The night of The Station nightclub fire, club owner Jeffrey Derderian, a reporter for network affiliate WPRI-TV, was working on a story on safety in public places.

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, August 14, 2003

PROVIDENCE -- CBS is the latest business to be subpoenaed by lawyers representing victims' families and survivors of The Station nightclub fire.

Attorney Patrick Jones has asked the broadcast giant to hand over documents regarding club owner Jeffrey Derderian's employment at WPRI-TV, a local CBS affiliate where Derderian worked as a reporter.

The request comes as a U.S. District Court judge considers whether lawsuits stemming from the Feb. 20 nightclub fire should be handled in federal or state court. CBS most likely will not have to comply with the subpoena until the judge rules on the jurisdiction question, Jones said.

A message left with CBS's parent company, Viacom, was not immediately returned.

Jones and other attorneys preparing lawsuits are trying to find out more about the assignments Derderian received, specifically one on building safety.

The night of the deadly fire, a cameraman for WPRI was at The Station collecting video footage for a story on safety in public places. Photographer Brian Butler captured pictures of the pyrotechnic display and the flames that spread throughout the club.

The West Warwick fire killed 100 people and injured nearly 200 others.

WPRI has said The Station was not the subject of the report and there was no plan to publicize or promote the club. The TV station has confirmed that Derderian was the reporter assigned to the story.

Also subpoenaed for documents was LIN TV Corp. to determine its relationship to CBS and WPRI.

Bryant Construction Inc. of North Kingstown was also asked to turn over documents relating to work it did at the club in June 2001.