Complaint Review: Campbell Media Group - Rochester New York

 I contacted Campbell Media Group summer of 2010 and spoke directly to John Campbell regarding recording a video history of my father. I asked Mr. Campbell to quote me a price. His response was "It would be and honor" and "no charge." "We can do an entire PBS program around the PHSA Chapter 7 group and get all their stories recorded." I explained that I really wanted to pay to get a professional documentary of my fathers heroic story of Dec. 7th. He insisted on doing the PBS program. I explained that it wasn't up to me and that I would explain it to the survivors and let them decide. I made a few calls and they asked me to invite Mr. Campbell to the next meeting. He came and discussed all the wonderful things Campbell Media was going to do to make a great documentary. He proceeded to hand out "Americas Team" to all the survivors present, a documentary he had done several years earlier. He explained that it would be the same quality and that he would interview all available survivors in the chapter. At the time, there were about 15.

He came to one event and interviewed my Father and another survivor who had been in 17 engagements aboard ship and was convinced to speak about it for the first time ever. Those were the only 2 interviews given. Mr. Campbell was supposed to come back Dec. 7th 2010 to conduct more interviews but never showed. I contacted Mr. Campbel after several months to let him know that 3 of the survivors from chapter 7 had passed away and those stories were gone forever. I ask him to just forget about the project and requested to purchase the footage he had on the 2 survivors. He responded very angrily "I'll decide whether or not this project goes forward." I told him we no longer needed his services and asked one more time to purchase the footage. He replied, "No, And don't ever contact me again" and hung up.

In the year and a half thats past several more survivors have passed including the gentleman who was in 17 engagements. i don't know if Mr. Campbell knew what he had his hands on. An opportunity to record living history. As for my father, we contacted a professional videographer and had his story recorded. He has recently recieved medals for his heroics on Dec. 7th, 1941 and was flown to Hawaii all expenses paid to be honored this past summer.

The teaser is on Mr. Campbell's website called "TEARS OVER THE PACIFIC" It never happened. I feel that its deceiving to have this in his portfolio when it never came to fruition. There were only 2 survivors who attended this year and so many more who have passed or have some form of dementia. Those stories are lost, gone for ever.

This wasn't a concert where the sound was missing from the footage. It wasn't a videographer who's wages weren't paid. It wasn't businesses who were taken by phony promisses as stated by the previous complaints above. It was America's greatest generation ignored. The title Mr. Campbell came up with was due to the many tears the individual cried while trying to get his story out for the first, and according to his family, the only time. Mr. Campbell's visit and the promises made are all clearly documented in the Chapters Secretaries minutes and was also mentioned in the following news letter.

I hope Mr. Campbell can find it in his heart to get the footage of the deceased survivor to his remaining family. If so, I would be happy to update that information on this post. Until then, I remain disappointed.