ESPN Last Week Held Meeting With Staff About Workplace Conduct

ESPN anchors, reporters, analysts and announcers last week attended a meeting at the net's HQs in Bristol, Connecticut -- "which was broadcast via conference call to other employees nationwide -- where brass reiterated the sports network's policies for workplace conduct and a concern about intra-office romances leading to problems," according to Dan Mangan of the N.Y. POST. ESPN Exec VP/Production Norby Williamson said although the net does not "have a policy right now prohibiting relationships in the workplace ... clearly, when those relationships do occur, they can present conflicts." Williamson, alluding to the news MLB analyst Steve Phillips had a relationship with an ESPN production assistant, said, "We took the opportunity based on the recent series of events ... and talked about conduct." Williamson spoke to employees during the call and said that he also "reminded on-air talent that their corporate e-mails are open to routine inspection by ESPN." He said that "similar meetings are being held with other staff in ESPN's production department" (N.Y. POST, 11/3).