Tillman long shot to land at WUSA

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Scratch Spencer Tillman's name off the list of candidates to replace Frank Herzog as the main sports anchor at WUSA-TV (Channel 9).

Mr. Tillman, a CBS Sports reporter, met with staffers from WUSA's troubled sports department last week. According to people familiar with the situation, he left the meeting with doubts about the department's resources and capabilities.

Sources said Mr. Tillman still could take the job, but one described the possibility as "remote."

WUSA's general manager, Darryll J. Green, and news director, David Roberts, declined to comment.

Mr. Tillman's agent, Carol Perry, would only say that "there have been discussions" between her client and the CBS affiliate.

This is the second time that WUSA has wooed Mr. Tillman, who also serves as CBS' lead college football analyst.

In 2002, WUSA wanted to hire Mr. Tillman to succeed Jess Atkinson as sports chief. When he turned the station down, managers tapped Baltimore sportscaster Steve Davis for the job, then replaced Mr. Davis with Mr. Herzog about six months later.

Last week, Mr. Green and Mr. Roberts told Mr. Herzog -- a Channel 9 fixture for most of the past 35 years -- that WUSA won't renew his contract when it expires in November.

The changes have put WUSA's main on-air news team in further flux.

Veteran anchor Gordon Peterson is now in talks to renew his contract, which expires at the end of the year. Mr. Peterson and his agent have declined to comment on his future at Channel 9, which he joined in 1969.