Apsattv
02-02-2008, 02:31 AM
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=111&objectid=10489983&pnum=0
Sports fans too poor or cost-conscious to buy Sky - or those who only want pay TV for the sport - should not hold their breath waiting for anti-siphoning rules to keep major sporting events for free-to-air channels.
"I'll eat my remote if it ever happens here," noted one Wellington observer.
The free-to-air networks are promoting the idea so that Sky TV - with its deep pockets - does not become so powerful that the networks are permanently outbid in top sports events.
The 2010 winter and 2012 summer Olympics will be the first owned by Sky and its free-to-air channel Prime TV and the first time they have not played on TVNZ.
TV3 is expected to lobby heavily for anti-siphoning in an upcoming review of broadcasting regulations.
One or two politicians - the Maori Party is mentioned in dispatches - are considering championing anti-siphoning as a populist vote-winner - keeping the All Blacks for free TV.
There is no question that Sky relies on its sports channels to attract new customers and would suffer terribly if it lost rights.
But Sky has some formidable back-up in the form of sports organisations who rely on Sky's fulsome bids for sports rights.
The All Blacks could be expected to join the fray.
They would be talking to Broadcasting Minister Trevor Mallard.
A former sports minister, Mallard would no doubt have heard Sky's view as a active member of the Sky-backed parliamentary rugby team.
Expect Sky TV to be knocking on politicans' doors in the run up to the elections. It will be a very active year for lobbying.
Sports fans too poor or cost-conscious to buy Sky - or those who only want pay TV for the sport - should not hold their breath waiting for anti-siphoning rules to keep major sporting events for free-to-air channels.
"I'll eat my remote if it ever happens here," noted one Wellington observer.
The free-to-air networks are promoting the idea so that Sky TV - with its deep pockets - does not become so powerful that the networks are permanently outbid in top sports events.
The 2010 winter and 2012 summer Olympics will be the first owned by Sky and its free-to-air channel Prime TV and the first time they have not played on TVNZ.
TV3 is expected to lobby heavily for anti-siphoning in an upcoming review of broadcasting regulations.
One or two politicians - the Maori Party is mentioned in dispatches - are considering championing anti-siphoning as a populist vote-winner - keeping the All Blacks for free TV.
There is no question that Sky relies on its sports channels to attract new customers and would suffer terribly if it lost rights.
But Sky has some formidable back-up in the form of sports organisations who rely on Sky's fulsome bids for sports rights.
The All Blacks could be expected to join the fray.
They would be talking to Broadcasting Minister Trevor Mallard.
A former sports minister, Mallard would no doubt have heard Sky's view as a active member of the Sky-backed parliamentary rugby team.
Expect Sky TV to be knocking on politicans' doors in the run up to the elections. It will be a very active year for lobbying.