Simple html xml flash about line break Q

Ok its a longer chain but I’m sure the answer is still very simple.
text is entered via php -> mysql -> then the database is used to create an xml doc -> which is then routed to flash…
Now, flash reads the html within the xml fine, but whenever a <br> tag is used, or one presses return in the original input text box it creates an extra line break.

should
be like this

but instead

returns with an extra line in between

this gives some funky text formatting!
any ideas? :h: