AP suspends Australian cricket coverage

Is CA taking after the BCCI?


The Associated Press has suspended coverage of cricket in Australia pending resolution of a dispute over conditions imposed by Cricket Australia, the sport's governing body in the country.
AP will not cover New Zealand's tour of Australia, which starts on Thursday and lasts until February. Discussions between the industry group News Media Coalition and Cricket Australia are continuing. Other international news agencies, including Reuters and Agence France-Presse, have also said they are suspending coverage.

Cricket Australia and news agencies have been discussing the accreditation terms for several months.

CA is demanding that media organisations agree not to supply images to non-sports publications, especially those it describes as "questionable."

It is also seeking to review websites served by the news agencies and forbid distribution of CA coverage to any it finds objectionable.

"We're still talking with CA, but we're not seeing much sign of give on the crucial points," AP Associate General Counsel Dave Tomlin said.

"We can't agree to allow any outside party, especially one we're covering, to tell us where we can or can't distribute our news reports."

A similar dispute last year between CA and the three agencies was settled after coverage was suspended for the first test match between Australia and Sri Lanka.

In a marketplace which is competitive in terms of the number of sports kids can be attracted to, it's foolhardy to do anything which jeopardises coverage. CA is by no means an impecunious body.

CA should pull their heads in - they don't own the game. If Ralph Magazine want to put a pics of Michael Clarke in his Baggy Green next to a pic of Lara Bingle with her cans out, WTF are CA to object.

Qunts.

So what has the press coverage been like outside Australia? Are you missing out on anything?

CA. Whilst not being "beggared" should realise they sold out to Mammon long ago, and the only saving grace is allowing real sports reporters to report.

AP could walk away just like they did with the NCAA and dreams of conquering the North American market will fizzle quicker than a BCCI's director d**k.