PORT ANGELES — The owner of Necessities and Temptations gift shop, a City Council candidate, was left out of a live radio broadcast Friday recognizing the downtown store’s 11th anniversary after one of her opponents told a KONP employee that he was concerned that the broadcast would be used to promote her campaign.
KONP General Manager Todd Ortloff said Tuesday that his staff understands federal regulations governing fair use of airwaves during campaigns.
He said he had informed store owner and candidate Edna Petersen about what she could and could not say during the broadcast, which is part of her advertising contract with the station.
But a decision was made to keep Petersen’s voice out of the broadcast to avoid any issues with candidate Max Mania, who told station advertising representative Jody Copeland on July 29 that he would contact the state Public Disclosure Commission if anything was mentioned about the campaign.
“Basically, our policy is we always try to err on the side of caution,” Ortloff said.
“It just keeps it cleaner.”
Mania said he wasn’t trying to keep Petersen off the air.
“I tried to just convey my concerns,” he said.
“That’s all I tried to do.
Mania added, “I was not there to shut it down. Nothing of that sort.”
But Copeland said Mania was less than cordial when he spoke with her on the phone and in person one week ago by repeating to her that “actions will be taken” if anything is mentioned about the campaign. She said he repeated those warnings although she told him that rules regarding use of airwaves during campaigns will be followed.
“I was kind of thrown,” Copeland said.
“He could have definitely approached it in a much more congenial way.”
Mania said he was as “cordial as can be” in expressing his concerns and referred to Copeland as being “curt,” adding that she hung up the phone with him shortly after he called.
Primary race
Petersen and Mania are among four people running for the Port Angeles City Council Position 2 seat, which council member Larry Williams will leave at the end of the year.
Peter Ripley and Rick Burton also are candidates for the seat.
The race is one of four Port Angeles council races this year, but it’s the only one that will be fought in the Aug. 18 primary before going to a general election runoff Nov. 3.
Ballots for the primary election were mailed July 29.
Ortloff said Petersen still can be on the air to talk about her business as long as nothing is mentioned about the campaign. If that topic was brought up, he said, the station would give Mania equal time on the air.
Referring to the decision to not have Petersen on the air, Copeland said, “It was in everybody’s best interest to not muddy the waters any further.”
Petersen said she would have preferred for Mania to contact her with any concerns.
When talking about not being able to be on the air during the broadcast, she said, “I decided to consider it one of the challenges of being in a campaign.”
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
