'Nationals Manager Frank Robinson Helps Blackball Me Because of Steroid Question,' Says Mike Vechery, Host of the Mike Vechery Open House Hour

'Nationals Manager Frank Robinson Helps Blackball Me Because of Steroid Question,' Says Mike Vechery, Host of the Mike Vechery Open House Hour

'Frank Robinson, the Nationals, Major League Baseball and the Bonneville Corporation ripped off my business, my airtime, and my dream!'

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Mike Vechery, host of the Mike Vechery Open House Hour:

Baseball Hall of Famer and Washington Nationals Skipper Frank Robinson became part of an expulsion plot by the Nationals, Major League Baseball(MLB), and Washington DC's WFED radio station, the station set to broadcast all Nationals baseball games. On Wednesday February 23rd at 9:06 am in Frank Robinson's morning press conference, I questioned Frank Robinson on baseball and steroids, "Do you think there should be an asterisk next to the names of the great home run hitters of late who may be associated with Balco and steroids?" No guidelines were provided on unacceptable questions. This happened to be off limits. At 2:00 pm that same day, I purchased the Space Coast Stadium visitors' dugout signage and full page ad in the Washington Nationals Spring Training Games program to advertise my radio show. The oral terms were a 5 year deal with 2 year termination clause. A credit card receipt was issued by the Nationals' Buck Rogers. The next morning, Thursday February 24th at 8:30am, I was removed from Robinson's morning press conference and told to give back my press credentials and that my sponsorship transaction would be cancelled. WFED, a Washington DC based radio station owned by the Bonneville Corporation, also terminated my radio contract 30 minutes later. Yesterday, WFED took me off the air 10 minutes into my scheduled one hour radio show. They had instituted the questionable cancellation policy in the radio contract giving me four weeks of remaining shows and still could not follow the terms.

According to William Bryant, WFED account manager who had sold me the airtime, the Washington Nationals called WFED Thursday morning to force termination on all relations and contracts with me. My termination letter from Joel Oxley, Sr. Vice President of Bonneville, claims " ... you have been representing yourself as being affiliated with WFED." Bryant told me that WFED prefers I not appear for any shows and that WFED would credit me for shows not aired. Instead, they removed me from the airwaves yesterday at 12:20 pm as I was discussing my 24 hours of spring training with Frank Robinson, the Nationals, and WFED. Streaming audio was heard on http://www.federalnewsradio.com/.

I have never represented myself as an employee. I have a show that airs on WFED. I work for myself and I am proud of it. I am on the http://www.wtopnews.com/ and http://www.federalnewsradio.com/ website under weekend programming.

WFED just signed a contract with Major League Baseball to broadcast all Washington Nationals games weeks after selling weekend block programming to several companies including mine. My valuable one hour airtime slots, noon Sundays and 1:00 Saturdays, had become a source of discontent for my new partner, the fledgling WFED. The hour time slots leased by me coincided with 6 Saturday 1:00 pm Nationals games and preceded 25 Sunday 1:00 Nationals' games. The Nationals wanted 15 minutes Sunday time for a pregame show. WFED had demanded the time back for the Sunday pregame show. A meeting had been scheduled today February 28th to discuss this situation.

In 24 hours, I was blackballed by a Hall of Famer who wished to avoid the steroids issue -- the most important issue facing baseball. I was screwed by the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball who reneged on a business sponsorship deal with me. WFED and Bonneville Corporation also reneged on their radio contract and took me off the air literally to make way for the Nationals. As a native Washingtonian, baseball fan, journalist and businessman, I am appalled at these strong arm tactics. I was to provide quality journalism on the Nationals at a quality time slot. The Nationals appear to be Anti 1st Amendment, Anti Journalist(unless you work for the big boys) and Anti Business.

For more information, please go to http://www.1050realestate.com/

CONTACT: Mike Vechery of The Mike Vechery Open House Hour, +1-301-642-4430, mike@1050realestate.com; The Mike Vechery Open House Hour- Saturdays @ 1:00, Sundays @ Noon-1050 AM Radio

Source: The Mike Vechery Open House Hour

CONTACT: Mike Vechery of The Mike Vechery Open House Hour,
+1-301-642-4430, or mike@1050realestate.com

Web site: http://www.1050realestate.com/
http://www.wtopnews.com/
http://www.federalnewsradio.com/

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