CSPan asked Dembloggers to not carry their video!

[Coexist]

dammit - now I will never see Kerry's speech. I am pissed.

www.dembloggers.com
<snip>
"No More C-SPAN Videos
By Mark Williams
Posted on Tue Jun 28th, 2005 at 02:07:17 PM EST


This afternoon I was contacted by C-SPAN. They have asked us to stop posting videos from their C-SPAN networks (C-SPAN 1, 2, and 3). Brian and I would like to issue a formal apology to C-SPAN and we will fully comply with their request.
Over the next 24 hours we will be working to delete all videos and images containing footage taken from C-SPAN or the C-SPAN registered service mark.

For our readers and members this means that we will no longer post videos or information from C-SPAN including Senate speeches and congressional hearings."

[tk2kewl]

1. Not even links to C-SPAN???

[Coexist]

2. don't know - but CSpan doesn't archive everything

so when I work, I will miss stuff.

[AirAmFan]

44. Can you link to a specific clip inside a video on the CSPAN

website, or do links always bring you to the START of a CSPAN video?

If you could write CSPAN links or scripts that were sophisticated enough to take us INSIDE an hours-long hearing, to precisely the segment that has what you want us to see, then you still could continue to offer CSPAN clips on your site. Except your server costs would be much lower.

How sophisticated is access to the CSPAN archive? If it is technically possible to put up demblogger links or scripts that would access the CSPAN video archive, will the CSPAN bureaucrats allow you to do so?

[Imagevision]

52. Why Not?? - we can't get coverage from ABC-CBS-NBC-CNN

Why would CSPAN want less americans to be aware of important meetings and hearings going on and the outcome?? This is absurd!

[whistle]

3. Who owns/controls C-Span?

....who is: © 2005, National Cable Satellite Corporation?

[Coexist]

6. it's "cable's gift to America"

http://www.cspan.org/about/index.asp?code=About
<snip>
CORPORATE INFORMATION
C-SPAN is a private, non-profit company, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a public service. Our mission is to provide public access to the political process. C-SPAN receives no government funding; operations are funded by fees paid by cable and satellite affiliates who carry C-SPAN programming.
THE C-SPAN COMPANY PAGE

[whistle]

7. Here you go if you want access on the internet.....

http://www.c-span.org/watch/cspan_rm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS

[Daphne08]

11. Yes, we pay for it

every month when we pay our (outrageously expensive) cable bill.

What is their problem?

[MelissaB]

13. I'd like to know what their problem is, too.

[Uncle Joe]

24. When they were created in 79

by the cable television industry, was this due in part because broadcast networks are required to provide so much news coverage for using the public's airwaves? Just curious.

[Patty Diana]

8. suppossedly the cable networks of the USA the WE PAY FOR

BUT THAT THE BUSH NAZIS OWN____TALK ABOUT FREE SPEECH and FREEDOM OF THE PRESS ETC. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO KNOW. THESE REPUKES ARE REALLY GETTING DESPERATE NOW!! I THINK DEMBLOGGERS HAS A LEGAL CASE HERE

[intheflow]

20. Creation and control of C-SPAN.

From their web site:

The cable television industry created C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) in 1979 to provide live, gavel-to-gavel coverage of the U.S. House of Representatives. Since those early days, C-SPAN has grown into a diverse information service that provides public affairs programming 24 hours a day in a variety of formats. Today the cable industry remains the primary distributor of the C-SPAN networks and continues that distribution as a service to the public.

C-SPAN is a non-profit educational organization with a board of directors comprised of executives from large and small cable television operating companies. While the board establishes network policy and provides financial oversight, it is not involved in C-SPAN’s editorial decision-making.
http://www.c-span.org/about/company/index.asp?code=COMPANY

Here's the link to their Board of Directors--many of the usual suspects in the Corporate Media:
http://www.c-span.org/about/company/index.asp?code=BOARD

No wonder they don't want their programming freely distributed! :grr:

[Coexist]

21. I wonder if the Sensenbrenner broo-haha had anything to do with this

sudden clampdown? Hardly anyone should have seen that - but it became huge!

[Donailin]

30. no, it has everything to do with Lamb being a rightwinger nt

[AuntiBush]

33. Figures. Without Looking, Bet DirectTV now Merged w/Verizon is there.

When I was watching the "DSM" from their website a few weeks back, my firewall went bonkers. The ping tracer came from C-SPAN, to my location, then to D.C., then TX (yes) and back (double-lined) to my location & D.C.

Don't know what that means, but one can imagine.

[FreedomAngel82]

49. So let me see

if it's non-profit then what the heck are they asking DemBloggers to remove their video's? We pay for it with our cable bills.

[Pirate Smile]

4. Why?

[cestpaspossible]

40. Yeah... WHY?

cspan is not making any money off their broadcast... why do they want restrict it's distribution?

[Proud_Lefty]

5. Too bad

CSPAN had a free advertiser here. Because of dembloggers, I watch CSPAN more than any other cable show.

[zalinda]

9. You should write to C-Span then

and tell them. Maybe they think that demblogger is somehow making money from the videos.

zalinda

[Proud_Lefty]

16. Okay, I will

[MelissaB]

10. Shit! Shit! Shit!

:banghead:

I miss too much when I work and can't stream CSPAN all the time. :cry:

[Coexist]

12. Tell me!

This is soooo frustrating to me.

[Pacifist Patriot]

14. Bugger!

[The Witch]

15. I see an upsurge on c-span bittorrent filesharing in the future.

T3h suck.

:nopity:

[Coexist]

18. I don't know what this means?

But if Dembloggers was contacted, it must be because of some type of copyright infringement.

Mark - are you here? What happened???!

[Mark Williams]

22. I'm here

I really don't want to publicly discuss the details because the last thing we need is a lawsuit, lol.

I can tell you that C-SPAN contacted me and asked Brian and I to stop posting videos because they think we are making money from their vids which isn't true because we are in the hole from the server costs even with the blogads

I appreciate the support and I hope it continues.

[Coexist]

23. I'm so sorry this happened to you - you have no idea

how much I rely on your capturing the news that I miss. I was just showing off your site to my husband last week. I told him how amazing it is to be able to get the best highlights when I had time to watch them.

I will continue to visit your great site - but I am sooo pissed about this.

Thanks for everything you guys do!

[FreedomAngel82]

50. I love their site too

I look there at least twice a day. :) I can always count on them for good stuff.

[Pirate Smile]

25. I'm sorry. But does this mean someone NOT asking for donations

can continue to post C-span video? Was that the only issue?

[Mark Williams]

27. I don't think

I understand your question. Brian and I aren't really trying to make money if thats what your asking and we are certainly not asking for donations.

I believe that the problem is that c-span thinks we are making money and of course they want the money.

[Coexist]

28. I think she is asking whether a site that doesn't contain ads

or ask for donations could carry the video.

If it is a copyright thingie, or a profit thingie. Could a blog with no ads legally carry the video.

Nothing against you.

[Pirate Smile]

31. I know you guys aren't doing it to make money and I love your

site.

My question is if C-span's only problem is that you guys have to request donations to cover the server, etc., will they have a problem with other sites or people who don't request donations showing C-span clips?

I'm just trying to figure out if Dzika could keep posting clips or if someone else can show them since they wont let Dembloggers.

There are a ton of other shows that I know you will continue to show so I know Dembloggers will continue to be a great asset.
:)

[Media_Lies_Daily]

26. Couldn't you prove to them that you're not making money?

[Gelliebeans]

35. I just sent you a little something

and I will donate again next month. Dembloggers is one of the best places to get snippets of video and I am sure it will continue to be that way.

[sendero]

36. I'm afraid..

.... that soon you will be contacted by everyone else demanding that they not distribute their video.

[Patty Diana]

17. NON PARTISAN MY ASS!! SOMEONE NEEDS TO CALL IN

ON THE WASHINGTON JOURNAL TOMORROW

[Kolesar]

19. This is like when NBC copyrighted Russert's interview of Bush

bush did a horrible interview with Tim Russert on Meat the Press about a year ago. The dems wanted to use the footage, but NBC and preznit conspired to block them saying "that's copyrighted".

So, this is the country where the public cannot view communications by our elected officials. How screwed up is that???

[mzmolly]

29. Are they SURE it was actually CSPAN?

:shrug:

[kitkat65]

32. Is C-SPAN the only resource for video records of Congress?

In other words are other media allowed to record within the halls of Congress and broadcast it?

If C-SPAN is the only media allowed, then all that video really should belong to the American people.

Where this all stand within the rules & regulations of cable programming and how that relates to copyright, I don't have a clue, but maybe a phone call to the FCC is in order.

We really should have unimpeded access to everything that goes on within Congress, and as long as dembloggers aren't making a profit from it, then WTF?

[Patty Diana]

34. Shouln't the Library of Congress have these videos?

whatever happened to FOIA

[Sasha Undercover]

37. C-Span is the only one

allowed to broadcast. It would belong to the American people if the Congress did the video -- which, of course they should.

And I hate to mention it, but I don't think the FCC is likely to look kindly on your call. IMO of coursed.

[JRob]

38. Shuttin' it down... Bush and Company can't have the public watchin'

Not surprised!

As I continue to contend, we need start acting outside of established channels...

No pun intended.

[Rainscents]

39. You sure it was really them? Maybe it was someone else pretend to be them.

Anyway, C-Span is public station, you and I pay for it! It doesn't belong to them.

[Mark Williams]

41. yeah it was them

I called in and we had a chat.

[kerrygoddess]

42. This blows!

:kick:

[farmboxer]

43. Check With Al Gore, He chaired the hearings on telecommunications

in the Senate back in the 80's. If can recall correctly, I think it was representive Charlie Rose who mentioned that the tax payers paid for the cable lines, cameras,etc. C-Span was going to scramble their sat. signals so those with Sat dishes could not receive their signals. Charlie Rose said if C-Span did that they would pull the plug on them. Check back on the hearings. I was involved way back them, but don't remember a lot anymore. The cable companies had a monoply, as far as I am concerned, they still do! Hearing were shown on C-Span. We used to have radio stations on sat subcarriers, 6.8, 6.2, 5.8, you name it. (analogue, C-Band)

FM America

K-Sat are a couple examples. Anyone remember the fight?

[AirAmFan]

45. Did Google or another 'video search' company force CSPAN

to cut you off when they signed with them? Can you link to the new Google video software to take us to the CSPAN clips you want us to see? Is it Google you now need to get permission from to provide us access to CSPAN clips?

From http://biz.yahoo.com/ibd/050628/tech.html?.v=1

"Investor's Business Daily

Online Video Search Picture Just Coming Into Focus

Tuesday June 28, 7:00 pm ET

Pete Barlas

Search firms are building their video indexes with news clips and TV show promos. Google, Yahoo (NasdaqNM:YHOO - News) and Time Warner's (NYSE:TWX - News) America Online are scrambling to sign up media companies to make video content available for their search indexes. So are smaller search firms like blinkx and MeeVee.

On Monday, Google unveiled a video-viewing channel and free software people can use to view video on its site..."

[MaineDem]

46. Maybe I'm missing something

Can't you still go to the C-SPAN website and see these videos?

[Q]

47. Anyone has the legal right to offer excerpts from CSPAN...

...PUBLIC videos if they're not making a profit from showing them. This is basic copyright law. I think they're just trying to BS people into believing otherwise.

[demobabe]

48. If they're archiving whole segments or broadcasts

that wouldn't involve 'excerpting' and would be a violation of copyright law. it sounds as if they were archiving, and blogads or no blogads, profit or none, cspan has every right to shut them down, unfortunately.

It's too bad cspan is not government funded - as it is, it's a non-profit, and they can sell their footage. Non-profit doesn't mean they don't make money, it only means at the end of the year they have to come up with a $0 on their tax return by either spending all the money they make or donating it to another non-profit.

[emcguffie]

51. they don't archive the senate --

at least, that's what they told me. You can buy the whole thing for hundreds of dollars.

Something might be on the "recently shown" list, but sometimes what you most want to see isn't there.

I wonder why? :sarcasm:

[redacted]

53. Why isn't this considered "fair use" under our copyright laws?

Seems to me that a 2-minute clip out of a 2-hour program would constitute fair use. Maybe one of our attorneys may wish to comment?

It also seems curious to me that this communication came over the phone instead of in writing.

[Hidden Stillness]

54. Nothing They do is a Service

C-SPAN wants to be able to gouge every customer for $30.00 at least, for every video or DVD of an event of "the people's business" over the people's airwaves, supported by tax dollars. They also censor things, as I discovered when I bought a segment of "Washington Journal" with Kevin Philips, where Philips was talking, then suddenly--cut--silent and still. There was a several-minute gap during an Al Gore "Move On" speech, quoting conservative Republicans critcizing Bush's disastrous Iraq war, just before last November's "election," but the transcript was on the MoveOn.org site. Basically this is it: they gouge you unconscionably on a price that should have been minimal, and they censor.