Nine web site ordered to remove rings
Story by: Matthew Moore
28 April 1998.Channel 7 has paid millions to be the official TV sponsor of the Olympic Games, and have the rights to the famous five-ring symbol. But on Friday night's news, it was Channel 9 that was using the Olympic rings to promote its expanded Internet site.
After broadcasting a news story on the Olympics, Nine newsreader Brian Henderson appeared next to SOCOG's official Olympic logo, urging viewers to get the latest Olympic information at Nine's web site. The site features items from Olympic personalities including Nine employee and SOCOG board member Graham Richardson.
Mr. Richardson, a close friend of Australian Olympic Committee president Mr. John Coates, who is also Australian custodian of the rings, would have been aware more than most of the sensitivity of using the rings without permission. Indeed, legislation has been passed to ensure that no-one who has not paid for the rights to the rings can use them for promotional purposes. Someone at Nine's web site, ninemsn, was clearly unaware of the problems of unauthorised use of the rings because the manager of the SOCOG's media department, Mr. Milton Cockburn, got a call around news time on Friday.
"I was asked whether there were any problems and I said 'yes, there are problems'," Mr. Cockburn said. "I told them if you are not a sponsor you are not entitled to use the rings to promote your product." By Saturday changes to the web site were made.
Last night SOCOG was preparing a letter to ninemsn to explain its policy on the rings.
This article first appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, 28.04.98.
Cool Running adds: If you feel your enjoyment of the sport will be enhanced by seeing the SOCOG official logo, go to http://www.sydney.olympic.org/. The cheeky channel nine site is at http://www.ninemsn.com.au/.
Cool Running Australia 28.02.97.
