LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- The hoopla surrounding the molestation scandal involving US pop superstar Michael Jackson took an unlikely toll Thursday as a cameraman died from heart attack while covering his surrender.

    Bill Skiba, a cameraman working for local KEYT-TV which is local entertainment channels affiliated with ABC network, collapsed near the Santa Barbara police headquarters while on assignment covering Jackson's arrest and later died at a hospital. He was 43.

    Skiba, of Port Hueneme in Ventura County, collapsed shortly after noon while awaiting Jackson's arrival at the county jail, said KEYT-TV news director Paul Vercammen.

    Vercammen denied media reports that Skiba was crushed by a throng of reporters, saying Skiba was far from the assembled crowdand without his camera when he collapsed. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors said he suffered a possible heart attack.

    "Bill was a hard working and tremendously talented broadcast journalist who captured beauty, magic and compassion with his pictures," Vercammen said.

    "It's such a small, close-knit station, this has absolutely torn our hearts out," Vercammen said. He described Skiba as a well-loved, "easygoing guy who often broke into this wide smile."

    Skiba, who was single, had worked for KEYT for seven years.

    About 150 journalists gathered in Santa Barbara's airport and the police headquarters on Thursday afternoon, waiting for live coverage of Jackson's arrival by plane from Las Vegas to surrender himself to the Santa Barbara police on child molestation charges. Enditem