The Toronto Maple Leafs joined the growing number of sports teams and leagues trying to limit media outlets from posting video and audio content on their web sites.
On Wednesday, the Leafs announced that “gathering video or audio content in the Maple Leafs dressing room may only be obtained from traditional devices.”
By traditional devices, the Leafs mean tape and digital recorders and TV cameras that are big enough to be held on an operator’s shoulder or on a tripod. “Digital cameras, camera phones and hand-held video recording equipment will not be allowed in the team’s dressing room at Air Canada Centre and on the road,” according to the Leafs’ press release.
There is a growing number of disputes between media outlets, usually newspapers, and teams and sports organizations over this. Many newspapers now arm their reporters with digital cameras capable of shooting video and have them post interviews on their web sites as soon as possible after an event or during an event.
The teams and sports organizations want to limit this so they can have this content exclusively for their own web sites or, in the case of the Leafs, their own television station, Leafs TV.
Pat Park, the Leafs’ director of media relations, said this was “an organization decision” and did not come at the direction of the NHL.
This could lead to a loud dispute between the media and the team. Stay tuned.
