NORTHSOUND Radio has asked the Office of Fair Trading to intervene in
a bid to be able to broadcast live reports of football matches involving
Aberdeen, whom they sponsor to the tune of #100,000 a year.
The Aberdeen-based station was able to broadcast Dons matches until
the beginning of this season -- when an exclusive commercial radio deal
worth #155,000 a year was struck between Scot FM and the Scottish
Football League.
The BBC has a separate non-commercial radio contract also covering all
Scotland.
Scot FM does not broadcast in the Aberdeen area and Northsound
managing director Mr John Martin claimed yesterday it was a breach of
natural justice for a station to have exclusive rights within an area
where it did not have the legal right to broadcast.
He said that Northsound had offered #50,000 over three years for the
right to broadcast Aberdeen games, but the Scottish League had said they
could not negotiate a deal without the sanction of Scot FM.
Northsound has been backed by Aberdeen FC chairman Mr Ian Donald, who
said: ''We would have loved to be in a position to agree to all of
Aberdeen's games being broadcast in the north-east.''
Their arguments were rejected by Mr Ken McRobb, of Scot FM, who said
his station had moved in when Radio Clyde, negotiating on behalf of
Scottish Radio Holdings (Clyde, Forth, Tay and Northsound) had pulled
out of negotiations with the league without agreeing a deal.
Scot FM had paid a handsome premium over and above the straightforward
contract price to ensure exclusivity for the two-year deal, with a
two-year option.
''Northsound, through their parent company, had an opportunity to
strike a deal, but blew their opportunity,'' said Mr McRobb.
Mr Bill Wilson, commercial director of the SFA and the Scottish
Football League, said last night that it had not been a bidding
situation and that the league management committee, which includes
Aberdeen chairman Mr Donald, had accepted the bid from Scot FM because
it was the only one on the table.
He said that Radio Clyde, which negotiates on behalf of Northsound,
had indicated it did not want match commentary and the league was not
interested in a non-commentary contract. On that basis a contract was
going to be agreed with only the BBC and no commercial station when
''out of the blue'' Scot FM contacted Mr Wilson and asked if they could
buy the contract exclusively.
''It was only when they had bought the contract that Clyde then said:
'We can't have the contract but we don't want anyone else to have it.'''
He added: ''If Northsound have a problem it is with Radio Clyde, not
with Scot FM or the Scottish Football League.''
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