RACING: Horse Racing Ireland are examing the possibility of starting their own specialist television channel.
The news comes on the back of the fallout from the closure of the British-based Racing Channel which had been showing pictures of Irish racing for free since last May.
The Racing Channel's American owner, the racing network international, has blamed the closure on the failure to secure a deal with HRI over payment for the rights to pictures of Irish racing.
However, the HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh hit back yesterday. "We have been criticised by TRNI for not making a sensible decision but I think their idea of a sensible decision is to give the pictures for nothing.
"Since last May they had free access to pictures pending a more formal agreement.
"A proposal was made to pay a percentage of the interactive betting turnover and when we asked them to stand over their projections by guaranteeing a minimum payment, they refused to do that.
"If that causes us to come out of all this as the bad guy, then so be it. But the facts are different. Part of the difficulty is that the Racing Channel got free pictures and got to like it," he said.
The other British digital channel, attheraces, are considering the HRI terms on offer and are expected to reply next week. However, if agreement can't be reached, it may not be the end of live pictures of Irish racing.
Kavanagh said: "The idea of developing our own racing channel is being examined, as is the whole area of TV coverage.
"We have taken on the coverage of the integrity cameras on racecourses from the Turf Club and are providing quality pictures for the stewards and the close circut. Those pictures are of high enough quality to be broadcast on a racing channel if neccessary.
"It's a concept at the moment and we don't know if there is a market for a subscription TV channel in Ireland. But we will certainly be looking at it in the course of the year."
He added: "We are not against TV coverage of Irish racing. We're very much in favour of it. But we have a quality product that is very much in demand in Britain and we can't give it away.
