Dick Ebersol Hurt Worse Than Reported

BC officials said yesterday that Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Universal Sports, who was injured in a plane crash Nov. 28, was continuing to recuperate from what the officials said were more serious injuries than originally reported.

Ebersol's son Edward, known as Teddy, was killed when a chartered plane crashed in bad weather in Montrose, Colo. Another son, Charles, sustained less serious injuries to his back and a burn on his arm when he pulled his father from the wreckage.

The pilot and a flight attendant were also killed in the accident.

The family is holding a memorial service today in Litchfield, Conn., for family and friends of Teddy, who was 14. They have set up a fund for contributions to the Litchfield County Association for Retarded Citizens. Teddy was a volunteer worker for that organization.

Ebersol is expected to attend the service, though friends and colleagues said he was still unable to walk. He will not be able to stand on his own for several more weeks, said Mike McCarley, a spokesman for NBC Sports.

Initial reports said that Ebersol had fractured his sternum and three ribs, but his injuries were more extensive. He also has a fractured pelvis, a fractured coccyx and six broken vertebrae in his back.

It is still undetermined when Ebersol will be able to return to work at NBC, McCarley said. In his absence, his duties at NBC Sports are being handled by two executives.

Ken Schanzer, the president of NBC Sports, is managing the day-to-day work of the division, and Gary Zenkel, the executive vice president of NBC Olympics, is managing the network's Olympics business.

NBC has the rights to the next Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, in 2006, as well as the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing and the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. The network also owns the rights to the 2012 Summer Games. A host city for that Olympiad will be announced next summer.

Ebersol has been the key executive in all of NBC's Olympics coverage. He negotiated all the Olympic rights deals for the network and has served as the chief producer on the network's Olympic telecasts.