Fed: Foxtel says anti siphoning laws restrict sports seen on TV

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2001
Fed: Foxtel says anti siphoning laws restrict sports seen on TV

SYDNEY, April 20 AAP - Anti-siphoning laws are restricting what sport Australians can
see on television, pay TV provider Foxtel said today.

In its submission to the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) review of the anti-siphoning
list, Foxtel supported a dual system of free-to-air TV and pay TV rights to sports events.

It said the anti-siphoning list should contain only those events which had been consistently
broadcast live and in their entirety on free-to-air TV.

This would ensure sport that Australians were accustomed to viewing on free-to-air
remained available there.

"The greatest public benefit would be achieved through the adoption of a system of
dual rights, offering simultaneous free-to-air TV and pay TV windows on the same sporting
event," Foxtel said in its submission.

Under this system, pay TV companies would be prevented from acquiring the free-to-air
TV broadcast rights to listed events, but be permitted to directly acquire the subscription
broadcast rights.

At the same time, free-to-air networks would only be able to acquire free-to-air broadcast
rights to listed events, without hoarding the subscription broadcast rights as well.

Submissions to the ABA review closed today.

The anti-siphoning rules were introduced to ensure certain events were not exclusively
shown on pay TV.

Under the current rules, commercial networks, the ABC and SBS have priority over pay
TV operators to buy the rights to listed events including the Melbourne Cup, Australian
Football League and National Rugby League matches.

However, Fox Sports said in its submission the anti-siphoning scheme was fundamentally
flawed because the number of listed events was far too broad.

AAP eg/jas/sb a

KEYWORD: SIPHON FOXTEL

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