Sorry, most the stuff in my last post is wrong! I just learned that my code contains a compact if statement. I'm not use to writing if statements that way. So, "something" is displaying because one or both of the determing factors are false.

I isolated each determining factor and they are both false. eek!

When I echo $author alone it displays a "0"
When I echo TEXT_PRODUCT_AUTHOR alone it displays "Author:" (which is correct)

well, back to the drawing board. heh.

-june