Ron Fineman's ON THE RECORD

As Fox Sports anchor/reporter Carolyn Hughes remains off of Dodgers coverage, evidence continues to mount that she has been having an affair with Dodger Derek Lowe, which would be considered a conflict of interest.

On Sunday, I spoke on the phone with Hughes' husband Tommy Saboni. He said after she came back from covering Spring Training in March, "she said when she was on the road, she didn't know if she could trust herself." And while she was at Spring Training, where only pitchers and catchers were in camp at that time, Hughes told Saboni that she came close to cheating on him. "Just tell me who it is" Saboni said. "No," Hughes said "you'll always suspect" when he would see her with that player, wondering if something was going on. He said she did admit that "I emotionally cheated on you."

After hearing her self-doubts, "How do you expect me to sit here?" Saboni asked her. "I'm not going to sit around. I'm going to get my own place." And so Saboni moved out in March, and never came back. After a marriage of more than a year, a divorce is now in the works.

Saboni says he believes that his wife had inappropriate relationships with other athletes....like Karl Malone. Why Malone? Because Saboni heard the following late night phone message from him right after Easter: "Hey baby, it's Karl. You're probably out in Los Angeles finding my replacement. Give me a call."

Saboni said that Hughes claimed there was nothing going on with Malone, or any other athlete. She said they just need someone to talk to. "You don't know how lonely these guys are," Hughes told her husband. Yet Saboni found it interesting that these lonely athletes need a "beautiful blonde" to talk with. He also came to realize that his wife "loves the fact that other men make her feel good about herself."

Even though he felt he had little choice to move out, he said he still didn't have anything bad to say about Hughes. He told friends that things didn't work out. No details. No suspicions revealed.

Then one day he got a call from Trinka Lowe, filling him in on what had been going on between his wife and her husband. He'd already moved on with his life, yet sometimes, as many people might, he wondered if leaving had been the right thing to do. After the call from Trinka, he didn't wonder anymore. After what she told him, he said "I was flabbergasted. She (Hughes) not only hurt me, but she destroyed somebody else's family."

He called up Carolyn and said he gave her "a piece of my mind." But he said she was in "full denial." It was the last time Saboni talked with his wife. He will tell you that Carolyn Hughes is a "hard worker" at her job, no joking. But his attitude about her has now changed.

According to Saboni, "I'm not going to protect her image anymore because she doesn't deserve it."

Not much. According to LA Dodger Vice-President of Public Relations John Olguin:

Of course I wondered if the Dodgers might be concerned when one of their players apparently starts sleeping with a reporter who is covering the team. Olguin would not expand on his comment.

It seems to be widespread in the media that Trinka Lowe was tipped about her husband by Lisa Guerrero. Not true. Trinka tells me that Guerrero had absolutely nothing to do with it.

What does it say about the Los Angeles sports media that this Lowe/Hughes affair is exposed by OTR and a non-sports radio talk show? People in the sports media have known or suspected this for a long time. They certainly strongly suspected it was true when Hughes was taken off the Dodger games recently. I was the LAST person to know anything about it. I knew nothing until last Thursday. Yet, naming names, I broke the story. Why is that?

And let me back up a bit. I found out about this from two emails Thursday morning. One named Hughes and a Dodger pitcher. The one came from a Tom Leykis listener. Leykis had talked about it on the air, but did not name any names. So I started asking around. And I got some background from folks in the sports media. I figured the only way to be able to get something for publication would be to get Lowe's wife on the record. With some help, I found her.

Yet, even after I published on Friday, I heard of no one outside the internet talking about it. Where have been the newspapers, TV, and sports talk radio? Look at the evidence I had. Look at the pictures I had. Neither Lowe or Hughes is denying anything. What is everyone waiting for?????

Is this about a tendency to treat the players with kid gloves? Is this about not wanting to report negatively about fellow members of the news media? I know I've seen that before in LA.

Regardless of the reluctance of LA news media, I realized yesterday that this was about to break beyond my web site and the internet. I was contacted by the Boston Herald. They will be doing the story. The El Paso Times emailed me. They'll be reprinting my story tomorrow.

After publishing on Friday, I emailed to Leykis to let him know what I'd done. Given that, yesterday he went forward with it on the air, referencing OTR a number of times. He emailed me that he'd like to talk to Trinka Lowe. He was taking this story very seriously and I called her to let her know. Leykis did a lengthy interview with her, something that one female listener told him was the best thing she'd heard him do in twelve years.

I applaud Tom Leykis for doing this story. Much as I would like, this web site doesn't quite reach everyone, does it? And obviously, I think this is a story that needs to be told. I think Fox Sports needs to answer some questions. As more reporters begin asking, maybe they'll feel the obligation to answer them. Now that Leykis has opened the door, it will be interesting to see who, if anybody, jumps in, locally. Will sports talk radio finally talk about it? How about the TV sports guys? The Times? The Daily News? And how about ESPN TV? Remember, my story has been public since very early Friday morning.

I do hope that local media with think about all this. I hope they will ask themselves if they could have been more aggressive in pursuing this story. I hope they ask themselves how they got beaten by a one-man web site which was late on the information. Don't get me wrong. I like to get scoops. I just don't think everyone else was trying very hard.

This Hughes/Lowe story has brought in a number of new readers, and I want to welcome all of you. We have a letters column, and your comments are always welcome...though you must put your name to them.

Obviously I will continue to follow this story, but I hope you new readers will find other parts of OTR (On The Record) to interest you as well. I started this web site six years ago today. If you click on the Archives section on the menu, you can find almost every issue I've published over these six years.

My main mission is to critique LA TV news and try to make it better. If you click on Inside LA TV up above, you'll see the area where I write about what goes on behind the scenes, though sometimes that sort of story ends up right here on the main page. You will come to find that there is no other web site like this one. And let me warn you now...sometimes that means the occasional typo or dropped word. But I don't think you'll have much trouble knowing what I am talking about.

I guess you can't keep a good man down. After getting knocked off by KCBS's Dave Lopez last year, KNBC's Patrick Healy has again been voted LA TV's best field reporter by OTR readers. With the exception of last year, Healy has won this poll every year we've done it. Funny thing, Healy had only one nomination this year. So if that person hadn't thrown his name in, Healy wouldn't have even been in the running. Lopez had the most nominations with seven, but ended up in second.

I do wish a lot more of our readers would take part in these polls, but I think those that did take part showed some good taste in their picks. The top six choices after the first round were Healy, Beverly White, Dave Lopez, Eric Spillman, Marc Coogan and Bill Smith. I'd say that's a pretty solid group!

Here are the final votes: Patrick Healy - 34 Dave Lopez -28 Beverly White -24.

Ron...
Once again I'm flattered and humbled
(Not only by the results, but by the fact you're up sending me the news at 10:54pm...). There are so many wonderful reporters in this town...

Best,
Patrick
PS--Here's one that perhaps only a fellow Bruin could appreciate...
I'm on campus a week ago for an engineering school reunion (believe it or not, that's where I got my degree)...and because I'm the only non-engineer in the room, the Dean asked me to emcee the school's 60th anniversary banquet in September!

(I think I'm going to have to do some study hall cramming to get ready for that one!)
Cheers...

Reader Tim Buckley sent the following email. I sent it along to KCAL/KCBS anchor Leyna Nguyen, who was good enough to send a detailed response. So first the letter from Buckley (which begins with a news release), and then Nguyen's response:

LOS ANGELES --(Business Wire)-- May 20, 2005 -- International telecommunications service provider Optic Communications has announced the contracting of popular Los Angeles news reporter Leyna Nguyen as a company spokesperson. The company envisions that the two-time Emmy nominee will assist in the promotion of its residential international long-distance calling plans and services under its 011 Communications brand.

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Does this seems odd or even wrong that a current news anchor would be contracted to see long distance plans. I know that when Joan Lunden and Faith Daniels promoted products, had already left their network positions. More recently, were all know what kind of flack KTLA when through with the allowing of their news people to appear on an infomerical. I don't know if her services will be for domestic of foreign advertisements, but it does, I think, at least cross the line between pitch person and objective news reporter.

As I poked around the Internet to find out more about this, I ended up on a website (www.leynanguyen.bravehost.com). I believe this web site is run by someone else, but I do think this approved be her. On the site, she is selling a 2005 calendar. Although the site states that the proceeds are going to charity, is it really appropriate for a news person to sell a calendar that alludes to her sexuality.

I only reason I ask, if because of the excellent job you did exposing Cher Calvin's site and the KTLA infomercial situation. This seems to be somewhat similar, but selling a calendar of ones self does seem to cross the line of journalistic integrity. I know, for example, that I haven't seen a Diane Sawyer or Peter Jennings calendar.

As I said before, good luck and best wishes. I do hope for a speedy recovery.

Sincerely,

Tim Buckley

Hi, Ron. Thanks for writing me regarding these issues, I'm happy to comment on both. Regarding the phone company: I met with Don Corsini about this in either late March or April to see if they'd approve me working with the company. This is long distance calling to Vietnam only. A little background--Vietnam remains one of the most expensive countries to make long distance phone calls to, and for years, people (myself included) have been frustrated with the prepaid calling cards that the majority of Vietnamese-overseas use to call "home." These cards often provide bad quality calls, and "missing minutes." There's no one to complain to, since you've already paid for the card.

I've been in contact with a company that has worked for years to make this better. They asked that I be their spokesperson WITHIN the Vietnamese community. Corsini wanted to look into it, never gave me a no, but never gave me a yes either, so I told the company it was a NO GO. I did not realize they put out some kind of press release on this. They did, however, run a newspaper ad (in a Vietnamese language paper) without my knowledge as well, and I took issue with them.

So, I am not the spokesperson for this company, but considered it because it would have been for use only within the Vietnamese community.

Now to the calendar: The website you were given was done by a "fan" in Toronto. Why would I have a fan in Toronto you might ask. Well, for the Vietnamese community--it's a big deal that one of their own is working in America's mainstream media. Still one of the "newer" immigrants to this country, the Vietnamese see this as a big step forward, and I actually often feel undeserving of the admiration.

I did not "approve" of the site, but there are some forum answers from me to questions asked by young Vietnamese.

The calendar is something I did after years of being persuaded by friends and acquaintances to do so, as it was a good way to fund raise. And it was. I'm not sure what "alludes to her sexuality" really means, (what, that I'm a woman?) but the calendar is of me in the traditional Vietnamese dress, called an Ao Dai. If you're familiar with it, you'll know that it's a dress normally with a neckline somewhat like a collared shirt, long sleeves, long dress worn over long pants. Do Vietnamese think it's sexy? Sure we do. But it's also the symbol of a Vietnamese woman. Girls wear it to school in Vietnam, and women here wear it to temple and special occasions.

Some styles are sleeveless, some have scoop necklines, but none of it would be considered raunchy or too revealing. They were sold at the Lunar New Year festivals, and a concert to help Tsunami victims. (half the proceeds went to the Red Cross, the other went to my non-profit foundation.) Some of the money went to a Vietnamese catholic church. Some of it went to buying socks and scarves for the elderly this past winter.

(As for the calendars being promoted on the web site): I swear I've never seen that before, and it definitely was not done with my consent or knowledge. Still, technically, the website is not selling it. It tells people how to buy the calendar, by writing to me. But this is information this guy put out on his own. He obviously got the contact info on the back of the calendar he bought.

Here's what my foundation does/has done: I've built and renovated 7 schools in Vietnam, as well as provided rice, clothing and medical supplies to the poor. We've given bicycles to children and adults who need it to get to school and work. In California, we visit nursing homes in the San Jose, and Orange County areas. We will next do the same in San Diego, and are in the planning stages of doing the same in Seattle, Houston, and Toronto. I get young Vietnamese adults to come with me, visit these elderly people--bring them some small gifts, and spend an afternoon providing some entertainment in these nursing homes.

That's pretty much it, Ron.

I don't think I have anything to be ashamed of, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond.

Leyna

Again, I want to thank Leyna Nguyen for taking the time answer a reader's concerns. And you really have to salute her for helping some very poor people back in Vietnam. That is the kind of thing you would hope a successful anchor or reporter might do with their spare time. I am impressed.

However, I am glad that her boss did not okay the phone company deal. I don't think a reporter or anchor should ever be a spokesman for a business, even in this rather limited situation.

The calendar is certainly tasteful...not like what you might imagine something other anchors would do. But again, I am not comfortable with the idea of a reporter or anchor doing even a G-rated calendar. At this point, I may be in the minority on that one.

But think....if I didn't get the email from Tim, Nguyen's good works would not be known by OTR readers. I am glad we could spread that word.

This is a problem to some degree on all of the stations...but I do believe that KTLA is the worst. Their news has NO shame when it comes to promoting prime time programming. It's gross.

Ross King was doing both the weather and the entertainment segments one night recently at a WB party. Yes, every time he did a report, it was another commercial for the WB. For part of one segment, he invited all of the actors (whom he called "stars") to promote their show in seven seconds. I'll admit, that gave a touch of comedy to it all.

But I find in unethical for stations to use news time to promote their network. I suppose a lot people in newsrooms reading that are having a good laugh at that one. But it is a shame that news directors have abdicated their responsibility.

According to Craig Fiegener……"The sky is dark but the clouds are very disorganized." He said that earlier there were heavy thunder cells, which I guess he felt were better organized. The suggestion that clouds could be "disorganized" struck me as kind of funny.

Why KCBS does not insist that Laura Diaz have a fashion consultant, I have no idea.

I'm no fashion expert. But I think there should be a difference between what you wear as an anchor, and what you wear for a walk along the beach. Even though she wore a jacket when she took the anchor desk, even for a news update, the above does not look professional, does it?