The Market Share column earlier this week about investigative sweeps stories that make their communities better generated this note from John Damschroder, a special projects producer at WCMH, the Media General NBC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio. “Thanks for keeping the industry informed about the outstanding investigative work being done during sweeps. I would like to […]
The Market Share column earlier this week about investigative sweeps stories that make their communities better generated this note from John Damschroder, a special projects producer at WCMH, the Media General NBC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio.
“Thanks for keeping the industry informed about the outstanding investigative work being done during sweeps. I would like to submit two stories as examples of big issues highlighted by a local news investigative team. This look at the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation comes following a multi-part May investigation of systematic overcharges by the Ohio BWC of more than $2 billion. Now, in examining the indictments and convictions of the fraud investigation unit we’re finding some serious issues of statewide importance. I hope you can use these in your column before the book is over.
“The first Investigating the Investigators story improved our 6 p.m. ratings by 15% … the follow-up story a week later gave us a 38% improvement. The story was picked up by the Associated Press and ran in newspapers across Ohio, as the state has a monopoly workers compensation system so this issue literally touches every business in the state of Ohio.”
Doug Buchanan, managing editor of the Columbus Business First section of the Columbus Morning Call, ran this mention along with a link to a follow-up story.
Add Ohio Supreme Court Justice Paul Pfeifer to the voices calling for an investigation at the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation over a quota system in its fraud unit uncovered by NBC4. “I assume that task is already underway,” Pfeifer told the station. “I’d be real surprised if there weren’t some people in real tenuous positions at this point, in terms of their future employment.” So far, there’s been no word from anyone at the state that they are looking into the system, which the station reported has resulted in pressure on agents to pursue cases even when evidence points to targets’ innocence. The station showed up with a film crew to a board meeting but BWC Director Steve Buehrer bolted out a back door as soon as the meeting ended.
http://youtu.be/AQCRUrmLJgU
NBC4: Columbus, Ohio News, Weather, and Sports (WCMH-TV)
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