August 29, 2008

Four out of Five Agree: Larry Mendte Should Rot in Jail

PW's own sister paper South Philly Review has it on good authority that the common man wants to see Larry Mendte go to jail. From Lauren Shumacher of Broad and Jackson streets.

"...he deserves five years, and that's being lenient."

That is too lenient, Lauren. I say stockades or bust.

Meanwhile, this guy got off easy: he only has to spend a year in Iraq. Hey! Maybe we can send Larry Mendte to Iraq, too. That ought to teach him not to look at someone's email again!

Word on the Street [South Philly Review]
Guilty of beating at Phillies game, National Guardsman opts for tour in Iraq [Daily News]

Posted by D-Mac at 09:05 AM | Comments (0)

August 28, 2008

Breaking: Larry Mendte Not As Bad As Detroit's Mayor

In a baffling column from today's Daily News, Ronnie Polaneczky draws the comparison between Larry Mendte and Kwame Kilpatrick, Mayor of Detroit and noted adulterer. These are two very different men, in very different situations, in very different cities, but that doesn't stop Polaneczky from arguing that Detroit's scummy mayor is worse than one of Philadelphia's scummy news anchors.

Polaneczky also calls Kilpatrick "the Anti-Mendte," who's appearance was foretold in the news broadcaster's Bible lo many years ago.

The basic point of the column is... well, I don't know. This guy is worse than that guy, but only kinda-sorta? But now that Mendte has been martyred, and the Anti-Mendte has appeared, it's only a matter of waiting out the news broadcaster's End Times. Which anchors will be raptured?

UPDATE: A concerned reader points out that this column is nearly a month old. Apparently I got confused because it was at the top of philly.com's special Mendte-Lane coverage section. This is why I am guest editor and not permanent editor.

Ronnie Polaneczky: Mendte's not so bad compared to the Anti-Mendte[Daily News]

Posted by D-Mac at 09:29 AM | Comments (0)

August 25, 2008

Larry Mendte > Oedipus

So this Larry Mendte/Alicia Lane thing. How could that ever get boring, right? Well, I mean, if someone were to write an epic column about the two, making grandiose statements about the level of tragedy involved and then chiding one while letting the other off the hook... well that could make the whole thing just tedious. Good thing that hasn't happened yet.

What's that?

The Anchor War - with ruined careers, snarled accusations and court appearances - defines "tragedy," the downfall of characters because of their own flaws.

In TV-land, egos are as big as the moon and fragile as butterfly wings. Made-up faces mask massive insecurity about receiving bloated salaries for looking good and being able to read out loud. The celebrity status can evaporate when ratings dip, or when a new GM comes in and yearns to put his or her stamp on the station.

You know what, Stu is right about these tragic figures. Mendte is like Sisyphus, doomed to pushing a giant KeyKatcher up a mountain for eternity. Lane, of course, is Oedipus' mom. Because Oedipus' mom was probably a MILF.

Stu Bykofsky: Mendte & Lane: Behind the Anchor War [Daily News]

Posted by D-Mac at 09:45 AM | Comments (2)

August 22, 2008

Larry Mendte Didn't Need To Get Alycia Lane's Bikini Photos, Apparently

Holy shit. Larry Mendte's statement. This story finally got interesting again.

Let me explain. This whole episode started five years ago when Alycia Lane came to Philadelphia. Almost immediately, Dawn heard rumors that Alycia and I were a little too close and she should watch out.

The rumors were true. Alycia and I had a flirtatious, unprofessional, and improper relationship.

Dawn found proof of that relationship when she waited in my office on New Years Day 2005 and read emails that I had left out on my desk, emails between Alycia and me that confirmed her suspicions.

Dawn confronted me with the emails. I told her the truth. I told her I loved her, and I apologized. I then immediately stopped having long dinners with Alycia, staying out late with Alycia, and I stopped allowing her to come into my office to do her makeup everyday.

The relationship that was once close quickly turned into a personal feud.

Alycia Lane then became friends with others in the building, including the new General Manager. Suddenly, I had shows and responsibilities pulled away from me without explanation. The GM angrily confronted me one day and said that I was bad mouthing him. I was not. But, clearly, I was not on the list you want to be on with the new GM.

I found proof that it was Alycia who was undermining me when I saw an email she sent to management that she left up on the computer she uses on the set.

Then he goes on and on about how keylogger programs are available "too easily" on the Internet (sigh) and how he's going to become a lecturer on how scary the Internet is. But, really, whatever, this first part is the best.

John comments: "I think the new Philly pickup line should be 'Do you want to come to my office and do your makeup?'" I agree.

Statement of Larry Mendte [Philly.com]

Posted by D-Mac at 05:36 PM | Comments (5)

Larry Mendte Pleads Guilty

Dun dun dun! As you may have heard, this morning Larry Mendte pled guilty to one count of illegally accessing email. Dun dun dun!

Mendte had no comment as he emerged from the courtroom, but his wife, Fox29 anchor Dawn Stensland, said, "I love my husband, and he's a good man." During the 35-minute proceeding, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Levy recounted the government's evidence and said that Mendte hacked into Lane's email accounts more than 500 times between January and May of this year.

"To your knowledge, is everything he said accurate and correct?" asked McLaughlin. "Yes," replied Mendte, who was in court with his defense attorney Michael Schwartz.

Mendte told the judge that he was "a little nervous, your honor, but I feel okay" as she sought to make sure that Mendte wanted to plead guilty and was legally competent to do so. He said that he has "seen a therapist since this happened" and has been prescribed Ativan but rarely takes it.

Larry Mendte is on benzos! (Lorazepam, better known by the brand name Atvian, is a benzodiazepine -- a downer, if you want to get less technical.) Mendte on benzos is totally not going to be able to hack into anybody's email accounts. Let's just hope he's not "rarely" taking it because he's trading it on the black market for email address passwords.

Mendte pleads guilty [Inquirer]

Posted by D-Mac at 12:39 PM | Comments (4)

August 11, 2008

Larry Mendte Still Allowed To Use Email

Michael Klein alerted everyone to Larry Mendte's official website in yesterday's Inquirer. Brad Maule will be happy to see that he's using an updated skyline shot with the Comcast Center; everyone else should probably be terrified of the 75-foot Mendte that will kill us all.

I can only assume Mendte is harvesting email addresses and will be sending replies that contain rootkits, so he can soon be reading everyone's email.

larrymendte.com

Posted by D-Mac at 08:29 AM | Comments (6)

July 22, 2008

Dan Gross: First Amendment Defender

The Daily News writes about the case against Larry Mendte today, and does address the paper's own mentions in the court documents.

(Fox 29, also, mentioned last night that Dawn Stensland is Mendte's wife; it wasn't really anything special, but it was kind of sad to hear Kerri-Lee Halkett be forced to say "fair and balanced.")

Mendte, incidentally, will plead guilty, according to his lawyer.

The Daily News story has some great lines, such as: "And that was just as Lane, dubbed 'anchorbabe' and the 'Latina bombshell,' had suspected." And here we go, straight out of a film noir movie:

Then, he allegedly dispensed intimate details to the Daily News of Lane's late-night confrontation with undercover New York police, in which she allegedly called a policewoman a slur, as well as confidential attorney-client communications about her lawsuits. These details then appeared on PhillyGossip.com, a blog written by Dan Gross [in the photo, with an indestructible cheerleader], and later in the Daily News.

Asked if Mendte supplied information about Lane, Gross said, "I don't discuss whether anyone is, or is not, a source of mine." Asked if he cooperated in the FBI investigation, Gross said, "Absolutely not. I have never been contacted by any investigator in the case."

Ha ha, Dan Gross is going to shut anyone down! He's ready to go to jail to protect his known source, Larry Mendte! (Unless Mendte leaked to Regina Medina or Damon C. Williams.)

The feds also found the famed Alycia Lane bikini pix on Mendte's computer, but didn't say if he was Page 6's source. If he was, Larry: Shame on you. For the first time since this scandal started I am actually mad. One, he could have released them to the public. And two, he could have at least given them to a news source in Philadelphia instead of the New York Post. We can take lawbreakers, Larry; we don't tolerate Benedict Arnolds.

Mendte faces a felony count [Daily News]
Photo via South Philly Review

Posted by D-Mac at 11:35 AM | Comments (4)

July 21, 2008

The Best Part Of The Mendte Charges

How did I almost forget? Philly.com posted the full set of charges against Larry Mendte (.pdf) on the front page, and the above (click to enlarge) is the highlight.

So, yes, at least in this instance -- and, might I add, this is the most boring instance possible -- the government alleges Larry Mendte did provide information to a reporter based on his (alleged!) email snooping.

Posted by D-Mac at 04:52 PM | Comments (1)

Larry Mendte Charged By Feds

The government made it official today and charged Larry Mendte with reading Alycia Lane's email; apparently, doing so is a felony.

Mendte was charged with one count of intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization. Authorities allege he checked Lane's email 537 times (in a row?!) after getting her password.

"As we continually have said from day one, Larry has been cooperating fully with the investigators. He continues to cooperate and will accept full responsibility for his actions," Mendte's lawyer said. Blah, blah, blah, jailtime is probably unlikely.

Larry Mendte to be charged today [AP/6 ABC]

Posted by D-Mac at 01:47 PM | Comments (3)

July 14, 2008

John Bolaris Makes Local News More Fun

The Inquirer's Michael Klein got a cover story in yesterday's Inquirer about Larry Mendte, and how some people liked him, and others didn't. Wow, it's kinda like me, except people like him.

The article was pretty good if only because it reminded me that Mendte was the first host of Access Hollywood; perhaps he will return to a different celebrity newsmagazine (say, Extra!) to team with the guy from Sugar Ray. But the best part was John Bolaris' quote; the Fox weatherman was one of the few people to go on the record about Mendte. (Vai Sikahema also gave a positive quote about Larry inbetween knockouts.)

In 2001, while Bolaris was catching grief for predicting a huge snowstorm that didn't materialize, Mendte confronted him.

Mendte "calls me into a room and says, 'How dare you destroy what I've created here?' I said, 'What you have created here?' He said, 'I mean we.' " Bolaris said Mendte later apologized.

Bolaris, one of the few local TV personalities who agreed to speak publicly about Mendte, said that if Mendte had been spying on Lane, "I hope he gets what he deserves. I also think he owes a big-time apology to Alycia Lane, the viewers, his family" and his station.

What makes this even better is Bolaris works with Mendte's wife, Dawn Stensland. Ha ha, the 10 O'Clock News could be hilarious tonight.

Mendte could push either way [Inquirer]

Posted by D-Mac at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)

June 24, 2008

Philly.com's Quest For A Traffic Spike

Ah, yeah, the current Philly.com front is the kind of thing that gets put into museums of pure awesomeness. It was great when I woke up this morning, but since then it's only gotten about 100 times better. My personal favorite part came when I realized that none of these people pictured are even all that remotely famous, but the new photo arrangement is completely amazing, too.

A friend and reader chimes in: "I think getting Kidd Chris' thoughts on the whole ordeal puts it over the top. There are just so many layers. It's getting to the point where I no longer think, 'Oh, the paper i once loved,' and instead think 'Well, this is pretty hilarious.'"

Bravo, Philly.com.

Posted by D-Mac at 11:16 AM | Comments (9)

CBS 3 Fires Larry Mendte

Well, we all saw this coming: CBS 3 has released Larry Mendte from his contract. When Alycia Lane filed her lawsuit alleging sexism (and other -isms) at the station, it pretty much sealed Mendte's fate.

(Lane's lawyer says CBS 3 wouldn't agree to change a court deadline, so the suit had to be filed last week. Convenient for the station!)

But that's not all! According to the Inquirer, CBS 3's internal investigation discovered a Keystroke logging program on one of the station's computers. (Shouldn't IT be looking for that kind of traffic going out over the network anyway?) Mendte's lawyer didn't say much of note, but did say, "I fully expect that Larry will resume his broadcasting career."

And so, in just about six months, CBS 3 has gone from lead anchors of Alycia Lane and Larry Mendte to Susan Barnett and Chris May. Sounds about right to me.

CBS 3 fires Mendte [Inquirer]

Posted by D-Mac at 08:31 AM | Comments (3)

June 20, 2008

Alycia Lane Finally Sues CBS 3

Hey, what do you know? Alycia Lane finally went and sued CBS 3, and it actually contains the phrase "the Prince Albert of Monaco Exploitation." Oh, this is excellent.

Lane's lawsuit against her employer alleges the station didn't respond to complaints her private email had been viewed and also said the station treated female employees worse than its male ones. The suit also says co-anchor/alleged email snooper Larry Mendte was jealous of Lane's higher salary (reportedly $800k vs. $700k) and her popularity.

Michael Klein writes:

Lane's suit claims that a statement from Colleran that Mendte read on-air on Jan. 7 killed her career. It read in part: "After assessing the overall impact of a series of incidents resulting from judgments she has made, we have concluded that it would be impossible for Alycia to continue to report the news as she, herself, has become the focus of so many news stories." It added, "We understand that Alycia expects to be fully vindicated in that proceeding" in New York.

The suit says the "clear meaning" was that Lane was "now unable to report the news for any news station anywhere in the world."

Well, besides on UHF.

Alycia Lane sues CBS 3 [Inquirer]

Posted by D-Mac at 09:40 AM | Comments (1)

June 03, 2008

Source: Mendte Read Lane's Email

Everybody breathe, we're going to be okay. Yes, sources tell the Inquirer federal authorities have concluded Larry Mendte accessed Alycia Lane's email hundreds of times. Hundreds of times!

Michael Klein and John Shiffman also tell the story of how the FBI got involved: Somebody looked at Lane's email at the CBS offices, and forgot to log out of alycia_baby@yahoo.com or whatever. The person who found the open account told Lane, and later somebody told the FBI -- probably after realizing snooping in somebody else's email is a crime! The Internet is serious business.

As you all know now, hilarity ensued.

The Associated Press talked with Lane's lawyer who said whoever did this was probably just jealous of Alycia Lane: "There had been some jealousy by him over her popularity and ratings," Paul Rosen said. "There was no question that she was rising faster than he was." Alycia Lane, quickly eroding the public's sympathy; she truly is the Terrell Owens of the local media. Paul Rosen would be Drew Rosenhaus, I suppose."

The feds are still looking into the possibility Mendte shared information about Lane with the press. This story can only lead to one logical conclusion: Dan Gross being interviewed in a room with a single lightbulb overhead, refusing to divulge his sources for a story. It's our own little Valerie Plame scandal! Only more important.

Posted by D-Mac at 11:24 AM | Comments (9)

June 02, 2008

Did Mendte Snoop On Alycia For Media?

We were joking last night that it would be hilarious if Larry Mendte were the one who originally sent the Alycia Lane bikini emails from Suzy Shuster to Page Six. And now, this morning the Inquirer thoughtfully at least raises the possibility!

CBS3 anchor Larry Mendte opened former colleague Alycia Lane's private e-mail account hundreds of times over many months, sources told The Inquirer yesterday, and the FBI is investigating whether he passed on gossip about Lane to the media.

Simply too awesome. "Even in a worse-case scenario," the paper writes, Mendte is unlikely to face jail time. We've also learned that Alycia Lane uses a Yahoo! email account, apparently not swayed by the wonders of Gmail.

Mendte is apparently off-air indefinitely, too. Susan Barnett, now's your chance to shine!

FBI focus: Did Mendte blab about Lane e-mail? [Inquirer]
Dan Gross: Dead air for Larry Mendte in fed probe [Daily News]

Posted by D-Mac at 09:32 AM | Comments (11)

May 31, 2008

Inquirer: Feds Investigate CBS 3's Mendte

My gawd, Larry! I know we all wanted those bikini photos but you didn't have you didn't have to do this!

Federal authorities have launched a criminal investigation of CBS3 anchor Larry Mendte and searched his home to determine whether he illegally accessed the private e-mail of onetime colleague Alycia Lane, numerous sources told The Inquirer today.

Mendte's lawyer, Michael A. Schwartz, confirmed tonight that FBI agents approached his client Thursday and searched his home. Schwartz said it was related to "claims made by Alycia Lane." He added that "Larry is cooperating fully with the investigators and hopes to promptly reach a resolution of this matter." [...]

FBI agents from the Computer-Crimes Squad executed a search warrant on Mendte's Chestnut Hill home on Thursday and seized his personal computer - a rarity given his status as a journalist

Wow. And, once again, the whole Alycia Lane saga continues to not only (a) drag on, but (b) get even stranger. Who knows. But now that the feds are involved, will they release the bikini photos?

Larry Mendte probed for snooping on Alycia Lane, sources say [Inquirer]

Posted by D-Mac at 08:33 PM | Comments (11)

January 08, 2008

The Fallout: Alycia Lane

Here's Dan Gross and Regina Medina from the Daily News. Here's Mike Klein from the Inquirer, who reports Alycia Lane is going to sue CBS 3. Above (give it a second the video is still processing long time since YouTube is being annoying), Larry Mendte manages to not burst into ridiculous laughter when talking about Lane's departure from the station.

Me, I think this is kind of a mistake by the station. In addition to being weird to fire her for being in the news when it encouraged her to go on Dr. Phil, think how many viewers CBS 3 would have gotten for February sweeps with Alycia Lane's triumphant return? Apparently, this move will increase CBS 3's journalistic credibility. Unfortunately, the only real way for a television station to have any journalistic credibility is mass hara-kari.

Posted by D-Mac at 08:30 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

December 18, 2007

Alycia Lane Is All Over, Everywhere

It's really tough attempting to decide which of the Alycia Lane photos local news organizations are using is the greatest. Is it the 1990 high school photo? The photo the Daily News credits to some guy on Myspace? Or the one of her with Bon Jovi, which I believe was also hyped as an "exclusive" interview, even though that's about as exclusive as me.

The main story is, of course, her attempt to call Gov. Rendell after being arrested. This, of course, makes absolutely little to no sense, but, hey, maybe Eddie has power over the NYPD, too. Or maybe he just drives so fast he could post bail for her quickly. (Jon Corzine would work, too.)

Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo confirmed the call at a specific time of 5 p.m. yesterday with this excuse: She wanted the governor to "make sure he knew her side of the story because he is an opinion-maker and runs around in influential circles." Alycia, come on! You know the person you really needed to call is me.

CBS 3's holiday special, Celebrate the Season, will air tonight, although Lane will probably be cut from it. Lane's people are denying the allegations and suddenly she's starting to look way more sympathetic than Jocelyn Kirsch to a lot of people. An Imus-like comeback? Maybe, but at least Celebrate the Season will get a healthy ratings bump.

Continue reading "Alycia Lane Is All Over, Everywhere"

Posted by D-Mac at 01:14 PM | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

December 17, 2007

Tonight On CBS 3! (Not Alycia Lane!)

Ahh, the beauty of the first post-Alycia Lane promo (or whatever). This is from today.

CBS 3 is in a tough spot. It's good to see the station got such a scoop to keep people's minds off Alycia. If you're wondering, I'm totally sad over Ms. Lane now. Stay strong, girl.

Archives: Alycia Lane

Posted by D-Mac at 08:55 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

December 11, 2007

CBS 3 Hot On The Cute Dead Dog Beat

This Only on 3! -- Larry repeats this twice, it must be a new slogan -- report details a Yorkie who was killed by a pit bull. "Buddy never stood a chance," the report says. Okay. Will the pit bull be put down?

They don't know where the dog is, actually, and CBS 3 knocks on the owner's door and gets to show really dark footage you can't really see.

[Image via, Creative Commons license]

Posted by D-Mac at 01:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

November 28, 2007

CBS 3, 6 ABC In Dead Sweeps Heat (I Guess)

Have the rumors of Alycia Lane bikini photos brought Alycia Lane and Larry Mendte -- the photos are of Alycia -- to the top of the news charts? Laura Nachman has the preliminary sweeps numbers as of Tuesday and CBS 3 trails 6 ABC by just 1 share point (whatever that is) on the 11 p.m. newscast.

Action News -- who seems to have been amping up its Erin O'Hearn commercials recently, if you've noticed -- leads in the 11 p.m. ratings with an 8 rating/16 share, while CBS 3 trails just behind with an 8 rating/15 share. (Each ratings point equals one or two old people falling asleep after the weather. Each share equals nothing.) NBC 10 has a 5 rating/10 share. (The lead-ins are important, too, with CBS beating ABC beating NBC. I'm pretty sure the Peacock doesn't even have a prime-time lineup anymore; it just runs infomercials.)

At 6 p.m., Jim Gardner (6 ABC) is way ahead with a 12 rating/22 share; Tim Lake (NBC 10) has a 4 rating/8 share and Mendte and Lane have a 4 rating/7 share. Obviously, viewers know if Alycia's going to show her bikini, it'll be at 11 p.m.

The Nach Attack: NBC 10 Muffs 11 p.m. Sweeps [The Daily Examiner]

Posted by D-Mac at 03:48 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

October 21, 2007

Nutter, Whatshisname Debate The Issues

In this weekend's CBS 3/League of Women Voters mayoral debate, host Larry Kane had a little trouble attempting to figure out just who was running against Michael Nutter.

You know, I think New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg has about as much chance of winning this election as Al Taubenberger does.

Posted by D-Mac at 09:34 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

September 17, 2007

Kerri-Lee Halkett Rides Internet Fandom To Emmy Win

There are a lot of things to like about local anchorbabe Kerri-Lee Halkett (at right with Matt Cord for some reason). One, she hasn't taken a restraining order out on me or this website or threatened to sue me for libel.

But, more importantly, she won a Mid-Atlantic Emmy for Best Anchor, besting out Larry Mendte and Alycia Lane. Amusingly enough, some dude (Jason Bristol) from some station you've never heard of (WHP CBS21) won Best Sports Anchor.

According to the nominees list, she bested out Mendte twice; nonetheless, Larry still appeared to take home about 22 Emmys. Perhaps now that KLH has an award she can finally get some coverage in the New York tabloids. A tipster reports Halkett was "backstage when it happened and didn't even know she'd won," which could mean she's humble, too. Yeah, that'll never play in New York.

Mid-Atlantic Chapter - Emmys [Word .docs]

Posted by D-Mac at 02:22 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

June 26, 2007

Regarding The Alycia Lane Bikini Comments

I'm really torn on this. On one hand, I don't read the comments for the most part and don't really care what goes in there. And on the other hand, I kind of like the idea that this is bothering people so much. And that someone has enough time to annoy people like this anyway.

So I've reached a compromise. Every single instance of "Alycia Lane" in a comment regarding access to her bikini photos has been changed to "Larry Mendte."

You can thank me later.

(Oh, yeah, we're going to have comment registration soon since I'm tired of deleting spam. I expect this to take place in 2028 or so.)

Posted by D-Mac at 04:20 PM | Comments (23) | TrackBack (0)

September 15, 2006

Leftovers: Go Westbrook!

• Brian Westbrook misses practice today; team says he'll play Sunday. Let's hope so. [Inquirer]

• JGT thinks Larry Mendte has a dark family secret. [Johnny Goodtimes]

• Earlier this week, super-hip/super-awesome Fishtown bar Johnny Brenda's opened, and here's a 411 with how it went from hip dive bar to seemingly awesome music venue in a fairly short amount of time. [Philebrity]

• I have no idea what prompted this quasi-hit piece on Enrico "The 700 Level" Campitelli in the Inquirer from Frank Fitzpatrick today, but I do have an idea of what the Inquirer doesn't get: EVERYTHING. [Inquirer]

• The best part about mocking self-published authors on your blog? Sometimes, they write in the comments. [Citizen Mom]

Posted by D-Mac at 03:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)