The ABC affiliates board has endorsed a new agreement between affiliates, the network and ABC News regarding ABC’s NewsOne service and how content is used and shared in an increasingly digital world. The announcement was made by John Rouse, senior VP of ABC affiliate relations and marketing; Ben Sherwood, president of ABC News; and Mike Devlin, chairman of the ABC Television Affiliates Association’s board of governors.
The agreement is good for three years. Financial details were not disclosed. ABC called the deal “groundbreaking” in how it covers the use of news content on a range of media platforms, locally, nationally and in an international arena.
“During the time that this agreement has been developed, the ways in which television stations and ABC produce news content has both expanded and changed in many ways,” said Rouse. “We have gone to great lengths to try to capture current uses, as well as anticipate future uses of video, with reciprocity as a guiding principle.”
Affiliates said the deal was a complicated one that was a long time in the works.
“This important agreement–the culmination of years of work by so many people–enables ABC News, NewsOne and our strong ABC affiliates to continue supporting outstanding news coverage nationally and in local markets,” said Sherwood. “From this flexible and creative foundation we will achieve growth and success in the future by delivering the best journalism on multiple platforms to our viewers.”
Devlin, president and general manager at WFAA Dallas, called NewsOne “a vital tool” for sharing content. “The board is pleased that the new agreement preserves the historical NewsOne model and provides limits on content distribution, while still expanding rights to digital and social media platforms,” he said. “Equally important, the affiliates and the network crafted an agreement that at its heart is symmetrical for both parties.”
