Jeffrey Derderian, the New England TV reporter who owned the Providence, R.I.-area
nightclub that caught fire earlier this year, taking nearly 100 lives and injured scores of
others, resigned from WPRI-TV there Monday.
The fire apparently began after 1980s rock band Great White used
pyrotechnics as part of its show.
Responsibility for the tragedy has been difficult to assign and is already
the subject of numerous lawsuits and investigations.
Both Derderian -- who had joined the station only days before from a Boston
station -- and WPRI-TV were criticized for perceived conflicts because the
station cameraman, who captured parts of the spectacular fire, was at
Derderian's nightclub to shoot footage for a story Derderian was reporting on
nightclub safety.
