Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 13, 2000)
Coverage source of dispute ■The University and KVAL conflict concerning the right to air football footage By Andrew Adams and Jessica Blanchard Oregon Daily Emerald As thousands of fans watched Oregon football on television this weekend, they inadvertently tuned in to the subject of a dispute be tween the University and local CBS affiliate KVAL. The University recently filed a legal complaint against the station in Lane County Circuit Court to force it to cease broadcasting foot ball footage on KVAL’s post-game show, “Inside the PAC.” Vice President for Administra tion Dan Williams said KVAL’s broadcast of clips from past games this year infringed on the Univer sity’s exclusive contract for region al coverage with cable sports net work ESPN. He said although the University will supply any news agency with clips for news purpos es, its contract forbids that the footage be used for entertainment purposes. But KVAL General Manager Dave Weinkauf said the University should allow KVAL’s post-game program to broadcast the clips be cause other similar sports shows are allowed to broadcast them. The University filed its com plaint in court Nov. 8 and asked for a temporary order preventing the station from airing the football footage. Instead, the judge asked both parties to work out a compro mise, and the University and KVAL reached a tentative agree ment that will allow the station to use some footage through the end of the football season, Weinkauf and Williams said. Although KVAL and the Univer sity reached an arrangement, the underlying issues of the disagree ment remain. “The legal action we initiated is pending,” Williams said. “But the issue of the complaint is still there.” An issue of coverage rights The dispute centers on KVAL’s use of football footage on its sports magazine show, which airs Sun day afternoons. Weinkauf said that this year, the University began fax ing the station a copy of its media policy, which limits football cover age. “In checking with other broad casters around the state, I haven’t found anybody else who has had the policy faxed to them,” Weinkauf said. The policy was designed to pro tect the University’s “product” - the football coverage. Williams said all athletic coverage is valued at more than $750,000. The University has argued that KVAL damaged its product by broadcasting previously unaired footage of the football team. Dave Heeke, associate director of external operations for the ath letic department, said coverage of the Duck games is a vital revenue resource for the University. Heeke said there were “major financial is sues at stake” in the debate be tween KVAL and the University because of the high level of local interest in Duck football and the growing national recognition of the University’s sports teams. But Weinkauf points out that the footage already airs multiple times on several other sports magazine shows, including those on Fox Sports Network, CNN and North west Cable News, as well as show ing up in highlight clips on local news broadcasts. ABC affiliate KEZI also airs video on its “Mike Bellotti Show” on Sunday after noons through a separate contract agreement with ESPN. “It’s not like this footage hasn’t been seen before,” Weinkauf said. “We understand the University is trying to protect a valuable prod uct. However, the contract be tween ESPN and the UO does not call for the kind of protection they’re trying to get.” KVAL had coverage rights to the football footage for nine years be fore the University granted cover age rights to rival station KEZI this summer in what was believed to have been a $1.4 million deal. Weinkauf said that in the last two years of KVAL’s contract with the University, KEZI broadcast a sports highlight show following Monday Night Football that fea tured extensive Pac-10 game cov erage. When KVAL complained to the University, Weinkauf said the station was told there was no way to prevent KEZI from airing the coverage. And, he said, the Uni versity actually liked having the extra exposure for its sports teams. The University and KVAL plan to have a formal agreement ham mered out by the start of the bas ketball season, Williams said, and both sides said they believe the current agreement is fair. “It’s not exactly what they want and it’s not exactly what we want, but under the circumstances, it’s the best solution,” Williams said. Weinkauf agreed. “I believe this is a reasonable po sition,” Weinkauf said. “We’re happy with the compromise that we’ve agreed to with the Universi ty.” •CRIME WATCH (Reported from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10) Wednesday, Nov. 8 7:35 p.m.—A suspicious su bject wearing camouflage and a blue stock ing cap was hiding in the bushes out side the Computing Center. Thursday, Nov. 9 6:29 p.m.—A public safety officer no ticed a puppy in the area of the Urban Farm House eyeing ducks. Friday, Nov. 10 12:10a.m. — DF*S cited a resident of Schafer Hall in Walton Complex for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. 12:58a.m. — Someone reported an intoxicated male yelling at the exteri or of Adams Hall in Walton Complex. The man then urinated on the doors on the second floor of Clark Hall. When contacted by DPS officers, the man pretended to be asleep and re fused to wake up. He was cited with being a minor in possession and with lewd conduct. 4:23 a.m.—Two cars in Bean park ing lot had their windows broken. A gray Chevy Blazer with tinted win dows was seen leaving the scene. A stereo was torn from the dash in the first vehicle, and a key was in the igni tion. The second vehicle had its stereo missing. A tool, possibly a screwdriver, was used to break into both vehicles. 7:33 a.m.—A Grand Am GT in Bean parking lot had a window broken and duffel bags in the vehicle had been rummaged through. - Compiled by Rebecca Newell Mail-in ballot system unexpectedly slow The Associated Press PORTLAND — While Oregon’s vote-by-mail system undoubtedly gets more people to vote, the next trick will be to get them to do it a lit tle earlier. Throngs of last-minute voters rushed to drop-off sites across Ore gon to beat the 8 p.m. deadline. About 44 percent of ballots were returned Monday and Tuesday. As a result, counting the state’s 1.5 mil lion votes took much longer than expected, leaving people across the country wondering why it took three days to know who won Ore gon’s presidential race. If any election was made for mail balloting, it was this one. With 26 ballot measures and a slew of can didates, many counties’ ballots spilled onto a second page. Ballots were mailed two-and-a-half weeks before Election Day, giving voters time to study issues and complete their ballots. Oregon’s 36 county clerks expect ed a high turnout and hired extra staff. But many did not foresee the flood of voters who needed to up date their registration information in the final days of the election. Coupled with a two-page ballot, elections workers faced late high turnout plus double the paperwork. Because each voter’s signature is checked against a computer copy, processing vote-by-mail ballots also takes more time. Elections officials point out that most states do not finish counting all their ballots on election night. In a traditional election, Oregon elec tions officials were given three days after Election Day to finish counting absentee ballots. Career Expo Events Calendar Come to the Expo! A whole week of career education to help with career decisions, resumes, salaries, and finding a job! Employer Interview Panel Tuesday, November 14 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. EMU River Rooms Presented by: Four Employers] Leadership Styles Thursday, November 16 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. EMU River Rooms Presented by: Mervyn’s For more information contact the Career Center at 346-3235 This publication available in accessible formats upon request CAREER Live and work in countries that have been around a thousand years, but few Americans have ever seen. The Peace Corps has immediate openings for Volunteers in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. Call a recruiter now and interview TODAY! You could be in Central Asia by early 2001. www.peacecorps.gov Peace Corps. (800) 424-8580 The toughest job you'll ever love.
