Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Head of Public Affairs, BBC
At the Select Committee on 11 October, Michael
Grade and Mark Thompson were asked whether the BBC was consulted
over the removal of Test Cricket from the Schedule of listed events.
As Michael was not at the BBC and Mark was the Controller of BBC
TWO and not directly involved in such matters when the review
took place in 1997, they undertook to respond later and I am doing
so on their behalf.
In the 1997 review, the BBC vigorously defended
cricket's "A" listed status. The executive summary of
the BBC's detailed submission of December 1997 stated:
The BBC is particularly concerned by the
ECB's suggestion that England home test matches should be removed
from the list. Tests meet the Government's criteria—they
involve the national team in pre-eminent international events
and are part of our shared national cultre. They appeal to a wide
range of people, not just cricket enthusiasts and help promote
interest in the game which is vital to the grass-roots health
of the sport.
17 October 2005
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