Mike Vasilinda Productions
Mike Vasilinda Productions is the public relations company of freelance television reporter Mike Vasilinda.
Vasilinda's company has also done advertisements including "Jimmy Morales for Mayor" campaign, "Think About Personal Pollution" for the Ochlocknee River Soil and Water Conservation District, for the law firm Fonvielle, Lewis, Foote & Messer and Nic's Big & Tall. [1]
In November the Tallahasse Democrat reported that MVP had filmed three programs for the TLC Network program "Trading Spaces: Family". "The company's other clients include 'The Dr. Phil Show,' 'Modern Marvels' on the History Channel and 'Unwrapped,' which airs on the Food Network," the paper reported.[2]
In March 2005 the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that Vasilinda's public relations firm "has earned more than $100,000 over the past four years through contracts with Gov. Jeb Bush's office, the Secretary of State, the Department of Education and other government entities that are routinely part of Vasilinda's stories," while those stories aired on CNN and Florida NBC affiliates.[3]
Mike Vasilinda Productions has also worked on political campaigns. Vasilinda rejected comparisons to Armstrong Williams, "because he has not personally promoted any government programs or appeared in any of the videos his business produced." Journalism professor Bob Steele said the arrangement "certainly raises some red flags."
Vasilinda's reports are distributed through Capitol News Service, a company he founded and runs. Subscribers to the news service include CNN and NBC amongst others. "CNN, which broadcast a Vasilinda report on Terri Schiavo on Thursday, did not respond on Monday to questions" the Herald-Tribune reported. [4]
"No one has ever suggested that our coverage, in any way, is soft on anybody," Vasilinda said. [5]
Contact details
P.O. Box 10004
311 North Adams Street
Tallahasse, Florida 32302
Phone: 850 224 5420
Fax:850 224 8378
Web: http://www.videoflorida.com/ (as of late March 2005 the website was listed as "under construction").
External links
- "Biz Buzz: The writing on the wall must go", Tallahassee Democrat, November 30, 2003.
- Chris Davis and Mathew Doig, "TV reporter earned money from state", Sarasota Herald-Tribune, March 26, 2005.
- Chris Davis and Mathew Doig, "Journalist Is Contractor With Officials in Florida", New York Times, March 29, 2005.
- Ron Sachs, "Reporter's contracts don't affect his work", Tallahasse Democrat, March 30, 2005.
- "Intoxicating Zings!", Tallahasse Democrat, April 1, 2005.
