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Posted

 

Actually radio stations can get in HUGE trouble for broadcasting prank phone calls. In fact it's illegal to record any phone call without letting someone know BEFORE you start.

 

Yes stations do get away punking people, then letting them in on the joke later and getting permission to air the call. But it is illegal to do that. There must be prior consent.

 

PTR

I've heard plenty of live pranks aired.

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Posted

Actually radio stations can get in HUGE trouble for broadcasting prank phone calls. In fact it's illegal to record any phone call without letting someone know BEFORE you start.

 

Yes stations do get away punking people, then letting them in on the joke later and getting permission to air the call. But it is illegal to do that. There must be prior consent.

 

PTR

 

You're wasting your breath arguing with Mr. know-it-all.

Posted

Wonder if this was the NFL putting some pressure on the Feds? I get the feeling the League does not like being made to look a fool. Maybe the Commissioner made a call?

 

The NFL respects the criminal justice system and will let this play out as it should in the courts.

Posted

 

I've heard plenty of live pranks aired.

they are in on it, prescreened, or in the cade of Howard stern who probably makes the worst prank and crank calls they will call and record the person then later call back to ask for permission. Its not illegal in every state to disclose you are recording them prior to beginning the conversation. They call the person a few days later and tell them it was for radio and ask to use the call...
Posted

I'd like to add that in almost all instances, when a prank phone call is aired, one of the parties is aware they're being recorded. In some (most?) states, that is all that is necessary. In this case, the both parties in the conversation were unaware they were being recorded AND that their conversation was essentially being illegally tapped.

Posted

I loved how Nix got flamed here after falling for something he never should have expected. What those guys did was mad shady, immeasurably unethical and as we're about to find out, borderline illegal. I doubt they're found guilty of anything, though.

Ugh....these guys did this for profit....they sold the recording to deadspin.com for $200. I don't know if they go to jail, but, not out of the question. And, they will be found guilty of illegal wiretapping, just a question of what sentence they draw.
Posted

I loved how Nix got flamed here after falling for something he never should have expected. What those guys did was mad shady, immeasurably unethical and as we're about to find out, borderline illegal. I doubt they're found guilty of anything, though.

 

Nix was flamed because he came off as whining about how Fitz was holding the roster and cap hostage and Buddy just didn't know what to do.

 

Most likely the White Collar Crime division of the Feds are going after these guys. They are totally different people than those who prosecute and investigate terrorist or drug related crimes. What these kids did was most likely a violation of federal laws.

 

I think they only got involved because it crossed state lines. Otherwise, each state has its own laws about recording conversations. Remember Linda Tripp? She recorded all those conversations with Lewinski without consent. Not only didn't the Ferds charge her with a crime, they happily took all of her tapes and used them to prosecute Lewinski and Clinton. The State of Maryland indicted Tripp for illegal wiretapping. Ironically, since the Feds had given immunity to Tripp and everyone else in the Lewinski investigation, much of the tapes/evidence was ruled inadmissable by a state court (yet dispite being illegally obtained, the Feds had no concerns about admissability for their purposes).

 

See? Sometimes the Feds don't care if someone "illegally" tapes a conversation.

 

Murph just said on his show that these two guys are from Massachusetts. Hmmm, did Belichick put these guys up to this to find another means to embarrass the Bills?

 

I think for Belichcik, having them on his schedule twice a year every year satisfies his need to embarrass the Bills.

 

Agreed. But to me anyway, they really seem to go out of their way for the NFL.

For example, they have been going after Microsoft almost forever about being a monopoly and price fixing, but they wrote a law specifically allowing the NFL to have a monopoly. And I never remember reading anything about the government looking into why anything NFL costs so much, and at the same time someone put pressure on DHGate to stop advertising fake jerseys.

 

Seems they get special treatment for some reason.

 

Why on earth would the government "look into" what the NFL charges for merchandize?? And why wouldn't they go after companies producing illegal knockoffs?

 

Actually radio stations can get in HUGE trouble for broadcasting prank phone calls. In fact it's illegal to record any phone call without letting someone know BEFORE you start.

 

Yes stations do get away punking people, then letting them in on the joke later and getting permission to air the call. But it is illegal to do that. There must be prior consent.

 

PTR

I'd like to add that in almost all instances, when a prank phone call is aired, one of the parties is aware they're being recorded. In some (most?) states, that is all that is necessary. In this case, the both parties in the conversation were unaware they were being recorded AND that their conversation was essentially being illegally tapped.

 

Prior consent is not needed. But before it can air, a signed release must be obtained.

 

Also, this wasn't a "prank call" in any traditional sense. It was a recorded conversation that didn't involve the perpetrators. They will cop a plea and pay a fine.

Posted

Why on earth would the government "look into" what the NFL charges for merchandize?? And why wouldn't they go after companies producing illegal knockoffs?

1) The government gave the NFL special permission to operate as a monopoly. I would think protecting the fans from price gouging due to that decision is not too much to ask. Granted it's not like a NFL jersey is a basic necessity of life, but if the gov't allows the monopoly they have a responsibility to make sure it isn't abused in my opinion.

 

2) Good question and I wanted to make sure, so using DHGate as one small example I went to the site and searched for the jerseys of a couple well known NFL players and came up with no hits. I then searched for a couple well known baseball players jerseys and hockey players jerseys and found some. If all companies are equal in the eyes of the government, why don't they protect MLB and the NHL as much as the NFL?

Posted

 

Actually radio stations can get in HUGE trouble for broadcasting prank phone calls. In fact it's illegal to record any phone call without letting someone know BEFORE you start.

 

Yes stations do get away punking people, then letting them in on the joke later and getting permission to air the call. But it is illegal to do that. There must be prior consent.

 

PTR

 

I have heard FWIW that in NYS one or more of the recorded parties involved need to be made aware, making prank calls nothing more than harassment and this illegal recording.

 

Again that is hearsay

Posted

I don't see how or why these guys get a break.

 

Wiretapping is espionage, and in this particular case, corporate espionage.

Posted

Ugh....these guys did this for profit....they sold the recording to deadspin.com for $200. I don't know if they go to jail, but, not out of the question. And, they will be found guilty of illegal wiretapping, just a question of what sentence they draw.

 

even if they dont go to jail, these guys will likely be dealing with this nonsense on job interviews and various background checks for the rest of their lives unless they end up with some sort of very minor mischief charge

Posted

Did the pranksters do us a favor? From Tim Graham/Buffalo News yesterday:

 

Fitzpatrick eventually declined to restructure his contract, and although he denied his decision was impacted by what Nix said in the recording, sources close to Fitzpatrick told me he was incensed.

 

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/press-coverage/2013/05/what-a-gag-buddy-nixs-pranksters-face-federal-charges.html?ref=bmh

 

If this is true, then the release of the recording poisoned the relationship enough to make it impossible to rework Fitz's contract and bring him back at a more appropriate salary. I liked Fitz, but we know he wasn't taking us anywhere special and am glad we are moving on. Better that it was a clean break and not dragged out.

 

kj

Posted

They're from Mass. so I assume they are Patriot fans. Hang 'em high then boil them in oil after they are tar and feathered.

I don't know. Being fans of Marcia and the Cheatriats are definitely signs of being abused as children.

Posted

Did the pranksters do us a favor? From Tim Graham/Buffalo News yesterday:

 

 

 

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/press-coverage/2013/05/what-a-gag-buddy-nixs-pranksters-face-federal-charges.html?ref=bmh

 

If this is true, then the release of the recording poisoned the relationship enough to make it impossible to rework Fitz's contract and bring him back at a more appropriate salary. I liked Fitz, but we know he wasn't taking us anywhere special and am glad we are moving on. Better that it was a clean break and not dragged out.

 

kj

In that case let's get a pool together to pay their fine

Posted

Did the pranksters do us a favor? From Tim Graham/Buffalo News yesterday:

 

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/press-coverage/2013/05/what-a-gag-buddy-nixs-pranksters-face-federal-charges.html?ref=bmh

 

If this is true, then the release of the recording poisoned the relationship enough to make it impossible to rework Fitz's contract and bring him back at a more appropriate salary. I liked Fitz, but we know he wasn't taking us anywhere special and am glad we are moving on. Better that it was a clean break and not dragged out.

 

kj

 

all jokes aside, i think some people are pulling the "this is silly, footballs just a game" card, when in reality it may have had effects on a billion dollar company negotiating with a 10 million a year employee. thats not small potatoes.

Posted

Out of curiosity did the party that bought and published the recording do anything illegal?

 

deadspins lawyers havent failed them yet, that i can think of.

 

the creation of the tape, not distribution is the real issue i believe.

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