Federal Communications Minister, Senator Helen Coonan must find a way to broadcast live the World Netball Championship grand final.
We are concerned about the delay in broadcasting the grand final from New Zealand. These elite athletes are being treated like a second class citizens.
Mr Shorten and Senator Lundy have had representations from netball players and fans.
Currently, the ABC is planning to broadcast the final on Saturday, November 17 at 9.20pm (AEDST) in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and ACT. That is three hours and 10 minutes after the actual final — 6.10pm AEDST.
Mr Shorten said: “Senator Coonan should stop listening to the bureaucrats who always give you a reason not to do something. Put simply, Australian fans want to watch our netballers in the grand final live and she should find a way to broadcast it.”
Senator Lundy said: “The delayed broadcast is devastating for these elite athletes who deserve to have an opportunity to have their skills shown across the nation.”
Australia is the undisputed powerhouse of world netball, winning seven of the 11 titles outright and sharing an eighth since the tournament started in 1963.
Sixteen nations are competing until November 17. The competition comprises 48 matches over eight days. Australia is likely to be in the final.
Netball is one of the nation’s most popular sports and deserves to be broadcast live like other international sporting events.
Federal Labor has consistently advocated better coverage of women’s sport. Female sport receives two per cent of the total television sporting coverage and 10.7 per cent of newspaper sporting coverage. (Source: Senate Inquiry into Women in Sport and Recreation in Australia. Submission by Netball Australia, June 2006)
Netball is perceived to be a low profile sport because of low awareness of “international” competitions, limited media coverage of games and players and few references to netball in popular culture. (Source: Motivations and Barriers to Women Participating in Sport and Netball, 2 February 2007)
Details: Bill Shorten – 0419 105 263 - Please note: Mr Shorten is also the Federal Labor candidate for Maribyrnong
Taryn Langdon – 0417 148 059 (Office of Kate Lundy)
