Indianapolis' WTHR-NBC did not have credentials to
cover yesterday's Formula One SAP U.S. Grand Prix held at
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) because WTHR-NBC News
Dir Jacques Natz "refused to sign a license agreement" with
Formula One Management (FOM), according to Abe Aamidor of
the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. Natz said that the license
"seriously compromises journalistic principles," as it
"requires the stations to show a daily 2-minute highlight
video that FOM itself produces without any editing, and to
surrender any additional video they may shoot within seven
days after the race." Aamidor noted that the three other
local major nets signed the deal. Natz: "These kind of
regulations may work well in communist countries, it may
work well in European countries where the First Amendment
doesn't exist, but in America we should be ashamed of
turning over our material." FOM organizers "originally
wanted to deny local stations any access to race highlight
coverage." IMS VP Fred Nation said that race footage "is
carefully controlled overseas. ... Typically, only networks
that buy the broadcast rights and their affiliates get any
highlights." WTHR got "around the license agreement by
buying a 'feed' from CNN to broadcast highlights," but still
didn't have a crew at the track (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 9/23).
