Paralympic broadcast threat

EXCLUSIVE: By Paul Carter

The 2012 Paralympic Games could be broadcast on non-terrestrial, pay television, separately from the Olympics, Disability Now has learned.

The issue was first raised at London Mayor’s Question Time, when Dee Doocey, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Olympics spokesperson, challenged the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to do all he could to ensure that the Paralympics are broadcast alongside the Olympics on free-to-air, non-subscription television.

The Olympic Games are one of nine major ‘listed’ sporting events that are protected in broadcast legislation, ensuring they must be broadcast on free-to-view television.

The Paralympics are currently not afforded such legal protection, and as the broadcast rights are sold separately, it means that they can theoretically be sold to any domestic broadcaster, subscription based or otherwise.

Ms Doocey said: “It is regrettable that the broadcasting legislation doesn’t treat the Olympics and the Paralympic Games equally.

“As a member of the Olympic Board the Mayor must now use all his influence to ensure that the Paralympic Games are not treated as an ‘add on’ to the Olympics in terms of
TV coverage.”

Mr Johnson said he would do all he could within his power, although he said there may be “limits to what I can achieve.”

However, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) said that Mr Johnson would have no influence on the award of the broadcast rights.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) confirmed to Disability Now that the rights for the 2012 Paralympic Games have yet to be awarded, but that LOCOG will be going through an “appropriate” procurement process later this year to select a “suitable” domestic broadcaster.

A spokeswoman for LOCOG said it was currently in discussions with the industry and “we are working through our strategy at the moment.”

She said: “Our commitment is to find the right platform to showcase Paralympic sport. We are currently in discussions with the industry to find a domestic broadcaster which best meets this criteria.”

LOCOG denied that the award of the rights would be purely a financial decision.

The BBC has already been confirmed as the official broadcaster of the 2012 Olympic Games, and a spokesman told Disability Now that although the corporation would be interested in acquiring the rights to broadcast the 2012 Paralympic Games, it was dependent on LOCOG initiating the tendering process.

He said: “The rights for the 2012 Paralympics currently rest with LOCOG who are responsible for their distribution. The BBC have always been and remain committed to acquiring the rights, but the timescale for a decision to be made is in LOCOG’s hands.”

On the issue of the Paralympics not being classed as a ‘listed event’, a spokesman for DCMS said that the listed event regime was currently being reviewed by an independent panel led by David Davies, a former chief executive of the Football Association.

He said: “A public consultation began in April this year and closed in July. During this time, the panel heard evidence from a variety of broadcasters and rights holders as well as attending events in Scotland, Wales and a parliamentary event at Westminster.

“The panel are now in the process of deliberating before reporting their recommendations to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in the autumn.”

He said that the issue of why the broadcast rights for the Olympics and Paralympics were treated separately was a “matter for LOCOG.”