The Empire Strikes Back
... Pudge Ruppert withdraws advertising from The Courier for publishing commentary on Yacht Club losses

by Joe Reynolds

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

I recently wrote a commentary for OceanPinesForum.com about escalating losses at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club. Chip Bertino, publisher of The Courier newspaper asked if he could publish it, and I gave my permission. The piece appeared last week in the September 12th edition, clearly labeled as "guest commentary" under my by-line. That same morning, Bertino received an email from OPA Clubs Director Pudge Ruppert instructing Bertino to immediately stop all advertising related to the Yacht Club until further notice.

I was unaware of Ruppert's email to Bertino when I met OPA Board member Bill Rakow for lunch that day at the Yacht Club. We sat at the outside bar. It was one of those delightful weather-perfect days that come too seldom. Rakow and I appeared to be the only customers there for lunch; the inviting pool was virtually deserted. I ordered a coke and what turned out to be a delicious grilled chicken sandwich, but don't recall what Rakow ordered. At some point during our meal, Ruppert came from inside the Yacht Club and sat at the bar with us. Ruppert had a stack of papers and began talking with Rakow. While they talked, I enjoyed some pleasant conversation with a server from DeNovos, enjoying her day off at the Yacht Club pool.

After a few minutes she left the bar area for the pool. Rakow and Ruppert seemed to finish talking about whatever was on Ruppert's mind. That's when, out of the blue, Ruppert said to me, "I talked to your buddy Chip (Bertino) this morning."

I asked, "Oh, what about?"

"I told him to stop any advertising for the Yacht Club in the Courier," Ruppert replied, with a smug, pleased look on his face.

I then asked, "Was that because he ran my Yacht Club commentary in his paper?"

"Yes! It's a lousy newspaper anyway; no one reads it," Ruppert snapped back. I was, to say the least, surprised at Ruppert's response. Rakow seemed surprised as well.

Later that afternoon, I called Bertino. He confirmed talking with Ruppert on the phone as well as receiving an email from him. Bertino also confirmed that Ruppert clearly indicated the withdrawal of the Yacht Club advertising was because Bertino had published my commentary, and that he (Ruppert) would place no advertising in any paper that was not an "advocate" of the Yacht Club. Ruppert had also told me publishers who print letters-to-the editor critical of the Yacht Club will risk losing advertising.

Bertino put in a call to Ocean Pines General Manager Tom Olson, explained what had happened, and Olson promised to get back to him after speaking with Ruppert. I also visited with Olson later in the afternoon and explained what Ruppert had said to Rakow and me. Olson finally got back to Bertino this morning, September 17th. Olson told Bertino the decision was Ruppert's to make, and later OPA's new Director of Marketing and Public Relations told Bertino to reduce the ad size and remove any reference to the Yacht Club.

Surely, OPA can spend its advertising dollars as it sees fit. However, it is incomprehensible that OPA would publicly accept a policy such as that promulgated by Ruppert, a policy demanding media outlets be an "advocate" of the Yacht Club or else not receive any Yacht Club advertising. In plain English, Ruppert, with OPA's blessing, is using advertising dollars to buy off any criticism of the Yacht Club in local papers. One can only speculate if such a policy is supported by the OPA Board of Directors, the body charged with setting policy for OPA.

Olson told Bertino it was not OPA policy. However, it is Ruppert's policy and since he makes the decision, it is the de facto OPA policy.

If the board remains silent it tacitly approves Ruppert's policy of using advertising dollars to buy positive editorial comments about the Yacht Club, or to insure no negative editorials or commentaries are ever written about the Yacht Club. Keep in mind that the commentary in question addressed only the financial management of the Yacht Club, with no reference to the quality of the food or service.

Bertino said he offered both Tom Olson and Pudge Ruppert the opportunity to write a rebuttal to my commentary. Both declined.