NFL responds to sideline outrage
Cory Bergman August 20th, 2006
As a new season gets underway, local TV stations are fuming at the NFL rule that bans cameras from the sidelines. There’re have been plenty of stories written in the local press, and now NFL VP of public relations Greg Aiello has written a response, which follows…
Local Television Stations Will Have Plenty of NFL Access
By Greg Aiello
Vice President of Public Relations
National Football League
=====================================
You may have heard that the NFL this year changed its rules for local television
stations on the videotaping of NFL games. That decision has stirred some
misinformed controversy in the media.
We want to be sure that fans know this change will not take anything away from them.
They will see highlights of NFL games on local and national television just as they
have for many years.
Local stations will continue to have access for free to all network game footage and to
post-game interview sessions. There is really no change in the ability of local stations
to serve their viewers with in-depth and unique coverage of the NFL and its teams.
The change simply means that local stations will rely primarily on the network game
telecast for highlights and, instead of having their own cameras on the sidelines to
supplement those highlights, will use a pool feed of sideline shots.
The network footage offers the best highlights and has been used extensively by stations and
networks for decades. The networks show our games with seven to 12 cameras and
the use of replay and multiple angles on all important or controversial plays. But since
sideline footage also can be of interest to our fans, we have taken steps to ensure that
it will continue to be available.
This type of policy is commonplace for major sports events televised by national
networks. It reduces congestion on the sidelines, a llowing our network partners to do
a better job of televising our games to the millions of fans who watch NFL games
every week. It also protects valuable, league-generated content from misuse, while
providing plenty of raw material for extensive news coverage by local stations.
Local station crews will continue to be credentialed to shoot on the field at NFL games
during the pre-game, halftime, and post-game periods. They will continue to have
access to all post-game interview sessions. And the pool feed of sideline footage –
staffed by local station cameras – will be available to supplement local station
coverage of NFL games. There are no restrictions on the content of the pool feed,
including game action.
We appreciate and value the role local tele vision stations play in communicating with
our fans. That’s why NFL teams make their players and coaches available to the
media for interviews throughout the year, including after all games and every week
during the season at their practice facilities under league-mandated media access
rules.
Serving our fans continues to be our highest priority. This policy change will not
detract from that service.
28 Comments Add your own
1. Eric | August 20th, 2006 at 10:20 pm
“It also protects valuable, league-generated content from misuse”
Allow me to translate:
Dear taxpayers: Thank you for funding our wonderful, multi-million dollar stadiums. We would appreciate it if no one else were allowed to encroach on our profit potential, as having a publicly-funded monopoly power is simply not enough of a business advantage these days.
2. Joe | August 20th, 2006 at 11:37 pm
I think the picture in the Denver Post article linked above is the best example of too many cameras filming the same thing. I agree with the NFL, there’s no need for all the local cameras on the field shooting the same thing. However, one thing the NFL doesn’t get, this doesn’t prevent highlight clips from showing up online. Just check YouTube and you will see.
3. Jason | August 21st, 2006 at 5:43 am
Do local cameras shoot MLB games on the field?
4. Allen | August 21st, 2006 at 6:45 am
I’m a sports photographer in a top 10 market. Yes, we are allowed to shoot MLB games from the photog pits when we need to. Baseball doesn’t lend itself to shooting with one camera, but I do go down there from time to time to shoot iso shots of players. We can also shoot NBA games and do on a regular basis.
The sideline congestion could easily be remedied by limiting each station to one camera. Before each station in my market would have at least 2 cameras on the sidelines and some as many as 3 or 4 covering the game. They are allowing a pool camera right now so what is 4 more camera spread out around a field going to hurt? It wouldn’t.
If they are so concerned about video getting on the web why are they allowing the pool camera situation? That same video can end up on the internet along with footage provided by the networks.
That letter from Aiello is a joke and is insulting as well. I love the line about “7 to 12″ network cameras will cover the game. Oh really? Which of those cameras will focus on and isolate on the left tackle on the offensive line if we are doing a sidebar story? Which camera will interview fans during the game?
The NFL wants to control everything that comes out of the stadium. They also think the fans are going to run out an subscribe to the NFL Network. That is their hope.
5. Mitch | August 21st, 2006 at 10:11 am
Why would anyone want to watch a football game from field level? I never understood why local TV news highlights tried to show you the action from that angle, but I guess it was something they could call their own. Good riddance to that. The only perspective a football fan would want is from above.
Then again, sports fans don’t watch local TV news for sports highlights. Sports fans have cable.
6. Allen | August 21st, 2006 at 10:53 am
Mitch, Mitch, Mitch…
I agree, fans DO want to watch their game highlights from ABOVE. But that’s not what we are talking about here. We DO use the network stuff for our HIGHLIGHTS. We use our field level shots for isolated shots on certain players we are doing sidebar stories on…the things the networks don’t focus in on. They might be following the ball from above while we stay focused on a player on the offensive line for example. We can’t get that with the new system in place.
This ban also keeps crews from shooting and interviewing fans in the stands during the game.
I think your thought echo that of a lot of people who really don’t understand what this is all about. It’s more than just the game highlights.
7. Mitch | August 21st, 2006 at 2:48 pm
Your audience has never benefited from you interviewing a fan in the stands.
8. Allen | August 21st, 2006 at 4:27 pm
Mitch,
No offense but it’s obvious you have no idea how we put our field access to use. I’m also probably guilty of not explaining it very well but I’ll leave it at that.
9. Cory Bergman | August 21st, 2006 at 4:36 pm
I agree with Allen, and here’s a great way to illustrate why.
Bryant Gumbel, who’s scheduled to provide post-season play-by-play on the NFL Network, is hot water after saying on HBO last Tuesday:
“Before he cleans out his office, have Paul Tagliabue show you where he keeps Gene Upshaw’s leash. By making the docile head of the players union his personal pet, your predecessor has kept the peace without giving players the kind of guarantees other pros take for granted.”
Now the NFL is livid, and the league is considering whether or not to void Gumbel out of his TV contract.
The NFL is not about honesty or journalism or issues — it’s about self-promotion. And that’s why limiting first-person coverage from local news operations — which in effect helps the NFL control its message — is wrong.
10. Steve Safran | August 21st, 2006 at 6:59 pm
I can\’t wait for NFL-sanctioned play-by-play:
\”First and ten, Drew Bledsoe, who is fantastic, passes to T.O., who is a marvelous and warm human being. T.O. politely runs past an amiable tackle and makes the first down which the other team will not question because the calls have been so terrific, Bob!\”
\”Darn right, Ted. Hey - what\’s that injection the Broncos\’ safety just took in the buttocks? Must be a Vitamin B-12 shot!\”
11. Allen | August 21st, 2006 at 8:20 pm
Btw…
I talked with a good friend of mine who is very high up in the NBA league offices about this sideline ban. He was not happy that the NFL used the NBA and MLB as other leagues that are doing the same thing because it is an outright lie.
Unfortuneatly, most of the newspaper writers who have quote Greg Aiello have no idea and just took his word as gospel.
12. Tom | August 22nd, 2006 at 7:45 am
Mitch,
Ever watch those down low shots from NFL films? The tight shots of the ball flying through the air and caught by the wide-eyed receiver just crossing the goal line?
Those of us in the media who shoot those down low iso shots pride ourselves on capturing not just the action but also showing the emotion of the game. Which is something you don’t get from the 12 network tv cameras.
The network doesn’t show you look on that recievers face as he scores the winning TD, or the look on the DB’s face as he knows he just got beat. That’s what good photojournalism is all about: capturing the emotion of the moment.
Unfortunatly for the fans they won’t see that side of the game anymore.
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