By Richard Huff DAILY NEWS TV EDITORFormer local TV newscaster Larry Mendte admitted in court that he illegally hacked into his co-anchor's e-mail accounts and leaked private information about her. He is now working at WPIX/Ch. 11.
Scandal-scarred Philadelphia anchor Larry Mendte has found a home at WPIX/Ch. 11.
Two years ago, Mendte lost his job at KYW-TV in the City of Brotherly Love when the FBI uncovered evidence he hacked into former co-anchor Alycia Lane's e-mail.
Mendte is now offering commentary for the Tribune-owned station. He made his first appearance last night with a taped piece on Tiger Woods' foibles.
"Larry and I have been friends for 20 years," said Ch. 11 news director Bill Carey, who worked with Mendte in New York at WABC/Ch. 7 and also in Chicago at WBBM-TV.
Mendte began talking to Tribune Broadcasting senior vice president Steve Charlier a while ago about getting back into the business. What developed was the commentary idea.
Carey said Mendte, who will continue to live in Philadelphia with his wife, Dawn Stensland, shot a handful of pieces, one of which was a humorous take on Tiger Woods.
Though they don't have an official deal in place yet - one is expected soon - the sudden announcement of Woods' public apology forced them to go early.
"It just felt like a no-brainer," Carey said.
Once they sign a deal, which Carey is confident will happen, Mendte's taped pieces will appear five nights a week on the 10 p.m. news.
"Part of what we've worked out," Carey said, "is all Tribune stations will have access to his commentaries."
The Mendte-Lane scandal made national headlines when it was revealed he had tapped into her computer and read e-mails.
In December 2007, Lane was involved in a scuffle with a New York City policewoman and was fired at KYW in early 2008. Charges against her were eventually dropped, and she's now working at KNBC-TV in Los Angeles.
In 2008, Mendte pleaded guilty to going into Lane's computer without permission and was sentenced to three years' probation, six months of home confinement and 250 hours of community service.
"Larry's been very public in taking responsibility for what happened," Carey said. "I'm hiring him to be a great on-air talent. I'm not hiring him for the other aspects of his life."
rhuff@nydailynews.com
Fired Philly anchor finds new home at Ch. 11
Posted on 2010-02-19 21:08:32
Scandal-scarred Philadelphia anchor Larry Mendte has found a home at WPIX/Ch. 11.
CBS3 anchor gets house arrest for email hack
Posted on 2008-11-25 13:41:12
CBS3 news anchor Larry Mendte, who hacked into a coworker's email and spread rumors that got her fired, has been sentenced to six months of house arrest.
E-mail snoop rap for canned Philly anchor
Posted on 2008-07-21 21:54:47
A longtime TV newscaster was charged Monday with illegally accessing the e-mail of glamorous former co-anchor Alycia Lane, the newswoman busted in New York for fighting with a city cop and yelling anti-gay slurs.
More Larry Mendte Articles from the Daily News
No comments:
Post a Comment