THE MORNING LINE

“On Academy Award night, be a winner! Win $25,000 ... Beat the Greek!” For the last couple of weeks, there have been hordes of Oscar promotions around the country, some sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and some not. The above lines appeared in a full-page advertisement in last week’s People magazine, and it was definitely not sanctioned, said Bruce Davis, executive administrator of the academy. “Our lawyers are exploring that with some vigor,” Davis said about the ad that asks participants to choose the winners of five Oscar categories by dialing a dollar-a-minute 900 number. “We don’t mind newspaper promotions, but when it’s a cash-generating deal, we intend to protect our copyright,” Davis said. The ad, which includes a photo of defrocked TV sports expert Jimmy (The Greek) Snyder holding up a telephone and a handful of bills, was placed by International Gaming Management and listed a Council Bluffs, Iowa, post office box. The phone company in Council Bluffs does not have a listing for International Gaming Management, and there was no answer Tuesday at the company’s Manhasset, N.Y., office. Snyder could not be reached for comment either.