The Miami News from Miami, Florida • 5

5A Wednesday, February 4, 1981 The Miami News Briefly 'Gold Soul' turns on to news GLENDA WRIGHT Miami Nwi Raporur Rock music station intends to fight for its life station's general manager. Bob Allen. "We'll go on doing business as' usual. We're taking a very positive position." Under federal rules, the station has 30 days to file an appeal. Allen said the station, owned-by Chartcom should not have to pay for mistakes made by the previous license holder, Bartell Broadcasting, Inc.

But commission spokesman Brian Kilbane said Chartcom and Bartell are both owned by the Charter Co. and that Chartcom should be held accountable for Bartell's practices. The music's over for radio station WMJX-FM (96X), the Federal Communication Commission says. But a spokesman for the rock music station says it will fight the commission's order to go off the air by midnight, April 29. The station is accused of false and misleading broadcasting practices, including a promotion that claimed 96X was giving away $1,000 bills.

Actually, only one $1,000 prize was awarded. "I'm assuming we're going to appeal," said the Radio station WMBM will become the first black-oriented, 24-hour all-news-and-talk radio station in Miami and possibly the first in the nation. Beginning sometime next mojith, the station will discard its fast-paced "Gold Soul" music sound and adopt an around-the-clock news and talk show formula, said Allan Margolis, owner of WMBM (1490-AM). "It is a very exciting new concept," said Margolis, 49. David Whitcombe, director of sales for Broadcasting Magazine in Washington, D.C., one of the nation's top broadcast journals, said he's not aware of another all-news black-owned or oriented radio station anywhere In the U.S.

"It doesn't seem likely (that there are others)," he said. Whitcombe noted that some all-news stations have had difficulty obtaining enough advertisers to cover costs. "It can be extremely expensive using that type of format," he said. "In Washington, D.C., we had two here that couldn't hack it. In New York there are probably two, maybe three." But Margolis, who has owned WMBM for 20 years, said he's hoping the new format will attract more "Hopefully that will boost our advertisements and sales," he said.

Margolis said none of the station's present staffers will lose their jobs because of the format change. In tion of news and religious programs are tentatively-scheduled for Sundays. Among the talk show hosis will be black eduta'or Marvin Dunn and Robert Hall, WMBM's most controversial talk show host. Margolis said that five reporters will work on the street during the day, handling live reports on breaking news stories. The station also will feature programs hosted by civic groups interested in addressing problems of the black community, he said.

He said he's hoping that Anglo and Latin groups will participate. He said. "We hope that open communications between people will help solve some of our problems and unify the community." fact, he said, four reporters will be added to the staff. He said he didn't yet know how much it would cost to make the format change. Margolis said he decided to make the switch from disco and funk to all-news-and-talk programming after the last Arbitron ratings came in.

WMBM only had a per cent share of the South Florida listening audience in the latest ratings. KM rock station WHYI (Y-100) had the highest rating with a 7.3 per cent share of the audience. Plans for the new format are not yet complete, but Margolis offered a rough draft of the programming: There'll be several all-news slots, a three-hour nighttime sports show and a smattering of talk shows throughout the day and night. The format will continue on Saturdays. A combina It's all in the execution in game of 'Assassin' MARILYN A.

MOORE Miami Ntws Rtporfar I fv A ar I ft 'v HI mm. 3 V. Veverka wants to resign with 'clean record' Former Metro policeman Charles Veverka Jr. wants his job back but only so he can resign with a clean record, he says. Veverka lost his job after he allegedly faked reports to make the Dec.

17, 1979, fatal beating of Arthur McDuffie by county police officers look like a traffic accident. Yesterday Veverka tried to convince county hearing examiner Harold Mendelow that his decision to reveal the attempted coverup resulted in charges against other Metro officers. Attorney Douglas Hartman said Veverka's "error in judgment" was done without "willful intent" and should not have led to his dismissal. Mendelow will make a recommendation to County Manager Merrett Stierheim, who has the final decision. A federal court jury acquitted Veverka In December of violating McDuffie's civil rights by falsifying the reports.

Man gunned down at his home A Miami man was murdered yesterday when he stepped outside his front door after being told by his son that three men in a pick-up wanted to talk to him, Miami police said. Alfredo Gomez, of 349 NW 35th walked outside and was gun-ned down on his front steps, police said. Toddler wounded after finding gun A 2-year-old Southwest Dade boy accidentally -shot himself in the stomach after he found a gun wrapped Inside a sweater in the living room of his house. Police said Rogeio Joubert, of 16125 SW 215th was left unattended while his mother, Maria, and grandmother were in the kitchen yesterday. The boy found a loaded automatic handgun and shot himself in the stomach.

He is in the intensive care unit of James Archer Smith Hospital. It was the second accidental shooting of a child in Dade in the past week. The 3-year-old daughter of a Miami fireman was accidentally shot in the head by her 5-year-old brother last week after they found a loaded handgun in the family car. Lisa Lowery remains in serious condition at American Hospital. Fire hits paper company Metro firemen fought for two hours to control a blaza at the Durbin Paper Stock 2303 NW 70th Ave.

They also tried to save a mobile home at 3617 NW 36th St. The Durbin fire, which began about 4 a.m., resulted in a back injury to fire Lt. Luke Sherlock. At one point, 15 pieces of equipment were used to fight the blaze, fire offi- cials said. A mobile home at the Fronton Trailer Park was destroyed at about 4 a.m.

Two other mobile homes were damaged in the fire that officials was arson. One firefighter, Lt. Jack De Young, received a second-degree burn on the hand. A house fire at 519 SW 7th Ave. in Homestead this morning also was the work of an ar-sonist.

according to officials. Metro approves new jail "I do not wish to be held hostage in the place I am employed!" declared City of Miami employe Pat Skubish. who was protesting the conversion of the old Miami Municipal Justice Building, 1145 NW 11th into a jail. She scoffed at assurances that the 250 city employes who work elsewhere in the building will be protected. Skubish's objection was ignored by the Metro Commission, which voted yesterday to lease the building from the city for $1 a year for two years.

The county will spend $500,000 in federal money to change the second floor into a jail for 200 male inmates. The conversion is Intended to relieve crowded conditions in the Dade County Jail. Consumer proposals aired Business owners and consumers clashed over proposed legislation to license and regulate firms that repair motor vehicles, television sets, electronics and appliances. The Metro Commission yesterday considered two ordinances a tough one proposed by Metro Consumer Advocate Walter Dartland and a weaker one submitted by County Manager Merrett Stierheim. Commissioner James Redford Jr.

complained that Dartland urged his supporters to lobby commissioners on behalf of his ordinance while Commissioners Barry Schreiber and Ruth Shack criticized Stierheim for undercutting Dartland. When the dust settled, the commission tabled both proposals and instructed the opponents to reach a compromise Overtime pay rejected by Metro A Metro police fingerprint supervisor and 79 lieutenants have lost their fight to get paid for their overtime work. The Metro Commission voted yesterday to support County Manager Merrett Stierheim's rejection of a special judge's recommendation that they get overtime pay. But they will receive a pay raise making their average salary $33,000 a year. Though they will not be eligible for overtime pay, they will get administrative leave for time worked beyond 40 hours a week.

If they agree with the commission, the 80 will receive a two-year contract that includes an 8 per cent raise on Oct. 1, followed by a 2 per cent raise on April 1, 1982. Families to get job preference The immediate family members of Metro employes who have died in the line of duty will be given preference by the county for similar jobs, the Metro Commission decided yesterday. The sons of two firemen who died in the past two years will be the first to get preferential consider-ation for jobs with the county fire department. Dade could raise $25 million Lawyer Martin Fine predicts the county could raise $25 million a year to build housing if the price of stamps required on legal documents were increased from $4 per $1,000 to $8.

He urged the Metro Commission yesterday to ask the state Legislature to hike the fee for documentary stamps. The money request now goes to the state. Fine proposed that the price of stamps be doubled, with the state and counties splitting the revenues. Strike ended, ship sails The Costa Cruise Line's SS Flavia, stranded In Miami after a 24-hour wildcat strike by crewmen, steamed out of port yesterday after crewmen returned to work. The crewmen, represented by the Italian Seamen's Union, walked off their jobs Monday, just before the ship was to leave for the Bahamas.

The line treated the 500 stranded passengers to avfree tour of Miami, a part(il refund on their tickets and a 25 per cent discount on a The assassin got his assignment on a Friday night and made the hit Saturday morning. He stalked his victim, followed him to a Hialeah go-cart track and stabbed him on the third turn. All in good fun, of course. It was part of a simulated game of murder called "Assassin" that was brought here by a local attorney and some friends. "It's a board game come to life," said Paul Marcus, a South Dade attorney and spokesman for Assassins Limited Inc.

"It's hide-and-go-seek, basically. It's a challenge and it's lot of fun." "Assassin" (It's known as "Killer" in other parts of the country) isn't open to the public yet. Assassins Limited expects to be selling bogus "licenses to kill" by mid-March here. After you pay $5, a computer assigns you a victim if you choose to be the assassin. You'll be given real information about your quarry occupation, age, addresses, a physical description or a description of the car.

How much information you get depends on how difficult you want the hunt to be. You have seven days to make the hit and the sooner you do it, the more points you get. The "kill" is made by slapping a sticker on your victim. You can also choose to be a victim. If you evade your killer for seven days or hand him a card that parries his attack, you win and he loses.

The local version of the game has a twist, Marcus said. A computer will rank the players so they'll know how they're doing. Marcus hopes his version will spread nationwide. Miami, gaining a reputation as a city of real murders, is the test market. Marcus said.

But that's only because the originators of the game live here and because of its student population and culturally diverse residents, he said. "If anything, we thought starting it in Miami might be a detriment because of people's worry and fear of crime," Marcus said. "That's not a plus, that's a negative But if it succeeds in Miami, then we'll have less of a problem in other parts of the country." Before the game begins, players sign liability waivers and agree to follow the rules of the game, Marcus said. They also agree not to do anything illegal. Marcus urged players to verify that their victim is one of the players and he said they shouldn't sneak around at night where they might be mistaken for a real criminal and get themselves shot.

Some people who deal with real killers say the game may be dangerous. "That's just great, after all the confusion we've got here," said Miami homicide detective Jon Spear. "These people could follow the wrong person or get into a situation they couldn't get out of. A person could retaliate and it might be justifiable homicide." Spear said some players may become so adept they'll be tempted to carry out real murders. Metro homicide detective Robert Edwards wasn't as concerned as Spear.

"Well, Miami is the right place for that," Edwards cracked. But he added, "I don't think the people engaging in our homicides need any encouragement. 1 can't imagine what the result of this is going to be." William an associate professor of criminal justice at Florida International University, calls the game "ridiculous." "I can't see what purpose it serves," Wilbanks said. "If it's recreation, that's one thing, but this seems to lend legitimacy to violence." But Marcus thinks it's harmless fun. "This is not to hurt somebody.

It's to see, "Can I do Look at the success of Agent 007. Everyone wants to be a secret agent. Well, this is a way to do it. Spend $5 what's the big deal? "The worst thing you've done is drive here and there trying to find the situation and you never got him. But if you get him.

it's a nice high." i -1 4 5 -f- If you want to play If you'd like to play send a $10 check to Assassins Limited P.O. Box 330764. Miami, Fla. 33133. The first-time fee is $10; it costs $5 each time you play the game after that.

The game will start in mid-March. The Miami News BILL REINKE Assassins Inc. Spokesman Paul Marcus demonstrates a possible defense against hit man' Jack Roberts ABC's vision of Miami was less than '20-20' Shortly after last week's "20-20" rz- show on ABC about crime in Miami my daughter called from Gainesville wanting to know if the riots had started all over again down here and if her mother and I were okay. The show made her uneasy. I assured her there are no new riots and told her not to worry.

Rec ord numbers of murders and rob beries have occurred, but people Roberts who have sense enough to stay out opened the door for Fidel Castro to dump on Florida and especially Dade County all the misfits and undesirables they wanted to get rid of Clark pointed to the unsolved murders of children in Atlanta and said that crime was rot unique to Miami. He said the national media seems to focus on distortions when covering this area. Lew Price, tourism director for Dade County, said the TV show went back and dragged up everything that has happened since last May. "They made us look like Dodge City all over again," said Price, "but we believe that 40 per cent of these murders are refugee-oriented and we're doing everything we can to make the federal government recognize what's going on here. Our officials should say that we can't afford to keep these refugees, especially the ones who are here illegally." Price took a swipe at TV while noting that a lot of telecasts have expanded to 60 or 90 minutes.

"They have to look like the devil to fill air time. The easy way to get someone's attention is tti be sensational." Meanwhile, Price has a problem. There are five new hotels in Miami and it's his job to help fill them. Charles Ferris asking that the FCC review tapes of the show for fairness. Gardner said that the black eye given Miami Beach in the past six months doesn't jibe with the facts.

"This is one of the safest resorts in the U.S.," said Gardner. "Miami Beach is like London, Paris or Rome. They all have difficult areas and people know to avoid these areas. South Beach is a place people avoid." Gardner says business is 15 per cent off so far this year in Miami Beach, but that the national economy is hurting tourism more than crime. He says 1980 was a great year for the Beach and he expects the same in 1982.

Convention business alone is expected to bring in more than 325,000 visitors spending more than $70 million dollars. One of the top meetings for 1982 is the National Baptist Convention, which attracts 20.000 people. Metro Mayor Steve Clark had plenty to say when he was asked about the "20-20" show. "Crime here and in most cities has hit us like an earthquake," said Clark. "We're doing everything we can to bring it under control, but it came about not as a result of our own making but rather from having federal responsibility foisted on us when President Carter abandoned immigration policies and controls.

He of bars and drug deals have a good chance for survival. To me, the show was a re-hash of troubles past. Harold Gardner, executive director of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority, wasn't nearly so calm about the show. "It was most unfair to Miami Beach," said Gardner. "While talking about Miami figures in crime they showed the Miami Beach skyline.

Furthermore, they had taped an Interview with Beach Mayor Murray Meyerson outlining the differences between Miami Beach and the county and that was left out of the show." The Convention Authority responded with an ap future cruise. peal to Federal Communication Commission Chief John Silva.