(during May 2004)
By HANK SCHALLER
"Both of them are hard-charging, both are self-made men and both have extraordinary people skills," said Andrea Parquet-Taylor, news director of WXYZ-TV.
And, while Parquet-Taylor didn't say it, both are no stranger to the media spotlight.
It can be Fieger and his longtime association as defense attorney for assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, malpractice lawsuit victories or his political past, or Trump with his massive developments, Atlantic City casinos or his past marital relationships.
Trump and Fieger will have something else in common starting Thursday when "The Intern," featuring Fieger, begins airing daily on the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts of 7 Action News through mid-May, if not longer.
"There will be a different episode on both the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts," Parquet-Taylor said.
"The Intern" is patterned after the hit NBC reality television series "The Apprentice" where 16 people competed against each other to see who could best fulfill tasks assigned by Trump. The winner, William "Bill" Rancic, 32, of Chicago got a job with The Trump Organization and a salary of $250,000.
"The idea came about as a result of a brainstorming session with our special projects unit," Parquet-Taylor said. "We were looking for something with local interest that would also be intriguing and compelling."
The fact that "The Apprentice" was a hit series on NBC and WXYZ-TV is an ABC affiliate never entered the decision making process, she said.
"The motivating factor was viewer awareness and that 'The Apprentice' had become part of the culture over the past few months," Parquet-Taylor said.
Instead of contestants ranging from Ivy League MBA graduates to street entrepreneurs with no college education, which was the case on "The Apprentice," the contestants on "The Intern" are some of the brightest law students from the law schools at the University of Michigan, University of Detroit Mercy and Wayne State University who were recommended by student organizations on those campuses.
When approached about the concept of "The Intern," Fieger agreed to participate almost immediately.
"Geoff Fieger is a huge proponent of supporting local law students," Parquet-Taylor said.
Fieger could not be reached to comment Tuesday on his participation in the television news segment.
Although she would reveal little of the background of Ahmad, Cat, Felipe, Heather, Kevin and Naomi, the six law students trying to impress Fieger, she said all were from the Detroit area and their hometowns included Royal Oak, Farmington Hills, Ann Arbor and Detroit.
"All of these students are wonderfully bright and anxious to intern for an attorney like Geoff Fieger who is known nationally and internationally," she said. "This is a great opportunity for them to match wits with each other."
The winner will receive an internship with Fieger's Southfield law firm.
Of course, Parquet-Taylor said the goal of "The Intern" segments on the newscasts is to draw television ratings during the upcoming ratings sweeps period that begins Thursday and continues until May 26.
While most of "The Intern" segments have already been filmed, she said at this point no one knows who the winner is.