Editing WSVN (section)

=== Investigative journalism ===
[[File:Dr._Peter_Masiko,_Jr._interview_at_the_WCKT_studios.jpg|thumb|275x275px|[[Miami Dade College|Miami Dade Junior College]] president Dr. Peter Masiko Jr. (left) interviewing an unidentified guest for the WCKT show ''Junior College Review'']]
While the news department from the first WCKT carried over directly to the second WCKT, several changes started to take place under Sidney Ansin. This included a gradual increase in the on-air quality of existing local public affairs productions via an increased budget, but Sidney explained, "...it's not enough that they be important and well done: they have to entertain, be of real interest to the viewer. I don't watch a documentary simply because it's important—not even our own—and I'm sure other viewers don't either."<ref name="Fort630505">{{Cite news|last=Bryant|first=Joe|date=May 5, 1963|title=New Face And Look Turn Up At 7 Spot|page=18E|newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95225911/new-face-and-look-turn-up-at-7-spot/|access-date=February 18, 2022|via=Newspapers.com|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218020536/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95225911/new-face-and-look-turn-up-at-7-spot/|url-status=live}}</ref> Daily on-air [[editorial]]s were instituted, with [[Ann Bishop (journalist)|Harriette Bishop]] presenting the station's viewpoint, largely written by either Sidney or Charles Kelly; ''[[Fort Lauderdale News]]'' critic Joe Bryant praised Bishop for her "crisp, clean, businesslike... strong delivery" that could easily be mistaken for WCKT's news anchors.<ref name="Fort631018">{{Cite news|last=Bryant|first=Joe|date=October 18, 1963|title=Sugarcoated Commentators Just What Doctor Ordered|page=2E|newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95224258/sugarcoated-commentators-just-what/|access-date=February 18, 2022|via=Newspapers.com|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218020749/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95224258/sugarcoated-commentators-just-what/|url-status=live}}</ref> One December 4, 1963, editorial in advance of a [[special election]] for [[Dade County Sheriff's Office|Dade County sheriff]] attracted controversy when the station called on Republican challenger Fred A. Phillips to withdraw, saying incumbent T. A. Buchanan was "almost certain to win", prompting Phillips to file a compliant with the FCC.<ref name="Miam631207">{{Cite news|last=Anderson|first=Jack|date=December 7, 1963|title=Candidate Lashes Video Editorial|page=3B|newspaper=The Miami Herald|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95231086/candidate-lashes-video-editorial/|access-date=February 18, 2022|via=Newspapers.com|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218061202/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95231086/candidate-lashes-video-editorial/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Miami News'' columnist Rollene Saal criticized the editorials both for taking away time from the newscast itself and the subject matter;<ref name="Miam630918">{{Cite news|last=Saal|first=Rollene|date=September 18, 1963|title=Please, TV Don't Turn To Preaching|page=14A|newspaper=The Miami News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95234466/please-tv-dont-turn-to-preaching/|access-date=February 18, 2022|via=Newspapers.com|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218175158/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95234466/please-tv-dont-turn-to-preaching/|url-status=live}}</ref> Sidney contended that television had an obligation to editorialize and present dissenting viewpoints in accord with the FCC's [[fairness doctrine]].<ref name="Miam630927">{{Cite news|last=Ansin|first=Sidney|date=September 27, 1963|title=TV Has Obligation To Editorialize (letter to the editor)|page=6A|newspaper=The Miami News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95238057/tv-has-obligation-to-editorialize/|access-date=February 18, 2022|via=Newspapers.com|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218183548/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95238057/tv-has-obligation-to-editorialize/|url-status=live}}</ref> Bishop hoped her role would lead to females having more substantive on-air roles "a step removed from fashion and recipes" but was fired after 18 months<ref name="Miam760315">{{Cite news|last=Anderson|first=Jack|date=March 15, 1976|title=Ann Bishop Aims to Soften Image on New Show|page=5B|newspaper=The Miami Herald|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95163426/ann-bishop-aims-to-soften-image-on-new/|access-date=February 18, 2022|via=Newspapers.com|archive-date=February 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218032322/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95163426/ann-bishop-aims-to-soften-image-on-new/|url-status=live}}</ref> for trying to land a reporting job at the station, remarking later, "they said I was too ambitious".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nazario |first=Sonia L. |date=September 27, 1985 |title=Miami Co-Anchor Is Rarity: Woman Who Is 'No Beauty Queen' --- Ann Bishop of WPLG-TV Is Overweight, Middle-Aged And Enormously Popular |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |id={{ProQuest|397909959}}}}</ref>

Sidney was the public face of Sunbeam but remained unfamiliar with television, while Edmund started to assert a larger role. When Sidney began inviting friends to appear on WCKT newscasts, Edmund threatened to quit in support of the news department's [[editorial independence]], prompting Sidney to end the practice.<ref name="Boston19930822p362">{{Cite news |last=Golden |first=Daniel |date=August 22, 1993 |title=Miami Dice |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96153106/miami-dice/ 16], 17, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96153295/miami-dice-p3/ 18], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96153332/miami-dice-p4/ 20], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96153382/miami-dice-p5/ 21], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96153429/miami-dice-p6/ 24], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96153461/miami-dice-p7/ 26], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96153505/miami-dice-p8/ 27], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96153538/miami-dice-p9/ 28], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96153607/miami-dice-p10/ 29]:Globe Magazine |newspaper=The Boston Globe |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96153260/miami-dice-p2/ |access-date=March 12, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Under news director Gene Strul, the station furthered a reputation for hard-hitting newscasts and [[investigative journalism]], with Strul resisting outside pressure from politicians, community members, and even the station's sales department.{{r|MiamiN19790321p90}} Controversy was courted several times. Carnival operator Newell Taylor sued WCKT and Florida governor [[W. Haydon Burns]] after Burns called Taylor "one of the biggest [[gamblers]] in South Florida" in an interview broadcast over the station.<ref name="MiamiH19660615p65">{{Cite news |date=June 15, 1966 |title=Libel Suit Against Governor Dropped |page=B1 |newspaper=The Miami Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97434486/libel-suit-against-governor-dropped/ |access-date=March 12, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="FortLa19660523p11">{{Cite news |date=May 23, 1966 |title=Taylor Files Suit Against WCKT-TV |page=1A |newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97434333/taylor-files-suit-against-wckt-tv/ |access-date=March 12, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Two successive documentaries on [[Extremist Groups|extremist groups]] "Let Freedom Ring" and the [[Ku Klux Klan]] in late 1965 resulted in the former circulating [[play money]] containing anti-WCKT messages, while the latter was accused of [[Defacement (vandalism)|defacing]] one roadside [[billboard]] for the station with the message, "The KKK is watching you."<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 20, 1965 |title=WCKT(TV) in the middle—but unmoved by extremists |volume=69 |page=63 |work=Broadcasting |issue=25 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1965/1965-12-20-BC.pdf |access-date=March 11, 2022 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> A three-part series in November 1968 over a proposed "power and privileges" bill in the [[Parliament of the Bahamas]]—where media outlets accused of [[Misinformation|"false or misleading" information]] would be called to testify before Parliament—led the ''[[The Nassau Guardian|Nassau Guardian-Observer]]'' to publish a front-page editorial rebuking "the meddlesome Miami television crew" and advised WCKT to "go home—and stay there!"<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 23, 1968 |title=Miami TV rebuked for Bahamas series |volume=75 |page=51 |work=Broadcasting |issue=26 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1968/1968-12-23-BC.pdf |access-date=March 11, 2022 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> A citizens committee in [[Broward County]] accused WCKT, WTVJ, and WLBW of engaging in biased reporting regarding education in the state, focusing on WCKT and Sidney's real estate business as a conflict of interest.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 22, 1968 |title=Miami TV's accused of biased reporting |volume=74 |page=50 |work=Broadcasting |issue=17 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1968/1968-04-22-BC.pdf |access-date=March 11, 2022 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> Future NBC reporter [[Brian Ross (journalist)|Brian Ross]] later said of Strul's work, "he goes after the so-called [[Sacred cow (idiom)|sacred cows]]... no one is immune where he is concerned."{{r|MiamiN19790321p90}}