He finds a way for ordinary people to profit from extraordinary circumstances, one ABC source said.
Some brokersthe disreputable ones, in Mr. Garrisons accountprovide a means for news outlets to bid on big-get interviews without the ethically messy expedient of paying the subject. Instead, the winning network or tabloid will arrange to interview the subject for free, while paying a hefty licensing fee for home videos or personal photographs to accompany the story. (Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwins widow chose this month to go with ABC and Barbara Walters; NBC offered $500,000 in licensing fees, according to a source with knowledge of the deal, but CBS and ABC offered between $750,000 and $1 million each.)