Wednesday 26 October 2011

Permanent BBC legacy for minority sports?

Guardian article UTV Media - owner of TalkSport - has challenged the BBC to create a permanent Olympic legacy for minority sports by giving them more airtime.

But without Olympic status, squash might not get a look-in ...

The BBC has announced plans for a "pop-up" digital radio station - BBC5 Live Olympics Extra - to broadcast minority sports during the 2012 Games.

But UTV Media have challenged the BBC to make more space for minority sports after 2012.

A number of sports have already backed UTV's call, asking the BBC to "codify (their) radio's responsibility to sport in all its guises, not just popular sports such as Premier League football".

These include the Angling Trust. As far as I'm aware fishing is not an Olympic sport*, which suggests that the 'legacy' might be broadened to benefit those sports which haven't reached that hallowed status.

Time for the WSF to add their support?

BBC should do more for minority sports, says rival

* Though (nearly) was in 1900!

Read more ...