Media Floods Cedar Key

Anticipating news in Cedar Key about twenty TV trucks and vans swept into Cedar Key Monday afternoon and night.Tropical Storm Alberto and storm surge or worse was the attraction. Overzealous, and unprofessional behavior on the part of some news crews soon followed.

CNN crew reporting from inside Cedar Key City Park.

Fox 35/51 crew getting ready to broadcast. Note truck with dish in background.

According to Commissioner Sue Colson, she informed the news crews to keep vehicles out of City Park. Both CNN and Fox News 35/51 from Ocala parked vehicles in the park. The truck driver for Fox 35/51 said that a police officer had given him permission to drive into the park. However he could not recall the uniform or car of the officer. Shannon Butler, the reporter for Fox 35/51, speaking for her producer, expressed surprise that the Fox truck was in the park. The national Fox crew, in contrast to the Ocala crew, set up its operation outside the park. Butler appeared to be surprised when told that two Cedar Key Commissioners were displeased with the invasion of the park.

Fox 35 (Ocala) truck parked near gazebo in City Park.