Ch. 3 veteran newswoman Cheese fired

Thursday, Dec. 2, 1999 | 11:16 a.m.

Executives at KVBC Channel 3 refused to answer questions this morning about the reported firing of veteran news anchor Rikki Cheese two days ago.

The station's General Manager Gene Greenberg and News Director Mike George did not return calls seeking information about the alleged dismissal of Cheese following a temper tantrum in the newsroom Tuesday night.

The station's operator said her instructions were to tell callers inquiring about the employment status of Cheese "No comment."

When a request was made to speak to Cheese, the operator did not respond and the line went dead.

Cheese's photograph has been removed from the station's web site, which displays pictures of its on-air personalities.

On Wednesday in a telephone call to the Sun, Cheese confirmed that she was leaving the station but said she could not comment further. Attempts to reach Cheese today were unsuccessful.

The Las Vegas native has been a newswoman with Channel 3 for about 15 years.

Last April the station took a similar stance when KLAS Channel 8 investigative reporter George Knapp reported Cheese was suspended after throwing a similar tantrum.

Knapp said in April that Cheese "has a reputation in the newsroom as a Queen Bee ... She's known to berate and belittle co-workers."

According to Knapp, Cheese had an outburst and told a female reporter that "she'll never lead in our newscast again."

Cheese denied at that time, in a discussion with radio personality Mike O'Bryan of KXPT 97.1-FM, that she had been suspended.

But she did say she had been upset by a reporter who made comments during a newscast that implied a suspect had been convicted on the air without checking the facts.