando Sentinel cMiiiaaicatlflt Text copyright 2001 by Denys Cazet Illustrations copyright C2001 by Denys Cazet Reprinted by permission of Breakfast Serials.