Posted: April 10, 2008, 5 a.m. EST
Little Jordan, an 8-month-old Labrador Retriever puppy, is at the center of a media maelstrom in Nevada.
Last month, L.J. was removed from owner and KVBC weatherman John Fredericks’ broadcasts without explanation. Now there’s a dispute over who sent the dog packing.
On Monday, Fredericks released a statement saying that the NBC affiliate’s top brass had removed the dog “pending the resolution of contractual terms for L.J.”
L.J. had replaced Golden Retriever Jordan, Fredericks’s longtime pet and on-air partner, who died last summer.
The station’s general manager, Lisa Howfield, told The Associated Press that L.J.’s removal was Fredericks’ call.
“It was John’s choice to take the dog off the air,” Howfield said. “I would have liked us to keep the dog on the air.”
Fredericks added that he “wants nothing more than for L.J. to return to the broadcast, and believes that the contractual issues resulting in the current situation will soon be resolved.”