In its response to the Scottish Affairs Committee’s
report, Public broadcasting in
Scotland, the UK Government has rejected the Committee’s call
to explore ways to ensure more members of the public in Scotland
can watch major sporting events for free.
In its report published last month, the Committee argued that
public service broadcasters are often ‘priced out’ of being able
to show sporting events such as international football, with the
subscription services that frequently purchase the broadcast
rights having “no obvious commercial incentive” to relinquish
exclusivity.
In response, the UK Government said that, given public service
broadcasters’ operational and editorial independence, it “does
not believe it would be appropriate to be more prescriptive about
which specific rights they should seek to acquire and from whom
they should seek to acquire them”.
The response also reiterates the UK Government’s existing
commitment on the future of Freeview, which a third of Scottish
households rely on to watch television, despite the Committee
calling for further clarity on the platform’s future beyond
2034.
Meeting a key recommendation of the Committee, the UK Government
confirms that a Culture and Creative Industries Inter-Ministerial
Group will be set up this year to support engagement between the
UK and devolved Governments. The Committee looks forward to
seeing more detail on the remit of the Group, which its report
suggested should include a focus on skills in the UK screen
industry.
Chair's comment
Scottish Affairs Committee Chair, MP, said:
“The UK Government has decided to stick to the status quo by
refusing to take steps that could allow more Scottish fans to
watch major sporting events for free. Our Committee made the case
that Scottish fans are disadvantaged compared to those in England
and Wales where viewers can watch more events – including men’s
international football – for free.
“This response to our report wholly fails to reflect the strength
of feeling on this issue from Scottish fans and the members of
our Committee. We are therefore expecting to hold a debate in the
House of Commons in June, ahead of the next round of men’s UEFA
Euro 2024 qualifiers, to explore this issue further.
“However, we welcome the confirmation of plans for the Culture
and Creative Industries Inter-Ministerial Group. This forum will
help the UK Government, the Scottish Government and the other
devolved governments work together on key issues like skills, to
ensure the thriving broadcasting sector in Scotland and the rest
of the UK continues to go from strength to strength.”
