Post by Taxigirl on Oct 25, 2005 8:43:35 GMT
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The European Commission are expected to reveal whether the Premier League's proposals for ensuring a "viable and meaningful" share in access to future live broadcast of top-flight matches meet with their approval.
The League met an EC deadline of Monday night to clarify how the auction process for the 2007-2010 media rights would work in practice and hoped the issue was nearing "an amicable resolution".
EC competitions commissioner Neelie Kroes later confirmed receipt of the letter from League chief executive Richard Scudamore and the EC insist she will now "analyse the letter carefully to assess whether the clarifications she sought have been addressed".
Kroes insists the League must honour a commitment made in December 2003 to ensure no single broadcaster is able to buy all the live TV packages on offer from 2007-2010.
A Premier League statement read: "The Premier League have written to Commissioner (Neelie) Kroes in response to her letter of last week.
"We are confident we have addressed the clarifications sought by the Commissioner and hopeful that this process continues to move towards an amicable resolution."
It is understood the League are proposing to offer six packages of 23 matches each, with no single broadcaster permitted to buy more than five.
The EC said in a statement: "European competition commissioner Neelie Kroes has received a reply from Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Football Association Premier League, in response to her letter of October 21.
"The Commissioner will analyse the letter carefully to assess whether the clarifications she sought have been addressed.
"These clarifications concerned the set of commitments offered by FAPL in Brussels on October 18 concerning the sale of media rights for Premier League matches from 2007 to 2010.
"As regards live TV rights, the Premier League committed themselves in December 2003 that from 2007 they will create balanced packages showcasing the Premier League as a whole and no single broadcaster will be allowed to buy all of the packages."
EC spokesman Jonathan Todd said: "We want the auction to be conducted in a fair and transparent manner."
If the EC are satisfied with the League's clarification of certain aspects of the intended bidding process, then those assurances should form part of the final proposal to be submitted to the EC for Commissioner Kroes' approval.
BSkyB, ITV, NTL, Channel Five and the BBC have all indicated they are considering bidding for the rights.
The European Commission are expected to reveal whether the Premier League's proposals for ensuring a "viable and meaningful" share in access to future live broadcast of top-flight matches meet with their approval.
The League met an EC deadline of Monday night to clarify how the auction process for the 2007-2010 media rights would work in practice and hoped the issue was nearing "an amicable resolution".
EC competitions commissioner Neelie Kroes later confirmed receipt of the letter from League chief executive Richard Scudamore and the EC insist she will now "analyse the letter carefully to assess whether the clarifications she sought have been addressed".
Kroes insists the League must honour a commitment made in December 2003 to ensure no single broadcaster is able to buy all the live TV packages on offer from 2007-2010.
A Premier League statement read: "The Premier League have written to Commissioner (Neelie) Kroes in response to her letter of last week.
"We are confident we have addressed the clarifications sought by the Commissioner and hopeful that this process continues to move towards an amicable resolution."
It is understood the League are proposing to offer six packages of 23 matches each, with no single broadcaster permitted to buy more than five.
The EC said in a statement: "European competition commissioner Neelie Kroes has received a reply from Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Football Association Premier League, in response to her letter of October 21.
"The Commissioner will analyse the letter carefully to assess whether the clarifications she sought have been addressed.
"These clarifications concerned the set of commitments offered by FAPL in Brussels on October 18 concerning the sale of media rights for Premier League matches from 2007 to 2010.
"As regards live TV rights, the Premier League committed themselves in December 2003 that from 2007 they will create balanced packages showcasing the Premier League as a whole and no single broadcaster will be allowed to buy all of the packages."
EC spokesman Jonathan Todd said: "We want the auction to be conducted in a fair and transparent manner."
If the EC are satisfied with the League's clarification of certain aspects of the intended bidding process, then those assurances should form part of the final proposal to be submitted to the EC for Commissioner Kroes' approval.
BSkyB, ITV, NTL, Channel Five and the BBC have all indicated they are considering bidding for the rights.