TV anchor promoted sludge deal

[Octafish]

Source: Detroit News

TV anchor promoted sludge deal

Synagro says it paid Fox 2's Fanchon Stinger for PR

Paul Egan and Leonard N. Fleming
The Detroit News

DETROIT -- Fanchon Stinger, a recently suspended anchorwoman for Fox 2 Detroit, was paid by Synagro Technologies Inc. in connection with a multimillion-dollar city sludge contract that is under investigation by the FBI, a Synagro spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday.

Last September, less than two months before the Synagro deal was approved in a 5-4 vote by the Detroit City Council, Stinger formed the media consulting and public speaking company Stinger Strategies LLC, records show.

Synagro paid Stinger Strategies an undisclosed sum to place media advertisements in connection with the city sludge contract, Synagro spokeswoman Darci McConnell of McConnell Communications said Wednesday.

Synagro hired Stinger at the recommendation of Rayford W. Jackson, a Detroit businessman who was Synagro's local partner in the deal and who is under FBI investigation, one person familiar with the transaction said.

A second person familiar with the deal, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Jackson's involvement but said it was James Rosendall, Synagro's former Michigan vice president, who urged Stinger's hiring.

CONTINUED...

Read more: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080710/METRO/807100379

---

Pay for Play Journalism -- Corporate McPravda at its finest.

[fascisthunter]

1. I Wonder How Often this Happens?

Remember this guy?

Armstrong Williams

Armstrong Williams (February 5, 1959 - present) is an African-American conservative political commentator. In 2005 it was revealed that he accepted money from the George W. Bush administration to promote the No Child Left Behind Act on his television and radio programs

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Armstrong_Williams

[Octafish]

6. Pointy headed tip o' the iceberg.

Funny. It's against the law for the U.S. government to propagandize the American people.

The 1948 Smith-Mundt Act prohibits domestic dissemination of US propaganda

Where's Congress on this one? Or that one, the retired Pentagon brass propagandizing in favor of the illegal, immoral and unnecessary Iraq Invasion?

[Doctor_J]

8. I would bet it's an epidemic

These are the kind of people who should be in prison, instead of recreational pot users.

[cayuga]

2. And guess who owns Synargo?

The Carlyle Group.

"On January 29, 2007, Carlyle announced that it would acquire Synagro Technologies, Inc, which according to Synagro's website is "the largest recycler of biosolids and other organic residuals in the United States". The total enterprise value of the transaction, including the assumption of debt, is $772 million.<8>"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlyle_Group

[Octafish]

7. Gee. What a coincidence!

Thank you for the heads-up, not_this_time! Wouldn't have gotten that information from the Detroit News article.

Public firms come and go: Sale to Carlyle takes Synagro private

EXCERPT...

Boucher says the company ultimately determined that a partnership with Carlyle would allow Synagro "the best opportunity" to maintain roles as a service provider, key employer and a long-time community partner while delivering a "highly attractive cash premium" to shareholders.

"This is the right transaction at the right time with the right partner for Synagro," Boucher says. "As a board, the decision was based on price first and foremost."

Another financial consideration was the increasing cost of staying public.

He notes that compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and other regulatory costs associated with being public were just getting too high for the small-cap firm.

CONTINUED...

Gee. Wasn't Sarbanes-Oxley supposed to keep payola out of the newsroom?

Either way, it's a good bet that Synagro Biosolids is where their Soylent Green will come from. Bet that won't be on the news, either.

[Canuckistanian]

3. She must have quite a large garage

Stinger has had several luxury cars registered in her name.

She is the registered owner of a 2007 Rolls Royce and is also registered as leasing a 2008 Lexus LS 460, according to Michigan Secretary of State records.

Other public records show Stinger has had a 2006 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, a 2005 BMW 7-Series and a 2002 Jaguar S Type registered in her name in the past.

A new Rolls Royce retails for more than $300,000 without extras and the 2006 Ferrari for more than $250,000.

Stinger, who joined Fox 2 as an investigative reporter in 1997 and became an anchor in 2004, was paid about $325,000 a year by Fox 2 Detroit in 2005, according to divorce records.

Not bad for someone who earns about $300,000. She must shop at Walmart.

[Octafish]

9. She drives well.

I'm in Detroit and, while I don't watch too much TV, I do know some of the players.
I don't remember hearing too much of her investigative reporting skills.
So, she gets paid a third-of-a-mill per year to read the news?
I definitely must be doing something wrong.

[sandyj999]

4. I am so proud to live in this area with all these corrupt and greedy people.

I don't live in Detroit but very nearby and between the corrupt, lying mayor, the clownish city council and news anchors on the take, no wonder so many have moved away. Fox2Detroit which is Stinger's employer brought it all out this morning and can be seen if you go there. This place is a mess!:puke:

[tomreedtoon]

5. ALL news anchors deal in sludge. What's the surprise?

That she got caught?

[tanyev]

10. I am shocked, shocked that she gave money to GWB in 2004.

STINGER, FANCHON MS
FARMINGTON HILLS,MI 48334 FOX 2 NEWS/ANCHOR 1/30/04 $2,000 Bush, George W (R)

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=stinger%2C+fanchon&state=&zip=&employ=&cand=&all=Y&sort=N&capcode=jkmnw&submit=Submit