WIAA says it needs rights to exclusive coverage
STEVENS POINT, Wis. (AP) — The association that oversees high school sports in Wisconsin defended itself Friday in its legal fight over rights to media coverage of the postseason tournaments it runs.
A statement issued by the Stevens Point-based Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association said its lawsuit against The Post-Crescent of Appleton and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association is motivated by principle, not money.
The group said it needs to protect its ability to contract with media partners for exclusive coverage and charge "reasonable" fees for Web streaming tournament events.
The Post-Crescent, which is owned by Gannett Co., first reported earlier in the week on the complaint the WIAA filed Dec. 5 in Portage County Circuit Court. The complaint contends The Post-Crescent produced a live Webcast of a high school football playoff game in Stevens Point Nov. 8 without the WIAA's permission.
The WIAA claims it owns the rights to an array of ways media organizations cover the tournaments, including through writing, sounds and images.
The court filing said the WIAA wants the court to rule it owns 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 athletic events it sponsors.
Newspaper officials contend that's too broad, saying it would put restrictions on anyone, including parents and student-athletes at the events.
Click here to view the statement from WIAA [PDF].
Mar 11, 2009 at 8:36 a.m.
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The WIAA allows the media to report the tournament games presently and would continue to do so if the prevail in this lawsuit. If you haven't seen tournament scores and highlights on the sports broadcasts in the past then you haven't watched sport broadcasts. If it violates restraint of trade laws how does the NBA, MLB, and MLB get away with it? They hold exclusive rights to broadcasts and media outlets are required to obtain permission and pay for the right to broadcast their events.
Mar 10, 2009 at 4:21 p.m.
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The problem with the WIAA is that they could refuse to allow any mention of games without their permission if they win. Second, they have a monopoly on post season games and as such they would probably be violating Wisconsin's restraint of trade laws. Monopolies are illegal whether you are a non-profit or not.
Mar 10, 2009 at 1:33 p.m.
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Starbase, the WIAA is a private not-for-profit organization and as such it receives NO TAXPAYER MONEY from the state. In fact if the Post Crescent is successfull more TAXPAYER MONEY will be spent because the revenue the WIAA receives from these rights is used to reimburse schools for the expenses they incur by participating in post season tournaments. Without it the schools, which are funded by TAXPAYER MONEY, would have to fund themselves or decline participation.
The exclusive rites being contested apply only to WIAA sponsered tournament events not those of the regular season. The WIAA allows media outlets to use still photos and up to 2 minutes of video to supplement their coverage of WIAA tournament events.
Did you even bother to read their statement linked to this story?
Mar 10, 2009 at 1:03 p.m.
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WIAA~ Taxpayer money is used to fund sports. Your funded by Taxpayer money. FREE PRESS and FREE SPEECH applies. Sorry you have no control over the press in this case. WIAA has the rules of the game.
Mar 10, 2009 at 12:36 p.m.
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Wow, somebody needs to call the waaaaaaaaaaaahmbulance.
Mar 10, 2009 at 12:20 p.m.
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I'm confused. Does this mean that newspapers and TV stations that cover games wouldn't be able to use photos or video clips from the games in telling their story? Or, does it mean that they can't show the whole game. If it's the latter, I can understand how they might want to "sell" the whole show. If it's the former, then it stinks. Kids like to be seen, parents & the community like to see their kids; a picture or clip is just part of the story. Are they then going to limit what can be broadcast or written? I assume the Appleton paper is disputing this based on freedom of the press? Whatever the ruling, it needs to be a very limited definition at the least.
Mar 10, 2009 at 9:54 a.m.
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Sounds like another "Big Ten" network in the making.
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