On My Radio - Not For Much Longer

27 September 2011 14:04
New plans for live match radio commentary

The days of sticking on your radio and listening to live commentary of your local PL/FL team could be over in the next few years if the Premier and Football League clubs get their way.

Following outbursts by Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson and Jez Moxey of Wolves regarding the way the media controls football and the way that television affects attendances, clubs are reportedly unhappy that supporters are stopping at home and listening to the radio rather than going to a game or subscribing to serves like Sky Blue Player. 

Whilst they cannot, at the moment, control current already agreed and signed television deals, it is understood that plans are in the offing not to renew any radio broadcast licences for general match coverage.

The plan appears to be for one radio station to be given a licence to commentate on everyone of its local team's matches. These commentaries would then only be available by club controlled sources such as Coventry City's Sky Blue Player, which supporters will have to pay to use.

Sources like Sky Blue Player may be the only place that you might get to see highlights of Coventry City matches in coming seasons.

The new television deal which starts with Sky in 2012 has effectively ended free to air matches and means a loss of tv income of around 26% according to reports for Football League clubs and with no bid likely to be forthcoming for a highlights show with the BBC already citing cutbacks as a reason why they won't be bidding for live matches or highlights, FL clubs are likely to seize upon this and make sure that the only way you can see highlights is through their services.  

 

Source: FOOTYMAD