Seanad debates
Wednesday, 5 March 2003
Broadcasting (Major Events Television Coverage) (Amendment) Bill 2003: Second Stage.
I welcome the provision for the intervention of an arbitrator in the event that the parties cannot agree on what is a proper fee for the right to broadcast a game or series. It would be the function of the arbitrator to set a fair market price. Section 6 makes provision for the method of calculation of a fair market price, providing for reference to previous fees paid. That may be acceptable at a time when a market and competition are well established, but it is only in the more recent past that there was any realistic negotiation between event organisers and television companies. As yet, anything near a fair market price has not been established here. The recent Sky-RTE difficulties in regard to the FAI are an example of this. RTE started with a ludicrously low bid while Sky eventually paid five times what the Irish channel had offered. History will not indicate a fair figure because there are too few precedents to consult.
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