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'Most flagrant disregard of the First Amendment' By DON HUNT Local television officials are taking the University of Oregon to task for its recent announcement to restrict the amount of time TV stations can devote to highlights of UO football games and interviews with players. The proposal would restrict broadcasters from airing more than 20 seconds of highlights and 20 seconds of interviews within 48 hours of football games or any other UO athletic event. Stations that show more coverage than that would be denied media passes to future UO sporting events. The restrictions have been requested by television sports magnate ESPN, which has a subsidiary - ESPN Regional Television - that pays the university $750,000 annually for the rights to live broadcasts of Oregon games. The game coverage airs on KEZI-TV in Eugene, KDRV-TV in Medford and on stations in the Portland and Bend markets. The issue centers around a dispute between ESPN and KVAL-TV in Eugene, which has been showing extensive Duck highlights on Sunday afternoons. "This is the most flagrant disregard of the First Amendment and the most egregious attempt at prior restraint and censorship that I've seen in my 15-year broadcasting career," said Susan Kelley, the general manager at KTVL-TV in Medford. "I am utterly baffled as to the need or feeling on their part that they need to have restrictions that are stronger than those applied for stations showing highlights of the Olympic Games." Kelley and KOBI-TV general manager John Larkin both said it would be a waste of time to send their reporters to Eugene if such severe restrictions were in place. "To make a six-hour round-trip for 20 seconds of highlights would be pointless," Larkin said. "We wouldn't do it." Larkin also said it would be foolish to put restraints on a Portland TV market that ranks 23rd nationally among 210 markets. The proposed restrictions have gained national attention over the past few days. Larkin appeared on a sports talk show in Birmingham, Ala., where he said University of Alabama fans called repeatedly to criticize the plan. "This is not positive press," Larkin said, "and I would hope that UO officials would come to their senses and decide this isn't a good idea." Medford stockbroker and longtime Ducks fan Fitz Brewer agreed. "I'd like to have them go back to the way things were," said Brewer, a 1953 Oregon graduate. "Everyone deserves a fair shot (at the highlights)." Bill Johnstone, the executive director of the Oregon Association of Broadcasters, said ESPN should take KTVL to court if it has a problem with the Eugene station. "The entire state shouldn't be punished for this," Johnstone said. "The biggest losers are the fans, and they're the ones who support the university in the first place." Johnstone also said university officials should be pressuring ESPN to fight its own fight. "We don't feel that UO has a dog in this fight in the first place," he said. "If anyone should be getting a black eye out of this, it's ESPN." If the restrictions go into effect, intrastate rival Oregon State stands to benefit. "You can bet (OSU president) Paul Risser and (head coach) Dennis Erickson are just laughing up their sleeves," Larkin said. "They're saying, look at the extra exposure we'll be getting and it won't cost us a dime." Oregon athletic director Bill Moos said Thursday in a conference call with reporters that the proposal could be revamped. "We have not solidified our policy, and when it finally is revealed it most probably will have a different complexion than what you're seeing now, Moos said. Moos cut short a vacation to Sunriver to return to Eugene and speak with reporters. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.