Columnist Kate Maddox: Shake-ups keep shaking Channel 3

Kate Maddox

Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2000 | 10:05 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column appears Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, only in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach her at kmaddox@vegas.com.

The staff shake-ups at KVBC Channel 3 didn't end with the firing of high-profile anchor Rikki Cheese last month. Soon after Cheese was dismissed, Glen Turner, the station's production manager, departed after some 20 years of service. And recently Rolla Cleaver, who served as director of new operations, was unceremoniously let go.

Although the terms and reasons for the dismissals -- which some insiders are calling "forced resignations"-- are unclear at this point, what is certain is that the folks over at KVBC are very nervous about the staff upheavals. One knowledgeable source says that employees aren't talking about what's going on behind the station's closed doors because they are "frightened for their jobs." Staff members have been warned about whispering to outsiders and most are following through and keeping their mouths shut.

And if staff shake-ups weren't enough, insiders are also talking about rumors of salary cutbacks at 3. According to one local TV news source, Channel 3 owner Jim Rogers has reportedly told staff members that there may be pay cuts on the way and he apparently "clearly communicated to the staff that there might be tough times ahead."

Rogers' name has been in the news lately as a candidate to be the interim school superintendent -- at no charge to the school board. Rogers is known to insiders as a hard-headed businessman who runs his successful Sunbelt Communications Co. with strict work codes and what some describe as very little patience. Rogers' company operates nine TV stations and two radio stations in five states. He was unavailable for comment.

Again, no one is saying specifically what might be leading up to the alleged pay cuts, but with the recent firings and a tight-lipped and fearful staff, as well as the potential for a new high-profile position for the boss, it might be safe to say that Channel 3 shake-ups could continue through the new year.

It looks like the "Oceans 11" remake is going full steam ahead. Daily Variety reports that George Clooney has indeed signed on to reprise the Frank Sinatra role, but at this point, he's the only heavy-hitting actor on board.

Young Hollywood director Brett Ratner, who was originally approached to direct the film, is out and Steven Soderbergh is in. Soderbergh, whose breakthrough movie was 1989's "sex, lies and videotape," recently directed Clooney in "Out of Sight." The two apparently developed a good working relationship, and it was the former "ER" doc who pushed for Soderbergh to direct this new version of the Rat Pack classic about a gang that sets out to rob several Las Vegas casinos.

No start date has been set for filming, since Clooney's co-stars have yet to be named, but Warner Bros. has given the project the official green light. Look for Clooney and company to begin shooting here on location sometime in the early fall.

In more Vegas movie news, Sylvester Stallone is in town this week. Scenes for his new movie, "Get Carter," were filmed Monday at various locations in the Venetian hotel-casino.

Stallone stars with Mickey Rourke, Miranda Richardson, John McGinley and Michael Caine in this $40 million remake of the 1971 British thriller, which starred Caine in the title role -- he plays Stallone's boss in this version.

Producers are hoping to wrap up shooting soon -- this is the last stop for production -- in order to premiere the film at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

The figures are in on the infamous Barbra Streisand New Year's Eve concert and it looks like the singer now holds the title of all-time single concert box-office champ. Fans paid an astonishing $14,694,750 to listen to the diva perform and MGM is saying that all of the 12,277 tickets available were sold out.

Sounds like a lot of money, but when you consider that the concert-shy Streisand made a reported $10 million to perform, one has to wonder what chunk of the astounding ticket sales will go directly into her pocket as pay-off. The MGM is lucky, however: Most casinos are rumored to be in the hole after the astronomical entertainment price tags and the somewhat disappointing New Year's ticket sales.

Streisand bumps the Three Tenors -- Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras -- from the ticket-selling record. Those guys garnered a mere $13.5 million back in 1996 at Giants Stadium.