The State from Columbia, South Carolina • 35

"We'll making Next time he'll send a proxy HE MAY SHAREHOLDERS' meeting of American Bingo Gaming, the state's only publicly traded video poker company, wasn't your typical shareholders' meeting not by a long shot. While most annual meetings are filled with dark suits and yawns, American Bingo's meeting was anything but boring. "Contentious" is probably the most accurate word to describe it. Shareholders were angry that the com- Providence shopping for new co-owner rovidence Hospital and ProviP dence Hospital Northeast most likely will be reporting to a new parent by 2000. Hospital board members aren't talking, but employees have been told plans to sell its 50 percent ownership in Providence by December.

The Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine Health System, Providence's founding group, will maintain its half ownership of the hospitals. HCA and the Sisters of Charity should have narrowed the list of likely suitors by the end of the summer. Word is the Sisters of Charity board is looking for a nonprofit partner this time; one that will help the hospital system maintain its Catholic identity. The Sisters of Charity signed on as an equal partner in Providence and four Ohio hospitals in November 1995.

At that time, the for-profit was still in an expansion mode. This spring, however, sold its 50 percent ownership of the four Ohio hospitals to University Hospitals Health System in Ohio, a nonprofit organization. has gone from a high of owning 345 hospitals in 1997, just before news of a federal investigation of the company for Medicare fraud, to 236 hospitals. Regardless of the new co-owner, Steve Purves, president and chief executive officer of Providence, probably will remain. Purves has said his loyalty is to Providence's two Columbia hospitals.

pany's stock has languished near $1 a share for most of the year, and most weren't afraid to let management know. At one point, Fred Collins, the state's largest video poker operator and an American Bingo shareholder, stood up and said he had no respect for Michael Mims, American Bingo's largest shareholder and a member of the company's board. Mims didn't reply to Collins' insult, but Mims' girlfriend did. 4 JUNE 7, 1999 THE STATE COLUMBIA BUSINESS JOURNAL job cuts across HOSPITAL NORTHEAST She chased Collins into the parking lot and gave him a piece of her mind. In the Loop didn't hear what she said, but it didn't look like a dinner invitation was being extended.

Mims' business partner, Danny Dye, then tried to follow Collins into the parking lot but was held up by Mims' girlfriend, who was on her way back in. A shareholder then cracked that the company should have had a metal detector at the door. Ah, if all annual meetings were as exciting. the board." Catherine Hartnett, a Unum spokeswoman LAY OFF NOTIC More cuts at Colonial nial HANGES underway Life at ARE Accident Colo- work bined Ten force, percent Unum-Provident 13,000 of the employ- comInsurance Co. as parent ees nationwide, is expected company Unum Corp.

pre- to be cut. pares for its impending Colonial has about 1,300 merger with Provident Cos. workers in the Columbia Inc. area, which could mean 130 Officials with both Colo- local jobs would disappear. nial and Unum are tight- "We'll be making job lipped about the number of cuts across the board in jobs that have already been our four major operation eliminated either through centers: Chattanooga layoffs or early retirement.

Columbia, PortBut they acknowledge land (Ore.) and Worcester more than 125 positions said Catherine could be lost in Columbia. Hartnett, Unum spokesDozens of jobs have woman in Portland. been eliminated, according The process will likely to a former worker in continue through the end Columbia. of June. More changes ahead at WLTX? HE ager speculation at HIRING Columbia's OF that Rich changes O'Dell WLTX-TV are as has ahead general for rekindled the manGannett-owned CBS affiliate, including the replacement of current on-air news personalities.

Among those most-often mentioned is WLTX's 67-year-old news anchor Gene Upright, who has worked on a part-time basis since scaling back his workload more than five years ago. However, O'Dell shrugs off any suggestions that changes are imminent. "Right now, I think my job is just to observe the day-to-day operation," O'Dell said. "After I do that, I may not want to make any changes." O'Dell declined to offer any timetable to hire a replacement for news anchor Trinell Moore, who left the station in April. Before accepting the Columbia job, O'Dell was program director at Cleveland's WKYC-TV, also owned by Gannett.

After buying WLTX about a year ago, Gannett has hired popular meteorologist Jim Gandy from WIS-TV, naming him a consultant. Next, Gannett, which is expected to make a run at WIS' longtime domination of the Midlands TV news market, brought in Larry Ardus as news director. O'Dell replaced Debbie Holland, who resigned earlier this month after 21 years at the station..