27 March 2008 :: by
Autolycus
Leeds United CEO Shaun Harvey has issued this full statement regarding the future of radio coverage of LUFC matches during the 2008-09 season.
"Yorkshire Radio was founded by Ken Bates and first broadcast on the 10th July 2006.
"The first broadcast was heard on DAB and on-line at www.yorkshireradio.net. Coverage has since been widened to include a permanent channel on the SKY digital platform channel 0209.
"We believed that the Yorkshire Radio would be profitable in the medium term, but needed financial support in the early days. The finances of Leeds United were such at the time that it was not in a position to provide the required support so Ken Bates arranged the funding for the project from external sources so it would not further increase the financial pressure on Leeds United. As the funding came from outside the club then it was appropriate that the ownership remained in the control of the funder.
"The club entered into an agreement with Yorkshire Radio to broadcast commentary of games after Radio Aire chose not to renew their commentary agreement. Radio Aire placed no commercial value on the rights at that time and have seen their listening figures decline since that decision. Yorkshire Radio's listening figures are increasing month-on-month and the club utilises its commentary for LUTV. LUTV is the club's online subscription service, and is the only way of listening to commentary over the internet due to the restrictions placed on all clubs by the Football League. Commentary cannot be broadcast on SKY either due to these restrictions.
"Yorkshire Radio is an integral part of the club's media plans alongside an improved LUTV to keep fans updated on news from the club, keeping costs to a minimum. I can confirm that the share capital of Yorkshire Radio Limited has been transferred so that 95% is held by Leeds United 2007 Limited with the remaining 5% owned by the management of Yorkshire Radio (which does not include Ken Bates). It was always the intention that Leeds United would benefit from the commercial performance of the radio station and the above action confirms this.
"Nothing in our agreement with Yorkshire Radio precludes BBC Radio Leeds from doing commentary. The only factor stopping them from undertaking commentary next season is that their offer was not acceptable to Leeds United. The emphasis was on Radio Leeds to make the club an acceptable offer which they were unwilling to try and do, a point that appears to have been overlooked by a number of MPs and fans."
Clearly the management at Leeds United are tired of being seen as the bad guys in this affair. The usual intervention of publicity-seeking MPs has not helped matters. How short-sighted can MPs be to think their presence will help a a situation when three of their number intervened in the summer administration wranglings and did the club tremendous harm? Ken Bates will not have forgotten that and so the contribution of the MPs is like throwing petrol on a fire! Surely at least one MP must realise that our troops are dying in two meaningless wars in ungrateful foriegn nations - surely they would be better spending their time trying to stop that than interfering in what is essentially a private business deal?
To solve this matter all the BBC have to do is pay more for the rights. The fans will have to pay more next season, why not the BBC? Perhaps next time they won't spend £18m on renewing Jonathan Ross' contract and there will be some money left in the kitty for local radio services? Frankly if they cannot afford League One coverage now they had better hope that Leeds United never get back to the Premiership!
