Anderton backs free-to-air sport law

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Moves to introduce legislation under which major sporting events would be broadcast live and free-to-air have been endorsed by Progressive leader Jim Anderton.

Mr Anderton told a Film Auckland event last night that a generation of young Kiwis was growing up without watching live cricket and rugby because they could not afford pay television.

All Blacks games and Black Caps cricket matches had lost viewers because they were screened live only on pay television, Mr Anderton said.

This was having a flow-on effect, with fewer children playing cricket and rugby.

Mr Anderton said he supported moves to introduce "anti-siphoning laws", which in Australia mean that free-to-air television networks must get first rights to big events. The Culture and Heritage Ministry is considering such legislation as part of a review of broadcasting regulations.

Television New Zealand said in its submission to the ministry's review in May that Sky, which broadcasts more than 80 per cent of all sports content, was hoarding events and in effect charging its subscribers a "sports tax" to watch them. Subscriptions to Sky Sports are $64 a month, or $768 annually.

Sky said it could not comment last night, but TVNZ spokesman Peter Parussini welcomed Mr Anderton's move. More than one million viewers watched All Blacks tests when they were broadcast free-to-air, but that had now halved, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News