§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 19 November 1997,Official Report column 180, what assessment he has made of the arrangements for news access to major sporting events; and if he will make a statement on the practice of local radio stations making exclusive deals with more than one local football club in respect of (a) the public interest and (b) the coverage of simultaneous matches. [18852]
§ Mr. FisherThe news access code was signed by a number of broadcasters in 1996. Breaches have been rare and the only difficulties of which we are aware have involved events shown on pay-per-view terms. On 25 November 1997,Official Report columns 455–56, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced an advisory group to assist him in his review of the listed events under Part IV of the Broadcasting Act 1996. If interested parties believe that the news access code is not functioning satisfactorily, they will no doubt bring this to the attention of the group.
The advisory group will have an opportunity to consider the question of radio access to listed events before making its recommendations, but there is no statutory provision providing for restrictions on the broadcasting of events or the disposition of radio broadcasting rights beyond the normal operation of competition law.