Browns Win Court Case Over TV Station

[JaxonFord87]

http://www.nfl.com/teams/story/CLE/9582175

The Cleveland Browns severed ties with WOIO-TV after a judge denied the station a restraining order stemming from a dispute over a 911 call involving one of the team owner's relatives.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Timothy McMonagle declined to block the club from buying out the final two years of its three-year contract with Channel 19.

Browns owner Randy Lerner was upset the station had aired an emergency call placed by his sister, Nancy Fisher, after she found her 6-year-old daughter drowned on the family's property. Recordings of 911 calls are public records that are routinely made available to the media, and at least one other station aired portions of the call.

"The Channel 19 situation looks to have resolved itself reasonably well for both of us," Lerner said before watching practice. "I think everyone feels pretty good."

WOIO's attorney, John Kluznik, said the station decided not to appeal McMonagle's decision with the Browns' exhibition season starting Aug. 10 at Philadelphia.

"We felt it would be in the best interest of everyone concerned to resolve this and move forward. The distraction has been eliminated," Kluznik said.

The station's contract with the Browns required it to pay slightly more than $3.9 million for the rights to four preseason games and other Browns programming. Kluznik would not comment on the terms of the settlement.

The Browns are in negotiations with three stations for the broadcast rights to their preseason games.

The team notified WOIO on July 13 that it was breaking the contract. The station sued the club for more than $25,000 in damages.

[ArmyBengal]

WHODEY !!!