Nutter gets free TV airtime as GOP foe protests outside

Hail the benefits of incumbency: Mayor Nutter got a half-hour of free television airtime Tuesday night, answering questions live in NBC10's air-conditioned studio, while Karen Brown, his Republican opponent, cooled her heels outside, protesting her exclusion from the event.

But Brown declared victory in a dispute with NBC10 after the station agreed to give her some airtime later.

"Yesterday, they weren't going to do anything for me," Brown said, leading a band of nine protesters on the sidewalk outside NBC10's studio on City Avenue in Bala Cynwyd.

"I'm sure they realized what they did was wrong," said Eugene VanArsdale, Brown's campaign manager, after receiving an e-mail from a station executive promising to discuss specifics before the end of the week.

Nutter's motorcade turned into NBC10's parking lot without passing Brown's entourage. Several protesters carried signs reading "Don't Duck Karen."

The mayor fielded questions from 7 to 8 p.m., the first half-hour on NBC10, and the second half-hour on NBC10's cable channel on Comcast and on the station's website, www.nbcphiladelphia.com.

In response to a question about the city's litter problem, Nutter said, "We would like Philadelphia to be, quite frankly, less trashy."

He cited ongoing cleanup efforts, but said it was ultimately up to residents to act responsibly.

"I'm not your mom. I'm not your dad. I'm not going to clean up after you," Nutter said.

The mayor vowed to maintain his efforts to dismantle the city's controversial DROP retirement program.

But he acknowledged that he alone could not defeat the program, which he vetoed but City Council voted unanimously to keep.

Nutter said the people of Philadelphia needed to "literally rise up" because "their will is being disregarded by City Council."

The questions came from various social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, and via e-mail.

No question read on the air had to do with the mayoral race or Brown.

Inquirer staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this article.