Ryder Cup broadcast may be free in public interest, says Dempsey

The Minister for Communications has said he will consider designating "free to air" status to the Ryder Cup, which will be held in Ireland in 2006.

The designation will be considered as part of a review of the list of events that hold the designation under the Broadcasting (Major Events Television Coverage) (Amendment) Act 2003.

The Ryder Cup is the third-largest event covered by television, after the Olympic Games and the World Cup. It is expected to attract a worldwide audience of over one billion.

Under the legislation - which was introduced when commercial TV channel Sky entered a deal to buy the rights to Ireland's World Cup and European Championship soccer qualifiers in 2003 - Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey has the power to designate events of major importance to society as "free to air".

This means he can decide that these events must be provided on a free television service in the public interest.

When deciding on events for designation, the Minister must consider various factors. These include the extent to which the event has a special general resonance for the people of Ireland; the extent to which the event has a generally recognised distinct cultural importance for the people of Ireland; whether the event involves participation by a national or non-national team or by Irish persons; and past practice regarding television coverage of the event or similar events.

The legislation is backed by EU directives.

In a statement yesterday, Mr Dempsey announced his intention to conduct a review of the list of events.

He invited submissions from members of the public on the designated events and the possible designation of additional events.

"If, following the review, the Minister proposes to add to the list of designated events, he will publish a notice of any additional events that he intends to designate and invite comments on the said list," he said.

The closing date for receipt of submissions is January 27th, 2006. Submissions may be made online or through the post.

The director of corporate affairs and public relations for the European Tour and the Ryder Cup was unavailable for comment yesterday.