NBC Bars Stations From Showing Jump; Channel 4 Disregards Ban

Because NBC owns the television rights to track and field’s World Championships in Tokyo, TV outlets were barred Friday from showing Mike Powell’s record-breaking long jump until it was shown on NBC’s tape-delayed coverage at 12:30 a.m.

Even NBC-owned Channel 4 wasn’t supposed to show the jump, according to an NBC Sports spokesman in New York, but the station showed the jump anyway on all newscasts.

Ken Boles, Channel 4’s managing editor, declined comment, but another source at the station said the video was used because it had been shown on the NBC’s “Today” show Friday morning.

Other L.A. stations, as well as cable networks such as ESPN, used still photos. Channel 7’s Jim Hill supplemented his coverage with interviews with Powell’s mother, sister and girlfriend.