WIAA sues Gannett, Wisconsin Newspaper Association

That's interesting.
I've live blogged at state football, girls basketball and volleyball and never had an issue.

 

I agree that the event is owned and controlled by the WIAA in the same way a public NCAA institution controls its athletic events. Whether it should be is a separate matter.

That said, they have every right to sell these rights to whomever. Video streaming is much more akin to televising than it is to print journalism. If a newspaper, or TV station, or whomever, wants to buy those rights, more power to them. But you don't just show up and start filming whenever, wherever.

But I'll go a step further. If the host organization wants a complete media blackout (for whatever unknown reason), it also has that right. Organizations issue press credentials because they understand that media coverage (usually) helps the organization more than it hurts it. But there is no absolute "I'm the media, you HAVE to let me in" right. The first amendment guarantees freedom of the press, freedom from government control or prosecution. But it DOES NOT in any way, shape or form guarantee access to anything.

 

This is considered a money issue by the high school association.

We've had local schools, even a couple with nationally ranked football teams engaging in much ballyhooed clashes with each other, refuse to sign on for TV broadcasting of their games. It seems that the schools want fans interested in the games to actually come to the games. Hence, no TV showing.

It is usually unexpected, and considered something of a ballsy move on the part of the schools -- and it is somewhat akin to the schools making people "buy" their "product" instead of just seeing it for free....you know, unlike what newspapers have done.

I'm sure the high school association thinks of this situation in the same way.

 

Post-Crescent, Gannett lose lawsuit.
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110824/APC0101/110824081/WIAA-wins-appeal-by-Post-Crescent-lawsuit-over-livestreaming-sports-events?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

I intentionally found the PC story to link, because this was a stupid suit from the start. But, hey, I'm sure all that money for legal fees couldn't have been better spent elsewhere in that company.
(Spare me the separate kitty speech. I know.)

 

I suppose the real question is actually, Can a public school decide its events are not public? If the local school board had a television contract and wanted to dictate what you could broadcast or cover live, wouldn't that be an issue? I realize high school football is typically inconsequential compared to governing bodies, but if it's a public school with an event open to the general public, I would argue it should be free to report on, even if that means doing so live.

 

Then we can televise Wisconsin-Madison football home games too, right? Don't think so. The argument is over the property right the WIAA owns, that property being live broadcasts. It has the right to sell them or not sell them, just as UW-M has the right (channeled through the Big Ten) to sell rights to televise home football games.

 

interesting debate...haven't run into this on the West Coast at all.