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Telegram Story Tuesday, November 2, 2004 NTV Divas broadcast done without permission By TARA BRADBURY BENNETT, The Telegram NTV's decision to televise the recent Our Divas Do Broadway fundraising gala production has hit a sour note with performers and organizers of the event. "NTV broadcast it without any permission, and they had no right to do it", charges Sheilagh Guy Murphy, who produced Our Divas Do Broadway. "They were supposed to be filming some clips for the entertainment section of their news broadcast, but they apparently had the entire show filmed and the tape in a taxi to be sent back to NTV before some of the performers were even out of the building." Our Divas Do Broadway was held at Mile One Stadium in St. John's Oct. 16, and featured a number of well-known local singers performing musical hits from Broadway shows. The divas included Mama Mia star Tina Maddigan, Popstars: The One winner Christa Borden, Toronto music stars Robin Hutton, Sarah Templeton and Alison Woolridge, as well as local performers Kelly-Ann Evans, Petrina Bromley and Shelley Neville. Canadian Idol finalist Jason Greeley also made an appearance on stage. Fundraiser The show was a fundraising event for the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, and raised more than $100,000 towards the construction of Shamrock Farm, a vocational and life skills training centre for people with autism. Not long after the event, which was attended by close to 5,000 people, was over, NTV broadcast the entire performance, pre-empting Saturday Night Live. Guy Murphy said she has been receiving phone calls and questions from some of the performers and others involved in the show, many of whom are unionized, wondering why the event was televised without their permission or knowledge. She has also received invoices from some of the divas who have sought legal advice on the matter. There is also the question of copyright law involving the music, since Guy Murphy had purchased the rights to perform the show tunes on stage only, and not on television. She said she didn't discover the show had been televised until the next afternoon, and she immediately called NTV owner Geoff Stirling. "I told him I was mad as hell. He said there was no malicious intent behind it; that he just wanted to support a local production," Guy Murphy said, adding that the television station offered "tremendous coverage" of the event before it took place. "But then they came in, took (the show) and put it on the air. You just can't take someone's talent and do as you wish with it." Guy Murphy said. "This wasn't like it just went down the road and to your mother's house, it went via satellite around the flippin' world." One notable omission from the TV broadcast was the appearance of former This Hour Has 22 Minutes star Mary Walsh, who hosted Our Divas Do Broadway. Walsh's own TV program, Mary Walsh: Open Book, airs on CBC. During the broadcast of Divas, NTV flashed a statement across the bottom of the screen thanking viewers from around the continent who had been calling to comment on the show. When contacted by The Telegram, NTV general manager Doug Neal declined to comment on the situation, saying he wanted to speak to Guy Murphy first. Guy Murphy said she doesn't know if the matter will end up in court, but she'll be sending NTV any invoices she receives from the performers. tbb@thetelegram.com
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