Advert

MP says TV providers must be forced to share football content

Nationalist MP David Agius has called on the Broadcasting Authority to force TV providers Melita and Go to share premium content, particularly football leagues for which they win the rights to broadcast through tendering.

Reigniting the much-publicised campaign he began last year to secure better options for consumers, Mr Agius told The Times that Malta could simply adopt the British model, where “must-share offers” are prescribed in licences granted to TV providers. This means the broadcasting watchdog would have to amend the licences it grants to TV providers to ensure sharing deals are done to benefit the consumer, without having to rely on the companies to come to such an agreement by themselves.

Mr Agius argues that this must be done before the three-year tenders are issued for the UEFA Champion’s League in the coming months. Those of the Italian and English leagues are expected to be issued over the next two years.

If Mr Agius’ call is heard, then Melita would be able to buy a number of Go’s premium channels and broadcast them to its own subscribers, and viceversa. This would allow customers to at least view the big games throughout the season. Those who wish to watch the full Italian league would still need to opt for the provider that owns the full rights. This would, however, avoid the current situation where to watch the big games of both domestic and European competitions, they have to subscribe to both providers.

This is the system used in the UK, according to Mr Agius, and it enables Sky Sports to be broadcast even on the systems of other operators.

Mr Agius argues that this would also help to solve the problem of the Dreambox and other internet satellite options which are becoming increasingly popular. Although Dreambox is not illegal in itself, the content-sharing process required to use it is not covered by law. If the police decide to crack down, as happened in Cyprus, their agents, and possibly even household users may be held responsible for breaching copyright regulations.

“People are prepared to pay for a good service they know is legitimate,” Mr Agius stresses, calling on both TV providers to see how this system could also benefit them in the long run.

However, Mr Agius’ main call is on the Broadcasting Authority to take “immediate action” before certain big football rights are put up for tender. This is because last year, when he began a campaign for content sharing, the rights had already been awarded and there was a feeling that any changes would be unfair shifting of goalposts.

Meanwhile, in changing the licences, the Broadcasting Authority could also ensure that if both Melita and Go chose to put up four channels each for sale to one another, these would be the four most popular, rather than the other way around.

Mr Agius added that this system would also make it fairer on consumers who today were signing up for two-year contracts with one provider which currently holds the rights to broadcast a popular football league, despite the fact that it may well lose those rights within a few months.

Advert

61 Comments

Post comment

Comments are submitted under the express understanding and condition that the editor may, and is authorised to, disclose any/all of the above personal information to any person or entity requesting the information for the purposes of legal action on grounds that such person or entity is aggrieved by any comment so submitted.

At this time your comment will not be displayed immediately upon posting. Please allow some time for your comment to be moderated before it is displayed.

Your User Profile is incomplete.
Please click here to complete your profile before posting comments.

Joseph V. Grech

Jan 18th 2011, 21:22

I agree whole-heartedly with Mr. J. Micallef's complaint. Mr. Micallef is obviously referring to the unjust, recently introduced Utilities Rates that are being applied blindly and insensitively for second residences.
My wife and I ourselves have a flat in St. Paul's Bay apart from our winter home. We are pensioners....surely we have every right to live six months in our summer flat and the remainder of the year in our winter house. Why should this administration fleece us where Utilities are concerned?
How arrogant of ARMS and this administration to consider that our summer flat has 0 residents - this so as to inflict the highest possible Utility rates on us!
Many owners of second (holiday) homes - used for their sole pastime and not commercially - - are being hit hard and swear they will show their disgust at the polling booth coming the next election.
Our approaches to Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, M.P.s.etc. (the Hon. P.M. and Mr. David Agius included) have resulted in sympathy but a deaf ear as far as corrective measures go. People are saying that this administration just won't listen to good sense and reason!

C. Borg

Jan 18th 2011, 14:16

Come on, be realistic. We have lowest unemployment rate in Europe, because 60% of women never applied for work. In the UK only 6% of women don't work, than extra thousands will be in our list of unemployment. Most Maltese women prefer to depend on their husbands for their income. In other EU countries, nini nini they depend on their husband, they want their own financial independence. Now the younger women in Malta are starting to think differently.

Malta's deficit look lower because our deficit is mostly based on local loans from local funds and not from foreign funds.
Our weather keeps our heating bills to a minimum. But food is at least 20% higher than in the UK. Our children are spoilt when it comes to University costs as abroad, students need to have an evening job to pay for these costs, and not go to Paceville.

Banana republic maybe not yet, although most politicians treat us as chimpanzees, But then far from Genna ta l'art. Please don't compare us only with the worst, how about the rest. Just Cyprus, living costs similar, but wages 20% higher than ours despite many internal wars.



MSciberras

Jan 18th 2011, 15:32

(a) Malta's deficit remains the same whether borrowings are local or foreign, unless you are referring to exchange fluctuations from non-euro debt (which you aren't). Our 'banana-republic' generates enough cash to finance our loans.
(b) everytime Malta is compared to UK Ireland, Italy etc and shown to be doing better people say 'but why compare us only with the worst'?? Wow. So the UK is the 'worst'. It isn't. We all live in a harsh economic climate, something many Maltese dont accept.
(c) Food 20% higher than UK???! OK...and housing about 30% cheaper......!!!!
(d) no heating bills in Malta? And airconditioning? Overall household energy consumption in Malta remains lower than UK.
(e) Cyprus wages 20% higher? Is that based on gdp per capita? That of Cyprus, a success story by the way, is inflated by many corporate hq's who file accounts there, including some dodgy banks; actual wages are similar to Malta's.
(f) yes, Malta does need to raise its employment levels, which is in fact rising - but why jump to the conclusion that more women workers will not find jobs when the evidence is showing otherwise? L'aqwa immaqdru! Even free tertairy education means 'paceville' to you!
Inform yourself.

Jon Agius

Jan 18th 2011, 11:55

don't you know we're part of the EU?

M. Mamo

Jan 18th 2011, 11:08

oh get a life ... so obsessed with politics

ASpiteri

Jan 18th 2011, 12:28

@mamo

The get a life syndrome!

So mr sammut should get a life because he expects parliamentarians to get busy on more important issue rather than football matches?

More than getting a life, people like you should actually get real...prioritize football before important matters is a sign that one is alienated from the real world. That kind of individual is the ideal person for those who rule us.

Hitler once said...”How lucky are government that people don’t think”

We might think...but waste our thoughts on stupid things!

Ramon Casha

Jan 19th 2011, 06:10

Exclusivity goes against the spirit of competition, and is contrary to consumer rights. It is unreasonable to expect subscribers to buy a premium TV service from two (and in future, possibly more) providers to be able to follow football matches from different countries.

I don't think that Mr. Agius is proposing that the providers share the content for free. Go, Melita and/or other providers would pay each other for the right to transmit the matches in question.

John Inguanez

Jan 18th 2011, 13:19

Yeah Mr Spiteri. Has anyone here ever saw a rights contract between right holders and the local providers. I have seen and I don't see any possibility for sharing. What is possible is that matches are transmatting after a certain cooling off period. Punto e basta.
This is a competitive market. Don't you see that the both providers want the best. Melita had every chance to bid, they said they had other alternatives. You can't have all the cake and eat it.

Jurgen Grech

Jan 18th 2011, 16:26

Mhux ghal xi haga ta, imma mhux kulhadd mejjet bil-guh! Anke jekk toghla, il-hobza ta kuljum 99% fostna kapaci jixtruha! jien sakhemm nibqa nara in-nies ghand tal-lottu kull nhar ta sibt u nhar ta erbgha ma naccettax li hawn il-faqar u l-guh f'dan il-pajjiz!

Mary Mizzi

Jan 18th 2011, 08:47

u ma tarax.......


go for station sharing for MFA matches and abolish TV licence as inyour party's electoral promise if you want saome credibility Mr C.C. D. Agius

A. Zahra

Jan 18th 2011, 15:21

when melita there was alone nobody the Government could force it to share with! Simple my dear Watson!

M.Curmi

Jan 20th 2011, 13:18

@ A.Zahra

Can you please specify what happened during the last 5/6 years when GO was offering a TV service (and prior to that Multiplus)?

during this time nobody ever raised a finger to protect GO customers, who like Melita's enjoy watching football matches!!

Advert
Advert