KEY POINTS:
New Zealand news media have joined a global battle against the International Rugby Board's attempts to restrict news coverage of the Rugby World Cup in France later this year.
Newspaper Publishers' Association (NPA) president Peter O'Hara said the IRB was attempting to highjack legitimate news coverage of the event for commercial purposes and seemed "blind to the responsibilities media have for covering news of public interest".
The NPA co-ordinated a recent meeting with visiting IRB officials in Wellington.
"We have done what we can to convince the IRB not to impose draconian restrictions on New Zealand non-rights television companies -- in this case TVNZ and Sky -- which would see them being allowed to screen only 30 seconds, not only of any World Cup game but of the associated after-match press conference and player interviews at the game venue," Mr O'Hara said.
"We are hoping that following the meeting, the IRB will confirm that they will revert to allowing two minutes of coverage in news programmes which is the normal practice in this country and which is still less than that provided for in Australia."
TV3 won the New Zealand rights to broadcast the All Blacks' World Cup games and all games from the quarterfinals live.
The IRB has told print media organisations they will not be allowed to provide brief audio or video coverage on their news websites from post-match press conferences, team training and any other event carried out at official venues of the World Cup.
The IRB has also limited publication of World Cup photos through the internet -- including thousands of newspaper websites -- to a maximum of five still photos per half, and two photos of extra time, AP news agency reported.
It has set editorial restrictions on how photographs can be used in print -- banning superimposing headlines and captions on photos if they obscure advertising within the images.
News media are obliged to accept terms before gaining accreditation to the World Cup that begins in September, and could face expulsion and legal action if the rules are broken.
"We respect and understand the need to protect rights holders but alongside that there is a traditional right and responsibility to provide brief news excerpts," Mr O'Hara said.
The New Zealand concerns have been endorsed by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) based in Paris which has called the IRB restrictions "a serious breach of freedom of the Press".
- NZPA
