Mail & Guardian reporter
Last week’s soccer tragedy highlights the need for a closer inspection of rules and terms governing the broadcasting of matches still shrouded in secrecy on the nation’s airwaves.
The televising of soccer matches in South Africa is an incestuous circle whose power relations are determined by the highest bidder.
At the helm is the SABC, which pays the Premier Soccer League (PSL) a broadcast rights fee in exchange for exclusive rights to nearly all PSL matches, with independent station e.tv and pay channel M-Net having to contend with the leftovers or reruns at a hefty price.
In late 1999 the SABC signed a R40-million deal with the Castle Premier League clubs, securing the public broadcaster exclusive television and radio rights for nearly all PSL matches.
The SABC this week declined to comment on the specifics of the contract, saying it was “a confidential matter”. It also refused to speculate as to whether or not it would review the terms of the contract in the light of the Ellis Park tragedy.
Though the terms are largely a corporate secret, it is known that the contract includes a total of 72 matches for three seasons. One of the aspects of the contract relates to the live screening of midweek matches. As a rule midweek matches are generally not screened live.
Speaking at the time of the signing of the deal, then PSL CEO Joe Ndlela said at least 24 midweek matches would be televised live. Ndlela said “a focus group” would determine which matches would be shown live.
Soccer is by far the country’s most popular sport with the most popular teams drawing crowds of thousands in a single match. Yet this very popularity was perhaps what caused the tragic events last week at Ellis Park, when 42 fans were crushed to death in a stampede, trying to get in to watch the Orlando Pirates-Kaizer Chiefs game.
Whether or not a match is screened live has significant implications for the numbers of people turning up at the stadiums. Independent soccer analysts say the live screening of matches, especially those of teams who traditionally draw capacity crowds, could alleviate the problem of overcrowded stadiums.
But due to a PSL/SABC tactic, called “black-outs”, live games, especially midweek ones, are delayed for broadcast later in the day or week. In television terms, this could be explained by calling on scheduling, but for soccer bosses it is mainly to increase gate-takings at matches.
Critics of the “black-out” system acknowledge that league management needs to make money from matches, but point out that, since the majority of matches televised on the SABC have been sponsored, it would make more sense to consider blacking out only certain regions during matches particularly, where the match is taking place.
ENDS