Idaho Public Television persuaded the state Republican party this week to take down social media posts that used copyrighted clips from a candidate debate.
The footage came from an Oct. 15 gubernatorial debate produced by the station between GOP candidate Lt. Gov. Brad Little and Democrat Paulette Jordan.
The clips were “augmented with a mocking laugh track” reacting to Jordan’s statements, the Idaho Press reported Monday. They were posted on the state party’s Instagram and Twitter accounts.
Candidates who participate in IPTV debates sign releases that they will not use clips in campaign ads. Zach Hauge, Little’s campaign manager, said that “neither he nor his campaign have violated that agreement.”
But the Idaho Republican Party removed the posts after IPTV sent a cease-and-desist letter. “We’re happy to take it down. All is well,” a party spokesperson told the newspaper. “It was all amicable.”
“The purpose of The Idaho Debates is to provide voters with a level playing field for evaluating candidates on the ballot, not to be used as content for political ads,” Bruce Reichert, IPTV’s executive producer, told the newspaper.
“The Idaho Debates is a 50-year tradition; we have never allowed its content to be used by campaigns,” Reichert added.
Idaho PTV faced a similar situation in 2010 involving footage from a school superintendent debate.