Brisbane’s Courier Mail began the morning popping champagne corks to celebrate its all-Maroon radio call of tonight’s deciding State of Origin clash. But this afternoon it will be in court fighting for the right to broadcast its stunt to readers.
Sporting comedian HG Nelson gave the thumbs-up to the rebel “Radio Maroon” broadcast on the front page of the paper today, which will see local talent provide commentary to the game in competition to telecasts the Courier Mail complains is biased towards the Blues.
But the NRL is upset about the breach of broadcasting rights and rights holder 2GB will today file an injunction against the newspaper and indigenous radio station 98.9 FM in an attempt to pull the plug on a call featuring ex-Queensland stars Adrian Lam, Paul Green and Adam Mogg, and led by Channel Ten news presenter Bill McDonald.
John Singleton’s 2GB, with its call led by shock jock Ray Hadley and a pack of ex-NSW players, broadcasts games to Queensland via Fairfax-owned Brisbane station 4BC.
Nelson, known for his piss-take Triple J sports calls with “Rampaging” Roy Slaven, was playing clown in backing the broadcast in the paper today: “Generally speaking, the more commentators that can get involved in the game the better. The AFL has more people covering the game than they do have playing the game.”
But the matter was deadly serious to the News Limited tabloid, which has run numerous front pages on the biased coverage. It explained today the broadcast “emerged from the passionate complaints of Courier Mail readers, fed up with the Blues-drenched coverage on Channel Nine, ABC Radio and Sydney radio station 2GB, which is broadcast through 4BC”.
As Crikey reported, last week the paper waged war against Nine’s Blue-blood commentary team, imploring network personalities Leila McKinnon (wife of Nine boss David Gyngell) and Karl Stefanovic to lobby for change in the commentary box.
“If Channel Nine was stacked with all Maroons fans and one Blues fan, I reckon fans in Sydney would burn Channel Nine to the ground. Our readers were pretty unhappy about what they thought was crowing in the second game,” Courier Mail editor Michael Crutcher told Crikey today.
Now the battle will be waged in the Brisbane Supreme Court ahead of tonight’s Lang Park clash, where Macquarie Radio Network CFO Rob Loewenthal says the station will defend its exclusive broadcast rights. But he wasn’t commenting on bias claims under questions from Crikey.
General manager of 98.9 FM, Tiga Bayles, says there is no legal reason why they can’t turn down the TV volume and offer a Maroon alternative — they just can’t broadcast from the stadium or claim support from the NRL.
“The more broadcasters the better,” he said. “The real winner in this is rugby league. They need to lighten up a bit.
“The AFL — there’s a different attitude there. [The NRL] need to be supportive — we’re not making any money, we’re not a threat to anybody.”
The NRL wrote to the station a few days ago stating the commentary would be against the spirit of its broadcast agreements. A representative is now saying they consider it illegal.
“It’s got nothing to do with Queensland/NSW, that’s just a sidelight to the argument,” said a NRL spokesperson.
As Crikey hit deadline, The Courier Mail was telling readers that “Sydney lawyers are headed for Brisbane’s Supreme Court in a last-ditch bid to stop Radio Maroon”. But, Crutcher was quoted as saying, “we’ll fight it with all we have”.
If the legal bid fails, the commentary will be simulcast by the National Indigenous Radio Service which has member radio stations around Queensland.
And isn’t it just pathetic that the Courier Mail has spent endless inches of columns on this issue. It is just football game between a group of Australians. People who get worked up over this (to the extent of lining the pockets of lawyers) need to get a life.
The Courier Mail is desperate arrest falling circulation. Is this a case of “patriotism” being the last…?
In a way I hope the broadcast goes ahead and my bogan neighbours can be confused by all the digital transmission delays.
So obsessed last week-end with this latest “media beat-off” of theirs, that Warren Boland was a “smurf”, and “Warren Ryan” had had “plastic surgery”?
And how “marooned” is Greg Pickhaver?
They’re treating it like politics – like they do their “maroon Limited News Party”.
Daniel Hurst posted this in his piece ‘Origin legal fight stalls’ on the Sydney Morning Herald’s web site at 2:20 pm –
‘4BC general manager David McDonald, whose station is owned by Fairfax Media, publisher of this website, said a commercial decision had been made to withdraw the injunction bid, but a damages claim against 98.9FM might be considered after the broadcast.’
I’d be surprised if radio 4BC didn’t win any damages action it brought. 98.9FM’s broadcast would be a clear breach of the NRL’s copyright in the game, and there is plenty of legal precedent to support 4BC.
I’m pleased 4BC decided not to tie up expensive legal resources to pursue an urgent injunction, altho it wouldn’t have been the first time legal resources have been wasted on a stunt. While I have found National Indigenous Radio’s calls quite good, I don’t expect they attract much of an audience. It would be sensible for 98.9FM to concede the breach and offer to pay damages to a charity – say, to support sport in Indigenous communities.
I just want to kiss all these rugged intellectual fellows. I feel so safe in their arms. Sigh.