Downing pulls plug on SCTV show

SAUGUS – After three years and 108 shows, controversial Saugus Community Television host Mike Downing aired his last regular show last week.?Channel 5 called and they want me to come do the 11 o?clock news,” joked Downing on Friday.Downing, who often drew the ire of town officials for his outspoken criticism of them, said putting the show together on a week-to-week basis lost its luster.?It wasn?t fun anymore,” said Downing. “It was something it seemed like I had to do. I started it with the purpose to draw attention to SCTV and I think we accomplished that. It was like a hobby. When something loses its luster for yourself, it becomes a chore.”Downing?s final show ended with a slow-motion montage of past clips with “Downtown” by Petula Clark playing in the background.While he won?t be doing anymore weekly shows, Downing said he?ll continue to post videos on his blog and noted he may still do a few shows for SCTV throughout the year.?I?ll do quarterly shows,” said Downing. “The election is coming up so there will be election show ? but to do the show every week and track the stories and try to come up with funny bits and things like that, enough is enough.”While Downing is known for poking fun at town officials, he has taken heat in the past for being what some called a “bully.”One local resident, Tommy Lucey, requested in December that the SCTV Board of Directors take action against Downing for what he described in a letter to the board as “fraud, deceptive practices and multiple incidents of harassment.”One of the complaints in the letter included an incident where Downing went to the Lucey?s home to ask him questions about messages he sent to Downing on his blog, which later aired on the show.Town Meeting members Barbara Malone and Maureen Dever both spoke at a Board of Selectmen meeting in December criticizing SCTV for what Dever described then as a lack of “civil discourse.”Calls to Dever were not returned Friday night, while Malone declined to comment on Downing ending his show, saying she?s never watched it.Town Meeting member Al DiNardo, who has clashed with Downing in the past when he was on the SCTV Board of Directors, however, had some kind words for Downing.?I think Mike is talented,” said DiNardo. “I was on the board when he was there. I think he just decided to go in a different direction from what I thought could?ve been done for Saugus. He kind of made it a way to go after certain people. I was looking for more of a balanced show. That?s the only thing I disagreed with. I think the guy has a great sense of humor in some areas.”SCTV Executive Director Rich Garabedian wished Downing “the best of luck” Friday.?It was a great show and people still want to hear him,” said Garabedian. “I know he?s still going to do specials and things like that. I don?t blame him. It was his call.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].