SAMANTHA Stosur's appearance in the final of the French Open has created a headache for Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and the various television networks that are trying to nut out changes to the anti-siphoning rules governing sports broadcasting. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals of the French and US Open tournaments were likely to be removed from the list of sporting events "protected" for free-to-air television as part of a revamp of the broadcast rules, expected to be announced in coming weeks. The potential exclusion of the French Open means that Stosur's straight-sets loss against Italy's Francesca Schiavone could be one of the last times Australian viewers can enjoy the red clay of Roland Garros on free-to-air television. On current form, Stosur is likely to make the final rounds of next year's tournament. A scenario in which a finals match were shown exclusively on pay-TV's Fox Sports is understood to worry senior government officials. The concerns raised by Stosur's march to the French Open final demonstrate the highly sensitive nature of the proposed changes, which have been the subject of fierce lobbying from media companies and sports administrators. The retention of the French and US Open finals on the list would frustrate tournament organisers as well as Foxtel, which is 50 per cent owned by Telstra, with James Packer's Consolidated Media Holdings and News Limited holding 25 per cent each. ConsMedia and News Limited, which publishes The Australian, each own half of Fox Sports. Tensions between the government and pay-TV executives were raised earlier this year when Senator Conroy announced that commercial free-to-air networks would receive more than $250 million in licence fee rebates this year and next year. The French Tennis Federation told a federal government review of sport on television in October that the current arrangements limited the amount of revenue it could generate from Australian broadcasters and "affects the ability of responsible sports bodies to license their rights freely". The Nine Network holds the rights to each of the overseas grand slam matches but on-sells the final rounds of the French and US Opens as well as some Wimbledon matches to Fox Sports. The agreement with Fox Sports allows Nine to take back popular matches, which is what the network did with Stosur's finals appearance. Games played in a different time zone that do not involve an Australian player tend to rate poorly, so the offshore grand slams are considered expensive programming by the free-to-air networks. However, Stosur's loss in the final on Saturday night attracted an average metropolitan audience of 1.1 million people. It is believed Senator Conroy is reluctant to frustrate tennis fans and may seek an arrangement that ensures free-to-air networks are allowed to show finals matches featuring an Australian. All Wimbledon matches are included on the anti-siphoning list but early-round matches are likely to be removed. Other likely changes are the inclusion of international Twenty20 cricket matches played in Australia.Conroy worried over free-to-air's loss of French Open
The Rudd government is expected to retain the general thrust of the regulations -- which already include sports such as AFL, NRL and the Australian Open tennis -- but is expected to offer pay-TV concessions by cutting some golf and tennis events played overseas as well as introducing a "B-list" for some football games.Senator Conroy has consistently argued it is good public policy for mainstream sport to be shown on free-to-air television and is keen to avoid consumer unrest related to any tinkering with broadcast rules.
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