PLANS by Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB to introduce pay per view coverage of Premiership soccer could black out national radio coverage, a leading club chairman warned yesterday.
Doug Ellis, chairman of Aston Villa, conceded that the satellite broadcaster could force an end to national radio commentaries, if it offered enough cash. He forecast Sky would be screening 10 pay per view matches each week from the 1997-98 season. There was speculation the station would charge up to £1 3.99 for viewers to watch some of the matches.
Jenny Abramsky, former controller of Radio Five Live said: "We know Rupert Murdoch has an ambition for 500 TV channels - and wants to broadcast simultaneously every league match. If he does. and some are on pay per view, I cannot believe he would not try to ensure there is no radio commentary, she told the Radio Festival in Birmingham.
Abramsky said Radio Five Live had already struggled to win rights to broadcast Sky Sport's first pay per view event - the Bruno Tyson heavyweight boxing match from Los Angeles, which attracted a record night time radio audience of three million.
"It will get worse as the battle for sports' rights goes on," she warned.
James Boyle. the new controller of Radio Four, promised a review of the special slot for Test matches on the network's long wave frequency alter listeners had complained of about "endless cricket".
