Exclusive Contracts. Who signs?

[DNVRSTRINGER]

Just curious if anyone forces TV stations to sign exclusive contracts for breaking news video? What terminology do you use? Who signs? What about renewals/sharing the video footage? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Run&Gun]

I haven't really heard of freelancers/stringers making stations sign contracts, but I have heard of stations making their stringers sign what are basically "non-competes". One time I did ask for a specific market embargo to be put on some video that I shot when it went up on the national feed, though.

[INLANDNEWS]

The magazine shows ie: Inside Edition, Extra, ET usually fax over a contract to me. Normally when I have a national network that wants to buy video I have them send me an email with the agreement we made. At least there is a paper trail if there are any problems.

[Cameradude]

Back in the good ol' days when life was simple I shot a lot of footage for local TV stations. There were several occasions where I had footage of national appeal that I required a signed document stating the footage would not be put on a national or regional feed. I never had any problems with it. They were just happy to have it in their newscast.