News from Nottingham Labour

Nottingham City Council Leader backs BBC Sport

Labour Leader of Nottingham City Council, Jon Collins, has backed the BBC in the face of criticism from David ‘Cameron’s favourite think-tank’ – Policy Exchange.

Councillor Collins addressed the City Council’s monthly meeting of the Full Council, saying:

“If, as the reports suggests, the BBC were to spend less on sport, the majority of licence-paying viewers would potentially lose the chance to see our top sportsmen and women in action.

“Less spent by the BBC on sport would also mean Rupert Murdoch’s Sky Sports would have less competition and therefore pay less to screen top class events on their satellite and cable channels. Of course this could be the real reason for the proposal – the prize perhaps of support for the Conservatives at the next election.

“However, it would also mean the sports themselves having less income and while that might not be too much of a problem for football’s Premiership, other sports already struggle to survive and less money would probably just mean less to invest in sport at amateur and junior levels.

“Nottingham’s Sustainable Community Plan emphasises the value of promoting the City, its businesses and attractions, and the healthy lifestyles involvement in top quality sporting events can encourage.

“Less sport on terrestrial TV will mean far fewer people seeing those events and therefore less benefit for the City and its residents.”

Other news from Nottingham Labour

• Labour women will swim a mile for Nottingham children's charity - 5 March 2010
• Cabinet Minister drops in for tea with Nottingham students - 22 February 2010
• Nottingham South candidate launches residents' survey - 19 February 2010