tk13
01-11-2006, 02:20 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/13596358.htm
Another feud brewing over radio rights at Arrowhead
JEFFREY FLANAGAN
Kansas City Star
That dirty little war between the Chiefs and WHB (810 AM) seems to be escalating.
The latest? WHB carried Monday’s Herm Edwards news conference from Arrowhead Stadium live when only KCFX (101.1 FM), the Chiefs’ radio rights holder, had the exclusive radio rights to do so.
Chiefs public relations director Bob Moore said he learned of the situation Monday afternoon. Asked if there would be any legal repercussions, Moore said, “It’s in the hands of other people right now.
“The bottom line is that KCFX is our rights holder and has the right of first refusal to carry these things exclusively, and KCFX exercised that right (Monday). We have an obligation to protect our rights holder.”
Gary Coleman, manager of the Chiefs Radio Network, said the network decided Monday morning to carry the Edwards news conference that afternoon and therefore contacted both WHB and KCSP (610 AM) to inform them not to broadcast the news conference live.
Coleman said he was driving in his car Monday afternoon when he switched on WHB and heard the Edwards news conference live.
“I would say my reaction was complete surprise, to say the least,” Coleman said. “At first I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“We’ve had this exclusive rights deal in our contract with the Chiefs for 16 years. It’s something we pay for.”
But WHB used the audio feed of the news conference through an arrangement with Channel 41, which carried a portion live on television. There are no exclusive television rights for news conferences at Arrowhead.
“We have a financial agreement with Channel 41 that allows us to simulcast any breaking news they broadcast,” said WHB’s Kevin Kietzman. “This news conference was breaking news.”
Whether this approach by WHB is a loophole in the exclusive radio rights agreement is up for debate.
“All I know is they (WHB) are a radio station, and we have exclusive radio rights,” Coleman said.
The issue of radio rights for carrying news conferences live became heated in late November when WHB, which had been running Dick Vermeil’s weekly news conferences live, received a letter from the Chiefs informing the station to cease doing so.
Also in the fall, the Chiefs and the Chiefs Radio Network struck a deal with KCSP so that KCSP could carry Vermeil’s weekly news conference live in the event that KCFX chose not to.
“But for this occasion on Monday, for the introduction of a new coach, we decided to carry it (on KCFX),” Coleman said. “That’s our right. We asked the other stations in town to comply, and they did, except (WHB).”
***
One of the more interesting quotes from the Edwards news conference Monday came from Herm when he seemed to voice his objection to journalists using unnamed sources.
“I just tell the truth,” Edwards said. “I always say if you write something just put your name on it. Just say it was me. Don’t say the source. Who was the source? Herman Edwards? Just put your name on it.”
Hmmm.
Wonder if the anonymous Rufus Dawes heard that one?
***
There’s another reason that Edwards and his wife, Lia, seemed so happy to be back in Kansas City.
They met here.
Well, actually, they met on an airplane on their way to San Francisco (they also were on the same return flight). Both were going home for the holidays in 1994. He was the defensive backs coach with the Chiefs, she was working for the NCAA.
They eventually married in 2000.
How did Herm propose?
“I came home one evening and just asked her in the dining room,” he told the New York Post last year. “The hard part was going to ask her father.”
Herm and Lia both have been active in charity foundations, especially the American Diabetes Association. Lia was diagnosed diabetic in her late 20s.
Another feud brewing over radio rights at Arrowhead
JEFFREY FLANAGAN
Kansas City Star
That dirty little war between the Chiefs and WHB (810 AM) seems to be escalating.
The latest? WHB carried Monday’s Herm Edwards news conference from Arrowhead Stadium live when only KCFX (101.1 FM), the Chiefs’ radio rights holder, had the exclusive radio rights to do so.
Chiefs public relations director Bob Moore said he learned of the situation Monday afternoon. Asked if there would be any legal repercussions, Moore said, “It’s in the hands of other people right now.
“The bottom line is that KCFX is our rights holder and has the right of first refusal to carry these things exclusively, and KCFX exercised that right (Monday). We have an obligation to protect our rights holder.”
Gary Coleman, manager of the Chiefs Radio Network, said the network decided Monday morning to carry the Edwards news conference that afternoon and therefore contacted both WHB and KCSP (610 AM) to inform them not to broadcast the news conference live.
Coleman said he was driving in his car Monday afternoon when he switched on WHB and heard the Edwards news conference live.
“I would say my reaction was complete surprise, to say the least,” Coleman said. “At first I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“We’ve had this exclusive rights deal in our contract with the Chiefs for 16 years. It’s something we pay for.”
But WHB used the audio feed of the news conference through an arrangement with Channel 41, which carried a portion live on television. There are no exclusive television rights for news conferences at Arrowhead.
“We have a financial agreement with Channel 41 that allows us to simulcast any breaking news they broadcast,” said WHB’s Kevin Kietzman. “This news conference was breaking news.”
Whether this approach by WHB is a loophole in the exclusive radio rights agreement is up for debate.
“All I know is they (WHB) are a radio station, and we have exclusive radio rights,” Coleman said.
The issue of radio rights for carrying news conferences live became heated in late November when WHB, which had been running Dick Vermeil’s weekly news conferences live, received a letter from the Chiefs informing the station to cease doing so.
Also in the fall, the Chiefs and the Chiefs Radio Network struck a deal with KCSP so that KCSP could carry Vermeil’s weekly news conference live in the event that KCFX chose not to.
“But for this occasion on Monday, for the introduction of a new coach, we decided to carry it (on KCFX),” Coleman said. “That’s our right. We asked the other stations in town to comply, and they did, except (WHB).”
***
One of the more interesting quotes from the Edwards news conference Monday came from Herm when he seemed to voice his objection to journalists using unnamed sources.
“I just tell the truth,” Edwards said. “I always say if you write something just put your name on it. Just say it was me. Don’t say the source. Who was the source? Herman Edwards? Just put your name on it.”
Hmmm.
Wonder if the anonymous Rufus Dawes heard that one?
***
There’s another reason that Edwards and his wife, Lia, seemed so happy to be back in Kansas City.
They met here.
Well, actually, they met on an airplane on their way to San Francisco (they also were on the same return flight). Both were going home for the holidays in 1994. He was the defensive backs coach with the Chiefs, she was working for the NCAA.
They eventually married in 2000.
How did Herm propose?
“I came home one evening and just asked her in the dining room,” he told the New York Post last year. “The hard part was going to ask her father.”
Herm and Lia both have been active in charity foundations, especially the American Diabetes Association. Lia was diagnosed diabetic in her late 20s.