Government Opens Debate On TV Sport

The Department of National Heritage has published a Government paper, ‘Broadcast Sports Rights: Informing the Debate’, which aims to ‘help inform the public and Parliamentary debate’ on the question of TV coverage of sports events.

Virginia Bottomley, National Heritage Secretary, said: “There is a widespread view that certain events are more than mere sporting occasions and are an integral part of our common inheritance. Sport is for everyone…The Government recognises the concern that a core of sporting events should be freely available for the nation.”

Fears have been expressed however that the Government will favour satellite TV: Mrs Bottomley goes on to say that “ill-thought through changes could deprive sports of a primary source of income. This would stifle investment in new community facilities and in talented young people”. She believes that satellite coverage of sport has resulted in an expansion of choice for viewers, and that the extra income has enabled football to clubs invest in their grounds.

The Government will consider three main options: ensuring that if an organisation such as BSkyB buys exclusive live rights to an event, then terrestrial broadcasters will at least be able to buy recorded highlights; extending the restrictions in the 1990 act so that terrestrial TV will have the right to show all the listed events live; adding to the list of events.

Summing up, Mrs Bottomley says that “The sports rights debate is not between terrestrial and subscription television. It is about balancing the rights and freedoms of the broadcasting and sports industries; the interests of viewers and listeners with the wider interests of the millions of people who play sport.”

The Department of National Heritage will be convening meetings with broadcasters, sports bodies, consumer groups and other interested parties to discuss the issues.

DNH: 0171 211 6200