(Secretary of State for
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport): I have written
today to the BBC, S4C, Ofcom and The International Paralympic
Committee in a limited consultation on adding the Paralympic
Games to the Listed Events Regime. I have also copied the letter
to Channel 4 who currently hold the broadcasting rights for the
next Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020, to other eligible Free To
Air broadcasters, and to the Sport and Recreation Alliance.
The Broadcasting Act 1996 gives the Secretary of State for
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport discretion to designate
sporting and other events of national interest as listed events.
Once listed, broadcasting rights to such events must be offered
to the main free-to-air terrestrial broadcasters (“qualifying
broadcasters”) on fair and reasonable terms. Qualifying
broadcasters are those which reach 95% coverage of UK viewers and
at no additional cost to the viewer than the television licence
fee. Broadcasters currently meeting these criteria are BBC1,
BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
The current list, compiled in 1998, consists of two categories of
events:
-
Group A, in which full live coverage must be offered to the
qualifying broadcasters; and
-
Group B, in which live coverage may be broadcast on
subscription television as long as secondary coverage is
offered to qualifying broadcasters.
Under section 97 of the Broadcasting Act 1996, the Secretary of
State is able to amend the list providing that they have
consulted with the statutory consultees. In my letter I have
asked consultees to consider the following:
-
whether, based on the guidance and criteria given, the
Paralympic Games should be added to the list;
-
whether the Paralympic Games should be listed under Group A
or Group B of the list;
-
other factors affecting the likely costs and benefits to the
sport concerned, to the broadcasting industry and to viewers,
as set out in the guidance on the criteria for listing; and
-
any other factors relevant to the final decision.
While the Government does not wish to reopen the list of events
for a full review, it is committed to supporting more equality in
the coverage of sport on TV, and in particular, disability and
women in sport. It is for this reason that I am considering
whether to exercise discretion to add the Paralympics to the
list, and that I intend on holding a consultation later this year
on adding women’s sporting equivalent events to the regime that
match the men’s events.
I will inform the House of the outcome once I have discussed
fully with statutory consultees.
