TG4 not allowed broadcast football final live
Council chiefs rejected live TV coverage on the basis that it would affect the attendance in Killarney’s Fitzgerald Stadium.
The decision has forced TG4 into an eleventh hour change of a live match. They will now feature the Leinster football semi-final in Newbridge between Rathnew and Dunshaughlin with highlights of the game in Fitzgerald Stadium to be featured on the Monday evening sports programme, Ard san Aer.
Ronan Ó Coisdealbha, TG4’S sports editor, said he was disappointed at the stand taken by the Munster Council, saying that it was difficult to comprehend when they had the rights to the competition.
“We were told after a meeting of the GAC in Dublin on Monday evening that we would not be allowed cover the final,’’ he said.
“It has created a lot of hassle for us because ourselves, AIB and the marketing company had put a lot of work into promoting the game.
“I know that it will be disappointing news, too, for the two clubs. We are public service broadcasters; we are providing a service to them.’’
RTÉ has the rights to the GAA’s hurling and football championships, along with other competitions like the International Rules Series - for which they pay an annual fee.
Ó Coisdealbha points out TG4 has full exclusive rights to the Allianz National Hurling and Football Leagues, the AIB club championships and county finals.
“When the GAA sold the rights two years' ago, that was the deal,’’ he added.
“We can choose what matches we want to do - it’s our choice. The GAA don’t tell us what to do.’’
Interestingly, last Sunday’s Munster club hurling final between Sixmilebridge and Mount Sion in Thurles was covered live, which was very much welcomed by the GAA public and those supporters from either side who were put off from travelling because of the terrible weather.
Munster secretary Donie Nealon said yesterday that he had predicted a drop of about a thousand once he heard the weather forecast for the day.
He said it would be incorrect to suggest the Munster Council had pulled the plug on the live telecast.
“Our final was not down for screening live on television. We are not consulted by TG4. We might see a list printed in the newspapers, or we might get a list of games to be covered.
“We saw that this year they picked out three of our hurling matches, but strangely enough, they have not covered any hurling or football match in Leinster. We wonder why?” he said.
“We feel that if the game was to be televised live, the crowd would be decimated, particularly with two clubs involved which are based 60 miles from the venue.’’
The council would have had the same concern in advance of the hurling final last Sunday, he said.
However, they were prepared to live with a loss of spectators and revenue for the sake of letting the games out live.
“Without our permission, they announced in Ard san Aer the other night that they would be televising the match in Killarney.
“We had the matter discussed at Croke Park on Monday night and we said to them, why not cover a Leinster match - which is what they have decided to do.’’
Ronan Ó Coisdealbha had a simple explanation for their policy of concentrating on Munster games so far this season.
It was all about balance, he explained, of spreading their coverage over the four provinces.
“We have been broadcasting club championship games for the last three years and when we are planning ahead we would always look at the previous year.
“Last year, we did not do as many Munster games, where we did a lot in Leinster.
“We also have to look at what the audience wants and we feel that the ratings for the Munster matches are much higher as well,’’ he added.
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