ABC fights 2GB to keep hold of an Olympic tradition

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ABC fights 2GB to keep hold of an Olympic tradition

* Dan Silkstone
* June 13, 2008

ABC Radio does not have a broadcast deal in place to cover the Beijing
Olympics, just weeks away from the opening ceremony, raising the
prospect that a tradition of public broadcasting from the Games could
be broken.

The public broadcaster, which has covered every Olympic Games since
World War II, is locked in dispute with Sydney radio station 2GB,
which owns the rights to the Games and wishes to on-sell them.

Macquarie Radio — which owns 2GB — is obliged to sell rights to a
second carrier, capable of broadcasting the Games across regional
Australia. Only the ABC fits that description.

But negotiations have stalled and it is possible that the Games will
not be covered on the national carrier. ABC management refused to
discuss the issues stalling negotiations last night.

Dispute has previously surrounded broadcasting of the Games into
Sydney and Melbourne. Melbourne rights have been sold by Macquarie to
radio station SEN and 2GB maintains the rights to broadcast into
Sydney. The rights holder did not wish to dilute the value of its
exclusive coverage into the two biggest cities by allowing the ABC to
broadcast into them.

The ABC has in turn been reluctant to bear the costs of sending a
broadcast team to Beijing for coverage that did not involve major
cities. But ABC editor of radio sport Peter Longman said yesterday
that the long-running issue had been addressed and was not the
remaining sticking point.

"It's been a long process," Longman said yesterday. "Nothing has been
signed as yet but we are hopeful of getting a deal done some time in
the next few days. Until we sign the document we can't do much."

The August 8 opening ceremony is just 56 days away.

The difficulties have created uncertainty for ABC staff who are
scheduled to be part of the broadcast team at the Games.

Commentators and support staff have been inoculated, had travel and
accommodation booked and paid for and are expecting to attend the
festival of sport. If the impasse is resolved, the ABC will send its
smallest ever team to an Olympics. Previously around 25 staff have
travelled to the Games; budgetary pressure will limit this year's team
to 18.

"As far as I know we are going and we all hope this will be resolved,"
one staff member said last night.

But ABC sources confirmed the struggle to sign a rights agreement,
that has been taking place for much of the year, is still not
resolved. Some joked that negotiations to cover the 2012 London
Olympics — under way — had been progressing faster than the talks for
Beijing.

Commentators including Glenn Mitchell, Gerard Whately and Drew
Morphett are part of the team hoping and expecting to broadcast from
Beijing.

Longman would not say what the sticking points were. But said they
related to technical details of the proposed contract and not the
amount of money required by 2GB. "It's been much more complicated than
previous Games," he said.

SEN presenter Mark Doran said Melbourne listeners did not need an ABC
broadcast of the Games.

"SEN is fully committed and ready to broadcast," he said. "We are
Melbourne's official Olympic station so people won't miss out on
anything."