Arbitrator rules for ex-anchor in WTSP suit

Pat Minarcin, a former WTSP-Ch. 10 news anchor who filed an age-discrimination lawsuit against the CBS affiliate in 1999, was awarded more than $280,000 in back pay and damages Sunday by an arbitration judge.

Minarcin, 56, anchored the 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts from 1994 to 1998. He lost his $195,000-a-year job and was replaced as the top anchor by then 38-year-old Reginald Roundtree.

According to the lawsuit, WTSP officials told Minarcin his firing was prompted by "flat" ratings. The suit also alleged that WTSP delayed Minarcin's job search by leading him to believe it would find other work for him. The station continued paying his salary for more than 18 months after he was off the air.

The suit, filed against WTSP and its parent company, Gannett, was settled without a trial when both parties agreed to a binding arbitration hearing.

Arbitrator Cindy L. Anderson awarded Minarcin $177,494 for loss of income and back pay, $100,000 in punitive damages, $10,000 in compensatory damages and attorney fees.

"This means a couple of things to me," Minarcin said. "It gave me the opportunity to stand eye to eye with Gannett and say, "Your people did me wrong.'

"And it helps to establish further a precedent for the industry that says you can't just throw people out."

WTSP officials declined to comment.

Minarcin, now an editor at the Tampa Tribune, is married to Ch. 10 weekend anchor Jennifer Howe.

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