Adam gets half-hour on TV

PORTLAND — Independent gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Adam, who had complained he was being unfairly excluded from a televised debate featuring his two better-known foes, will be given a half-hour of air time, officials at WCSH-TV in Portland and WLBZ-TV in Bangor confirmed Tuesday.

Adam is scheduled to appear alone in a program that will be telecast live Wednesday evening by WCSH-TV, Channel 6 in Portland. A taped version will be carried by WLBZ-TV, Channel 2 in Bangor, on Saturday night, station officials said.

Both stations are owned by the Maine Broadcasting Co.

Adam had objected when WCSH-TV invited only Republican Gov. John R. McKernan and his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Joseph E. Brennan, to take part in a debate next Tuesday. Both McKernan and Brennan have agreed to appear in that debate, and Adam continues to be excluded.

What led to Adam being given the free air time was a solo presentation by McKernan that the two stations carried last month after Brennan refused to take part in a joint appearance. Adam said that entitled him to equal time under Federal Communications Commission rules, and WCSH-TV General Manager Lew Colby said station officials concurred.

Colby said his station is exploring the possibility of staging a second gubernatorial debate, featuring all three candidates, later in the fall.

Margo Cobb, vice president and general manager of WLBZ-TV, said her station is eager to air Adam’s program.

“We’ll be promoting it,” she said.

A statement released by Adam’s campaign said he would “discuss his views of government and how it should be” and that his philosophy “might be considered a radical approach when considered against conventional thought as expressed by the Republican and Democrat parties.”

“Adam pulls no punches!” the statement said. “He raises issues that others may fear to talk about.”