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Sports Highlights and Newscasts


rkolsen

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I'm curious how do local stations get sports highlights when more often than not games are carried on regional sports networks when you are out of the region? Or when say a network like Fox or CBS carries four different NFL games at any given moment. The only reason I ask is because most of the time now a days networks and regional cable feeds are encrypting their satellite signals.

 

I know that WBAL and WJZ here have about 10 HD cable boxes hooked up to either a network DVR or a professional quality tape deck which records 24/7. I guess this could be one benefit or being a part of a bigger (and diversely located) station group that could share clips.

 

Would news agencies like AP or Reuters TV would have copyright issues by retransmitting the game highlights or clips for a subscription fee. But would this be considered any different from a network like ESPN airing highlights through out the day or does ESPN have a contract with the leagues that specifically outlines highlights?

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Some stations have DirecTV, and they could theoretically could get out of market networks.

 

I get a kick when some clips played locally where I am aren't from like a NESN/CSNNE, but from the competing team's network. Sometimes I'm like "what gives?"

 

There is no copyright issues running sports highlights, it falls under the Fair Use doctrine - if not theoretically.

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Well I suppose this is kind of in my wheel house. So, I'll add my 2 cents.

 

During my time at KMSP a great majority of it was spent upstairs in the sports department. A few steps from the cubes was a wall which housed several monitors all hooked up to either cable (TWC, later Comcast) and/or DirecTV. These were all connected to recording devices (originally tape decks and, later as things went on towards digital/non-linear DVRs, etc.) So, we'd have the ability to watch/record all the games going in front of us from the various networks & RSN's and "time log" the highlights/game as it progressed while doing other the other daily tasks (ie: scripts, timing everything out, etc.)

 

Usually, most of the time that was blocked out for sports within the newscast(s) would be taken up with local team highlights. But, sometimes we'd fill out the time with "out-of-market" highlights. A lot of the time we'd pick and choose those "out-of-market" games watching/recording them ourselves. They might be chosen due to it being a rival of the local team, a big name player, playoff race or at random. In fact it was almost like a running gag but, for a time If we had time to fill on a Saturday you could almost guarantee there were going to be Iowa State CFB highlights mixed in there. Likewise, you might see a Packers/Brewers/Bucks highlight mixed in occasionally as well. Both owing themselves to the fact that one of the anchors was an Iowa State alum and the other one a Milwaukee guy. So, they were likely to have the game on and watching it anyways. If needed we'd grab some highlights/packages off the satellite news services and work with those. But, for the most part that pretty limited usually only being done when there was some "big" highlight in a game we weren't watching that we had to show or there was just a ton to cover.

 

Kind of in the same vein but, occasionally if one of the local teams was away we might phone one of the local stations and "sweet talk" them into getting some pre/post-game video for us...and, we'd usually return the favor when their team was in town. We could then use this to augment the highlights from the game.

 

The rules and restrictions governing the usage of highlights are set forth by the respective leagues (& clubs) as they are the owners/copyright holders. The leagues & clubs license rights to broadcast to the various networks and RSN's. Likewise, stations are given a license to use the content for highlights in accordance with the restrictions set forth by the leagues (& clubs.) ESPN and the like are usually licensed additional rights to highlights as part of their various rights agreements with the leagues they broadcast. I still to this day think MLB of the "big 4" is the biggest PITA when it comes to highlight restrictions. I'll post the restrictions below.

 

Hope this helps.

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Here are MLB's highlight restrictions circa 2009. But, I don't believe much (if anything) has changed. I still think #11 is a gem.

 

CONDITIONS FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS USE OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME VIDEO AND AUDIO HIGHLIGHTS IN THE UNITED STATES & CANADA

We take this opportunity to notify you of current Major League Baseball policies regarding the use of video and audio excerpts from the copyrighted game broadcasts presented by the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball and the 30 Major League Clubs on MLB Network, FOX, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, TBS, TNT, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio, Rogers Sportsnet and other national, regional, and local broadcast and/or cable television and radio stations. This advisory applies to all exhibition, Spring Training, regular season, All-Star Week and post-season game highlights to be used by any television or radio station in the United States and Canada. Please provide a copy of this letter and attached license to each member of your organization responsible for compiling, producing, or otherwise exploiting Major League Baseball game highlights.

 

As has been the case, certain rights to use video and audio of Major League Baseball game highlights (“Highlights”) in immediate news reporting continue to be granted without charge, subject to the terms and conditions outlined in this correspondence and the attached “Conditions for Immediate News Use of Major League Baseball Game Video and Audio Highlights in the United States and Canada” (“Conditions”).

 

These Conditions apply universally, absent changes authorized by a Major League Baseball Club (“Club”), Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. (“MLBP”) or MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (“MLBAM”), as applicable, pursuant to a license and payment therefore. Please note that a Club may grant Highlights use rights greater than those permitted herein only within its Home Television Territory and only with respect to its local television and radio broadcasts. If a station desires to make use of game Highlights or any other video or audio shot in a Major League Baseball ballpark or other MLB venue (“MLB Footage”), other than as authorized in the attached Conditions (or by any written Club authorization), it must license the same from MLBP or MLBAM (as provided in Paragraph 8 or 10 of the attached Conditions, as applicable). A station authorized to exceed the terms of the attached Conditions must document its license with the authorizing Club, MLBP or MLBAM, as the case may be.

 

The attached Conditions do not affect a Club rightsholder’s ability to cover individually a Major League Baseball game on-site. Any regulation of a Club rightsholder’s on-site game coverage will be governed by the agreement between that rightsholder and the applicable Club, subject to such conditions/restrictions as may be specified by the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball for national broadcasts, including All-Star Week events (which include the All-Star Game, Home Run Derby, All-Star Futures Game, All-Star Celebrity Softball Game and Red Carpet Show) and Division Series, League Championship Series, and World Series games.

 

For copyright purposes, we advise you, pursuant to title 17 U.S.C. subsection 411b, that Major League Baseball entities record each game broadcast simultaneously with its transmission and own the copyrights therein. Those entities will continue to take the action they deem necessary to protect these copyrights.

 

It is of considerable importance to all Major League Baseball entities that their copyright rights--and the rights granted to their broadcast partners--be respected. We believe these policies protect those rights while allowing stations meaningful news use of Highlights. We will not hesitate, however, to take appropriate action in the event of any unauthorized use of game Highlights. Please be advised that we regularly monitor the use of Highlights by use of digital watermarking and/or other means to verify compliance with the Conditions.

 

For all requested uses of MLB Footage other than for immediate news purposes as permitted herein, please contact [redacted] in the MLB Footage Library Licensing Department at [redacted].

 

Please note that Highlights must not be sold, traded, stored, archived, retained, transmitted or distributed to any entity, via any media, other than as authorized in the attached Conditions, without first obtaining specific permission in writing from MLBAM or MLBP as provided in Paragraph 10 below.

 

1. To qualify as licensed under these Conditions for Use of Highlights (“Conditions”), video and audio highlights of a Major League Baseball game (“Highlights”), aired in connection with any television or radio broadcast (whether distributed via over-the-air, cable, satellite, telephone fiber or other off-line broadcast medium), may be used only as items of immediacy in regularly scheduled television or radio news programs (as may be defined from time to time by MLB) aired no later than 36 hours after the completion of that game.

 

2. Highlights licensed hereunder derivative of a Major League Baseball Club (“Club”) local broadcast must not be used until after the final out of that game. However, each Club may permit, via separate written authorization, the airing of Highlights from its local game broadcasts prior to the conclusion of those games, but only by stations within such Club’s

Home Television Territory.

 

3. Highlights derivative of a national game broadcast (e.g. MLB Network, FOX, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, TBS, TNT, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes Radio or Rogers Sportsnet) must never be used until that game broadcast is completed. For clarity, this paragraph applies to all national game broadcasts, including Spring Training, exhibition, regular season, All-Star Week and post-season national broadcasts.

 

4. Highlights licensed hereunder must not be used in any program format other than immediate news reporting. This specifically prohibits, without limitation, uses in “Play of the Day/Week/Month” features, uses in “Bloopers/Great Plays” show segments, weekly/monthly Highlights compilations, programming specials, and any commercial uses, and/or sponsor or other third party association with such Highlights.

 

5. For use made pursuant to these Conditions, Highlights from any one game must not exceed two (2) minutes, and Highlights from all games must not exceed five (5) minutes within any continuous hour of news programming.

 

6. Visual (for television) or aural (for radio) “courtesy” credit must be given for a duration of at least three (3) seconds to the appropriate Major League Baseball entity, followed by its television or radio rightsholder, while (or, for radio, immediately after) the Highlights used pursuant to these Conditions are displayed or broadcast (e.g., “Courtesy Philadelphia Phillies/CSN” or “Courtesy Major League Baseball/FOX” or “Courtesy Chicago Cubs/WGN Radio”).

 

7. All copyrights, proprietary interests and other incidents of ownership in and to the Highlights shall remain vested in the applicable Major League Baseball entity. The rights granted under this license are limited to the rights controlled by Major League Baseball entities. Licensee is solely responsible for determining what additional licenses, clearances, consents and releases, if any, must be obtained.

 

8. Any off-line use of Highlights outside of the licensed uses permitted under these Conditions (including uses in excess of the two (2) minute/five (5) minute restrictions in Paragraph 5, uses outside the 36-hour window described in Paragraph 1, or uses in program formats other than immediate news reporting) must be negotiated separately with either an authorizing Club (if for Highlights from that Club’s local game broadcasts only, and for use solely within the Home Television Territory of such authorizing Club) or with Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. (“MLBP”) (contact [redacted] in the MLB Footage Library Licensing Department at [redacted]).

 

9. In no event may any logo, trademark, advertisement, or other graphic be superimposed, “burned-in” or otherwise incorporated in any Highlights without prior written permission from MLBP. Additionally, no Highlights may be altered or modified (including magnifying a portion of a visual image or otherwise changing, substituting or distorting an audio or visual element) without prior written permission from MLBP.

 

10. Highlights must not be sold, traded, stored, archived, retained, transmitted or distributed via any on-line media (including the Internet or any other means of interactive communication) without first obtaining specific permission in writing from MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (Tel: [redacted],[redacted] – e-mail: [redacted]). Highlights must not be sold, traded, stored, archived, retained, transmitted or distributed to any entity via any other medium, other than as authorized herein, without specific permission in writing from MLBP.

 

11. Highlights must not be used in such a manner as to denigrate Major League Baseball, any Major League Baseball entity (including the Clubs), their players or officials, or the sport of baseball.

 

12. In consideration for the grant of this License, recipient agrees, upon the request of MLBP, to provide MLBP at recipient’s cost with a video or audio recording (as the case may be) of any program that incorporates Highlights as authorized herein and hereby consents to MLBP’s use of excerpts from any such program.

 

13. MLBP may withdraw permission or modify these Conditions at any time on immediate notice.

 

14. These Conditions will be governed by and subject to the laws of the State of New York applicable to disputes arising within that State. Any court of competent jurisdiction sitting within New York County, NY will be the exclusive jurisdiction and venue for any dispute arising out of or relating to these conditions.

 

15. Recipient’s use of Highlights from Major League Baseball games absent a superceding written license constitutes acceptance of these license terms.

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Just for kicks (and comparison) here are the NFL and NBA usage guidelines. Again both are circa 2008-09 but, I don't believe much has has changed here either. The only thing I know for sure that has changed is the NFL's non-linar use exemption shrinking from "up to 90 seconds" down to "up to 45 seconds." Also, these all come courtesy ABC NewsOne as I tried to find (and link to) the current info from the leagues sites but that that was a pain so, I did a quick google search instead. Again, it a little dated but, It's pretty much the way I remember things working with the three leagues.

 

 

 

NFL FILM/TAPE USAGE GUIDELINES

This memorandum reviews the guidelines for allowable use of NFL game film or tape in regularly scheduled news programs, sports wrap-up shows and continuous loop news services. Except as authorized in these Film/Tape Usage Guidelines, there can be no use of NFL game film or tape without NFL Films’ prior authorization.

 

NFL game film or tape includes all footage of NFL game action, including footage of ancillary activities inside the stadium (e.g., cheerleaders, pre-game activities) regardless of the source of such footage. This includes, but is not limited to, network coverage of games, footage shot on NFL sidelines with or without proper credentials, and NFL Films’ coverage.

 

Film/Tape Use in Regularly Scheduled News Programs and Sports Wrap-Up Shows

Networks, their affiliates and other television stations may use up to a total of six (6) minutes per program of film/tape from that day’s NFL games in their regularly scheduled news programs and sports wrap-up shows. On other days, they may use up to a total of two (2) minutes of film/tape per regularly scheduled news program aired within seven (7) days after the date of the game from which the film or tape is taken.

 

“Regularly scheduled news programs” are traditional news programs that include news, sports and weather segments, and in which the sports segment does not unduly focus on the National Football League and/or individual teams.

 

A “sports wrap-up show” (including a late-night sports-focused extension of a regular newscast) is a program that is aired year-round on at least a weekly regular schedule (i.e., same night, same time) and does not focus unduly on the National Football League and/or individual teams. In addition, the show must also be produced in the traditional “news” manner (i.e., should not be “feature” oriented or be formatted to include roundtable discussions of sports).

 

Film/Tape Use in Continuous Loop News Services

Continuous loop news services (e.g., CNN Headline News, ESPN News and other similarly programmed networks) are allowed to air a maximum number of plays per “wheel” (instead of a time-limited amount of film or tape) on the date of any NFL game and up to seven (7) days after the date of the game from which the film or tape is taken. Services using a half-hour “wheel” format may air fourteen (14) plays per half-hour segment; those using a 15-minute format may air seven (7) plays per “wheel.”

 

Three other important elements regarding the use of NFL film and tape in news programs are as follows:

 

1. There may be NO use of film or tape of a game in any manner while that game is in progress. The network telecasting the game has exclusive rights to that game while it is in progress.

 

2. These Film/Tape Usage Guidelines apply only to distribution via over-the-air or non-standard television. There can be NO use of film or tape of a game on any other media platform including, but not limited to, on a wireless platform or on an internet or online site EXCEPT that such film or tape may appear on an internet or online site only if it is part of a single, non-archived, online “simulcast” of a television station’s regularly scheduled news programming. “Wireless platform” includes, but is not limited to, cellular, personal communication services and other methods of providing content to handheld digital devices, paging, specialized mobile radio and wireless internet (including Wi-Fi).

 

3. There may be NO non-linear use of NFL content (including non-game) in any program, including news programs. The only exception is for use of up to 90 seconds of non-game audio and video content (including, interviews, press conferences and team practices at NFL venues) on Internet sites, which may remain available for 24 hours after it is first posted, but may not be permanently archived or posted live and which must be accompanied by links back to NFL.com and to your Club’s website. “Non-linear uses” include, but are not limited to, archived television content on the internet, television content available on a video-on-demand basis, and television content made available via PVR downloads.

 

Tape Use In Non-News Programs

For programs that do not qualify as “Regularly Scheduled News”, “Sports Wrap-Up Shows” or as a “Continuous Loop Service”, any use of NFL film or tape must be licensed by NFL Films. However, the affiliate stations of league television partners have limited rights to air local post-game shows and should consult with their network affiliate relations department or network sports department for specific rules and film/tape usage limitations.

 

NFL Broadcast Window

With the exception of these local postgame and sports wrap-up shows, regularly scheduled news programs and continuous loop news services, NO use of NFL game film or tape is permitted within the following NFL broadcast windows on days during which NFL games are being played: the period beginning one (1) hour before kickoff of the first game played on any day and ending upon the final gun of the last game played on such day; provided that with respect to any Super Bowl Championship Game, the period shall begin four and one-half (4.5) hours before kickoff of the game and end upon completion of the postgame show.

 

This means that, barring the exceptions described above, television stations may not use NFL game film or tape during the NFL broadcast window, and, as such, no entity may license or arrange for the distribution of NFL game film or tape on any platform (e.g., over-the-air TV, cable, satellite) during these applicable broadcast windows. In addition, this restriction on the use of film or tape also applies to pregame shows broadcast by over-the-air stations that have purchased the right to simulcast cable-distributed night games in a team’s local market, to the extent such pregame shows would occur during one of these broadcast windows.

 

Non-Standard Television Restrictions

The League restricts film use in non-standard (e.g., cable, satellite) programming for a period of eight (8) days after a game is played. As such, NFL Films will not license current-week film footage for use in such programming. However, this restriction does not affect the use of film or tape in any programming that is originally broadcast on over-the-air television, even if it is to be re-aired on non-standard television at a later date or as part of the broadcast of a retransmitter that carries, in full, the standard television signal of the station at issue in accordance with applicable FCC Rules and qualifies for compulsory license of retransmission rights for the television station’s signal under applicable provisions of the Federal Copyright Act.

NO Sponsorship of NFL Film or Tape

Commercial sponsorship of NFL film/tape is strictly prohibited unless otherwise authorized by the NFL. While the standard sponsorship of a news show focused solely on sports or the overall sports news portion of a regularly scheduled news show has always been acceptable, the sponsorship of individual NFL game elements within such a telecast is not. Thus, there can be no sponsored “play(s)-of-the-day,” “catch(es)-of-the-day,” “player(s)-of-the-day,” etc. For example, there cannot be a segment such as “the NFL play-of-the-day brought to you by X Cola.”

 

Penalties

The NFL will take all appropriate action to protect its valuable intellectual property rights. Such actions may include, among other things, denying a television station’s employees credential access to NFL games and denying a television station the use of the NFL’s “news access” satellite service.

 

Conclusion

If stations or programming services have a need to use film or tape in a manner not authorized by these Film/Tape Usage Guidelines (e.g., in an in-season team-related show or special), they should contact NFL Films for the necessary authorizations. (NFL Films has both current-season footage and past-season footage in an extensive library at its headquarters in Mt. Laurel, NJ.)

 

 

NBA VIDEO AND AUDIO HIGHLIGHTS LICENSE FOR THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

1. Videotaped, filmed or audio excerpts of a National Basketball Association ("NBA") game ("Highlights") may be used only by the news organization which has received this license solely for news purposes in the recipient’s regularly scheduled television or radio news programs in the United States and Canada up to 72 hours after the completion of the game to which they pertain.

2. Highlights from any one NBA game that has been completed may not exceed two minutes per hour.

 

3. Highlights of NBA games in progress may be used, provided that any such Highlights may not exceed 30 seconds per hour and may only include Highlights of the first half of such game.

 

4. Highlights from NBA games cannot exceed five minutes within any continuous hour of programming.

 

5. Visual "courtesy" credit (or oral "courtesy" credit for radio) of at least three seconds for the Highlights must be given to (i) the National Basketball Association, and (ii) the applicable telecaster or radio broadcaster as Highlights are displayed or broadcast (e.g., for television, "Courtesy NBA/KTXA," or "Courtesy NBA/TNT Sports," or "Courtesy NBA/ESPN"; for radio, "Courtesy NBA Entertainment and WFAN"; or for footage obtained via separate license from NBA Entertainment, "Courtesy NBA Entertainment").

 

6. All copyrights, proprietary interests and other incidents of ownership in and to the Highlights (whether obtained "on site", from a game telecast or otherwise) shall belong to, and remain vested in, the NBA. The NBA has granted to NBA Entertainment the exclusive rights to license game footage and audio excerpts from NBA games. This license does not in any way grant the recipient the right to broadcast or record any material "on-site" at an NBA game.

7. No television station, national network or local cable origination channel may incorporate, superimpose, or "burn-in" into any Highlights a logo, trademark, advertisement, scoreboard or other graphic without prior written permission from NBA Entertainment.

 

8. In consideration for the grant of this license, recipient agrees, upon the request of NBA Entertainment, to supply NBA Entertainment with a videotape or audio recording (as the case may be) of any program that incorporates Highlights as authorized herein and hereby consents to NBA Entertainment’s use of excerpts from any such program.

 

9. NBA Entertainment reserves the right to withdraw permission for the use of Highlights by appropriate notice at any time and for any reason.

 

10. Highlights may not be sold or traded to any other entity and may not be used commercially, for on-air promotion or in any other manner not specifically set forth above without prior written permission from NBA Entertainment. By way of illustration, but not limitation, without a specific separate license from NBA Entertainment, Highlights may not be used (i) in pre-game shows, (ii) in weekly sports highlights shows, (iii) in coaches programs, (iv) in commercials, (v) in a "sponsored segment" of a program, (vi) in on-air promotions (e.g., "tune-in" promotion or "tease"), (vii) as "file footage", (viii) in video on demand or taped programming or materials or (ix) for any other use (e.g., archival) not specifically permitted by this license.

 

11. Neither this license nor the rights granted herein may be assigned or otherwise transferred in any manner without the prior written consent of NBA Entertainment.

12. Under no circumstances may any Highlights be broadcast or otherwise distributed on the Internet, via any other on-line service or computer network or via any mobile or wireless form of transmission (including, without limitation, cell phones, MP3 players and personal digital assistants).

 

13. This license will be governed by the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts entered into and performed entirely within that State. Any court of competent jurisdiction sitting within New York State, New York County will be the exclusive jurisdiction and venue for any dispute arising out of or relating to this license.

 

14. Use of Highlights constitutes acceptance of the terms of this license.

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If needed we'd grab some highlights/packages off the satellite news services and work with those. But, for the most part that pretty limited usually only being done when there was some "big" highlight in a game we weren't watching that we had to show or there was just a ton to cover.

Kind of in the same vein but, occasionally if one of the local teams was away we might phone one of the local stations and "sweet talk" them into getting some pre/post-game video for us...and, we'd usually return the favor when their team was in town. We could then use this to augment the highlights from the game.

 

Okay sounds like that answered my question that services like the AP/Reuters or even the network news services like ABC Newsone, CBS Newspath, Fox Newsdege and NBC Newschannel provided highlights to games that are only available in a select market or through a regional Sportsnet.

2. These Film/Tape Usage Guidelines apply only to distribution via over-the-air or non-standard television. There can be NO use of film or tape of a game on any other media platform including, but not limited to, on a wireless platform or on an internet or online site EXCEPT that such film or tape may appear on an internet or online site only if it is part of a single, non-archived, online “simulcast” of a television station’s regularly scheduled news programming. “Wireless platform” includes, but is not limited to, cellular, personal communication services and other methods of providing content to handheld digital devices, paging, specialized mobile radio and wireless internet (including Wi-Fi).

 

What I highlighted and emboldened makes it sound like that say if your local 6 and 11 PM newscasts is regularly streamed online but not archived to the sight is that you don't have to black out the sports highlights. I've seen pretty much all Hearst and NBC owned stations (other station groups are difficult to stream on my iPad) block out their entire sports block.

The NFL will take all appropriate action to protect its valuable intellectual property rights. Such actions may include, among other things, denying a television station’s employees credential access to NFL games and denying a television station the use of the NFL’s “news access” satellite service .

I'm assuming that this a back haul satellite channel that provides game highlights to the affiliates.
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Take back my "Fair use" answer - that was more wishful thinking. I gotta say I should've known better knowing how the leagues are so dictators nowendays.

 

There is so much legal mumble jumble, I don't have time tonight to read it. I'd save ya the kilobytes by not quoting the earlier replies.

 

Seriously these leagues are so damn greedy its beyond mentionable. It's time the FCC comes in and breaks up the complicated relationship with the leagues and the media outlets, content "creators" and the distro platforms. It's cozy to some, it's crazy to others. Local news stations should have the right to air clips without having to submit to the greedy assholes of the major leagues.

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I take it news stations must get highlights from a new service like their networks or the AP.

 

Tonight, WBAL used a clip from the Orioles-Cubs game from Comcast SportsNet Chicago while the game was broadcast here MASN. Normally they would use the MASN highlights but since all of their sports anchors and several producers work for the Ravens who had a game tonight the department was likely short staffed. On the flip side WJZ used MASN highlights.

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If needed we'd grab some highlights/packages off the satellite news services and work with those. But, for the most part that pretty limited usually only being done when there was some "big" highlight in a game we weren't watching that we had to show or there was just a ton to cover.

Kind of in the same vein but, occasionally if one of the local teams was away we might phone one of the local stations and "sweet talk" them into getting some pre/post-game video for us...and, we'd usually return the favor when their team was in town. We could then use this to augment the highlights from the game.

 

Okay sounds like that answered my question that services like the AP/Reuters or even the network news services like ABC Newsone, CBS Newspath, Fox Newsdege and NBC Newschannel provided highlights to games that are only available in a select market or through a regional Sportsnet.

The stuff grabbed off the news services was kind of a "last resort" if that makes sense. We had access to all the out-of-market packages via DirecTV and Cable (TWC later, Comcast) so, most of the time it was something we recorded "in house" versus taking the stuff from "the bird" (ie: news services.) Most of the time we had some of those "out-of-market" games on. So, if we needed to "fill" the time or it might be a game of interest we'd just watch/record it and put highlights together "in house" ourselves...we were likely already watching them anyways. That's how so many Iowa State CFB highlights made it to air. If it was Saturday and said anchor was in the office with a monitor available...that game was going to be on upstairs.

 

Usually we'd only grab stuff off the news service if there was a ton to cover that day, we were shorthanded or we "missed" some big play that "had" to be shown. For example, take Sunday afternoons in the fall, those could prove to be challenging with the amount to cover. Of our four monitors up in the sports department usually one would have the Vikings game, one would have the Twins game, one would have the Packers (or other "out-of-market" NFL/MLB) game and the final one would be tuned to one of the satellite news services. So, things like NASCAR and Golf highlights we would be more apt to grab SOT off the satellite news services and work with that. It was just more efficient to do that then watching those events ourselves. Likewise, if there was another early Sunday afternoon game we felt compelled to mix in highlights from we'd grab those from the news services as well.

 

 

2. These Film/Tape Usage Guidelines apply only to distribution via over-the-air or non-standard television. There can be NO use of film or tape of a game on any other media platform including, but not limited to, on a wireless platform or on an internet or online site EXCEPT that such film or tape may appear on an internet or online site only if it is part of a single, non-archived, online “simulcast” of a television station’s regularly scheduled news programming. “Wireless platform” includes, but is not limited to, cellular, personal communication services and other methods of providing content to handheld digital devices, paging, specialized mobile radio and wireless internet (including Wi-Fi).

 

What I highlighted and emboldened makes it sound like that say if your local 6 and 11 PM newscasts is regularly streamed online but not archived to the sight is that you don't have to black out the sports highlights. I've seen pretty much all Hearst and NBC owned stations (other station groups are difficult to stream on my iPad) block out their entire sports block.

Most of the leagues don't allow it, the NFL (surprisingly) is the only one with an exception that I know of. MLB also will allow an exception but, you have to obtain permission from MLBAM....In other words, good luck. ESPN of all companies wasn't allowed to show MLB highlights via WatchESPN until a year or so ago when MLB/ESPN renewed their broadcast rights agreements. Until then if you were watching SportsCenter on WatchESPN the MLB highlights were blurred out.The NHL/NBA disallowed it altogether not sure if they have finally eased up on that or not.

 

So, given that they don't have license to use everything it's just easier to lop off the sports portion from a local station's stream.

 

The NFL will take all appropriate action to protect its valuable intellectual property rights. Such actions may include, among other things, denying a television station’s employees credential access to NFL games and denying a television station the use of the NFL’s “news access” satellite service .

 

I'm assuming that this a back haul satellite channel that provides game highlights to the affiliates.

Yes, more or less.

 

I take it news stations must get highlights from a new service like their networks or the AP.

 

Tonight, WBAL used a clip from the Orioles-Cubs game from Comcast SportsNet Chicago while the game was broadcast here MASN. Normally they would use the MASN highlights but since all of their sports anchors and several producers work for the Ravens who had a game tonight the department was likely short staffed. On the flip side WJZ used MASN highlights.

My guess is you are right and that they grabbed something from a news service. Given the connection I'd hazard a guess it was from NBC News Channel. But, it could have just as easily come from CNN News Source, et al.

 

Take back my "Fair use" answer - that was more wishful thinking. I gotta say I should've known better knowing how the leagues are so dictators nowendays.

 

There is so much legal mumble jumble, I don't have time tonight to read it. I'd save ya the kilobytes by not quoting the earlier replies.

 

Seriously these leagues are so damn greedy its beyond mentionable. It's time the FCC comes in and breaks up the complicated relationship with the leagues and the media outlets, content "creators" and the distro platforms. It's cozy to some, it's crazy to others. Local news stations should have the right to air clips without having to submit to the greedy assholes of the major leagues.

It's their content. And, the argument they'd make is "do you really need the video highlights?" Sure, it helps but, you could report the facts without the copyrighted video footage. They already allow for "fair use" it's just the leagues define what the parameters are under which they won't raise a stink with you. As long as you abide by the restrictions your fine.
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