Stephanie clears the air (some)

Stephanie Edwards emailed the Times' Scott Collins [Scott Collins wrote the story but I'm told that Edwards emailed Susan King] to scoff at the suggestion of bad blood between her and Bob Eubanks, and said she's pleased with KTLA's high ratings for this year's Rose Parade. She apparently didn't speak to how she felt about sittin' in the rain:

"Bob, Michaela [Pereira] and I are thrilled by the ratings but saddened by the misinformation regarding our nonexistent feud," she wrote. Attempts to reach Edwards for further comments were unsuccessful.

One station staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisals from management, said that Edwards and Eubanks had each been paid about $50,000 for full hosting duties. The staffer did not know what Pereira, who is already a station employee, was paid to co-host this year.

I received more email today from Edwards fans upset about her assignment to the bleachers, and this observation from reader Leslie W who said she didn't hear Pereira refer to Superior Court Justice O'Connor, but did hear her mention Newport Beach's famous jazz festival: "Think she knows where Newport, Rhode Island is?" Radio veteran John Rabe doesn't see what the Edwards contingent has to fuss about: "Oh, good Lord. Announcing in the rain is real work? It's only slightly less stupid than narrating a parade from a warm booth. If Eubanks or Edwards are complaining about it at all, they ought to spend a week fighting brush fires."

More blog reaction: 2020 Hindsight posts, "Stephanie Edwards was all class. Looking gorgeous in red, despite rumors of long teeth, grrr. Cheerful. Ebullient, and putting the day’s downpour in very proper perspective, that this is nothing compared to real deluge and disaster in SE Asia, The Gulf. Thank you, Stephanie."