WIAA sues Gannett, Wisconsin Newspaper Association

WIAA now wants to compromise. I could see looser guidelines on live blogging, stricter on live video (which makes sense to me).

http://www.waow.com/Global/story.asp?S=10078919

 

Not shockingly, the lawsuit now just revolves around live web streaming.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/preps/43434867.html

 

... and the WIAA won the lawsuit.

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20100603/APC0101/100603083/Judge-backs-WIAA-in-lawsuit-against-media

 

Translation: If Gannett has to pay a dime to the WIAA, here come the job cuts.

 

This sets a scary precedent.

 

Wouldn't doubt it. It will be interesting to see where the cuts come. Do they stop covering preps?

 

This is more than about Gannett. While I stated earlier that trying to run a live webcam feed was kind of silly, this lawsuit prevents play-by-play in a blog as well. You can still blog the game, but if the WIAA deems it is too close to play-by-play, they can charge you a fee. And really, that is totally under their discretion, so that's a slippery slope as well.

 

I really don't get the uproar over this.
Do you guys try to stream D-I college football games on your paper's web sites, or blog intense play-by-play?

I have my beefs with the WIAA, but this isn't even remotely one of them.

 

As well it should have. This is about the property right of live transmission of a sports event. The outlet creating the event owns that right to do with as it prefers. Period. Whether your newspaper, radio station, TV station, or blogger in a basement likes it or not.

The Post-Crescent editorial sniffs about commercialization of high school sports. I'm guessing they don't give away photos of kids to parents, but sell them. And that the Saturday paper with high school football coverage has a price on it too.

Want to televise a game on your website? Cut a deal. It can be done.

 

Clerk - As I said, to me this is more about blogging, twittering, whatever.

wi - Yes, we blog. Now it is up to the WIAA to decide what "too intense" is. Every play? Every other play? Every fourth play? You get the idea. Personally, I don't think they should have the power to regulate blogging.

 

I understand that to a degree, but I honestly don't fear the worst-case scenario that some hear seem to. I really don't think the WIAA is going to start placing unreasonable restrictions on that kind of stuff. If they do, sign me up. I'll march at your side. But I'd be shocked if it comes to that.

I've blogged live from both WIAA events and UW football games. As long as you're not doing straight play-by-play, I've never felt those guys are worried about it.

The key here is the WIAA is trying to protect an investment. They don't have any such investment in relation to blogging, so I doubt they really care.

Now, if they sign an exclusive rights agreement for some internet site to provide live blog coverage of state tournament events, yeah, we'll probably have to saddle up for a real fight.

 

Let me say that I know the WIAA does care and has tried to charge our company for live blogging in the past.