Review of Designated Sporting Events

The Cush

An article in today's Sunday Times says that the Dept of Communications is to review the list of Designated Sporting Events this summer and a public consultation is to begin shortly.

The list was last reviewed 3 years ago - http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/2011/Minister+Rabbitte+-+Review+of+Designated+Sporting+Events.htm

The Department of Communications confirmed Rabbitte is conducting the review "with a view to seeing whether the [current] list should be amended", and that a public consultation is set to begin shortly.

Current list of Designation of sporting events - http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Broadcasting/Designation+of+sporting+events/

Report on the Designation of Sporting Events (Indecon Report 2010), for the last review - http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/E8E4BC58-E4FD-4282-B34D-F01AF1020188/0/IndeconFinalRedactedReport.pdf

icdg

Wonder if its been prompted by this upcoming sale of GAA rights to Sky Sports?

The sporting organisations will fight tooth and nail against any expansion of the list, since it deprives them of the opportunity to raise the maximum revenue from their rights.

To look at what's on the present list:

Football: By far the biggest component of the list by some distance. Practically every Republic of Ireland competitive international is listed as well as every game (not just ROI's) at the World Cup and Euro finals. I don't think there's any scope for any change here for the moment, though UEFA are practically abolishing friendlys after the 2018 World Cup and there's the possibility for the Nations League to be listed at that stage.

Rugby: Only Ireland's games in the RWC. The IRFU will once again fight tooth and nail against any expansion of this particularly with a new European accord on the verge of being done and would be afraid of the repercussions would be if the toughly negotiated BT-Sky deal were to be undone by political interference at this stage. I'd say no change here, though there might be the possibility of moving the Six Nations to the A list from their B-list (highlights) status at this stage - aside from a period where England sold the rights to their games to Sky over a decade ago, this event has always been FTA anyway and with central sale of rights now I wouldn't see it happening again.

GAA: Only the finals are listed. I think there's the possibility, in the current climate, of the entire All-Ireland series and the provincial finals (or the Munster Hurling final in particular) of being listed out of fear Sky could go for them. I don't think there's any justification for listing earlier round games and many of them aren't even shown on TV anyway, so I don't see how any justification could made for say, claiming Wicklow v Carlow is an event of national importance.

Olympics: no danger of this disappearing from FTA any time soon regardless of being listed.

I'd drop the other events - there's no justification for either horse racing or show jumping being on the list.

Elmo

icdg wrote: »

I'd drop the other events - there's no justification for either horse racing or show jumping being on the list.

The amount of money that the state has put into Horse racing, it should not only be free but also mandatory in School :pac:

Another report, can't wait.

6 Nations should be moved to Live
All GAA games should be part of Live

But it will probably be like the last public consultation, with the minister ready to sign off, only to have a Lobby group successfully prevent such a move.

It will be like the move to get rid of alcohol sponsorship.

Expect to hear from all sport organisations "think of the local clubs!" and "what about the grass roots!"

Onthe3rdDay

icdg wrote: »

I'd drop the other events - there's no justification for either horse racing or show jumping being on the list.

There would be uproar in certain parts of the country if these were taken off the list. Horses and the Horse industry are a huge business plus there are certain parts of the country, where Horses would give the GAA a real run for it's money.

The Cush

I assume the Ireland games in the new UEFA Nations League competition will be added to the list of designated sporting events when it comes up for review.

http://www.uefa.org/about-uefa/organisation/congress/news/newsid=2079556.html

The Cush

Minister Rabbitte announces review of TV coverage of Designated Sporting and Other Events

Monday 16 June The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Mr Pat Rabbitte, TD, has today announced his intention to initiate a review of Designated Events and invites submissions from members of the public and interested parties on the current list of events and the possible designation of additional events.

Minister Rabbitte said, “It is important that national events which are of great significance to Ireland be shown free to air and be available for us all to enjoy. I would urge all interested parties and members of the public to submit their views to my Department, which I will ensure are considered and will assist me in making my decision”.

Under the Broadcasting Act 2009, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources may designate sporting and cultural events as being of major importance to society and that events so designated should be available on a free-to-air television service. To designate an event of major importance to society, the Minister must have regard to a number of criteria particularly;

· The extent to which the event has a special general resonance for the people of Ireland, and

· The extent to which the event has a generally recognised distinct cultural importance for the people of Ireland.

The Minister is required to undertake every three years a review of the list of events designated as events of major importance to society for which the right of a qualifying broadcaster to provide coverage on a live or deferred basis on television services should be permitted in the public interest. A qualifying broadcaster is a free television service with greater than 90 percent coverage i.e. RTE, TV3, & TG4.

Submissions on the designated events and the possible designation of additional events are now being sought.

...

The closing date for receipt of submissions is 1st August 2014. Submissions may be provided by the following means:

o In electronic format to majorevents@dcenr.gov.ie
o In hard copy to Maria Owens, Major Events Coverage, Broadcasting Policy Division, Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, 29-31 Adelaide Road, Dublin 2.


It should be noted that the Department proposes to publish all material submitted on the Department’s website. Respondents should clearly identify material that is confidential and which may not be published. The provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 to 2003 shall apply.

If, following the review, the Minister proposes to add to the list of designated events, he will publish a notice of any additional events that he intends to designate and invite comments on the said list.

http://www.thejournal.ie/designated-sport-culture-events-broadcast-live-1518394-Jun2014/
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/consumer/free-to-air-list-of-sports-events-to-be-reviewed-1.1833433
http://www.independent.ie/business/media/rabbitte-to-begin-review-of-freetoair-sport-on-tv-30356759.html
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/gaa-on-sky-may-be-reviewed-after-public-give-views-272185.html

Elmo

He will do what he did at the last review..... and what he has done since becoming minister......

channelsurfer2

Elmo wrote: »

He will do what he did at the last review..... and what he has done since becoming minister......

you do of course mean be very innovative and think of news ways to make the national broadcaster more efficent with less money for sporting rights:D.

The Cush

Dept of Communication press release - Minister White to open consultation on extending list of sporting events designated for live free-to-air broadcast

Submissions to last years review to be published on the Dept's website later today - http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Broadcasting/Designation+of+sporting+events/Submissions+Received+2014.htm.

Dublin, 31 March 2015

Minister for Communications, Alex White TD, today (Tuesday) told his Cabinet colleagues that he is considering making an order to designate three additional sporting events as ‘live, free-to-air’. They are:

· The Six Nations Rugby Football Championship

· The All-Ireland Senior Ladies’ Football Final, and

· The All-Ireland Senior Camogie Final.

Elmo

Will not happen, pointless exercise watch the Rugby PR machine go into action as they did before.

Remember what Pat Rabbitte Said about the GAA : -

"He also noted that based on GAA assurances, he believes that the events which were considered for designation will continue to be shown on a free to air basis."

icdg

I'm not sure there was ever any danger of the ladies football or camogie rights going to pay-TV - it seems that the motives there are purely symbolic and the LGFA/CA are in agreement (believe me if they actually thought there was any prospect of getting a pay-TV company to take the rights they'd be objecting too).

The Six Nations is a different kettle of fish and there will be huge resistance from the IRFU and Six Nations Rugby to this.

The Cush

http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/2015/Six+Nations+Rugby+Football+Championship.htm

http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Broadcasting/Designation+of+sporting+events/

The closing date for receipt of submissions is Friday 12th June 2015.

Dublin, 1 May 2015

Minister for Communications, Alex White T.D., today launched a public consultation concerning the possible designation of additional events as events of major importance to society. Designation would ensure that they remain available on a free-to-air basis for Irish television viewers.

The Broadcasting Act 2009 provides that the Minister may designate certain sporting and cultural events of major importance to society in order to make them freely available on national television (e.g. TV3, TG4, RTE, UTV).

The Minister today placed advertisements in the national press seeking submissions from interested parties on the current list and the possible designation of three additional events :

· Ireland’s games in the Six Nations Rugby Football Championship (currently “free to air” on a deferred basis);

· the All Ireland Senior Ladies Football Final; and

· the All Ireland Senior Camogie Final

STB.

icdg wrote: »

I'm not sure there was ever any danger of the ladies football or camogie rights going to pay-TV - it seems that the motives there are purely symbolic and the LGFA/CA are in agreement (believe me if they actually thought there was any prospect of getting a pay-TV company to take the rights they'd be objecting too).

The Six Nations is a different kettle of fish and there will be huge resistance from the IRFU and Six Nations Rugby to this.

Let the IRFU at it. They will not have the support of the public. If we have learnt anything from the GAA fiasco ala Sky is that if you do not protect them, Sky will go after the rights and make a national sporting game/game of national importance available only to the minority.

If I remember correctly the Italians didnt protect the Rugby World Cup and the rights were sold to Sky Italia, which for a soccer nation caused uproar.

Elmo

STB. wrote: »

Let the IRFU at it. They will not have the support of the public. If we have learnt anything from the GAA fiasco ala Sky is that if you do not protect them, Sky will go after the rights and make a national sporting game/game of national importance available only to the minority.

If I remember correctly the Italians didnt protect the Rugby World Cup and the rights were sold to Sky Italia, which for a soccer nation caused uproar.

If the IRFU sell the rights to Sky then and only then will you see uproar and you will have the following situation on Six One News where An Taoiseacht will be flanked by his minister outside Leinster house, as happened Bertie Ahern with Soccer.

I believe at that stage there was nothing they could do!

channelsurfer2

hard to see which way this will go. Simon Coveney (then in opposition) caused a lot of uproar when Eamonn Ryan went to list Heineken Cup and was successful at the time in stopping it. Don't see as much opposition this time though because its six nations matches and Coveney is now in the Cabinet being very quiet about it.

icdg

The thing is that the threat to the RBS 6 Nations is more imaginary than real and being mainly talked up by Six Nations Rugby itself in order to generate higher bids for the rights. The rights will almost certainly go to the BBC and RTÉ either way. It is rugby union's showpiece occasion and the only rugby tournament, the World Cup aside, with English participation which is free to air in England, which makes it important as a "shop window" for the sport.

The Cush

All-Ireland Ladies Gaelic Football and Camogie Finals added to the list of designated sports events by Minister Naughten following approval of the European Commission.

http://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/news-and-media/press-releases/Pages/Minister-Naughten-designates-Ladies-Gaelic-Football-and-Camogie-Finals-as-'events-of-major-importance'.aspx

Consultation - http://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/communications/consultations/Pages/review-of-designation-of-major-events-.aspx