[58/08] Amendments to the List of Major Events (07/11/2008)

Media Release 58/08 

Amendments to the List of Major Events

The Authority has just amended Government Notice 86 of 2007 – the list of major events in the sense that paragraph 5 referring to the Maltese national football team’s away matches will henceforth no longer need to be broadcast direct and in full on a free-to-air channel but will instead be transmitted on a deferred basis as in the case of the national football team’s home matches.

Experience in the past two years has shown that none of the free-to-air television broadcasters was willing to purchase the relative rights and such rights have, during this period, been acquired by either the cable or the digital terrestrial platform operator. Rather than prohibiting the platforms from carrying such matches to the detriment of the Maltese consumer, the Authority has in the past permitted platform operators to broadcast the away matches of the Maltese national football team direct and in full with a repeat of such match also in full but on a deferred basis on a free-to-air channel within 24 hours from the conclusion of the aforesaid football match.

A revised list is attached.