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WIAA lawsuit is paired down

The outgoing leader of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association says his organization has greatly pared down a federal lawsuit against newspapers.

WIAA executive director Doug Chickering said Wednesday the lawsuit against the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and Gannett Co. now looks only at the issue of live Web streaming of playoff games.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker in Madison set a May 5 telephone conference on Tuesday to outline pretrial issues between the WIAA and the WNA. A trial could begin early next year.

The WIAA wants a court to rule whether it can enter into exclusive contracts after a Gannett-owned newspaper streamed four playoff games without the WIAA’s or the vendor’s permission.

The amended complaint, filed last week, strips out the WIAA’s initial request that a judge rule it owns an array of media coverage rights to all sponsored playoff events, including photographs, video, audio and written descriptions.

Chickering said at the WIAA’s annual meeting in Stevens Point, which was streamed live over the Internet, that the people in his organization are grateful for reporters who cover its sponsored events and they consider the issue a management one.

“We have a lot of respect for the people on the sidelines,” Chickering said. “This suit is not going to detract from that, and we don’t intend it to.”

Both sides say they are negotiating toward a compromise, but many questions remain. Chickering, who steps down as executive director at the end of the academic year and will be replaced by deputy director Dave Anderson, confirmed Wednesday those negotiations continue.

Chickering also said he’s been aware of the backlash against the organization.

“We received some unfavorable comments, a public relations hit as the tournaments started,” Chickering said. “But as we look to the future and look to the possibility that there not be any high school tournaments televised ... is that going to be a bigger public relations hit for us than for us to try to clarify this?”

The exclusive contract signed for Web streaming and other video rights runs out in 2015, but Chickering and Anderson are working toward renegotiating the organization’s broadcast television deals that expire next year. A similar still photography contract expires in 2013.

The WNA had the case moved from state to federal court in March. It wants a court to rule that the WIAA is acting on public schools’ behalf and subject to open government laws on state contracts. The newspapers also seek to protect their ability to report on the events by whatever means they choose.

The athletic association responded in its amended complaint last week that while all public high schools in Wisconsin belong to the WIAA, membership is voluntary and that no one other than the vendors who signed contracts approached them about exclusive rights deals.