Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 6, 1990 TAG: 9004061002
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
Musburger, accused of being too bland on CBS, turned bold and brash on ABC Thursday night as he attacked his former bosses during an interview on "PrimeTime Live" - his first spoken comments since being dumped by CBS last weekend.
The sportscaster said his contract negotiations were "a sham" and accused two CBS Sports executives of conducting a "vendetta" to get rid of him.
Musburger said CBS President Neal Pilson and executive producer Ted Shaker "conspired to get me out of CBS."
"It was not a network firing," Musburger said in an interview with Sam Donaldson. "It was a personal vendetta on the part of two people. . . .
"These two men had decided I was too big for my britches and that they were just going to take me down a peg or two."
Shaker and Pilson each issued one-sentence responses to Musburger through CBS spokeswoman Susan Kerr.
"I wish to remember Brent the way he was Monday night, gracious and professional," Shaker said.
"It was disappointing to watch," Pilson said.
Musburger today continued to tell his story on ABC's "Good Morning America."
"I want to make sure everyone knows there's a different side to this," he said.
Musburger said he felt his former network had some questions to answer, not only him but to shareholders and affiliates.
"I would think that if I owned a CBS station, or if I owned stock in CBS," he told "Good Morning America." "I might ask the question, `Now wait a minute. You've spent an enormous amount of money building him up through the years. You mean to tell me you're just going to turn him loose on the street. What's the story?' "
Musburger was scheduled for an interview later today on NBC's "Late Night with David Letterman."
CBS decided not to renew Musburger's five-year, $10 million contract when it expires in July. His last broadcast for CBS was the NCAA basketball championship game on Monday night.
Musburger, CBS' primary sports voice for more than a decade, said the network never intended to renew his contract.
"The contract negotiation was a sham," he said. "It was a setup all the way, a charade. It was unethical. They led us on all the way."
Musburger told "PrimeTime Live" he decided to talk because "unnamed CBS executives" were trying to destroy his reputation by leaking false stories to the press that portrayed him as an "ogre and a terrible guy to work with."
"This is not the saga of a whining, wimpering, ex-sportscaster who lost his cushy job and his limos and American Express card, and is unhappy about it," Musburger said.
Musburger, who worked for CBS and its affiliates for 22 years, denied reports that he was power hungry and tried to get producers fired.
"Name the producers that I got fired. . . . None, zero, never once. If anybody told you that, it's a lie," he said.
"This is the kind of character assassination that's going on here . . . because the executive producer, Ted Shaker, has got to go out and spread the venom."
With Musburger gone, Jack Buck was called on Thursday to replace him as CBS' top baseball announcer, and the network filled Buck's spot on the second unit with Dick Stockton.
Shaker said network officials met earlier this week with ABC's Al Michaels and Arthur Kaminsky, Michaels' agent.
Shaker said CBS also considered Bob Costas, under contract with NBC into 1993, and Vin Scully, a free agent who left NBC during the winter.
Musburger and McCarver were scheduled to be CBS' top team, backed up by Buck and Jim Kaat. Shaker said the two new teams were equal, but said Buck and McCarver would broadcast the All-Star Game and the World Series.
CBS' four-year, $1.06 billion contract to televise baseball starts April 14, taking over from NBC and ABC.
by CNB