Italy

[IT] Amendment of Football League Regulations

IRIS 2000-1:1/20

Maja Cappello

Autorità per le garanzie nelle comunicazioni (AGCOM)

Following a strong debate on the regulations approved by the Italian Football League last August, concerning interviews and reports broadcast on radio and television for the 1999/2000 football season (Regulations of the Lega Nazionale Professionisti of 5 August 1999, see IRIS 1999-9: 14), on 29 November 1999 the League reached an agreement with the main Italian TV and radio associations, the Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (Italian Communications Authority) acting as a mediator, in order to amend some of the provisions.

The most relevant amendments concerning radio broadcasting (Regolamento per l'esercizio della cronaca radiofonica per la stagione sportiva 1999/2000) are the following:

- Authorised broadcasters are allowed altogether 18 minutes of reporting (instead of three) for each day of the Serie A and Serie B tournaments football matches.

The allotted time must be split into windows of three minutes maximum and each half of the match may be reported by a maximum of three windows.

- During the 18 minutes of free reporting, live transmission is allowed;

- Interviews with players are still allowed only 20 minutes after the end of the match, but may be transmitted without time limits;

- Interviews with viewers are allowed between the first and the second half.

The TV broadcasting regulation (Regolamento per l'esercizio della cronaca televisiva per la stagione sportiva 1999/2000) has been amended as follows:

- Authorised broadcasters are now allowed four minutes of reporting instead of three) for each day of the Serie

A and Serie B tournaments football matches, if more than one relevant matches are played;

- Audiovisual recordings may be transmitted without limit until 12 p.m. of the second day after the match, instead of maximum three times until 3 p.m. of the day after;

- The general prohibition on audiovisual recordings and interviews with the viewers during the matches has been deleted: the new regulation allows them between the first half and the second.

No change has been made with regard to the procedural requirements.