I love the ACC Tournament. It is my favorite event of the year, run by people who care about all media, including local televison. Now we move on to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA does not care about local television. People ask me all the time-aren't you excited that the "Big Dance" is here? As a television viewer, I love the NCAA Tournament. But as a journalist, I resent much about March Madness behind the scenes.
In 1982 the NCAA decided the number of photographers squeezing into the spaces beyond the end lines had created, in the words of then tournament director Dave Cawood "a dangerous situation." Rather than trying to come up with an equitable way to apportion the photographer positions, the print-oriented Cawood decided that the NCAA would write into CBS' contract that the network would provide a video feed for all television entities that did not hold the rights to the games. In effect, that means the very talented WRAL photographers, who have videotaped award winning pictures at events ranging from the Daytona 500 to the Super Bowl to the ACC Tournament, are not allowed to do their jobs. They are banished to a back room outside the arena, reduced to taking notes while recording the CBS feed. Nothing against CBS, which does a good job, but can you imagine the hue and cry if the NCAA told the New York Times and Sports Illustrated that its still photos would be provided by the Associated Press?
There are other indignities. All television live reports must originate from outside the arena. Since Dave's decree in 1982, we at WRAL have stood in the elements for live reports during conditions ranging from freezing cold, to driving rain, to actual tornado warnings, in order to perform our duties. Post game? That's another no-no for local tv. Our photographers are not allowed on the floor after games. WRAL photographer Brad Simmons captured a remarkable image after the ACC Championship Game Sunday of J.J. Redick embracing Coach Mike Krzyzewski. If that had occurred during the NCAA Tournament, there is a good possibility CBS would have been showing some talking heads during that moment and passing that choice along to the third class citizens required to use the CBS feed to assemble all NCAA game stories.
By contrast, the ACC is one of the few conferences in the nation that not only allows, but encourages local television to shoot its tournament games. Sunday the ACC found space for 16 local television cameras. The ACC opens its doors for television stations wanting to do live shots inside the arena before, between, or after games. And when it comes to post-game coverage, the ACC is equal opportunity. TV photographers are given the same rights as still photographers in capturing the images of victory and defeat after the final horn sounds.
I look forward to watching the NCAA Tournament games. I dread dealing with the NCAA's baseless restrictions on local televison.This is the only event where a newspaper with say, 50,000 readers has more rights than a television station that reaches two million viewers.
