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Croatian soccer fans are known for their delicate sensibilities.
In what be the most ridiculous story of the year, the Association of Croatian Societies in Slovenia is suing two Slovenian cable operators because they blocked Croatian TV broadcasts of the World Cup this summer. Got that? No? Okay, don’t worry. Let’s break this down together. From the beginning:
1) Slovenia’s two big TV kahunas, Pro Plus and RTV Slovenija, secured the right to broadcast World Cup matches in Slovenia.
2) They ask cable operators UPC Telemach and Ljubljanski kabel to “black out” Croatian TV transmissions of the matches. Why? To ensure that they have a monopoly on coverage here, of course. What’s critical to note, though, is that this almost certainly has nothing to do with Croatian viewers. Croatians account for less than 2% of the population here. What the broadcasters are worried about are Slovenes — many of whom may have preferred watching Croatian coverage of the matches. Was this a shitty thing to do? Perhaps. But it was also perfectly understandable and, frankly, par for course. But here’s where things take a turn for the worse.
3) In a fit of rage, the Association of Croatian Societies in Slovenia sues the cable operators, claiming “discrimination” and the kind of deep “psychological pain” that only 1.6 million euros can make right again.
And that’s where the story is right now. It’s the “psychological pain” part that irks me most, not only because I was hoping I’d left that kind of nonsense behind in the U.S., but also because it’s almost offensively ridiculous. In fact, you could say that this lawsuit is causing me psychological pain. And it’s deep… Like €50-million deep.
First of all, it’s not like they were hog-tied, caged and prohibited from watching World Cup matches. They just had to watch them in the language of the country where they currently live. And they didn’t even have to do that. I mean, let’s imagine for a second that you’re the type of fanatic nutter who absolutely HAS to see a match broadcast in your native tongue. If you don’t see matches with a familiar voice explaining that you just saw a goal being scored, or a pass being made, you become traumatized. That might be difficult for you to imagine, especially since those kind of people probably belong in a mental hospital, but try to imagine it anyway. You HAVE to see the game in your mother tongue or else, mental schism. If this is the case: Why not just drive to Croatia to watch the goddamn matches? The distance is less than the average New Jersey-New York City commute. Hell, they were showing them for free on big screens in Zagreb, if I recall correctly. Or go to Germany? I mean, it’s not like anyone was working during the time anyway.
Or how about this: tuning into Croatian radio while watching the match on TV? I know a lot of people who do this. What about that? My point is that there were options. Lots of ‘em. It’s not like me and Taco Bell, where traveling 1,000 kilometers in any direction just leaves me standing there, a poor fool, just as wise as formerly.
And I don’t want to sound insensitive or anything. I mean, I know firsthand that it’s difficult being a foreigner, and that maintaining a connection with your country of origin is important. I’m guilty of doing plenty of crazy, stupid things to keep up this connection, like going to Austria to get Dr. Pepper, or praying every night for the Good Lord to deliver a Taco Bell unto Ljubljana, so that I may rejoice and gnash chicken soft tacos with mine teeth. But at some point you have to decide if something is a deal-breaker or not, if something that’s missing here is going to cause you “psychological pain” worth millions of tolars, or not. In short, you have to adjust. You have to recognize those things that are inconveniences or annoyances, and work around them — not clog up the courts with monkey shit like this.
As for the legal implications: They may actually have an argument of sorts. You could argue that people (myself included) paid for a television package with HTV, and that we were denied this during World Cup matches. Then again, if withholding service or not delivering an expected service are crimes, I know a lot of Slovenian companies that should be sued. Really a lot.
In short, I suppose I can understand (although not sympathize with) the black out as a “breach of contract.” But all this “mental pain” garbage needs to be reserved for moments when it really applies.
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Best rant ever Majkl! I just thought of something, maybe the small Croatian Society is trying to raise funds? Unlike physical injury which, except for back pain, can be quantified, is not easy to estimate, so it’s wonderful as an item to add to lawsuits. Blocking the HRT part of the cable package was rude.
I completely agree with your rant. I don’t care about this lawsuit…
Though… one point… some games were also pain to watch even for slovenes… for example, when “smiling” commentator Tomaz Klemencic had the stage, you just had to turn off the noise… it was so annoying…
its similar to F1, when Alisic is on… yikes… When Niko Mihelic was around it was always a great race… you watched the beginning and woke up just before the end… while screaming and talking nonsense Alisic does not allow you to sleep, so you just have to change the channel and not to watch the race at all
Wow. This is by far the most emotional I’ve seen you get, Michael. I agree that “psychological pain”-oriented lawsuits ought to be the sole province of American frivolity. What do you say you and I look into an ex-pat class-action lawsuit against Taco Bell? All this praying for chicken soft tacos is causing me mental anguish which should be worth a mountain of cash.
I completely agree!!! RTVSLO and PROPLUS bought exclusive broadcast rights in Slovenia and they were entitled to demand a blackout. However - it is also true that people (not just Croats) payed for the entire range of channels on their cable.
Thus the cable operators have, quite deservedly, found themselves between a rock and a hard place. The bastards make money just by tuning to a satelite feed and then charge people to see that. The operators don’t even pay fees for re-distributing most of the satelite feeds, let alone have to subscribe to them (unlike Discovery and Sky News, most Central European channels are not scrambled).
I think the cable operators had this one comming for a long time. They run a local monopoly and have all the time in the world to find and use legal loopholes. While the “psychological damage” isssue is a load of bull, I’m sure all cable operators end up in hell, together with lawyers and people who buy from TV shops.
In fact it is a very interesting case, and one that in fact could create more problems for the Croatian broadcasters than the Croatian societies might realise!
If the Slovenian cable operators just took the feeds without permission from the Croatian stations and then rebroadcast those signals they would be infringing copyright and could be liable, not just to the Croats but to the body that awarded the licences to rebroadcast the matches in the first place.
However, if the rebroadcast of the signals takes place with the knowledge of the Croatian channels (as seems probable) then any order by the Croatian channels not to black out the signals during the game could very well be wilful neglect of the terms of their contract to broadcast the matches. These things are awarded on a country-by-country basis and so the Slovenian broadcasters had every right to demand the channels be blacked out and the Croatian broadcasters would have had every duty to ensure that this was the case and that appropriate measures were taken by their partners in other countries.
Therefore, I suspect that the lawsuit should more correctly be filed against the Croat channels or against the body that awarded the rights. There would appear to be absolutely nothing wrong with what the Slovene cable operators did. In fact, they would face greater problems if they hadn’t.
In the case of the latter, good luckThey will dump millions of euros (no doubt assisted by FIFA) to ensure that the principle of territoriality remains intact. In the case of the former, all I can say is: ‘hahahahahahah! Idiots!’
By the way, great rant Mike. I just hope this has as amusing an end as I think it will. Keep us informed!
Obviously, the cable operators HAD to blackout Croatian channels. But the operators put themselves in such a position by indiscriminatly broadcasting by everything they can get their hands on and not paying for it. Cable operators actually infringe copyright by re-broadcasting satelite feeds without paying any kind of fee (as is the case with HTV and many other channels).
I’m sure they would think twice before broadcasting HTV if the latter issued them a monthly check for a hefty sum. On the other hand the operators billed people for something thay (in effect) stole. So I think the lawsuit is directed at the right target.
I mostly agree… but then again - why the hell can’t I watch Sci-Fi channel from the US of A here in Slovenia? Or some other interesting North American channel perhaps… They’re talking about globalization all the time, yet they artificially create various corporate megaregions to limit supplies on these different “markets” on the planet, thus making more profit out of it.
I agree the whole idea of suing is ridiculous, but as a football fan from England I have to say that I can appreciate people wanting to hear their “own” commentators. Especially because English and Croatian commentators are far far better. Slovenian football commentary often consists of reading out prepared fact sheets that are often out of date, and making cliched comments about the local culture; And having to hear the words “Gordi Albion” instead of English or England, again and again and again.
Michael, on the contrary. There’s a Taco Bell just a few hundred KM away in Aviano. You’ve just got to entice a few US millitary men to sign you on base and a world of American culinary delights will be at your fingertips (worked for me!). If all else fails, you can always settle for the version Crni will smuggle over in his sock.
What got lost in the uproar is the fact that blackouts of sports coverage aren’t something unique to Slovenia. They even happen WITHIN some countries: In the U.S., for instance, rights to many games are sold to both national cable networks and to local stations in the team’s home markets. In those markets, viewers aren’t able to watch the cable networks’ coverage, but have to tune in to the local stations, which paid for the rights. If they don’t like the commentary, there’s always radio.
I’m not saying that this is right, by the way, just that it’s not all that unusual. And compared to some real rights-based idiocy (DVD regions, anyone?), I just don’t think it’s such a big deal.
Sorry Majkl, no home runs yesterday. I guess you will have to persuade your wife to seduce one of the embassy security guards to take you both to Aviano. Ahh, what an indecent proposal.
I don’t get it. Being of Croatian birth, I thought it was one of characteristics to be in p-erpetual mental anguish. How else to explain the perpetual furrowing of the brow and the frozen arms akimbo pose. You mean to tell me this natural state (for us) of anguish can earn us the big bucks? And all we have to do is to move out of Croatia to start collecting the mullah?
Time to hit the road.
I would drive to Austria to get Dr Pepper too!
@DarkoVI never knew this guy was a Croat!
theatomicmoose.ca/vcd/freakazoid/images/stills/010.png
but yeah he looks like my fiance did as a young man only angry, since he’s a Bosnian-Croat there’s a little more light-heartedness!
Damn I’m gonna stereotype everyone today if it KILLS me! ,,,runs away,,,*
the mullah? (Muslim religious leader) or mooooolah Yank speak for money?
In my opinion, blocking it out was a silly thing to do. The Slovene broadcasters brought this on themselves. I live near the Croatian border and funny enough, was watching the games on HTV until it was blocked. Much more passion for the game there!
Katja,
A correction.
I am DarkoV, son of DarkoIV. The DarkoVI you write of is still a twinkle in my eye and so still more in my imagined fatherhood than my real one.
May all of the Darko’s out there live long and gloriously giddy lives, regardless of the Save-the-World plans their parents have for them.