News agencies, CA fail to reach agreement

International news agencies will not cover the Australian test cricket season in 2009-10 because of a dispute with Cricket Australia (CA).

Agence France-Presse and Reuters today advised subscribers they would not provide coverage of tests and international one-day games against the West Indies and Pakistan due to an impasse with CA over the terms of accreditation for their reporters and photographers.

The US-based Associated Press is set to follow suit, making the third straight season that the three biggest international news agencies have failed to reach an agreement before the start of the international summer.

All three sat out Australia's series with New Zealand and South Africa last season while they were barred from the first test against Sri Lanka in Brisbane in 2007-08 before covering the second test from day two in Hobart.

That season, News Ltd reporters and photographers also boycotted the 'Gabba on the opening day of the test after the organisation refused to sign CA's terms and conditions.

AFP today advised they would not cover Australia's home matches this summer because "CA has declined to amend certain terms that international news agencies believe impose unreasonable restrictions on news reporting and distribution".

"This refusal comes despite an Australian Senate Inquiry's warning in May that there are real concerns, which affect matters of public interest and media freedom, arising from recent innovations in accreditation practices by some sports," AFP said in a statement.

Reuters said it could not "agree to terms which impinge on its ability to fairly and freely report on and disseminate news".

Both AFP and Reuters said they were hopeful CA would further review it's terms and conditions but that appears unlikely.

"We're disappointed Reuters/AFP could not come to agreement to the type of which the media who traditionally provide the bulk of Australian media coverage have agreed," said CA public affairs manager Peter Young.

"The important public interest issue is the public will have unfettered access to media coverage from those media who are attending and covering the test season."

- AAP