Jeff Jarvis tees off on MSNBC/NBC News for its restrictions regarding what can and can’t be used on the internet from the Presidential Debates. (via Arts Technica via FishbowlDC)

A properly pissed off birdie forwarded me NBC News’ restrictions on tonight’s presidential debates, which are many and lead off with this: “internet use is not permitted.”

I think that’s ridiculous and so I sought to find out why they would do this. I called Joe Alicastro, producer of the debate for MSNBC, who was on site. I asked him why they were restricting use of the material on the internet. He twice didn’t answer and said “that’s our policy.” I said I know that’s their policy. I asked why. He would not answer.

I asked whether he thought the Amerian people had a right to this debate since it is our election. He said that “the American people have ample opportunity to view the debate on MCNBC and two North Carolina stations.”

Shameful. What makes NBC think it has the right to own the democratic discussion in this country?

I looked the restrictions over and aside from the end of life restriction of May 26th I don’t see anything really draconian there. The branding restrictions are basic common sense and fair play, albeit spelled out.

Jarvis can argue about the no internet broadcasting rule but the fact remains that that has been NBC Universal’s position for some time now regarding all of its over the air content. The last big gold rush is who gets to own online video content distribution; the companies who broadcast the footage or some third party?

The other restrictions have to do with ensuring people tune in to MSNBC and don’t wait around for someone to broadcast a 10 minute highlight reel or, worse, air the best parts just after they happen.

The only rule I don’t get is the May 26th end of life rule. What’s the big deal if someone wants to air a clip in June? That makes no sense.

I understand Jarvis is all about the big internet revolution, the MSM is a dying dinasaur, power to the people, and all that but this isn’t the “people’s debate”. It’s MSNBC/NBC’s debate. It’s a co-sponsor. It has the say-so regarding its broadcast just as CNN has the say-so regarding its debates and FNC has the say-so regarding its debates. This isn’t Public Access cable we’re talking about here where the expenses of putting on a program rest with the local suppliers of the program. This is a national debate where the expense is sodded by the network. There is no financial incentive to make the footage freely available. In fact it’s quite the opposite as there’s a whole mess of financial incentives for the network that sponsors the debate to keep the footage to itself and not have a bunch of “internet junkies” come in and leech their footage and debate when they did absolutely nothing to help with the expense of putting the debate on in the first place. Someone has to foot the bill. Right now it’s the network. Until that paradigm changes, I can’t agree with Jarvis that bloggers or online video distributors have any rights to footage of a debate they didn’t help put together.

This raises an interesting thought though. Could the blogger world assemble its own debate? An internet debate? There are enough TV debates out there already so I see no reason why an internet debate couldn’t happen.