The Seattle Times has "decided to prohibit their entire sports writing staff from appearing on local radio and TV for the foreseeable future," according to Alex Akita of SEATTLESPORTSNET.com. At the "behest of management," the ban begins Tuesday and will prevent reporters and columnists from "fulfilling previous commitments to local sports radio stations and television outlets." The ban will "have an impact" on entities like KJR-AM and ESPN Radio 710 Seattle, where "many of the Times’ stable of writers would often appear." Seahawks reporter Bob Condotta, Mariners reporter Ryan Divish and Univ. of Washington football reporter Adam Jude "all had standing segments" with KJR-AM, while columnists Matt Calkins and Larry Stone, UW basketball reporter Percy Allen and Sounders reporter Geoff Baker were also "known to make appearances on the station." The impending moratorium will "silence all of these voices going forward." Akita: "There seems to be little precedent for a newspaper suspending its writers from appearing on radio and television, even when limited to the local market, as is the case here" (SEATTLESPORTSNET.com, 8/30).
