United Kingdom

[GB] Group Established to Review Listed Sporting Events

IRIS 1998-2:1/25

David Goldberg

deeJgee Research/Consultancy

A Committee has been set up by the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport to review and recommend changes to the existing list of major sporting events for which live coverage must be made available on free-to-air channels (see Part IV of the Broadcasting Act 1996). The views of rights-holders are being sought and will be made available to the Committee. The main criterion to be used in deciding which, if any, sporting events should be listed is whether "the event has a special national resonance...an event which serves to unite the nation; a shared point in the national calendar." The point here is that the event is of significance to other people than those who ordinarily follow the sport concerned. Part of the main criterion is that such an event is likely to either be a pre-eminent national or international sporting event and/or it involves the national team or representatives thereof. If an event fulfils the main criteria it is likely to be considered for listing but listing is not automatic. Other relevant crtiteria are that that the event is likely to command a large television audience and has a history of being broadcast on free-to-air channels. Finally, a further consideration is the likely costs and benefits to the sport concerned, the broadcasting industry and to the viewer; these other factors are to be considered cumulatively ie. no single factor commands listing and no single failure to meet a criterion automatically disqualifies an event from consideration for listing.