Channel 7 Made Right Choice

When should a sensitive news story be reported? Should it be reported at all?

Channel 7 faced those issues this week.

On Tuesday, the station reported that Angel pitcher Jarrod Washburn was under investigation by Anaheim police for alleged sexual assault and the accuser was a 16-year-old female.

On Wednesday, the Orange County district attorney’s office decided not to file charges because of lack of evidence.

Did Channel 7 act too hastily? Did the station unnecessarily tarnish a player’s name? Or did it act responsibly?

It appears that the station, as a news-gathering organization, acted responsibly.

After an anonymous tip was phoned in to the station on Monday, it was learned that there indeed was a police investigation. But the station sat on the story until more information could be obtained.

Then it was learned Tuesday that the police, who began their investigation Sept. 1, were planning to turn the case over to the D.A.’s office.

“That’s when we decided to go with the story,” said Channel 7 news director Cheryl Fair.

To Channel 7’s credit, it didn’t matter that this was a case of one Disney entity putting another Disney entity in a bad light.

“In this company, that would never be a concern,” Fair said. “But, as always, we wanted to be fair in our coverage.”

Sportscaster Curt Sandoval, covering from Edison Field, told team officials about the story, giving them time to inform Washburn and his teammates.

Sandoval got a statement from the team and comments from Washburn’s agent, Scott Boras. Rob Fukuzaki reported the story from the KABC-TV studios in Glendale.

The Angels weren’t pleased that the story got out, but Tim Mead, the team’s vice president of communications, said Channel 7 acted in “a professional manner.” He also complimented the station for not sensationalizing the story.

Jay Lucas, the team’s director of broadcasting and publicity, informed the TV and radio announcing teams about the story and told them, in the interest of credibility, they should report the facts of the case during Tuesday night’s game broadcasts.

TV announcer Steve Physioc’s report was brief. “My feeling was, let due process take over, and it did,” he said later.

Radio announcer Rory Markas said he took the same approach. “It wasn’t the place to offer opinions,” he said.

By Wednesday night, after the case had been dropped, the focus was more on the moving Sept. 11 tributes. Besides the ones at the stadium, Markas did a moving piece on the radio pregame show that featured an interview with Angel bench coach Joe Maddon, who lost a close college friend in the terrorist attacks.

Laker Update

It appears that the Lakers will stick with simulcasts for at least another season or two and go with one announcing team. It will consist of Chick Hearn’s replacement and Stu Lantz. Hearn’s replacement will be hired in the next couple of weeks.

The Laker broadcast partners wanted two announcing teams--one for television and one for radio. But team officials prefer simulcasts. Their belief is that one marquee team is the best way to compete with ESPN telecasts. Under the new NBA television contract, national cable telecasts will not be blacked out and, thus, will run head-to-head with local telecasts.

Clipper Update

The Clippers didn’t have an over-the-air television broadcaster last season. They rectified that by making a deal with Channel 5 for 25 telecasts.

Now comes word the Clippers may not have Fox Sports Net 2 as a cable carrier this season. Negotiations are not going well, a source said.

Worldwide Coverage

Saturday night’s Oscar De La Hoya-Fernando Vargas fight, to be televised on HBO Pay-Per-View with Jim Lampley and crew, will also be televised in 57 countries outside the U.S.

Alan Massengale and Rich Marotta will supply the commentary for the international feed, although most foreign-language countries will use their own announcers.

As for media coverage leading to the fight, Arum said he has never seen anything quite like it for a non-heavyweight bout. Twenty-two radio stations are represented at the fight site, among them Los Angeles’ KSPN (1110) and KXTA (1150).

Bye Bye, Arnie

Arnie Spanier ends a three-year run at KXTA today. Marotta will step into Spanier’s 3-7 p.m. slot, at least until the end of baseball season. Marotta hosts a boxing show for the station and also worked with Marques Johnson on a show during the Lakers’ last playoff run.

Spanier is headed for Atlanta’s WCNN, where he will be reunited with Mike Thompson, the program director who brought him to KXTA in the first place.

KXTA station manager Greg Ashlock said Spanier was told that a change was going to be made in afternoon drive time and he could not be guaranteed another time slot.

Program director Robin Bertolucci said, “We encouraged Arnie to explore other options and are pleased that he got such a great opportunity in Atlanta.”

Spanier, in part, was a victim of poor ratings.

“We have been winning every day part [among sports stations] except afternoon drive,” Ashlock said. “In that time slot, [XTRA 690’s] Lee Hamilton owns the city.”

More Bad News

There were already the Sept. 11 remembrances and the passing of Johnny Unitas to deal with on Wednesday. Then that evening USC football commentator Craig Fertig called with the news that his 31-year-old daughter, Jennifer, had died the night before at Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach.

For eight years, Jennifer, a USC graduate and real estate attorney, had battled a rare virus related to Epstein-Barr and had recently undergone two brain surgeries.

Jennifer was the 13th member of her family to have attended USC. Her godfather was the late John McKay. She was a cousin of Todd Marinovich.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at Pacific View Memorial Park, 2500 Pacific View Dr., Newport Beach. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Blind Children’s Center, 4120 Marathon St., Los Angeles 90029.

Short Waves

Fox Sports Net 2’s high school game of the week begins tonight at 7 with Newhall Hart playing at Los Alamitos. The announcing crew consists of Jim Watson, John Jackson Jr. and sideline reporter Petros Papadakis, who will pick a player to profile each week. Papadakis will be looking for players who have traits similar to his in his playing days at USC.... A new show, “L.A. Times High School Spotlight,” will make its debut on Fox Sports Net next Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The Times’ Mike Terry will be a co-host, joined initially by John Fricke, and The Times’ Eric Sondheimer will be a regular contributor.

HBO will replay the 1999 documentary, “Unitas,” Saturday at 10 a.m.... Keith Jackson and Dan Fouts will be the announcers for USC’s ABC game at Colorado on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.... Fox Sports Net’s Big 12 announcers, Joel Meyers and Dave Lampham, will handle duties for UCLA at Oklahoma State at 4 p.m.... TBS begins its run of Pacific 10 and Big 12 games Saturday with Nevada Las Vegas at Oregon State at 4 p.m. Ron Thulin and Charles Davis are the game announcers, with Ernie Johnson serving as host of what is being dubbed “Big Play Saturday.” TBS will also provide a Spanish-language feed.

Fox is launching a $20-million ad campaign Sunday, promoting its NFL and baseball lineup for October.... ESPN has two shows making their debuts Tuesday. At 4 p.m. will be “The Focus Group,” which will give everyday fans a forum to air their likes and dislikes. Maybe one of the topics can be all the silly programs on television. The show that follows at 5 p.m. sounds as if it might be one of them. It’s a reality game show called “Beg, Borrow and Deal.”

In Closing

The relationship between Shaquille O’Neal and Phil Jackson may be better than ever. In his first interview since Wednesday’s toe surgery, Shaq told Channel 2’s Jim Hill Thursday that Jackson was among his first visitors.

“When I woke up from my [anesthetic] state, I felt his hand, I felt his voice and he was there,” O’Neal said.