Gassaway Tapes

[allseeingeye]

Well, looks like Britten Follet has the upper hand so far this sweeps month. I have no idea how she managed to get those Gassaway tapes but that has to be the biggest story so far on any of the stations. I was kinda expecting them to show up in an Ali Meyer exclusive on KFOR. The content was kinda what I expected but what surprised me was that Gassaway wasn't the one urging her to pay him with sex. I listened to most of the tape, thanks to Fox25 posting it on their website, and I kinda think Gassaway was being targeted by OCPD and set up.

[SoonerBorn1973]

Well, once again Fox is a little too late. Those tapes came out weeks ago. No exclusive here.

[BailJumper]

Actually, every station knew the tapes were available and choose not to air them. FOX25 had to fight for them to be unsealed in open court. It was the talk of the day at the court house and from what I heard at least one other station picked up a copy but they and the others opted out. Fox was promoing it all day from about noon on, any station that wanted the story could have aired it.

As for unsealing them, Please, that was no hard fight. Every word contained in them had already been uttered in open court and therefore there was no legal ground to keep them sealed.

I kinda think Gassaway was being targeted by OCPD and set up

That is exactly what the jurors said when they were interviewed.

The news story should have been to get a comment from police and Prater on their reaction to jurors feeling police were setting people up. At the very least FOX should have played the parts of the tape where police are saying things like "if you can get Gassaway you'll be our hero," "Gassaway is Satan," "did you get a little Sassy with him (Gassaway)" etc.

I'm sure the story got them viewers, but it was/is old news from the perspective they took.

Gassaway's days are number though. I talked with a prosecutor with the Bar Assoc. and he cannot dodge 20-bullets (number of complaints).

If you are his client you'd better hope to go to trial real soon or you'll be looking for another lawyer.

[BailJumper]

Well, once again Fox is a little too late. Those tapes came out weeks ago. No exclusive here.

Not true. The tapes were sealed until FOX went to court and had them unsealed.

[SoonerBorn1973]

Not true. The tapes were sealed until FOX went to court and had them unsealed.

The contents of the tape were known weeks ago (as soon as they were submitted in the trial). There was no "fight" to have them unsealed because it is made available in the Freedom of Information Act. You were right earlier when you said the other stations chose not to air the contents when they were unsealed weeks ago.

[BailJumper]

Your statement was

Those tapes came out weeks ago

"TAPES" not "contents" - There is a huge difference.

The "contents" were actually known the day after he was arrested, via the probable cause affidavit.

And yes, there was a fight for them to be released. FOX had to file a motion to have them unsealed and Gassaway's defense attorney argued against having them unsealed vs. FOX's hired gun. That would equal a court "fight."

Trust me, many times court records/evidence remains sealed despite the FOI Act.

And no, the tapes were not unsealed weeks ago, they were unsealed the day FOX25 ran the story.

[allseeingeye]

Bailjumper,

You're right. A Fox insider told me the other stations were calling everywhere the next day wanting to know how Fox got those tapes. The other stations didn't run them because they DIDN'T HAVE THEM, despite what they want people to think. This is sweeps, there's no way those other stations would have sat on them if they had them.

[BailJumper]

Sorry, you're insider is wrong. So this doesn't go back and forth let me just stick to the facts....

1.) FOX was the first and only station to pursue the unsealing of the tapes.
2.) Any of the stations could have, but 4,5,9 choose not to for whatever reason. I was told it was because there was nothing new in the tapes that hadn't already been reported and by the time a judge could unseal them it would be old news.
3.) Even though FOX pursued them solo, it was widely known throughout the courthouse that FOX was going to be arguing to have them unsealed - court dockets are a public record and read each day by the media. Every station (including KTOK radio and the paper) have reporters that cover the court beat.
4.) There were at least two members of the media in the court room during the motion hearing.
5.) As soon as the motion was granted, another station jumped onboard and got a copy of the tapes too. But obviously decided not to use them.
6.) By 3pm FOX was already promoing the story, giving plenty of time for any other station to get a copy and air it.
7.) It is absurd to think "other stations were calling everywhere the next day wanting to know how Fox got those tapes." They knew exactly how they got them. Which was the only legal way to do it.
8.) "This is sweeps, there's no way those other stations would have sat on them if they had them." Obviously your statement is wrong, as I pointed out, any of them could have also run the tapes. Also, each station plans what they are going to do for sweeps weeks and even months in advance.
9.) FOX ran the tapes now 3 nights in a row. Yet, not a single other OKC station has chose to run them.

FOX didn't get the scope so much as they were the only ones to consider it a relevant story.

[BailJumper]

Oooops thanx for the polite and constructive email that pointed out I goofed on "scoop" and spelled it SCOPE. I got it too late to edit. O'well, you get the point.