CNN Softens Its Stance on Rights to Footage

CNN News Group Chairman Walter Isaacson called his counterparts at other networks late Monday in an attempt to defuse an increasingly heated public feud over CNN’s attempts to obtain exclusive footage from inside Afghanistan.

His calls came after CNN’s partner, the Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV network, sent stern letters to other networks Monday threatening to take legal action if they continue to use Al Jazeera footage that is supposed to be exclusive to CNN for the first six hours after transmission.

Isaacson’s move is the latest in a series of actions and reactions that began Saturday, when CNN issued notice to its rival broadcast and cable news channels that it had reached an agreement giving it exclusive rights to broadcast any Al Jazeera video for the first six hours. That agreement quickly came under fire when Al Jazeera--the only network officially authorized by Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban to send live pictures from inside the country--got footage of U.S.-led attacks, as well as an apparently prerecorded statement from Osama bin Laden.

All major TV news organizations ignored the CNN embargo and immediately began airing the video, citing its compelling news value.

CNN says it has paid nothing for the exclusive arrangement, and there were indications Monday that the cable news network is not inclined to press its legal rights in the case. Indeed, Isaacson told other network presidents that CNN had no intention of enforcing its exclusive deal, according to executives at the networks receiving his call. At the same time, a CNN spokesman released a statement saying, “Yes, we believe that we have an exclusive on this footage, and we believe that the exclusivity is enforceable, but we’re not going to enforce it in this unique circumstance because of the compelling national interest.”

That was in marked contrast to a letter Al Jazeera faxed Monday that said in part: “Although this [Sunday] usage is considered an act of piracy, CNN and Al Jazeera made a decision to ignore it for one day only. This note shall serve as notice to all Al Jazeera clients and affiliates that the CNN-Al Jazeera exclusive agreement is still in place and if we have to, we will enforce it through our legal departments.”

A CBS News spokeswoman said the network is “gratified [CNN] changed their position,” but noted in a statement that, in the future, “If there is material that is of vital importance, CBS News will give strong consideration to broadcasting it despite attempts by a competitor to keep it from parts of the American public.”

“My feeling is, if Al Jazeera has some video that is in the national interest, we would use it again,” said Erik Sorenson, president of CNN rival MSNBC.

Separately, TV news organizations said they had no qualms about airing the video statement from Bin Laden as soon as it was made available Sunday, giving him virtually unfettered access to American airwaves.

“It was pretty obvious it was something we should air,” said Marcy McGinnis, CBS News senior vice president of news coverage.

NBC discussed what to do with the material and concluded it was appropriate to air it, said Steve Capus, executive producer of “NBC Nightly News.” “It was the first time since the Sept. 11 attacks that there has been a statement from him, and it was as close as he’s come to acknowledging responsibility for the attacks,” Capus said.

But NBC, CBS and Fox News Channel said they felt obliged to add qualifications. “We definitely thought it should be aired, but we had to qualify the whole thing . . . that we had no verification of where it is, when it was shot, all those kind of disclaimers,” said John Stack, vice president of news gathering for Fox News Channel. “With those in mind, we were comfortable airing it.”