CHANNEL 11 REPORTER DEE THOMPSON DISPATCHED TO MT. EVEREST IN PREPARATION FOR UPCOMING SNOWFALL

NEWS DIRECTORS AT CHANNELS 2, 4 PERPLEXED BY ASSIGNMENT; HOWEVER, CLOSE FRIEND OF CHOPPER 11 PILOT SAYS IT MAY BE RELATED TO HEARING IMPAIRMENT SUFFERED FROM LONG HOURS SPENT IN LOUD HELICOPTER: "HE ALWAYS USED TO JOKE, 'MT. WASHINGTON, MT. LEBANON, MT. EVEREST -- IT ALL SOUNDS THE SAME WITH THOSE PROPELLERS WHIRLING AROUND'"