WIAA sues Gannett, Wisconsin Newspaper Association

Which sounds fine and dandy, until you realize the lack of content in your paper could result in more people canceling subscriptions, which in the long run accelerates you losing your job.

Ultimately you have to strike a balance on an issue like this. Not having anything to do with this particular situation, it's hard to say what the best decision for the paper is.

Argh. Pope beat me to it.

 

Would you guys take a camera to a Big Ten Conference or NFL game and broadcast it on your paper's web site without fear of repercussion?

This is no different. Much as it pains me to admit, the WIAA has a right to pissed off here. The association has been very clear that tournament games - i.e. playoffs - are property of the WIAA as they are the host entity at all postseason events.

They're probably reaching a bit too far with their lawsuit, sure. But Appleton's hands are not clean here. If they really broadcast a playoff game live on their web site, that was pretty stupid and they deserve this. And thanks, btw, for getting the rest of us in trouble.

 

I have to agree with the WIAA on this one.

Would you go to a Packers' game and try to sell photos to the public? Or broadcast the game on your web site? Same principle, even if the stakes are not as large.

It's one thing to shoot photos or video for publication, with the authorization of the organizers. It's quite another to set up a side business, making a profit off stuff. If grandma and grandpa want a photo of little Johnny Bedwetter in all his glory, let them get out the polaroid and take it themselves the way my parents did. Or buy it from the official vender.

 

The NFL - or any PRO sports league - is a private organization. It's apples and oranges. As I said before, I'm iffy on the whole broadcast thing, but this is about much more than that, and not just football.

 

I'm sure there are other states that will be watching this closely.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003948385

 

wisportswriter and Mark are right, and this is going to come to a head within the next year with a test case.

The hottest thing on newspaper Web sites these days is live game action, which for all intents and purposes, equals televising an event. Seems to me televising an event has always necessitated rights fees.

 

The PR guy for our state association, someone who was a prep writer for years but checked his previous life at the door in his new job, tried to tell the on-line sponsor of the state tourney it couldn't blog in the recent finals.
The website powers pulled out the contract, showed it to him and went "wanna bet?"

 

I would be willing to fight for blogging, in-game updates posted online, etc. I'm not handing over everything to the associations.

But this paper, as I understand it, webcast a playoff game live. Can't do that.

 

If it were only so simple. In the lawsuit, the WIAA claims it "owns the rights to any 'transmission, Internet stream, photo, image, film, videotape, audiotape, writing, drawing or other depiction or description of any game action, information or commercial used" of the athletic events hosted by its member high schools.'"

Hopefully they can come to a comprimise which eliminates webcast, but opens up everything else. Not holding my breath on that one, though.

 

I suspect the two sides will reach a financial compromise that will make both reasonably happy.

To be honest, I'm surprised in this day and age that more prep events aren't televised locally. The argument I've always heard from TV people is that the production costs don't match the ad revenue. But in this day and age with cameras in cell phones and everywhere else, the production costs of live streaming would seem to be minimal.

So, yeah, wouldn't be surprised if various school districts and/or state governing bodies didn't start to market rights to live streaming video on the internet, complete with sponsorships and all. Basically the same way radio broadcasts have been done for years. I suspect in some areas, live prep events online would draw a pretty decent audience. Now if someone figures out how to make a buck on it, we're in business.

 

Editorials:

http://postcrescent.com/article/20090308/APC0602/903080540

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090308/GPG0602/90307076

 

I think the WIAA better be careful of getting what it wants. See http://www.marketplacemagazine.com/blogs/blog2.php/2009/03/09/this-copyrighted-broadcast.