Louisville Radio: Sports Hosts Sued For Defamation

Scott Jennings and his public relations firm sued Louisville radio show hosts John Ramsey and Mike Rutherford on Wednesday, alleging they falsely identified Jennings as the source of leaked information that the University of Louisville was about to ban itself from postseason play because of the sex scandal involving its basketball team.

According to the Courier-Journal, the suit, filed in Jefferson Circuit Court, claims the hosts of "Ramsey & Rutherford in the Afternoon," defamed Jennings and RunSwitch LLC by falsely reporting that Jennings leaked news of the Feb. 5 announcement to Matt Jones, manager of Kentucky Sports Radio, which allowed KSR to report the news in advance.

According to a transcript filed with the suit, Ramsey and Rutherford on their Feb. 16 show said it was "unprofessional" and "unethical" for Jennings to leak the information because his company has a contract to provided public relations advice to the U of L Foundation.

"Scott Jennings, hope you are proud of yourself," Ramsey said, according to the transcript. "You can flush that company."

The suit says the allegation was false and that RunSwitch, which provided U of L with public relations advice on the announcement, had nothing to do with the leak. The complaint says Jones said on the air on Feb. 16 that he didn't know Jennings and that neither he nor RunSwitch provided him any information.

Jennings also says in the complaint that Ramsey and Rutherford continued to spread the information on websites even after RunSwitch told them it was false.

The suit asks for unspecified damages against Union Broadcasting Inc. and UB Louisville LLC, who are identified as the owners of WLCL 93.9 FM (licensed to Sellersburg, IN) which broadcasts the Ramsey-Rutherford program.