I think there is a serious issue regarding the NRL and State of Origin not being shown LIVE into Victoria this Wednesday night, and Nine Victoria, when considering the Anti siphoning laws, and the recent vote regarding Keep Sport Free campaign.
The Keep it Free Website states:
What is the antisiphoning list?
The anti-siphoning list is a list of major sporting events that the Parliament of Australia has decided must be available for all Australians to see free of charge and cannot be siphoned off to pay TV where people are forced to pay to see them.
What is the use it or lose it scheme?
The previous Federal Government introduced the concept of use it or lose it rules for sports on the anti-siphoning list in 2007 to ensure that broadcasters are showing the events they acquire and that listed sports are not being hoarded.
http://www.keepsportfree.com.au/Content_Common/pg-FAQ.seo
Is channel Nine Hording the game of League in Victoria?
I mean why would channel nine that has paid the rights for the NRL and State of Origin, hamstring the growth of the sport in Victoria, you would think that it would be in the best interests for the Channel to promote something like State of Origin a clear rating winner, against something like Hey Hey its Saturday which is clearly in the wrong timeslot on a Wednesday and struggling.
When Nine lost the AFL rights to seven and Ten, and in the year 2000 channel Seven denied access to footage of the AFL in Melbourne to Nine, this was not a good result for either the AFL or Nine. So between the years 2002 and 2006 both parties reshuffled there executives using another business called Austereo, the CEO of Nine at the time was Eddie McGuire President of Collingwood FC.
Austereo Group Ltd is one of Australia's most progressive and exciting entertainment based media companies. Reaching over 4.5 million Australian's weekly, Austereo delivers a combination of traditional and new media platforms on which to communicate with our audience.
The company operates three national radio networks; Today and Triple M, with stations in all mainland Australian state capital cities along with two leading joint venture stations in Newcastle and Canberra
http://www.austereo.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=33
The main change in staff was Ben Amarfio at the time he was the second in charge at the AFL, he joined the Austereo firm in 2006, from the Austereo website his Bio reads:
Ben joined Austereo as General Manager Melbourne in February 2007.He has over 20 years experience in Media/Advertising, Marketing and the Sports & Entertainment industries.
Previously Ben was Broadcasting, Publishing & Digital Media Manager of the Australian Football League (AFL), heading up their Broadcasting operations, Commercial Media Assets and Relationships.
http://www.austereo.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=36
Fox sports wrote in 2006 :
THE AFL has lost a second key employee, with Ben Amarfio leaving to head up Austereo.
Amarfio, crucial in the AFL's record TV, radio and internet deals, will begin in February as general manager of Austereo Melbourne.
The role, which places him in charge of FM stations Triple M and Fox, was held by Gary Pert, who vacated it for the head position at Channel 9 Melbourne.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20950534-23211,00.html
Of course Gary Pert the bloke he took the spot of, went on to take a position at Nine, an article on him wrote :
IN THE corridor outside Gary Pert's office, there are large photos of Dermott Brereton oiled up and stripped to his shorts, Jason Dunstall dressed as a native American Indian (complete with feather headdress), and Brian Taylor wielding a chainsaw. All good boys-own fun, and despite the presence in other photos of Jo Stanley, Fifi Box and Robyn Butler (all clothed), it's an affirmation of the testosterone-fuelled and occasionally brutal world of FM radio that Pert is leaving.
He's an ex-footballer, but more evolved than a Brendan Fevola type. Pert's headlocks, were they put on you, would be verbal, and would rise out of his boyish, clean-cut charm. Pert is the very model of a well-spoken, fresh-faced young tyro, a sharp-eyed business type comfortable with phrases such as "key driver" and "targeting the right communities".
But he's no bloodless executive. Pert's CV is augmented by a huge credit in football-mad Melbourne: he was a loved player for Fitzroy (he followed in the footsteps of his father, Brian), for 10 years a favourite son of a struggling club that the AFL in 1996 chose to kill rather than help. At 41, Pert is young to be part of history. And smart enough to know there is life after football.
While still playing, Pert cannily developed a career in media sales starting at Channel Ten and joining the Austereo Radio Network 13 years ago, the parent company of Triple M and Fox FM, in sales. He rose to general manager in 2002.
Now he's winding up his radio career and jumping to television (he starts as head of Melbourne's GTV Nine on December 4
http://www.knowfirst.info/forums/showthread.php?t=21323
Eddie McGuire of course we all know is the President of the Collingwood Football club, he retired as CEO of Nine, but still holds a position and he is also current host of Channel Nine program Hot Seat. McGuire is also the host of The Hot Breakfast With Eddie McGuire on Triple M Melbourne owned by Austereo.
The show McGuire is most famous for is the Channel Nine AFL Footy Show, which is now run by Garry Lyon and the North Melbourne Football Club Chairman James Brayshaw, both are also employed by Austereo and have there own show called Friday Night M Sport.
So the main question I ask is how did a station that could not get even clips of AFL from there rival stations, turn this around in such a short time, to not only get clips, but be able to get the so called Stars of the game to appear on there rival footy shows, week after week.
Is it a coincidence that Austereo the only FM station in Melbourne with the right to broadcast AFL, employs half of Melbourne Nine employees?
Would it be unreasonable to think that if a deal was done between a station that did not purchase the rights to a sport to have such access to its players, management, and officials, it would in return Horde or not show any program that may be against the best interests of the AFL?
If Hey Hey its Saturday rates so highly, why would they not put it on a Saturday, unless of course it was against a program they did not want to diminish the rating of?
And finally if any of these serious issues are exactly as they seem, do they not as a broadcaster break the law of Use it or Lose it?
