ROBIN MEADE, Ex-Detainees' Interviewer Of Choice

(From The New York Observer -- By Felix Gillette)

On Wednesday, July 2nd, with the national news cycle threatening to slouch into a summer lull, a promising story suddenly popped up from an unlikely spot, several thousand miles south of BARACK OBAMA's cute daughters in Chicago and equally far removed from CHRISTIE BRINKLEY's messy divorce in the Hamptons.

According to the wire services, a team of Colombian special forces, disguised as humanitarian workers, had pulled off a daring rescue, tricking armed Marxist-inspired rebels, known as FARC, into turning over 15 longtime hostages.

Among the freed captives -- French-Colombian activist politician INGRID BETANCOURT and three American contractors, all of whom had been held against their will in the jungle for more than five years.

Across the city, every TV booker in New York began salivating on cue.

Roughly a week later, the race for the big get was over.

Ms. Betancourt had chosen to be interviewed by ANN CURRAY on NBC NIGHTLY NEWS (average viewers in June -- more than 7.5 million) and by LARRY KING on his eponymous CNN show (average viewers in June -- 1.13 million).

The three Americans chose to sit down with -- ROBIN MEADE, the lead anchor of HEADLINE NEWS' MORNING EXPRESS (average viewers in June -- 238,000 thousand).

How'd that happen?

Robin Meade, Ex-Detainees' Interviewer Of Choice

[Uhm, cause she's very attractive.]