Wireless Group Targets BBC With Legal Action
Kelvin MacKenzie looks set to drag a second broadcast heavyweight kicking and screaming into the court room later this year, as the outspoken radio chief’s Wireless Group initiates legal proceedings against BBC Radio Five Live.
The Wireless Group claims that the BBC has indulged in anti-competitive bidding and is monopolising Premiership football commentary rights by grossly outgunning its competitors. It accuses Radio Five Live of splashing out £39 million for the rights to broadcast live Premiership football commentary for three more years, while its nearest rival offered just £2.55 million.
The radio group claims that the BBC’s interpretation of ‘competitive’ bidding is simply not what it seems. Michael Franklin, managing director of the Wireless Group’s talkSPORT station, said: “They didn’t reveal the huge price paid – and no wonder, because we now know they have wasted tens of millions of fee-payers’ money.”
The Wireless Group’s legal argument is that the BBC used overpayment to ensure that Premiership is out of reach of its commercial rivals. It also claims that many games are hoarded by the Corporation and are not covered by its analogue radio services.
Franklin added: “The problem is that this is our money and they are wasting it by tens of millions of pounds. talkSPORT Radio wanted to bid for certain selective live football rights but the bidding process turned into an all or nothing option because the BBC were prepared to pay such a huge premium for exclusivity.”
The upset marks the second time talkSPORT has clashed with BBC Five Live. In June the BBC was forced to withdraw a promotional trailer claiming that Five Live had exclusive broadcast rights for the Euro 2004 tournament following threats of legal action from talkSPORT, whom UEFA had granted official commentary rights and broadcast status (see talkSPORT Threatens To Sue BBC Over Football Claims).
Kelvin MacKenzie’s Wireless Group recently commenced legal proceedings against RAJAR and is claiming millions of pounds worth of damages allegedly caused by certain “flaws” in the radio audience measurement body’s research (see MacKenzie To Claim £66 Million In Damages From RAJAR).
BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk talkSPORT: 020 7959 7800 www.talksport.co.uk
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