this icenetwork monopoly

[skatergirlaj]

exactly. why would they want to listen to a bunch of raving lunatics... who are seeing some big brother conspiracy when basically all it's boiling down to is that whole idea of 'it's just good business' (I love the pirates of the caribbean movies lol).

Constructive letters will get a lot farther than the tone all of these threads have.

But the thing is...it's not good business.
However,yes,the letters should be respectful and polite.

 

[Tonichelle]

from your point of view... to theirs? obviously not... *shrugs*

 

[skatergirlaj]

But it's really not good business,sure they make some money off of a few people subscribing to IN,ok fine...but USFS makes money to run the organization from membership fees, $50+ per person usually,USFS gear(tshirts etc..to wear to competitions etc..),event tickets,things like that. If regular skate fans don't see skating on a regular basis, people won't skate,and therefore will not join USFS, then in the long run their membership will drop,which means there won't be people to buy the USFS gear and they won't buy tickets to US events because they won't even be aware they are happening,nor will the care to go and see people skate that they don't even know who they are,because they had not been exposed to those skaters via watching them on TV. In the long run,it's not good business.

 

[Tonichelle]

you're putting the USFSA into all of this where they really have no control. They aren't the ones not showing it on TV... the television networks (the big ones, ABC, NBC, CBS, etc) don't care to show it. As far as they're concerned it's a sport that gets shown once every four years like Gymnastics, Swimming, and the like... USFSA has no control of that, which is why IN came into the picture.

 

[skatergirlaj]

you're putting the USFSA into all of this where they really have no control. They aren't the ones not showing it on TV... the television networks (the big ones, ABC, NBC, CBS, etc) don't care to show it. As far as they're concerned it's a sport that gets shown once every four years like Gymnastics, Swimming, and the like... USFSA has no control of that, which is why IN came into the picture.

Yes they do have a part in this,they are pulling videos off of Youtube,and are supporting IN. Maybe the the big networks would show more interest in ice skating,if it were advertised better,and the interest in the sport was upped.Ice skating isn't as big as other sports because it's not kept in the public mind as much as it should be.In other countries where skating is advertised and skating stars are stars...skating is hugely popular.

 

[Hsuhs]

If it's true that IN is behind all this, it's time to do something to stop the madness and delusion of grandeur, i.e. to contact Eurosport and tell them how one ....ty annoying US corporation prevents me from viewing all those exciting Eurosport commercials. Just a thought.

 

[Mathman]

U.S. president elect Barack Oba,a just gave a major address on his plan for jump-starting th American ecomy by massive investments in public works projects on a scale not seen since the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s.

The medium for this address? A radio broadcast and You Tube.

Why can't the Icenetwork catch on that You Tube and similar free internet file sharing sites are the way to go to drum up business for your product? They should rejoice that people want to watch footage of Grand Prix contests on You Tube. That will make people say, where can I sign up to get more of this, live?

Think big, guys.

 

[bethissoawesome]

U.S. president elect Barack Oba,a just gave a major address on his plan for jump-starting th American ecomy by massive investments in public works projects on a scale not seen since the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s.

The medium for this address? A radio broadcast and You Tube.

Why can't the Icenetwork catch on that You Tube and similar free internet file sharing sites are the way to go to drum up business for your product? They should rejoice that people want to watch footage of Grand Prix contests on You Tube. That will make people say, where can I sign up to get more of this, live?

Think big, guys.

I do agree that if IN wants to generate more subscriptions and viewerships, they should go the YouTube route. Many different organizations are using it for publicity... we saw it in the election. This might be a bizarre example, but it's somewhat applicable to FS competitions going on in other countries that people like to debate whether IN holds the rights to pull it off Youtube or not (even if they don't, someone else does... they just aren't spending the time and money to do it). There is always a lot of bickering over the rights for Japanese animation that US distributors want to purchase, but the problem is, by the time they have made a deal, half the show has aired in Japan and is already all over Youtube, Veoh, etc. So recently, production companies have been starting their own accounts and airing the videos free of charge, but in a very low quality, just to generate interest so that people who enjoy will buy the product in its best quality with little bonuses when it is ready.

IN could apply the same principle. They really only appeal to avid skating fans to begin with. Your casual viewer who turns in maybe once for worlds or just the Olympics isn't going to want to pay $30/annual. The best thing I could think for IN would be to put low quality Youtube videos up themselves, then have high quality versions of the videos on their site and also include bonuses such as slow-motion footage, commentary, etc. (things that appeal to figure skating fans, their target demographic who want to see close up footage of the edge Mao Asada took off on her lutz or whether that triple-triple was really under-rotated). They need to start thinking about attracting the more dedicated skating fans with extra features that are a bit more than like owning a TiVo, and sadly enough, even though it isn't legal, realize that people desperate enough to find a free video of a skate on the internet will probably be able to find it. But if they post the versions themselves, it brings them more viewers and more recognition and less people trying to post the videos since they know IN will make them available regardless.

 

[siberia82]

The USFSA has just made a copyright claim on a CBC-produced 2008 Canadian Nationals fluff on YouTube (there's absolutely no footage from the GP season on that vid----all the clips were limited to the 2008 Canadian Nationals). Since when did the USFSA own broadcast rights for Canadian skating???

For those of you who are legal experts, can please someone explain to me why they have any claim over that fluff?

 

[Tonichelle]

they may not have asked for that to be taken down. youtube might be taking down all figure skating footage that's new - they wouldn't know (or care to know) the difference

IIRC you can email youtube and ask why it was taken down, if it's your vid.

 

[dorispulaski]

Youtube claims to have an automated program that looks for video or audio or both, your choice. So if Skater A (US) and Skater B (Canada) skate to the same cuts, the program might flag the vid. The group wanting to protect content supply the clips to youtube and the program looks for violations.

If it was USFS that took your video down, note the URL of your old vid. Then go to the USFS website, hit the Contact Us button, explain nicely that you know they have the right to protect all the content on the IN broadcast schedule, however, they have no rights to Canadian Nationals. And they have taken down a video of Canadian Nationals, and that IN does not have rights to Canadian Nationals. Give them the URL and ask them to ask youtube to restore the video. Youtube will do it.

The normal youtube protest version seems to require a lawyer or such.

This seems like a pain, but it avoids having your entire account taken down the second time.

Oh, and BTW, TFI (France I) is also having British Eurosport vids taken down. I lost a vid of 2007 Four Continents that way.

 

[Tonichelle]

I think YouTube is muddying the waters more than they are admitting to lol

 

[siberia82]

Thank you for the information, Tonichelle and dorispulaski. It was indeed USFS who flagged my vid :scowl:, and this was the first time I received a copyright claim. I was so scared of losing my YouTube account that I deleted the fluff piece in haste. Of course, now I wish I had consulted you two first because it might be too risky to upload the clip again. :banging:

What a shame, it was such a funny clip. It featured Kurt Browning, Fedor Andreev and Vaughn Chipeur joking around before the Men's LP.

 

[Tonichelle]

how do you know it was the USFSA? because of the default message that youtube put on it? that's youtube, no the USFSA.

 

[ing]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci_e_q_hdBA

 

[siberia82]

how do you know it was the USFSA? because of the default message that youtube put on it? that's youtube, no the USFSA.

The notification I received was something along the lines of "U.S. Figure Skating has made a copyright claim on your video... bla bla bla" I deleted it from my channel, so I don't remember the full message. Was that actually YouTube and not the USFSA?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci_e_q_hdBA

:chorus:

 

[sillylionlove]

Perhaps the USFSA should care more about whether they are still going to have a fan base after this year and stop caring so much about you tube.

FYI...If anyone gets IFS Magazine..check out the new issues...many many people are upset with the lack of figure skating coverage and having to pay for IN....which it appears that many are not...they are also upset with the shows that NBC are showing....check out the letters to the editor and the editors page!!

 

[Mathman]

If you search on You Tube for Kristi Yamaguchi, you can see video after video of her performances on Dancing with the Stars.

ABC TV and the show's producers understand that -- copyright, schmopyright -- the more people who check out these videos, the greater the interest will be in watching the show next season.

USFSA is missing the boat.

 

[Buttercup]

I can still find most of the figure skating videos I want, though this does take more effort than it did in the past and occasionally requires visits to websites in languages I can't read... but I agree with all of you who are concerned that the lack of visibility will be very damaging for figure skating.

Speedy, make it stop before Mao's and Yu-Na's commercials are all that's left for the fans!

 

[Eevun]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci_e_q_hdBA

Haha, this is hilarious haven't they got a little bit too far?

Perhaps the USFSA should care more about whether they are still going to have a fan base after this year and stop caring so much about you tube.

Indeed. That ^^ guy is certainly not a fan... Never have, and now - never will.