Garland Robinette
Encyclopedia
Garland Robinette is a journalist in the New Orleans area. He currently is host of "The Think Tank" on New Orleans radio
station WWL (AM).
Robinette was a news anchor and investigative reporter on New Orleans TV station WWL-TV
Channel 4 for twenty years (1970 until August 8, 1990). After leaving the TV station, Robinette served as head of public relations
for Freeport-McMoRan
in New Orleans before starting his own firm. He returned to the media in 2005 on WWL (AM) as a fill-in for David Tyree, a popular host stricken with cancer. The position became permanent when Tyree succumbed several weeks after Hurricane Katrina
.
in 2005. As the storm made landfall radio station WWL was the only broadcast media in New Orleans able to continue operating during the disaster. Robinette was broadcasting from a hastily thrown together set-up in a closet of the WWL studios after the high rise building windows blew out. In the days between the time when the hurricane hit New Orleans and when outside help arrived, Robinette's broadcasts were an important information source for those able to hear radio broadcasts in the Greater New Orleans area. On September 2, 2005, Robinette conducted the famous interview with Mayor Ray Nagin
where the mayor urged those in the Federal Government who had been promising but not delivering aid to "get off your asses".
Robinette is one of the interview subjects in When the Levees Broke
, the 2006 Spike Lee
documentary about the effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans
. He also appears alongside Angela Hill, his former wife
, in Hexing A Hurricane
, a documentary about the first six months in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
In October, 2007, he received $250,000 from the owner of the River Birch landfill, which is currently the subject of a corruption investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He regularly used his radio show as a vehicle for frequent criticism of the competitor, the Old Gentilly landfill.
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station WWL (AM).
Robinette was a news anchor and investigative reporter on New Orleans TV station WWL-TV
WWL-TV
WWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
Channel 4 for twenty years (1970 until August 8, 1990). After leaving the TV station, Robinette served as head of public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
for Freeport-McMoRan
Freeport-McMoRan
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., often called simply Freeport, is the world's lowest-cost copper producer and one of the world's largest producers of gold...
in New Orleans before starting his own firm. He returned to the media in 2005 on WWL (AM) as a fill-in for David Tyree, a popular host stricken with cancer. The position became permanent when Tyree succumbed several weeks after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
Radio Show
Robinette came to national attention with Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005. As the storm made landfall radio station WWL was the only broadcast media in New Orleans able to continue operating during the disaster. Robinette was broadcasting from a hastily thrown together set-up in a closet of the WWL studios after the high rise building windows blew out. In the days between the time when the hurricane hit New Orleans and when outside help arrived, Robinette's broadcasts were an important information source for those able to hear radio broadcasts in the Greater New Orleans area. On September 2, 2005, Robinette conducted the famous interview with Mayor Ray Nagin
Ray Nagin
Clarence Ray Nagin, Jr. is a former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Nagin gained international note in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area....
where the mayor urged those in the Federal Government who had been promising but not delivering aid to "get off your asses".
Robinette is one of the interview subjects in When the Levees Broke
When the Levees Broke
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts is a 2006 documentary film directed by Spike Lee about the devastation of New Orleans, Louisiana due to the failure of the levees during Hurricane Katrina. It was filmed in late August and early September 2005, and premiered at the New Orleans Arena on...
, the 2006 Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
documentary about the effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans
Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans
The effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans have been long-lasting. As the center of Katrina passed South-east of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, winds downtown were in the Category 3 range with frequent intense gusts and tidal surge. Hurricane force winds were experienced throughout the...
. He also appears alongside Angela Hill, his former wife
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
, in Hexing A Hurricane
Hexing A Hurricane
Hexing a Hurricane is a 2006 documentary film about the effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. It has been billed as the "First Katrina documentary" released by a New Orleanian. The film is directed by Jeremy Campbell and distributed by the National Film Network...
, a documentary about the first six months in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
In October, 2007, he received $250,000 from the owner of the River Birch landfill, which is currently the subject of a corruption investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He regularly used his radio show as a vehicle for frequent criticism of the competitor, the Old Gentilly landfill.
Trivia
- Robinette, a native of the Louisiana bayouBayouA bayou is an American term for a body of water typically found in flat, low-lying areas, and can refer either to an extremely slow-moving stream or river , or to a marshy lake or wetland. The name "bayou" can also refer to creeks that see level changes due to tides and hold brackish water which...
country and Hahnville High SchoolHahnville High SchoolHahnville High School is a public high school in Boutte, Louisiana; about 30 miles southwest of New Orleans. It is part of the St. Charles Parish Public School System, serving all students in that area of the west bank of the Mississippi River in grades 9 through 12. J.B. Martin and R.K...
alum, is a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
- In 1988, Robinette was caught attempting to enter the Republican National Convention, which was held in the Louisiana SuperdomeLouisiana SuperdomeThe Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
, with a concealed firearmFirearmA firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
in his briefcaseBriefcaseA briefcase is a narrow box-shaped bag or case used mainly for carrying papers and other documents and equipped with a handle. Lawyers commonly use briefcases to carry briefs to present to a court, hence the name...
.
- Robinette is also an artist—known particularly for his portraits. He studied at the New Orleans Academy of Fine ArtsNew Orleans Academy of Fine ArtsThe New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts is a fine arts school in New Orleans, Louisiana.The New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts was founded in 1978 by Auseklis Ozols, inspired by the model of Thomas Eakins and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. The goal was to gather together artists and aspiring...
and created the official poster for the 2011 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
- On his radio show on 25 October 2006, Robinette advocated the use of nuclear weapons in an attempt to end the Iraq war.
- On his radio show on 28 May 2008, Robinette vigorously defended his position that, just like a janitor, the President of the United States needs no experience and can rely on experts and training in this position.
- Angela Hill still works as an anchor at WWL-TV; when they were husband and wife for 9 years (1978-1987), Robinette and Hill were paired, just as Jim LampleyJim LampleyJames "Jim" Lampley is an American sportscaster, news anchor, movie producer, and restaurant owner. Lampley has anchored a record 14 Olympic Games U.S. television broadcasts, most recently the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China....
and Bree WalkerBree WalkerBree Walker is a radio talk show host, actress, and disability-rights activist, who gained fame as the first on-air American television network news anchor with ectrodactyly. Walker worked as a news anchor and/or reporter in San Diego, New York City, and Los Angeles.Walker was born in Oakland,...
, as well as Ron Burgundy and Veronica Corningstone, were at KCBS-TVKCBS-TVKCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and KVWN-TV Channel 4 in San Diego respectively under similar circumstances.
- His last name means, roughly, "little bright fame," ironic considering that he became very famous after Hurricane Katrina.http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/fact.aspx?&fid=10&ln=ROBINETTE&fn=&yr=1920
- Sometimes mistakenly called "Robin Garlanett", and jokingly refers to himself by using this moniker at times.
- Robinette and Hill were collectively referred to as "Garangela the two-headed monster" by local talk show wag, Dennis Williams during his tenure (1982–1987) on WSMB-AM and later WNOE-AM both rival radio stations at the time to WWL-AM.
- Robinette humorously refers to Democrats as "Dema-don'ts" & Republicans as "Republican'ts" and both as "Fear Clubs". He uses both these terms in the same sentence during a live CNN Anderson Cooper broadcast on 6/15/10 in making a point about the BP Gulf Oil Spill.
- On 2010 October 22 Robinette's Think Tank became the first media outlet to mention lieutenant governor candidateLieutenant governor (United States)In the United States, 43 of the 50 states have a separate, full-time office of lieutenant governor. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when he or she is absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated...
Caroline FayardCaroline FayardCathryn Caroline Fayard , daughter of Cynthia Felder Fayard and Calvin Clifford Fayard, Jr., of Springfield, Louisiana, is a Democrat who sought the office of lieutenant governor of Louisiana in the 2010 elections....
as a potential DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
alternative to RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
governor Bobby JindalBobby JindalPiyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
should Jindal seek reelection in 2011Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2011The Louisiana gubernatorial election of 2011 was held on October 22 with 10 candidates competing in a nonpartisan blanket primary. The incumbent, Bobby Jindal, was elected to a second term as governor of Louisiana...
.