watch tv and have a couple brews
According to Austinist, the Alamo Village is hosting screenings of cult-favorite TV shows this semester TV season. Fans of series like “Veronica Mars,” “Battlestar Galactica,” and “The Office” can head to Anderson Lane for one of the “TV Parties1 and have beer and pizza delivered to the comfort of their seats.
Most of these events start a half-hour after the shows air, allowing the Alamo to screen them commercial-free. Not that I’m particularly invested in the continued prosperity of the corporate media, but I wonder about the legal status of these events. TV producers have long guarded their intellectual property, to the extent it’s difficult for universities to maintain libraries of historic TV programming. (DVD has changed this somewhat, but I personally prefer watching the commercials if a show is five years or older.) Alamo is making money by selling food and drinks (but not tickets) at these parties, so I could how copyright holders might object to the events. I know first-hand many bars show football games on Saturdays for the enjoyment of their patrons, but using a TiVo to redact the commercials and hosting an event takes it one step further. Does anyone know if bars pay a license fee (like an ASCAP or BMI license) to show TV? Are the rules different for theaters? I’m a little surprised the Alamo would be so bold in using a TiVo.
1. It strikes me as a little strange the Alamo would appropriate the title of Black Flag’s anti-TV classic for a series of events where patrons actually watch TV. But I’ll just hope they have a screening of “That’s Incredible” and “Hill Street Blues.”
