An independent producer responsible for the broadcast...

An independent producer responsible for the broadcast of nine Nevada Las Vegas basketball games into the Los Angeles area last season says he is being blocked from producing UNLV games this season despite holding a contract. He has filed a suit, naming the Big West Conference and SportsChannel America among its defendants.

Dick Manoogian, whose company produced the UNLV games seen on Channel 9 with announcers Chick Hearn and Ross Porter, is prohibited from producing UNLV games this season because of a contract the conference signed in July giving SportsChannel exclusive rights to non-network games.

Manoogian claims that conference contracts with SportsChannel and Creative Sports Marketing, a North Carolina television packager, are in conflict with a contract he holds with UNLV.