THE DAY AND NEWS 6 AND ON CLICKORLANDO.com. WE ALSO POSTED HOW YOU CAN HELP
VICTIMS OF THE RECENT
EARTHQUAKES JUST SEARCH THE
STORY ON THE HOMEPAGE.
SEA WORLD IS PREPARING TO
DEFEND ITSELF IN A HIGH-STAKES
COURT BATTLE POTENTIALLY WORTH
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND IT
INVOLVES DOCUMENTARY.
>> IN WEEKS WE COULD BE HEARING
OF SEVERAL DEFRAUDING
INVESTIGATORS.
>> NEWS 6 INVESTIGATOR MIKE
DEFOREST HAS BEEN DIGGING
THROUGH COURT RECORDS.
THE TRIAL IS FINALLY HAPPENING.
>> JULIE, UNLESS THERE IS A
LAST-MINUTE SETTLEMENT, JURY
SELECTION WILL BEGIN NEXT MONTH
IN SAN DIEGO.
INVESTORS CLAIM THAT SEA WORLD
EXECUTIVES MISLED THEM ABOUT
HOW BLACKFISH WAS HURTING
OFFICIALS INSIST THEY TRULY DID
NOT BELIEVE THE FILM WAS
KEEPING VISITORS AWAY.
WHEN THE DOCUMENTARY BLACKFISH
PREMIERED SEA WORLD OFFICIALS
DOWNPLAYED IT.
IN AUGUST 2013 A COMPANY
SPOKESMAN TOLD THE LOS ANGELES
TIMES BLACKFISH HAS HAD NO
ATTENDANCE IMPACT.
FORMER SEA WORLD CEO JIM
ATCHISON WAS QUOTED IN THE WALL
STREET JOURNAL SAYING I SCRATCH
MY HEAD IF THERE’S ANY NOTABLE
IMPACT ON THIS FILM AT ALL AND
I CANNOT ATTRIBUTE 128.
IN THIS CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT A
GROUP OF INVESTORS SAY THE
STATEMENTS WERE FALSE OR
MISLEADING.
IN REALITY THEY ARGUE BLACKFISH
WAS TAKING A TOLL.
MUSICIANS LIKE WILLIE NELSON
CANCELED CONCERTS AT THE PARK
AND COMPANIES LIKE SOUTHWEST
AND DID PARTNERSHIPS WITH SEA
WORLD LOOKS LIKE MANY PEOPLE
WHO WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY.
>> AND A CALIFORNIA LAWMAKER
PROPOSED A BAN ON TOTAL KILLER
WHALES KNOWN AS THE BLACKFISH
BILL.
IN AUGUST 2014 FOR THE VERY
FIRST TIME SEA WORLD NOTIFIED
INVESTORS THAT ATTENDANCE WAS
BEING HEARD PARTLY DUE TO MEDIA
ATTENTION RELATING TO THE
RECENT LEGISLATION.
THAT DAYS SEA WORLD STOCK PLACE
PLUMMETED 33 PERCENT COSTING
SHAREHOLDERS MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS.
>> TODAY WE PLEDGE.
>> DURING THE TRIAL ATCHISON IS
EXPECTED TO TAKE THE STAND IN
SEA WORLD’S DEFENSE.
HE WILL TESTIFY THAT HE
GENUINELY BELIEVED BLACKFISH
WAS NOT HURTING PARK
ATTENDANCE.
INSTEAD HE ORIGINALLY
ATTRIBUTED THE DROP TO BAD
WEATHER AND HIGHER TICKET
PRICES AND NEW ATTRACTIONS AT
COMPETING THEME PARKS.
ATCHISON’S TESTIMONY COULD BE
SUPPORTED BY A SURPRISING
EXPERT WITNESS.
>> THESE NEW SHIPS WILL BRING
THE DISNEY CRUISE LINES.
>> A DISNEY EXECUTIVE CARL
HOLDS IS EXPECTED TO CONFIRM
SEA WORLD’S OBSERVATIONS ABOUT
TO RESUME ATTENDANCE TRENDS.
MEANWHILE THE SHAREHOLDERS HAVE
THEIR OWN SURPRISING WITNESS,
FORMER SPOKESMAN FRED JACOBS.
JACOBS NOW ADMITS HE MADE AN
ACCURATE PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT
BLACKFISH.
ACCORDING TO THE SHAREHOLDERS,
JACOBS KNEW HIS STATEMENTS WERE
NOT TRUE BUT MADE THEM ANYWAY
AT THE DIRECTION OF SEA WORLD
CEO.
NOW THE INVESTORS CLAIM THAT
THOSE MISLEADING STATEMENTS OR
SO CALLED MISLEADING STATEMENTS
ARTIFICIALLY INFLATED SEA WORLD
STOCK PRICE BY $7.52 PER SHARE.
SEA WORLD OFFICIALS DISPUTE TO
NEWS CALCULATIONS SAYING THE
SHAREHOLDERS ARE OWED ZERO.
>> THIS IS A CIVIL CASE LOOK AT
THOSE EXECUTIVES BE HELD WITH
THE CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT?
>> AT THIS POINT VERY HIGHLY
UNLIKELY.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO US DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE DROPPED ITS CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION INTO SEA WORLD
HOWEVER US SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION DID ISSUE
CIVIL PENALTIES TOTALING MORE
THAN $5 MILLION AND WENT TO SEA
WORLD’S FORMER CEO AND FORMER
SPOKESMAN AND ALL OF THEM DID
NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY WRONGDOING.
>> WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THIS
CASE LASTING HOW LONG DO YOU
THINK?
>> THEY I STILL HAVE NOT SAID
HOW LONG IT WILL BE BUT THERE’S
A LOT OF WITNESSES AND A LOT OF
MONEY AT STAKE FOR SEA WORLD ON
THIS.
THEY WANT TO COME OUT STRONG
WITH THEIR DEFENSE WHICH IS
MAYBE IT DOES LOOK BAD IN
HINDSIGHT WHEN YOU SAW WITH THE
FILM DID BUT AT THE TIME
KNOWING WHAT THEY DID BASED ON
HISTORICAL ATTENDANCE TRENDS
SEA WORLD IS CLAIMING THAT WE
DID NOT SEE ANYTHING THAT THIS
FILM WAS CAUSING THE COULD NOT