Fitting to their roles as news reporters on public television, the careers of George Tomek, Gerry Bonds, and Ross Dixon quietly came to abrupt endings last week. Honestly, I can’t write much about them because, like you (unless you’re my dad–Hey Dad!), I didn’t watch their newscasts. It is sad, though, that state budgetary cuts put some grizzled veterans of the airwaves out to pasture before they were ready to hang up the blazers on their own accord. So, they will get their one last chance to be rated by our readers.
George Tomek
In response to his dismissal, Tomek told The Oklahoman:
“I consider myself performing a public service. A lot of people in TV news are in it for the glitz and the glimmer, and they are very egocentric. My hallmark has always been credibility and professionalism.”
When read this quotation, Dean Blevins predicted that there was a 82% chance this attitude is why he was shown the door.
Do you approve of former OETA anchor George Tomek?
- Approve (90%, 226 Votes)
- Disapprove (10%, 25 Votes)
Total Voters: 251
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Of the three, Bonds is the one who put up the biggest fight, griping that their salary was only a small portion of the budget shortfall. Of course, she was also the only one of the three who had her own show on top of being a news anchor…so of the three, her firing saved the most money.
Do you approve of former OETA anchor Gerry Bonds?
- Approve (57%, 142 Votes)
- Disapprove (43%, 105 Votes)
Total Voters: 247
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Look at that picture. Ross Dixon has been doing the weather since Gary England was just a pup. I think he had to use a marker to show storm fronts coming into the metro…and I’m not talking about dry erase markers, either. Those things were still being talked about in weather rooms like we talk about hoverboards now.
Dixon’s dismissal also means that OETA will no longer report weather which means that old people around the state are going to be caught off guard by tornadoes plowing through their nursing homes because Dixon was not around to keep them advised with tornado magnets being manually moved toward the metro of his map.
Do you approve of former OETA weatherman Ross Dixon?
- Approve (87%, 296 Votes)
- Disapprove (13%, 45 Votes)
Total Voters: 341
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Last week, Bobbie Miller and her baby belly received an approval rating of 90%. Apparently, hot libertarians are a fave around here.
Popularity: 1% [?]
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Your poll is jacked up, so for the record, thumbs up on George and Ross, thumbs down on Gerri. I couldn’t believe it when I saw in the OK article that she is in the state Journalism HOF. She should be in Gold Diggers HOF for dumping her husband to marry the very rich Ken Bonds, of whence she copped her OETA name. I don’t think money as much as ego was an issue in her carping about getting axed.
I’m not sure what’s up with the polls. It looks like they should be working right, but I’m learning disabled when it comes to the poll function.
This comment makes very little sense and seems a little misplaced.
Wait…OETA plays shows other than Antiques Roadshow?
I guess the last Pledge drive did nothing?
So much for the tote bag I got…
Mr. Tomek is a class act. Years ago, when he was News Director at Channel Four (showing my age now), they ran a story that somehow offended me. I forget what it was…senility and all. I wrote him a letter. In return I promptly received a personally-typed letter, with his signature in ink, apologizing for his error in letting the story run, admitting he made a mistake, and taking full responsibility. I have saved that letter all these years as a reminder of how to take responsiblity for one’s own actions. If the same event happened today, and I were to write that same letter, I’m sure I’d receive a response telling me (politely) to take along walk on a short pier.
Back in the early 80′s when George Tomek was still with channel 4 he used to sometimes shop at the old Pratt Foods on 39th and Portland. He was always very nice and usually looked like he was getting ready to work in his yard, which was a big difference from his starched and pressed t.v. look.
Before the days of Doppler4, Gentners and some guy named Val, Ross Dixon could tell you what the weather was going to be while pointing to a static weather map; all this without ruining a night of TV viewing with repeated break-ins about a dinky little “system” in Beaver County. I liked the guy, and I liked that whole low-tech OETA newscast. They left the sensational crap for the other guys.