TLC faces a real head case

A Jacksonville, Fla., man is suing The Learning Channel for airing his skull
operation on its Trauma: Life in the ER.

Michael Hill said he is stopped by people who recognize him from lying on the
operating table in Shands Hospital. 'I'll be in the Winn-Dixie, and people will
say, 'Oh, you're the guy with the knife in your head,'' Hill told TheFlorida Times-Union.

A crew from a company owned by The New York Times Co. filmed Hill when he was
brought into the hospital in 1998 after being stabbed in the head. His open
skull is visible in the footage.

Hill is also suing The Times Co. and the hospital for taping before asking
for his permission. He did sign a consent form, but he now contends that he
thought it was for an interview he gave, and not for footage of the operation,
during which surgeons opened his skull.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.