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Mark Lillie Radio Talk
Saturday, 2 September 2006
MTV Spreads Around The Moonmen
From http://allaccess.com
MTV paid tribute to modern artists, fashion, and sketched hilarity last night at its annual VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS. Hosted by manic comedian JACK BLACK, with musical accompaniment by JACK WHITE's side project, THE RACONTEURS, the show was held in NYC and featured all the fun stuff audiences have come to expect from the show over the years. There were no "big winners" this year as the awards were mostly spread around. Here's who took home awards:
Best Male Video:
JAMES BLUNT "You're Beautiful"
Best Hip Hop Video:
BLACK EYED PEAS "My Hump"
Best Female Video:
KELLY CLARKSON "Because of You"
Best Dance Video:
PUSSYCAT DOLLS w/ SNOOP "Buttons"
Best Pop Video:
PINK "Stupid Girl"
Best Rap Video:
CHAMILLIONAIRE "Ridin' Dirty"
Best Direction:
GNARLS BARKLEY "Crazy"
Best Choreography:
SHAKIRA and WYCLEF JEAN "Hips Don't Lie"
Best Special Effects:
MISSY ELLIOTT "We Run This"
Best Group Video:
ALL AMERICAN REJECTS "Move Along"
Best Editing Video:
GNARLS BARKLEY "Crazy"
Best Cinematography:
JAMES BLUNT "You're Beautiful"
Best Art Direction:
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS "Dani California"
Best New Artist:
AVENGED SEVENFOLD "Bat Country"
Ringtone of the Year:
FORT MINOR "Where'd You Go"
Best R&B Video:
BEYONCE w/ SLIM THUG "Check On It"
Video Vanguard:
HYPE WILLIAMS
Best Rock Video:
A.F.I "Miss Murder"
Viewer's Choice Award:
FALL OUT BOY "Dance Dance"
Video of the Year:
PANIC! AT THE DISCO "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"
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Posted by djsource1
at 10:18 AM PDT
Arbitron Commences Installing PPM System In Philly
ARBITRON announced today that it has begun installing its Portable People Meter (PPMSM) system among PHILADELPHIA-area consumers for the all-electronic radio ratings service, which is scheduled to replace the current paper and pencil diary method that the company's used since the late 1960s. The company is recruiting a panel of 2,040 consumers (age 6 and older) to carry the PPM in PHILADELPHIA.
The first release of radio ratings will take place after the completion of an audit report by the MEDIA RATING COUNCIL (MRC) and a review of the audit report findings with the MRC radio committee. The MRC audit process in PHILADELPHIA currently is under way.
ARBITRON has already signed PPM contracts with BEASLEY, CBS RADIO, GREATER MEDIA, and JERRY LEE AC WBEB in PHILADELPHIA. The 14 stations account for at least 60% of the radio advertising revenue in the market. In addition, Arbitron has signed agreements with national advertising agencies that account for more than 90% of the national radio advertising dollars spent in the market. ARBITRON reported successful PPM testing in PHILADELPHIA in 2002-2003.
ARBITRON President/Sales & Marketing PIERRE BOUVARD said, "No other system has yet to even begin to demonstrate all that we?ve shown the radio industry about the advantages of electronic audience measurement. We?ve also released a comprehensive suite of training materials and tools that the industry can use to better manage the transition to electronic measurement."
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Posted by djsource1
at 10:14 AM PDT
Saturday, 26 August 2006
How One DJ Resigned On-Air: "I Quit This Bitch"
From shortnews.com: "Radio personality Inetta 'the Moodsetta' Boykin Hinton of WBLX-FM 92.9 in Alabama decided to go public with an impromptu statement about her coworkers and announced her resignation on the radio with a famous line, 'I quit this bitch!'...Upset that she was only making $6 an hour and only got a raise once after six-years was one of many catalysts. The station did not silence her live speech, and 'after that, she left,' said the station's operations manager James Alexander."
Listen: The Inetta Boykin Hinton Remix
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Posted by djsource1
at 8:38 AM PDT
Friday, 18 August 2006
Thursday, 17 August 2006
Judge nixes warrantless surveillance
By SARAH KARUSH, Associated Press Writer 39 minutes ago
A federal judge on Thursday struck down President Bush's warrantless surveillance program, saying it violated the rights to free speech and privacy, as well as the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.
U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit is the first judge to rule on the legality of the National Security Agency's program, which the White House says is a key tool for fighting terrorism that has already stopped attacks.
"Plaintiffs have prevailed, and the public interest is clear, in this matter. It is the upholding of our Constitution," Taylor wrote in her 43-page opinion.
The administration said it would appeal to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.
"We're going to do everything we can do in the courts to allow this program to continue," Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said at a news conference in Washington.
White House press secretary Tony Snow said the Bush administration "couldn't disagree more with this ruling." He said the program carefully targets communications of suspected terrorists and "has helped stop terrorist attacks and saved American lives."
Taylor ordered an immediate halt to the program, but the government said it would ask for a stay of that order pending appeal. The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the suit, said it would oppose a stay but agreed to delay enforcement of the injunction until Taylor hears arguments Sept. 7.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit in January on behalf of journalists, scholars and lawyers who say the program has made it difficult for them to do their jobs. They believe many of their overseas contacts are likely targets of the program, which monitors international phone calls and e-mails to or from the U.S. involving people the government suspects have terrorist links.
The ACLU says the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which set up a secret court to grant warrants for such surveillance, gave the government enough tools to monitor suspected terrorists.
The government argued that the NSA program is well within the president's authority but said proving that would require revealing state secrets.
The ACLU said the state-secrets argument was irrelevant because the Bush administration already had publicly revealed enough information about the program for Taylor to rule. The adminstration has decried leaks that led to a New York Times report about the existence of the program last year.
Taylor, a Carter appointee, said the government appeared to argue that the program is beyond judicial scrutiny.
"It was never the intent of the framers to give the president such unfettered control, particularly where his actions blatantly disregard the parameters clearly enumerated in the Bill of Rights," she wrote. "The three separate branches of government were developed as a check and balance for one another."
Administration officials said the program is essential to national security. The Justice Department said it "is lawful and protects civil liberties."
In Washington, Republicans expressed hope that the decision would be overturned, while many Democrats praised the ruling.
"It is disappointing that a judge would take it upon herself to disarm America during a time of war," Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.
West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the decision shows the executive branch needs more external reviews.
"The administration is wrongly convinced that it can run the country without Congress or oversight. This is their tragic failure, and the courts understand it," Rockefeller said.
ACLU executive director Anthony Romero called Taylor's opinion "another nail in the coffin in the Bush administration's legal strategy in the war on terror."
"At its core, today's ruling addresses the abuse of presidential power and reaffirms the system of checks and balances that's necessary to our democracy," he told reporters.
One of the plaintiffs in the case, Detroit immigration attorney Noel Saleh, said the NSA program had made it difficult to represent his clients, some of whom the government accuses of terrorist connections.
Saleh, a leader in Michigan's large Arab-American community, also said he believes many conversations between people in the community and relatives in Lebanon were monitored in recent weeks as people here sought news of their families amid the violence in the Middle East.
"People have the right to be concerned about their family, to check on the welfare of their family and not be spied on by the government," he said.
Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, is championing a compromise that would allow Bush to submit the surveillance program to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for a one-time test of its constitutionality. But under Thursday's ruling that would not be enough, said Richard Pildes, a professor at New York University School of Law.
Taylor suggests in her ruling that the program "would violate the Constitution even if Congress authorized it," Pildes said. "Until Congress actually addresses these questions, I would expect most appellate courts to be extremely reluctant to address many of the questions this judge was willing to weigh in on."
While siding with the ACLU on the surveillance issue, Taylor dismissed a separate claim by the group over NSA data-mining of phone records. She said not enough had been publicly revealed about that program to support the claim and further litigation would jeopardize state secrets.
The lawsuit alleged that the NSA "uses artificial intelligence aids to search for keywords and analyze patterns in millions of communications at any given time." Multiple lawsuits have been filed related to data-mining against phone companies, accusing them of improperly turning over records to the NSA.
The data-mining was only a small part of the Detroit suit, said Ann Beeson, the ACLU's associate legal director and the lead attorney on the case.
___
Associated Press writer Katherine Shrader in Washington contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
Taylor's ruling: http://www.mied.uscourts.gov/eGov/taylorpdf/06%2010204.pdf
Information on the case from the ACLU: http://www.aclu.org/nsaspying
National Security Agency: http://www.nsa.gov
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Posted by djsource1
at 5:13 PM PDT
Tuesday, 15 August 2006
Growing Cell Phone Penetration = Media Measurment Opportunity
From http://allaccess.com  According to a MEDIA AUDIT survey, more AMERICAN adults use cell phones (73.7%) than watch prime time TV on an average day (60.7%) or regularly read the front page section of a newspaper (53%), which makes the cell phone the ideal media measurment device, according to MEDIA AUDIT President BOB JORDAN.
"A BOSTON MIT professor predicts that the cell phone and the home computer will become integrated. That bodes well for the cell phone as a media measurement device," said JORDAN.
JORDAN is referring to comments made by MIT professor PHILIP GREENSPUN, who said, "What would you call a device that has a screen, a keyboard, storage for personal information such as contacts, email, documents, the ability to play audio and video files, some games, a spreadsheet program, and a communications capability? Does this sound like a personal computer? How about 'mobile phone?' A mobile phone has substantially all of the computing capabilities desired by a large fraction of the public. Why then would someone want to go to the trouble of installing and maintaining a personal computer?"
"One of the requirements of radio's Next Generation committee, which is evaluating proposals for future radio measurement systems, is to have a solution that is appropriate today, as well as in decades to come," noted JIM HIGGINBOTHAM, Chairman and head of research at THE MEDIA AUDIT. "This means radio needs to have a monitoring device that people will agree to carry, and our studies indicate the cell phone is that device."
THE MEDIA AUDIT and partner IPSOS plan to launch a panel study of their media monitoring system in HOUSTON this fall. The study of 2,500 persons aged 12 and older will be the first multi-media study of its kind, and the companies are currently are doing research with national panels and conducting a series of technical tests in HOUSTON.
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Posted by djsource1
at 10:50 AM PDT
HD2 Multicasting Growing, 18 More Markets Come Aboard
 According to http://allaccess.com The HD DIGITAL RADIO ALLIANCE has announced that 18 new, local markets will begin HD2 multicast programming this FALL, marking the third wave of stations rolling out side channels under the ALLIANCE?s format-selection program.
This latest wave will launch 140 additional HD2 channels and brings the total markets served by HD2 multicast programming to 68, all of which are in the top 100 markets In total, more than 600 radio stations nationwide belonging to ALLIANCE members now offer HD2 multicast programming.
"We?re even surprised by how fast this is moving," said HD DIGITAL RADIO ALLIANCE President & CEO PETER FERRARA. "It?s only been eight months since the ALLIANCE was formed and we are seeing HD digital radio broadcasts being launched at a much faster pace than expected. We are excited to be helping listeners discover the newest digital entertainment option around ... and of course there?s no subscription fee.
The next 18 markets to roll out HD2 multicast programming are: AUSTIN, RALEIGH, NASHVILLE, GREENSBORO, NEW ORLEANS, WEST PALM BEACH, JACKSONVILLE, MONMOUTH OCEAN, NJ, BUFFALO, OKLAHOMA CITY, ROCHESTER, LOUISVILLE, RICHMOND, GREENVILLE, HONOLULU, TUCSON, ALBANY, FT. MEYERS.
EMMIS has announced formats for the AUSTIN stations: Adult Hits KBPA (BOB-FM) will air a Smooth Jazz channel on its secondary signal, Top 40/Rhythmic KDHT (HOT 93.3) will broadcast an Old Skool/Hip-Hop hannel, Rocker KLBJ-F will air an AUSTIN Blues channel, AAA KGSRM listeners will enjoy a Deep, Deep Tracks channel, and Alternative KROX (101X) will play Hard Rock and Metal on its HD2 channel.
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Posted by djsource1
at 10:35 AM PDT
Thursday, 10 August 2006
Randi Rhodes Accuses Neal Boortz Of Racist Remarks
Summary: On Larry King Live, Randi Rhodes accused nationally syndicated radio host Neal Boortz of making slanderous statements against Muslims, and she urged King, his producers, and viewers to "go to mediamatters.org and look up what Neal Boortz said." The next day on his radio show, Boortz continued smearing Muslims.
On the August 9 edition of CNN's Larry King Live, Air America's Randi Rhodes accused nationally syndicated radio host Neal Boortz of making slanderous statements against Muslims, and she urged King, his producers, and viewers to "go to mediamatters.org and look up what Neal Boortz has said." Rhodes accused Boortz of calling "every Muslim a raghead" and said that he "called Muhammad, who is their prophet, a raghead" and a "phony." Boortz denied Rhodes' accusations, stating, "If Randi can come up with an instance where I called all Muslims ragheads, I have a $5,000 donation to Air America." Boortz continued smearing Muslims on the August 10 broadcast of Cox Radio Syndication's The Neal Boortz Show, during which he stated, "It is perfectly safe to say all terrorists are Muslims. All of them. If it was not for the religion of Islam, this world would be a much, much, much more peaceful place today. If it were not for the religion of Islam, there would be many thousands, maybe tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of people alive today living peaceful, happy, and fulfilled lives than there are. Agony, misery, death is occurring all over this world, brought to us by the wonderful, peaceful religion of Islam." Although Media Matters for America has not documented Boortz using the specific term "raghead," on the July 19 edition of his radio program, he called the prophet Muhammad "a phony rag-picker" and stated that Islam is "a religion of vicious, violent, bloodthirsty cretins." On the August 4, 2004, edition of his radio program, Boortz mocked Shahada (the Islamic creed), which reads, "There is no true God but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God." Boortz then stated, "Say that with conviction, folks, and the next thing you know, you're strapping on a suicide bomb." During the same broadcast, Boortz read from a book titled A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam. Boortz read a list of topic headings -- "It goes into things like the universe, and the cosmos, and how wind moves clouds" -- before making his point: "I'm looking for the part in here where it tells them to go out and kill people who aren't Muslims. And then I don't see it." Boortz then dismissed Muhammad as "a guy who got bored selling secondhand clothes," and then started a religion. From the August 9 edition of CNN's Larry King Live: RHODES: You know, Neal, I've heard you call every Muslim a raghead. I've heard you, you know, say horrible things about Muhammad. This doesn't help us in the world. Do you understand? This doesn't help us. BOORTZ: Now, Randi -- Randi, I'll tell you what. RHODES: This is really critical mass. It's not fun anymore, OK? BOORTZ: Randi -- RHODES: If you -- if you don't understand that Lebanon -- KING: Randi -- RHODES: -- that the civilians in Lebanon did nothing, they should be rewarded for getting Syria out of there. KING: Neal, did you -- RHODES: Condoleezza Rice, Brent Scowcroft, Richard Lugar, Chuck Hagel -- BOORTZ: Larry, Randi's not through talking yet. RHODES: -- they can't all be wrong, and they all agree with me. KING: Randi, hold it a second. Randi! Randi, hold it a second. Neal, did you say such a thing about Muslims by the way? BOORTZ: No and, if Randi can show -- RHODES: No? No, you didn't say -- KING: Randi, don't interrupt. Let him respond. BOORTZ: Larry, are you kidding? You're asking Randi not to interrupt? You've been doing this longer than that, Larry. You know better than that. If Randi can come up with an instance where I called all Muslims ragheads, I have a $5,000 donation to Air America, so come on, Randi. RHODES: You owe me $5,000 for Habitat for Humanity. You'll hear the audio on my show because, Larry, I don't know that your producers can get it -- BOORTZ: That's fine. RHODES : -- but it's on mediamatters.org, the actual audio. KING: All right, we're off topic, we're off topic. BOORTZ: Now remember, I called all Muslims ragheads? I don't use that term. RHODES: You called -- BOORTZ: Oh, Randi, why don't you -- RHODES: You called Muhammad -- you called Muhammad, who is their prophet, a raghead. You called him a phony. BOORTZ: No, I did not. RHODES: Let your producers go to mediamatters.org and look up what Neal Boortz has said -- KING: Hold it, hold it, hold it. Guys, we're off topic, or I'm going to cut this short. RHODES: -- about this religion. KING: Please stay on topic. RHODES: You know, it doesn't help, though, Larry. The point is -- KING: The topic -- hold it, Randi. RHODES: It doesn't help. KING: Randi, hold it. Randi, hold it! RHODES: People are really dying. KING: Randi, you don't help your cause by talking too much. Hold it, just one at a time. Neal.
From the August 10 broadcast of Cox Radio Syndication's The Neal Boortz Show: BOORTZ: Why, why, tell me, why won't these news outlets describe these terrorists as Islamic or Muslim? There are, of course, few exceptions, because I'm going to get somebody to call in: "What about Timothy McVeigh?" I mean, there is always, there is always an exception. Damn few. So few that it is perfectly safe to say all terrorists are Muslims. All of them. If it were not for the religion of Islam, this world would be a much, much, much more peaceful place today. If it were not for the religion of Islam, there would be many thousands, maybe tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of people alive today living peaceful, happy, and fulfilled lives than there are. Agony, misery, death is occurring all over this world, brought to us by the wonderful, peaceful religion of Islam.
Posted by djsource1
at 5:17 PM PDT
GOP, Democrats clash over war on terror
WASHINGTON - Republicans and Democrats clashed over the war on terror on Thursday within hours of the disclosure of a thwarted terrorist plot in Britain, each side accusing the other of doing too little to deter the threat of attack. "We must implement the strong recommendations of the independent 9/11 commission to improve airport security screening at checkpoints," said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, stressing one of the party's principal campaign-year promises in its drive to gain control of Congress. Ohio Republicans said the Democratic candidate for the Senate, Rep. Sherrod Brown (news, bio, voting record), had voted against money "for the very types of programs that helped the British thwart these vicious attacks." "I don't question his patriotism, but the fact is if Sherrod Brown had his way, America would be less safe," said Bob Bennett, chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. Brown, who is challenging Republican Sen. Mike DeWine (news, bio, voting record), mentioned the billions spent on the Iraq war and said the thwarted attacks "underscore the need to refocus our resources on fighting the war on terror." The charges served as a reminder that with midterm elections less than three months away, not even an alleged attack to blow up passenger planes was off-limits to politics. Throughout the day, the accusations grew more heated with Republicans and Democrats criticizing each other for using the day's events for political gain. To be sure, both sides are seeking political advantage on national security. Voters will choose a new Congress Nov. 7, and polls show the public favoring Democratic control of Congress over Republicans who have been in power for a dozen years. Additionally, recent polls have found that the Republican edge on terrorism and protecting the country has eroded over the past few months. An Associated Press-Ipsos poll conducted this week — but before news of the foiled terror plot — found that 40 percent approved of President Bush's performance on foreign policy and terrorism, down slightly from 44 percent in July. The percentage was still higher than the number of Americans who approve of his handling of Iraq, the economy and domestic issues. The disclosure Thursday that British officials disrupted terrorists' plans to blow up aircraft heading to the U.S. gave both Republicans and Democrats an opportunity to emphasize their positions on national security — and highlight the differences facing voters. "Freedom is never free, and we must never be complacent in defending it," House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said. Echoing the GOP's election-year message, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., added: "We must be on alert so that our nation does not suffer another attack like 9/11." "As a result of mismanagement and the wrong funding priorities, we are not as safe as we should be," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada countered. Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, added: "This is a stark reminder that the war on terrorism is global, and extends far beyond Iraq to our very shores." Not all Democrats echoed their leaders' refrain. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who intends to run as an independent after losing his Democratic primary to anti-war challenger Ned Lamont, said the foiled plot "should serve as the latest, most serious evidence that we are in a war against a brutal enemy that intends to attack us over and over again in the most indiscriminate way." Lamont said the Bush administration has been preoccupied with Iraq while national security and efforts to curb terrorism have suffered. "We need to change course, and that means standing up to this administration and fighting for our security in a rational, serious way," he said. In 2002 and 2004, the GOP sought to make the case that there hasn't been an attack on U.S. soil since 2001 because the Bush administration and Republicans have been diligent on national security. The GOP portrayed Democrats as weak on the issue and suggested that Democratic rule could endanger the country. In a sign that the issues will reverberate beyond this fall, potential 2008 presidential candidates weighed in on the scheme. Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's office said he will activate the National Guard to help with security at Logan International Airport for the first time since the 2001 attacks. And, New York Gov. George Pataki, also a Republican, said the disrupted terror operation "underscores the need for continued vigilance, intelligence gathering and cooperation among law enforcement agencies and the public."
Posted by djsource1
at 5:11 PM PDT
Saturday, 5 August 2006
Landis Vows To Clear His Name
Associated Press
Posted: 12 minutes ago | | |
PARIS - Floyd Landis was fired by his team and the Tour de France no longer considered him its champion Saturday after his second doping sample tested positive for higher-than-allowable levels of testosterone. The samples contained synthetic testosterone, indicating that it came from an outside source. "I have received a text message from Chatenay-Malabry lab that indicates the 'B' sample of Floyd Landis' urine confirms testosterone was taken in an exogenous way," Pierre Bordry, who heads the French anti-doping council, told The Associated Press shortly after the "B" sample results were released. Lab head Jacques De Ceaurriz said the isotope testing procedure was "foolproof." "No error is possible in isotopic readings," he told the AP. Landis had claimed the testosterone was "natural and produced by my own organism," and once again maintained his innocence. "I have never taken any banned substance, including testosterone," he said in a statement. "I was the strongest man at the Tour de France, and that is why I am the champion. "I will fight these charges with the same determination and intensity that I bring to my training and racing. It is now my goal to clear my name and restore what I worked so hard to achieve." The Swiss-based team Phonak immediately severed ties with Landis, and the UCI said it would ask USA Cycling to open disciplinary proceedings against him. "Landis will be dismissed without notice for violating the team's internal Code of Ethics," Phonak said in a statement. "Landis will continue to have legal options to contest the findings. However, this will be his personal affair, and the Phonak team will no longer be involved in that." Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said Landis no longer was considered champion, but the decision to strip him of his title rests with the International Cycling Union. "It goes without saying that for us Floyd Landis is no longer the winner of the 2006 Tour de France," Prudhomme told the AP in a telephone interview. "Our determination is even stronger now to fight against doping and to defend this magnificent sport." Prudhomme said runner-up Oscar Pereiro of Spain would be the likely new winner. "We can't imagine a different outcome," Prudhomme said. If stripped of the title, Landis would become the first winner in the 103-year history of cycling's premier race to lose his Tour crown over doping allegations. UCI lawyer Philippe Verbiest said Landis would officially remain Tour champion pending the U.S. disciplinary process, which involves a series of steps: Documentation from the positive tests will be forwarded to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which gives the evidence to a review panel. The panel will make a recommendation to USADA, which would decide if a penalty - likely a two-year ban - is appropriate. That decision is forwarded to USA Cycling, the UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency. Landis can accept the decision or begin an appeals process, which can take up to six months. "Until he is found guilty or admits guilt, he will keep the yellow jersey," he said. "This is normal. You are not sanctioned before you are found guilty." The results of the second test come nearly two weeks after he stood atop the winner's podium on the Champs-Elysees in the champion's yellow jersey. Testosterone, a male sex hormone, helps build muscle and improve stamina. The urine tests were done July 20 after Landis' Stage 17 victory during a grueling Alpine leg, when he regained nearly eight minutes against then-leader Pereiro - and went on to win the three-week race. The tests turned up a testosterone/epitestosterone ratio of 11:1 - far in excess of the 4:1 limit. "It's incredibly disappointing," three-time Tour winner Greg LeMond said by phone from the starting line at the Pan Mass Challenge in Sturbridge, Mass. "I don't think he has much chance at all to try to prove his innocence." The case is expected to go to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency; the process could take months, possibly with appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. "It doesn't end here," said Landis' Spanish lawyer, Jose Maria Buxeda. "What matters is the concept. A prohibited substance has been found in the samples, but no immediate sanction comes into effect yet. The rider will defend himself." Landis, a 30-year-old former mountain biker, says he was tested eight other times during the three-week tour and those results came back negative. Landis has hired high-profile American lawyer Howard Jacobs, who has represented several athletes in doping cases. Jacobs plans to go after the UCI for allegedly leaking information regarding the sample testing. Earlier this week, a New York Times report cited a source from the UCI saying that a second analysis of Landis' "A" sample by carbon isotope ratio testing had detected synthetic testosterone - meaning it was ingested. "The offense is complete," World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound said. "All that remains to be seen is what the sanction is. "A doping offense occurs when a presence of a prohibited substance is detected in the urine or blood analysis. That's been done," he said. Since the Phonak team was informed of the positive test on July 27, Landis and his defense team have offered various explanations for the high testosterone reading - including cortisone shots taken for pain in Landis' degenerating hip; drinking beer and whiskey the night before; thyroid medication; and his natural metabolism. Another theory - dehydration - was rebuffed by anti-doping experts. "When I heard it was synthetic hormone, it is almost impossible to be caused by natural events. It's kind of a downer," said LeMond, the first American to win the Tour. "I feel for Floyd's family. I hope Floyd will come clean on it and help the sport. We need to figure out how to clean the sport up, and we need the help of Floyd." In Murrietta, Calif., where Landis lives, an AP reporter was asked by police to leave the gated community when she attempted to approach his house. Several cars were parked in front, and the blinds were drawn. A man who said he was a friend of the family, but didn't want his name used, answered the phone at the Landis' house and confirmed the cyclist was there. "We're drinking some coffee, and that's about it," he said. Despite the latest test results a sign at a nearby freeway exit said, "Welcome Home Floyd Landis, 2006 Tour de France Winner." In Lancaster County, Pa., where Landis was raised in a conservative Mennonite home, neighbors vowed their support. "All he has accomplished, he has attained through his hard work and discipline. We are very confident he will prove his innocence. It is very unfortunate that these tests were revealed before he had a chance to do so," said Tammy Martin, a longtime family friend. Paul and Arlene Landis, who have supported their son since the doping scandal broke, were out of town on a previously scheduled vacation. A note on their door said, "God Bless, Went Camping." |
Posted by djsource1
at 9:27 AM PDT
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