§ Mr. HendryTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take measures to require future Ashes cricket series in Australia to be available on terrestrial television. [67247]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 5 July 2002]The Government only intervene in the sports broadcasting market to ensure that all television licence holders have free-to-air access (on the BBC, the ITV Network or Channel 4) to those sporting occasions which are considered to have true national resonance. These events are listed under Part IV of the Broadcasting Act 1996. The list was revised and extended in 1998 and is kept under review.
Cricket test matches played in England and the final, semi-finals and matches involving Home Nations teams in the Cricket World cup are listed. Test matches played overseas are not listed because, while of great interest to cricket fans, they do not strike a chord with the general viewer in the same way as events which are listed.