Fred explains why NBC Palm Springs skipped the annual Palm Springs Pride Parade, an event overseen by Mayor Ron deHarte (who is also the President and CEO of Greater Palm Springs Pride). The station, which previously sponsored the event and held a prime parade position (around number 30), was inexplicably downgraded to float number 199—meaning its entry would appear long after most spectators had left—and was removed as a sponsor without notification.
This sudden shift followed the station's repeated journalistic inquiries into the destination of funds raised by the city after the May car bombing, a line of questioning that reportedly did not sit well with Mayor deHarte. When asked about the beneficiaries of the post-explosion fundraiser, deHarte allegedly told the station that the recipients wished to remain anonymous and that the information would only be available later in official paperwork.
Given the timing, the station implies that its questioning about the allocation of public funds is directly linked to the punitive repositioning in the parade. The story highlights the tension between the media's duty to seek transparency and the perceived retaliation from a powerful figure who holds dual roles as the city's mayor and the head of the major LGBTQ+ organization
By: NBC Palm Springs
December 3, 2025
