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Copyrights keep TV shows off DVD
Wired News reports that popular TV shows will never be released on DVD due to the high costs (and hassle) of clearing the rights for music in them. For example, WKRP in Cincinatti is unlikely to ever be released on DVD because the show contained a ton of music.
Posted by carrie on 03/02/2005 | Permalink
Comments
I'm surprised that WiReD article didn't mention that the music clearance rights has already forced the distributors of WKRP, which is still being shown on some cable channels, to change the music in the episodes. So now when you see the episodes in syndication (or purchase the available WKRP episodes on VHS), you don't get the original music anymore. Jaime J. Weinman has cataloged a list of WKRP music changes which is pretty long, since there was a buttload of music used throughout the series.
Posted by: jima | Mar 2, 2005 11:28:33 AM
Even wrestling DVDs aren't immune to this. When WWE released their The Rise and Fall of ECW documentary, they didn't yet have the rights to any of the original ECW music (then again, even ECW didn't have the rights to the non-original music they used, but they didn't care) and they still don't have the rights to a lot of WCW music. They did a decent job of splicing in the entrance themes the WWE has used for guys that've worked for them, but other guys they haven't hired just got shitty thrown-together generic grunge music.
And don't even get me started on the WWF/WWE name change thing and how they have to blur out the old logo and edit any mention of "WWF" out of the audio.
Posted by: 1justin | Mar 2, 2005 12:19:19 PM
Also why the DVD edition of Freaks and Geeks is as expensive as it is. Cost them a bundle to clear all that music.
Posted by: Matt Ransford | Mar 2, 2005 1:53:44 PM
Isn't Miami Vice facing the same issue? I believe that season 1 comes with the original music, but after that is up in the air? I mean, Crocket & Tubbs not cruising to Phil Collins "In The Air of Night" (Is it still leagal to even mention songs by name? Would someone please ask the RIAA for me? They've made life so difficult, it just might be easier with out music, but that is another story) but some cheasy music, no Jan Hammer ... I mean come on ... music was half of the show. And you know, people exposed to this for the first time, such as our children who weren't around to see the broadcast might want to purchase this music, let alone us who have not heard it in who knows how long ... I guess it is just better to keep the music on the shelves ... is everything run by dipshits?
Posted by: dph | Mar 5, 2005 1:54:34 PM
this was apparently a big deal for the short-run series 'freaks and geeks'; took years for them to clear popular and largely-unknown songs alike.
http://www.ugo.com/channels/dvd/features/freaksandgeeks/default.asp
Posted by: ian | Mar 7, 2005 1:37:42 PM
