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Lara Sinclair | August 21, 2009
Article from: The Australian
THE Rudd government will consider strengthening use-it-or-lose-it provisions for sports on the anti-siphoning list that are not shown on free-to-air television, under a review started yesterday.
Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy released a discussion paper calling for submissions on rules governing the broadcasting of sport on free-to-air and pay TV, beginning the long-awaited review of the anti-siphoning scheme.
Under the current legislation, more than 20 categories of sporting events -- including the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, AFL and NRL premiership matches, rugby union Tests, most national team cricket and the Melbourne Cup -- may not be shown on pay TV or digital multi-channels before free-to-air broadcasters have obtained the rights or shown them on their main channels.
The pay TV broadcasters yesterday renewed their call to be allowed to bid to show sports not currently being shown on free-to-air television's main channels.
Steve Bracks, the chairman of pay TV industry body ASTRA, said the Seven, Nine and Ten networks "use the system to keep a stranglehold on the sports codes, consumers, and to block competition".
"Australia's anti-siphoning list is the longest in the world, and most of the sport listed is not shown by the free-to-air TV networks," he said.
A spokeswoman for the Ten Network, which in March launched a sports-focused digital multi-channel called One HD, said the free-to-air networks should be allowed to screen more sport on their multi-channels.
Submissions are due by October 16.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html
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