JEFF JACOBS

UConn, WTIC split could turn ugly

Dangerous territory. Yes, this has gotten into dangerous territory.

What began as an announcement about UConn switching radio stations for its sporting events has morphed into claims of the state’s flagship university throwing its weight around in an attempt to control programming of 50,000watt WTIC-AM.

In the process, Entercom senior vice president and Hartford market manager Phil Zachary, a big supporter of Kirk & Callahan, has managed to gain the kind of attention that might even make the controversial WEEI morning hosts in Boston a little envious.

Entercom, which merged with CBS Radio last year, owns WTIC and WEEI among its many holdings. IMG is the rights holder for UConn athletics. On Friday word came that, after 26 years at WTIC, UConn is moving its radio home to 97.9 ESPN.

In a released statement, Zachary fired one shot across the UConn/IMG bow.

“I couldn’t justify what they were seeking when compared to more successful partnerships Entercom enjoys with elite Power 5 institutions,” Zachary said.

The words percolated throughout Connecticut, some calling it unnecessarily harsh, others insisting Zachary was merely pointing out the diminished status of UConn.

It certainly read like Zachary was defending a financial decision.

On a conference call later Friday, UConn athletic

director David Benedict wanted nothing to do with an argument. He responded with pleasant things about the long relationship with WTIC.

Then came the report in the Manchester Journal Inquirer.

Zachary told Matt Buckler of the JI that IMG/ UConn had demanded things in negotiations that weren’t logical and Entercom wouldn’t do for any of the myriad professional or college programs it has deals with. Zachary told the JI that UConn demanded WTIC air more sports talk shows favorable to UConn, and that was only part of it.

“The school felt the conservative programming that WTIC airs is at odds with the best interest of the university,” Zachary told the Journal Inquirer. “WTIC has a successful programming recipe. We’re not going to change it just to have two hours of sports programming at night.”

From Rush Limbaugh to Sean Hannity, WTIC is filled with conservative voices. It is fair to say many people at UConn, indeed, throughout college campuses across the nation skew liberal. It is also fair to say during the state’s budget crisis UConn president Susan Herbst was not happy about some of the commentary on WTIC and not being able to get immediately on the air. To be sure, I went back and listened to one interview with Herbst and WTIC talkshow host Jim Vicevich.

Yet to assert politics had any role in a decision involving broadcasting football, basketball and hockey games, man, you are pitching this entire matter down a slippery slope. You better be sure. Important relationships, let alone public trust, can be scorched over political agenda, journalistic principles and bullying by a powerful state entity.

We live in a time where any potential divide between left and right, liberal and conservative, can be blown open into an ugly chasm of Trump, anti-Trump, patriotic, unpatriotic and going straight to hell on social media or cable news forums.

In a release Sunday, the school said, “Contrary to a recent report, the political leanings of other WTIC programs or personalities played no role whatsoever in UConn’s decision to move its sports programming to iHeart Media.

“The university and IMG sought a partner that could package more UConn athletic contests and sportsrelated programming and deliver that content to more fans across Connecticut and the world. iHeartMedia and its broadcast network is best suited to deliver on that objective, at a mutually agreed market value. That was the sole objective.”

Zachary made a point that it wasn’t about the money. It was, in fact, the lead of the JI article.

According to UConn officials, however, the 10year, multi-million dollar deal with iHeart is for more money and for more years than what Entercom/WTIC offered. In the negotiations, iHeart stepped up its bid with IMG. It had to in order to knock out the incumbent.

It was, No. 1, about the money. Isn’t it always?

No. 2, I am convinced being affiliated with an all-sports format at 97.9 is important to UConn. That makes sense. It also made sense for UConn to have asked about the afternoon sports talk show involving Joe D’Ambrosio and Andy Gresh that had been cancelled and questioned if such a show was something WTIC might bring back. It wasn’t going to happen. So it also makes sense for WTIC to decline if it doesn’t feel it fits its business model.

The idea that UConn demanded more sports talk shows, let alone ones favorable to UConn? Ludicrous, according to the school. It should be noted, WTIC already has had the four UConn coaches shows that shine favorably on the programs.

“That proposal flies in the face of what we do at Entercom,” Zachary told the JI. He also said that it’s contrary to what listeners in New England expect. “They like fresh conversation and unfiltered content,” Zachary told the JI. “That’s what we offer on all our stations.”

Big schools, like pro teams, like things their way. Do I believe UConn pressed the station some for what it believed was a more balanced approach to some coverage, especially with the budget? I do. That’s part of joy and obstacles of a partnership with a news entity.

Yet if you read Zachary’s words about sports content, UConn almost comes off as North Korea and Entercom comes off as Radio Fr-EEI. In case anyone has missed it, there has been some sensitivity training going on at the Boston station after Alex Reimer called Tom Brady’s 5-yearold daughter “an annoying little pissant,” and Christian Fauria mocked Brady’s agent Don Yee with an Asian impersonation. Both were suspended for their unfiltered content.

The deal with UConn expires as the end of the basketball season. I have made it clear Joe D’Ambrosio and Bob Joyce should be retained as play-by-play announcers. There has been speculation Joe D may be out. In the past couple of days, however, officials from iHeart, IMG and UConn have insisted there is no a decision. D’Ambrosio has a contract at WTIC that is believed to run out in June. Joyce does not have a contract at WTIC. New announcers would be employed by iHeart.

I believe something can be, must be worked out to keep the two voices of the Huskies.

I also believe if Zachary is going to dig in, take things said during negotiations and frame it as absolute demands as to why Entercom lost UConn, this could turn ugly on some dangerous levels.