Hill zeroes in on broadcaster Dick Mason

January 8, 2016

By DANIEL BLACKBURN

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill apparently has selected his next target for his unique brand of vitriol: veteran radio newsman Dick Mason. Mason is set to take over the morning news assignment at KVEC/920 on Jan. 18.

Mason, let go from station KKJL a day before New Years’ Eve, discussed his past, present, and future Wednesday on Dave Congalton’s Home Town radio show. Mason also revealed a series of disturbing incidents originating with Hill.

Mason said his  job as a journalist is to “objectively report the news.” Last month, Mason had reported on Hill’s walking out of the supervisors’ chambers while members of CAPSLO were being honored on the 50th anniversary of the organization’s formation.

“It started after a recent supervisors meeting,” Mason told Congalton. “He said, ‘Stop bashing me.’”

“I said ‘I’m not bashing you,  I’m reporting the news.’ Now every time I see him, he continues. He had his secretary call and say, ‘We’ve had complaints that you’re bashing Adam.’ I’ve never experienced this,” Mason said.

Mason noted that the “coup de gras” came last week. He related how his 25-year-old daughter — now working in San Fransisco — agreed to a recent Facebook “friend” request.

Congalton asked Mason whose name was on the Facebook profile attempting to contact Mason’s daughter.

“Torres,” Mason said.

“As in ‘Dee’ Torres, Adam Hill’s wife,” Congalton said.

An hour after Mason’s daughter accepted Torres’ friend request, she got what Mason described as “a bizarre email.”

“Why does your dad hate the Adam Hill family?”Torres wrote. In the email, Torres included a link to the FireAdamHill.com website.”

Mason told Congalton that he then received an email from Hill that read simply, “Voice-over.”

Mason wrote back asking Hill what he meant by the email.

“That’s you on the hit piece against me,” Hill responded.

Eventually, Mason said he saw a YouTube video of a 60-second commercial spot critical of Hill featured on FireAdamHill.com.

“Adam is convinced it’s me voicing it, but it’s not my voice. It’s not me. A competent voice-analysis would prove it’s not me,” Mason said.

Congalton then referred to the FireAdamHill.com video as a “professionally-produced commercial.”

Shortly before Mason was notified of his imminent departure, Hill contacted management at KKJL to complain about Mason’s news reporting, Mason said.

Congalton then asked Mason if Hill’s call had anything to do with his departure from KKJL.

“I don’t think so,” Mason said. “And I’m appalled that Adam is so upset.”

Congalton responded by dubbing Hill a bully.

“I wanted to have Dick on the show to prove that I am not making this stuff up,” Congalton said. “We have a supervisor who is a bully. And if he doesn’t get his way, he comes after you with everything he has, even going after your family.”