The Marti Ball Keeps Rolling

I'm a little slow on the take this morning, for sure. But this Marti Ten thing is generating more response than I can keep up with (while trying to report and write stories of my own at the same time anyway). The Herald's Oscar Corral reports this morning that Marti Tenner Olga Connor is complaining that her bosses at El Nuevo Herald knew about her work at Radio Marti at least as far back as 2002.

While we saw this one coming, the most interesting part of the article is that El Nuevo Herald Executive Editor Humberto Castell� got himself caught

in a contradiction. Castello told Corral that he didn't fire Connor back in 2002 "because she was a freelancer." But then he admits that he never thought she should have been fired at all. "I don't agree with the decision taken," he told Corral.

Castello is doing the Texas two-step for good reason -- I've heard rumors that his feet are in the fire right now with McClatchy and Herald uppers. Word is that Castello assured his own bosses prior to the firings that he didn't know that Connor and the other two writers worked for Marti. We'll have to see whether Miami Herald Publisher Jesus Diaz Jr. -- who said the decision to fire the reporters was his -- and other corporate suits will take any further action.

And finally, Helen Aguirre Ferre, host of Channel 2's Issues show, had her own response in the Herald this morning under Montaner's piece -- and she's changed her tune from the initial "I don't see a conflict of interest" stance. Now she realizes that she may have betrayed the profession and wants to make it all better.

"Upon further reflection I realize, in light of the government's role in Radio and TV Mart�, that the receipt of such payment may raise questions from members of our journalism community whom I respect and hold in high regard," she writes. "As such, I have decided to contribute the honorarium to La Liga Contra el C�ncer, which is dedicated to the care of patients for their treatment of cancer. It is my desire to put this matter behind me as my conscience is clear that there is no price for my opinions."