Former APTV Chief Sues Over Termination

| July 19, 2012 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2012/06/television.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:683;s:6:"height";i:1024;s:4:"file";s:22:"2012/06/television.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"television-336x504.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:504;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"television-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:20:"television-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"television-683x450.jpg";s:5:"width";i:683;s:6:"height";i:450;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"television-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"television-207x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:207;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"television-177x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:177;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"television-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"television-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"television-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:480803;s:14:"optimized_size";i:292506;s:7:"percent";d:39.159999999999997;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:50:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2012/06/television.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:431284;s:14:"optimized_size";i:257434;s:7:"percent";d:40.310000000000002;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:58:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2012/06/television-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:49519;s:14:"optimized_size";i:35072;s:7:"percent";d:29.170000000000002;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1631460859 
1342656000

Former APTV Chief Sues Over Termination

Current, which covers the public media industry, is reporting that attorneys for former Alabama Public Television executive director Allan Pizzato filed a civil suit against the Alabama Educational Television Commission. The commission unexpectedly fired Pizzato and another top executive on June 12. Click here for background on the firing.

The complaint (filed July 18) alleges:

  • Commissioners violated the state’s Open Meetings Act by discussing Pizzato’s job performance during a closed executive session.
  • AETC has not made available to Pizzato’s attorneys audio recordings and other related materials from meetings at which Pizzato and the commissioners disagreed on airing religious programming and on the networks mission statement.
  • AETC chair Ferris Stephens is ineligible to serve in that capacity, citing a statute which states “no member of the commission shall hold any other office”. (Stephens is an assistant attorney general.)

The lawsuit seeks to remove Stephens and void all decisions by the commission since his arrival in 2010. To read the entire complaint, click here.

54% of support comes from members
Mike Slive Foundation Blue Shoe Ball

 

Homewood votes this month to change its form of government. Why is the issue so controversial?

A move by Homewood to change to a council-manager form of government began with little fanfare. But as the September 24th vote has grown closer, the relatively quiet, special election has spun into a controversial issue.

The first general election ballots are going in the mail as the presidential contest nears

While the ballot milestone is relatively quiet and comes in a state that is not a political battleground, it is a sign of how quickly Election Day is approaching after this summer's party conventions and Tuesday's first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump.

Jefferson County released from sewer consent decree

A federal judge on Thursday released Jefferson County from a decades-long consent decree ordering rehabilitation of its sewer system. As part of the agreement, the county committed to completing several additional capital improvement projects by early 2027 that are planned and funded to further reduce sewer overflows.

Deceptive drug tests ensnare new parents and babies

Imagine giving birth and then testing positive for a drug. Except you didn't take any drugs. Still the state Department of Human Resources opens an investigation based on that erroneous test.

Bill Greason, the oldest-living Negro Leaguer, takes another trip around the bases at 100

Greason, a former pitcher for the Birmingham Black Barons, was honored for his contributions to baseball, his community and his country at a recent celebration.

‘A dream come true’: Alabama ‘grandfamilies’ are set to receive opioid settlement funds

The new state program— the first of its kind in the U.S. — will give $280,000 from opioid settlement funding to grandparents raising their grandchildren.

More Government Coverage