Kennedy camp says CBS cost suport in Maine

CBS New cost Sen. Edward M. Kennedy 3 or 4 percentage points in the Maine presidential caucuses by making an early projection that President Carter was the big winner, Kennedy aides have charged.

Kennedy press secretary Tom Southwick said, "Our people were calling people to go to the caucuses and they were telling us, "Well, you're getting tromped. What's the point?'"

Senator Kennedy ultimately finished second to President Carter, about 6 percentage points behind. Unofficial final figures gave Carter 45.2 percent of the delegates. NBC and ABC waited until later in the evening to make their projections.