NBC Palm Springs Issues Correction on Rick Saldivar
The station apologized for misreporting information regarding a local City Council candidate.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Elections
Live Poll
Should a candidate's past personal mistakes be central to local political campaigns?
NBC Palm Springs issued an on-air correction after incorrectly labeling Cathedral City candidate Rick Saldivar as a sitting councilman and misattributing domestic abuse charges to him. Host Tim O'Brien delivered the apology following Saldivar's appearance on The Roggin Report.
Why it matters
The correction addresses inaccuracies regarding a candidate's record during a local election cycle. It also clarifies events surrounding a political billboard that referenced 30-year-old criminal charges against Saldivar.
The 1995 charges cited on a billboard were dropped, with that information now being 30 years old. Candidate Rick Saldivar previously lost his 2022 council bid by a margin of 284 votes.
The players
Rick Saldivar
He is a candidate for the Cathedral City Council who has previously run for office in 2018 and 2022.
Ernesto Gutierrez
He is a sitting Cathedral City Councilman who posted a political billboard targeting his opponent.
Tim O'Brien
He is an NBC Palm Springs host who delivered the on-air apology for the station's reporting errors.
NBC Palm Springs
It is a local television station serving the Coachella Valley region that recently issued a retraction.
Cathedral City Police Department
It is the local law enforcement agency that has maintained neutrality regarding the current council candidates.
The details
Rick Saldivar addressed the erroneous reporting and a billboard posted by City Councilman Ernesto Gutierrez during an interview. The billboard specifically referenced drug-related charges and bad checks from 1995, claims that appeared alongside the inaccurate news segment.
Timeline
1995: Criminal charges against Saldivar occurred.
2018: Saldivar first ran for city council.
2022: Saldivar lost the city council election by 284 votes.
October 15, 2026: NBC Palm Springs issued an on-air correction.
Political Context
Opponents argue that the airing of old charges reflects a broader trend of negative campaigning in local races. Supporters of the candidate suggest that highlighting three-decade-old, dropped charges serves only as a distraction from current policy debates.
Voters in Cathedral City should be aware that the claims regarding criminal history involve dropped charges from 1995. These developments highlight the importance of verifying candidate records independently during the ongoing election cycle.
The takeaway
Voters are encouraged to research the primary source of campaign claims when evaluating candidates. Distinguishing between active legal issues and historical, dropped charges is vital for an informed ballot choice.
Further reading
For more on local races, visit the Cathedral City Elections page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NBC Palm Springs.
Live Poll
Should a candidate's past personal mistakes be central to local political campaigns?
