Paul Finebaum's antics have been widely known in the city of Birmingham and throughout the state of Alabama for a number of years. While representing himself as a member of the serious sports media, he instead uses both his column in the Birmingham Post Herald and radio program on WERC as a platform to engage in innuendo, promote rumor and dissension and demean whomever he pleases, be it a person or an Institution.

Over the years, many people - fans of Alabama, Auburn and others - have expressed bewilderment as to why Mr. Finebaum even exists. Exactly who is listening to his program and reading his column. The shame is that it is apparently, the same people who frequently complain.

However, recently a small group organized in an attempt to make this no talent jerk aware of their disapproval. A web-site was created which discussed Paul Finebaum and listed some of the advertisers to his radio program. It requested that Alabama and Auburn fans contact Mr. Finebaum's sponsors and ask them to stop supporting Mr. Finebaum's radio program.

Many Alabama fans have expressed disagreement with this course of action. Consequently the results of what some have termed a "Boycott" of Mr. Finebaum's sponsors has been mixed.

Nevertheless, the effort apparently has captured the attention of Mr. Finebaum's employers, WERC radio. On March 8, 1999 Mr. Bill Thomas, the General Manager at WERC, emailed the webmaster requesting to speak to the person responsible for creating the web-site listing the sponsors. On March 9^th the group spokesman, Scott Otts, replied to Bill Thomas with a series of questions (at that time Scott didn't know who Mr. Thomas was).

On March 10^th, the General Manager of WERC radio advised Scott to

"seek legal advice on the ramifications of posting such a website designed to interfere with a business. You may have more liability than you realize...I suspect that you are not aware of the legal protection and damages we can seek in this area, so we'd like to give you an opportunity to resolve this matter before proceeding further."

We have published the full text of those emails on Page 2 of this special edition of the Tuscaloosa Post-Herald.

Strangely enough, Mr. Otts has not been contacted by WERC nor their attorneys to explain the legal "ramifications of posting such a website". How is WERC and Capstarbroadcasting going to explain this to a judge. Can't you just see it.

WERC ATTORNEY: Your Honor, we are here to ask the court to issue an Order demanding the removal of the web-site listing Paul Finebaum's radio sponsors. It is specifically designed to interfere with WERC's business relationship with its advertisers.

JUDGE: O.K. Has the web-site threatened your client physically in any way? Is it encouraging people to attack WERC or Mr. Finebaum?

WERC ATTORNEY: No.

JUDGE: I guess you were sleeping the day they taught the law at law school. You had to be, because this is clearly Free Speech and protected by the First Amendment to the constitution.

WERC ATTORNEY: But Your Honor, it's not fair. It's interfering with my client's business.

JUDGE: How convenient! Let me write your headline for you tomorrow "WERC says free speech only applies to the media!" Get out of my courtroom before I hold you and your client in contempt for filing such a frivolous law suit!!!

These strong-arm tactics are an embarrassment to the entire journalistic profession. For WERC to even threaten such action is unconscionable and repugnant. Their silence however, over the last ten days does say something. They realize they have no legal recourse whatsoever. After all this is America, and civil liberties still exist.

M.J. Chancelor, Editor - The Tuscaloosa Post-Herald

tpheditor@hotmail.com