Oregon Media Insiders

Look, interllectualize it any way you want ... use as many examples of as you want ... it will never be OK for a columnist in a local paper to get paid by the owner of the only big-time professional team in the state. If you're trying to say sports and news and politics are not the same thing ... then just admit Canzano's column is just like professional wrestling ... it's a fake. Name me another columnist of a major-market newspaper who is also being paid by the owner of a team he/she is supposed to be covering ... unless the owner also owns the team AND the paper. Then, I don't give them any respect, either. The "O" sure has come a long way from when columnists Pete Schulberg and Dwight Jaynes couldn't write their columns AND work for KPAM ... and Bob Pamplin doesn't own a team. It's wrong, John. It's wrong, wrong, wrong and I, for one, will not read any column you write that has a Blazer angle. Live with THAT.

Get out from under the rock. In addition to the obvious one (Cubs/Tribune Co.) this happens all the time.

Boston Globe writers get paid for appearing on NESN, which is owned by the Red Sox, and I've never once seen anyone here cry conflict.

NY Daily News writers appear on SNY, which is owned by the Mets.

Jason Whitlock? Columnist for the Star had a job at KCSP, which telecasts the Jayhawks. Also had a job at WHB, which telecasts the Royals.

Michael Kay does Yankees radio play by play and is an ESPN Radio host.

Jim Donovan does Indians TV play by play, Browns preseason play by play, and is the lead sports man for Cleveland's NBC affiliate. Heck, FSN Ohio is run right out of WKYC's offices.

Matt Underwood continued to work as a broadcaster for Cleveland's ABC affiliate for years after becoming an Indians radio play-by-play guy.

Cleveland Plain-Dealer has three writers who freelance write for the Indians Gameday magazine, owned by the team.

In fact, I've heard all this on the sports journalists blog, linked above. Way to repeat it all, here. Why is it that I need to "get out from under the rock?" If you think it's OK ... great. I don't agree. Michael Kay does Yankees radio play-by-play? Is he a newspaper columnist? Jim Donovan does Indians play-by-play? Does he write a newspaper column? Matt Underwood is a broadcaster for Cleveland's ABC affiliate? Does he write a newspaper column? You want to read Canzano. Go right ahead. Leave me the hell alone and I'll read who I want ... an unbiased columnist. If I was in Cleveland, and I knew columnists were being paid by the team, too, I wouldn't read them. You've never heard "anyone here cry conflict?" Conflict!! There, you won't be able to use that line, again.

He cannot be taken seriously, no matter how he rationalizes this. Integrity is not a flexible virtue. If you'll do anything for money, it's obvious to the people who read/listen to you. And there will be fewer of them.

Good to know Portland's finally catching up!

Before he says one word, I judge him LOSER cause LARS is doing promos. the kiss of doom

10 p.m. has it right.

Sports isn't even close to hard news.

The ethics reporters face on the news side shouldn't be a problem for sports writers. Let's face it, if you are in Portland and reading about the Blazer game, you don't care if it's slanted toward to the Portland point of view. Heck, some people WANT it that way.

Same is true with weekly newspapers and high school sports.

Sports coverage is a different animal than hard news. The rules are different too.

I don't think people are being jealous, I think that some just look for any reason to point out conspiracies and complain about something. OK, maybe some are jealous.

All I know is that I enjoy Canzano's writing and will continue to read his columns in the big O for the writing if nothing else. For all we know, he will be great on the radio and be swept off to ESPN like others I have enjoyed here.

I say enjoy him while he's local, because I expect big things from him, if not from the radio show, then from his writing.

I know a lot of us care but I have no issue with Canzano doing a show on KXL. There are about 100 other writers doing the same thing... yes on stations owned by the team. He'll be judged on what he says on the air, and writes in the paper. Get over it. Readers and listeners care about this about 2/1000ths as much as those in the biz.

Without even thinking about it, I could list 100 journalists off the top of my head who are involved in a situation similar to Canzano's with a "perceived" conflict of interest... Between book deals, radio/TV deals, freelance work, writing for team's programs or yearbooks... Canzano will do fine.

Did I read 10:25PM correctly? " If you'll do anything for money"? So none of the journalists commenting here are getting paid, right? Nope, EVERYBODY is getting paid for their work. And, although I am not a journalist, I would guess that there is some kind of "editing" body both at newspapers as well as radio stations. What is edited? Spelling? Syntax? Or words and opinion? All are being paid. Right?

Canzano is not being paid by the Blazer PR department. He says so. So I beleive him and it will all be in public soon. So we all get to see and hear. I would guess that there will be plenty about other than the NBA and the Blazers, specifically.

As for Larson doing promos, I can't stand most of the stations' current right wing fair and have felt all along that this is Canzano's greatest risk in going on 750. How KXL handles this contrast will be interesting going forward although Canzano isn't a political editor. At least he isn't being PAID to be a political editor, I don't think. I guess I wish he were going to be on another station for different reasons.

No one has responded to the question posed in the first comment, and I think it's an interesting one. Why did the O object to Schulberg and Jaynes working for KPAM, but then turn around and approve this deal?

This is especially curious in light of the fact that KPAM's owner does not also own a team, while KXL's does.

Sounds like someone above has a personal axe to grind with Canzano. Jealous of his success or something? Jeez. That we've spent so much time on this subject is strange. Columnists are appearing on radio stations across the country. The posts here feel personal... laced with vitriol. Wonder which ex Blazers execs are posting here. Hmmm...

I can also think of lots of cases. The readers will not differentiate an individual conflict from a group conflict. I think to assume otherwise is absurd.

Just one small local example - the Arizona Republic owns a piece of the Arizona Diamondbacks. There is a massive "The Arizona Republic" sign spanning the top of the scoreboard.

Its main columnist, Dan Bickley, has a morning talk show on KGME, owned by clear Channel. Its chief local competition is KMVP, owned by Pulitzer, which also owns a piece of the Diamondbacks.

So if Bickley jumps to KMVP is he now eligible for a tar and feathering for selling out his ethics? After all, Pulitzer owns the Diamondbacks.. just like his primary employer does.

Do we only excuse the Trib writers that were there prior to the purchase of the Cubs, and decide that anyone who hired in after the purchase sold out his ethics?

I certainly understand the discomfort with Canzano's radio gig, but honestly, newspaper management blurred the line years ago. If you have a line in your mind that you're unwilling to cross, good for you, but don't expect readers to recognize that line.

Sports is news because sports is money - tax revenue, economic development, and stadium politics effect us all. Who dribbles runs or swims best, is at best human interest.

Canzano's smart + funny + has asked rude questions, but he wants his cake and to eat it too. His choice moves him from the "journalist" column to join the "shill" column. Yes there are plenty of shills - no matter. But don't try to snow us - your peers. The rude questions are over. Score for Blazers and for Canzano.

I understand it's hard to refuse large amounts of money; Canzano probably has kids who probably want to go to the best schools. What's hard to understand is why Rowe and company said okay. It's the decision of the Oregonian to share Canzano which is wrong.

Hmmmmmmmmmm.............. OK.

So other journalists/columnists/broadcasters are not supposed to be paid. They work gratis so they can be objective? I doubt it. Nope. Its understood, in most cases ( some "free" publications may exist but not the Oregonian nor WW)that somebody is paying. Does KXL have any other advertisers except the Blazers? I think so.

I think in this case, it comes down to whether people beleive that Canzano is being paid by Paul Allen's station to plug the Blazers, to muzzle criticism of the Blazers, to softball interviews. Or not.

I think Canzano correctly percieved that this market desparately needed quality competiton in sports broadcasting and KXL recognized the opportunity to improve the quality of their offerings and provide something worth listening and bring more sports enthusiasts to 750.

Be cynical instead of skeptical if you want. Pretend that "its not about the money" that has stirred the criticisms. Then have a listen to 1080 if you are a sports enthusiast, if you can stand it, and tell me that this area doesn't need a two steps up in intellect and creativity.

I repeat that I am glad that Canzano has the guts to give it a shot.

I can't stand John at all, but he's making off like a bandit in this scenario. So props to the businessman Canzano, and a still who cares for sportswriter Canzano.

PS When is Pat Hill moving up to Portland?

Canzano is good at what he does. I dunno, think the O recognized that this could be very good for the newspaper, and I dunno, probably has some faith in Canzano to get this right. I'll give him a chance. What time is the show on?

This is a launching pad for Canzano. His eyes are on Bristol, Premier, or Westwood One. He'll spend the duration of this contract learning to be a broadcast guy, and off he goes, he hopes, into even greener pastures. He just might do it, too. He has a take, and now, from a radio standpoint, he has to learn not to suck.

Enough with the handwringing and hyper-moral outrage. You're all in a lather over Canzano and his "selling out", and angrily declaring how he has no credibility and you now can't trust what he says, and he hasn't even been on the air yet!

I find it hard to believe that he would jeopardize his reputation and all that he has worked for in his career to be Paul Allen's and the Blazers' poodle. Don't you think we should at least wait until he is on the air to determine if this is the case? I notice that the show isn't called the John Canzano Blazer Lovefest, and until we actually get to hear what he has to say, I say you all should put a cork in it.

We readers and listeners aren't stupid. I think we can figure out for ourselves if he is being honest. And if he isn't, we should all do what he says we should do: hammer him. We are, after all, the ultimate deciders, aren't we? In the meantime, having read and enjoyed his stuff since he arrived here, I think he will indeed be independent and honest and straightforward, and not kowtow to the Blazer gods. I guess we'll find out next month, won't we?

Relax, people. I seriously doubt it's going to start raining frogs the second he takes to the airwaves. I suggest we take him up on his offer to judge him by his body of work. I know I will, and for that reason I expect him to put forth the same level of outstanding, insightful, and intelligent commentary on the radio as he does in print.

His biggest challenge is going to be like many non-radio folks that get their own show; How do you make it "good radio"?

Cowherd and Patrick were broadcasters first. It's the Al Franken factor. Good content, knowledge, controversy don't always make for good radio. I'm not making any judgement until I hear him over time. I hope it works out because the current state of sports radio in PDX is sorely lacking those three things mentioned above.

Hope he gets some coaching from inside the building. Don't shoot me, but Lars could teach him a thing or two about how to do a radio show that moves, compels, pisses people off, and massages the base. Say what you will about his rabid politics, Lars knows how to do radio, and Canzano could learn a lot. Otherwise the "Francken factor" could sink him, or bottle him up here in Puddletown.

The Franken factor is a result of the product he is trying to promote.
It is weak and he hasn't a clue about what it really is.
He is a prime example of hate radio with nothing to back up his hatred.

Paul Allen owned the Sporting News for seven years, and nobody questioned their Blazers coverage. Get over it people.

How is that any different? Paul Allen owns The Sporting NEws. The NBA writer at TSN had to cover the Blazers, who were screwing up big time and the NFL writers and columnists had to cover the Seahawks, which made a Super Bowl!! Christ. Also, if I'm not mistaken, the Sportting NEws hired Eggers, Jaynes, and some Oregonian writers to write the annual preseason NBA coverage online and other places. Point is, this happens nationallyl and otherwise.

...but most of his colleagues at The O. aren't buying it.

I doubt Canzano cares if his colleagues are "buying" it. Doesn't seem like his style.