118/05
12 October 2005

Free-to-air coverage of anti-siphoning sport to be monitored

To ensure the continuing relevance and integrity of the anti-siphoning list, free-to-air coverage of events on the list will be monitored by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, announced today.

“The Australian Government committed to monitoring the free-to-air coverage of events on the anti-siphoning list in its 2004 election policy 21 st Century Broadcasting,” Senator Coonan said.

“Generally, the policy rationale for retaining the anti‑siphoning list remains but there is scope for further scrutiny of the list and the number of events on it.

“This should not be interpreted as an attempt to remove key sporting events from this list but an attempt to look at how many of the more than 1000 events on the list are being bought and shown.”

ACMA will monitor free-to-air coverage of events on the anti‑siphoning list from 1 January 2006 until 31 December 2010, when the current list is due to expire.

The anti-siphoning scheme aims to maximise free-to-air coverage of listed events and, where that is not possible or practicable, it aims to maximise coverage by enabling pay TV to broadcast events.

ACMA will formally monitor which events have been acquired by free-to-air or national broadcasters and the extent of their rights to those events; how those rights are used and whether unused or partially-used rights are offered to other broadcasters, including pay TV.

“I have directed ACMA to report to me on these issues as regularly as practicable, but no less than once every six months,” said Senator Coonan.