TalkSPORT Allowed To Split Scottish Football

National commercial speech station talkSPORT is to be allowed to provide a separate football programme for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The station asked to establish the “split” service in order to provide phone-ins and coverage which covered the Scottish Premier League rather than the English one.

The station is capable of broadcasting in this way due to the transmitters it operates in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The provision of limited amount of “splitting” was indicated in guidance notes issued before the licence was awarded, and the Radio Authority therefore agreed to the request.

Last year talkSPORT gained permission from the Radio Authority to make a similar “split” for the London area, and is now allowed to broadcast two hours of live football commentary a day in London, although the option has yet to be exercised.

Special cases for theses opt-outs are made for London, because of the amount of sporting activity which takes place there, and Scotland and Northern Ireland because of their devolved status and wholly separate football structure. However, the Authority insisted that it will not allow talkSPORT owners The Wireless Group to make any further regional splits, and the Scottish decision is subject to review two years after it is established.

Radio Authority: 020 7430 2724 www.radioauthority.org.uk Wireless Group: 020 7269 7180

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