P.M. BRIEFING : Exxon a No-Show at Town Meeting

VALDEZ, Alaska — Exxon pulled out of a commitment to appear at a town meeting, televised statewide to 98% of Alaska’s population, to discuss its 10-million-gallon oil spill off the coast of Alaska.

“That was our headliner. That was everybody’s headliner,” KIMO-TV news director Dave Patrick said of Exxon after the show that aired Tuesday night despite the lack of a representative from the world’s largest oil company, which dropped out five hours ahead of air time.

“I’m angry that Exxon isn’t here,” one member of the Valdez audience said to applause. The event was to have been the first time that residents would have been able to question any Exxon official since early in the spill when Exxon began excluding the public from its news conferences.