Listed events are sports events of national importance which have been “listed” by the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport in accordance with the 1996 Act. The current list is at annex 1 to the draft code (see Annex 4). The purpose of the listed events rules is to restrict the acquisition by television broadcasters of exclusive rights to these events and the broadcasting of television coverage of the events on an exclusive basis so as to ensure as far as possible that there is wide public access to them. The code also contains requirements relating to broadcasters under the jurisdiction of the UK which broadcast to other EEA states where rules have been drawn up on listed (or designated) events.
The draft code and regulations follow closely the approach taken by the ITC in its Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events, drawn up under the 1996 Act. Ofcom is not proposing to re-open debates on the listed events rules which are not affected by the Communications Act and which have been tried and tested over time. The purpose of this consultation is therefore to seek views only on the specific changes to the code and on the wording of the regulations which cover certain matters previously covered by the ITC code.