Man Sues After Outdoor Channel Appearance
By CHRIS BUTLER

SEBRING — Attorneys for Avon Park resident Dimitrios Tsakalos said their client watches the Outdoor Channel with an almost religious fervor.
So imagine the shock the outdoorsman and Highlands County restaurant owner felt after unexpectedly seeing himself on the national television network.

Now imagine how Tsakalos felt when he said the Outdoor Channel portrayed him as someone in the middle of a criminal act.
Tsakalos chose not to comment for this story, but has taken legal action.

He said an Outdoor Channel program not only thrust him in the national spotlight without his permission, but completely misrepresented him.

Tsakalos said in a lawsuit against the National Wild Turkey Federation that he was turkey hunting near Highlands Hammock State Park in 2005 when he was interrupted by a camera crew from their organization.

He said in the suit that he had legal permission to hunt on the property. Tsakalos also said in his suit that NWTF crew members told him they were filming a documentary on turkey hunting.

He said he thought no more of the incident until six months later when an Outdoor Channel documentary falsely identified him as both a “poacher” and a “trespasser.”

He also said the crew never had permission to film him while turkey hunting. Tsakalos is suing for defamation, as well as punitive and compensatory damages. He said in his suit that he was “ridiculed, disgraced and experienced injury to his reputation.”

The papers were filed at the Highlands Courthouse last week.

According to its Web site, the South Carolina-based NWTF is a nonprofit organization with 545,000 members throughout 50 states, Canada, Mexico and 14 other countries. The Web site said the organization supports scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands.

Attempts to reach NWTF spokesman Jonathan Harling were unsuccessful before press time. Attempts to reach representatives from the California-based Outdoor Channel were also unsuccessful.

Tsakalos is also suing for mental anguish, lost earning capacity and related health conditions “brought on by the stress of the slanderous statement.”

His attorney said he doesn’t know the specific name of the program on which his client appeared.

Lakeland attorney Robert Busch added his client owns a Highlands County restaurant and has been approached about his television appearance by many customers.

“You can’t challenge these people to a dual to defend your honor, so you have to file a lawsuit instead,” Busch said, adding the lawsuit might later involve the Outdoor Channel itself, but he’s not yet certain if it will.

“As far we’re concerned right now, the NWTF are the ones who misrepresented my client and the Outdoor Channel simply took them at face value,” Busch said.

Busch was uncertain when asked whether his client signed a release form giving permission to televise him.

“I don’t remember asking if he signed such a release form,” Busch said, adding the NWTF would have already sent him a copy if one exists.

So far they haven’t, Busch said.

“That still doesn’t justify them calling my client a poacher and a trespasser,” he added.