KNBC to Keep Political Editor Linda Douglass

Local TV political reporter Linda Douglass will not be moving to KCBS-TV Channel 2 after all.

Despite KCBS’ announcement last month that Douglass would be joining the station as its new political reporter, she will resume work today at KNBC-TV Channel 4 where she has served as political editor for three years, Douglass said Tuesday. This latest local news development comes only days after Channel 2 had made significant changes in its news staff by firing longtime L.A. anchors Terry Murphy and John Schubeck.

The flap surrounding Douglass’ employment had both stations trading barbs on Tuesday.

In October, Channel 2 offered Douglass, whose contract with KNBC recently expired, a three-year deal, which Douglass, who had worked at Channel 2 before moving to Channel 4 in 1985, had apparently accepted. Under terms of Douglass’ previous agreement with KNBC, however, Channel 4 retained the right to match Channel 2’s offer.

KCBS accused Douglass and her agent of misleading the station about the restrictions in her contract with KNBC and her freedom to negotiate a new deal with a rival station.

“They wasted our time and energy (and) raised questions about their credibility and purpose,” station spokeswoman Andi Sporkin said Tuesday. “We are currently looking into our legal options regarding this incident.”

George Bane, Douglass’ agent, said Tuesday that all negotiations were conducted in the open and that neither he nor Douglass misled KCBS or KNBC. He said he sent Channel 2’s offer to Channel 4 two months ago and was led to believe that Channel 4 had no intention of matching the offer. KCBS subsequently announced that Douglass would come on board this month.

KNBC publicly refuted the announcement at that time, saying that it was not obligated to consider another offer until after Douglass’ previous contract expired Dec. 3.

Bane said he resubmitted Channel 2’s offer to Channel 4, and KNBC announced Tuesday that it had offered Douglass a four-year contract, which she was obliged to accept. KCBS reported that Douglass’ new KNBC deal is worth $1 million over the four years, but Channel 4, while refusing to give specifics, said Douglass would be paid less.

“I consider (Douglass) one of the best political editors in the country,” John Rohrbeck, KNBC’s general manager, said Tuesday. “I don’t know why (Channel 2) would offer her only three years. At the beginning of our negotiations, I said to her, ‘You go over there for three years and I’ll hire you back (for the ’92 presidential campaign).’ ”