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Burnham announces free-to-air events review panel

A panel made up of some of the UK's top sport, broadcasting and business talent is to review which events are broadcast free to the nation, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham announced today.

The panel will support ex-FA chief David Davies who is leading a review of the list, at the request of the Secretary of State.

The panel members are:

* Dougie Donnelly
* Angus Fraser
* Professor Chris Gratton
* Eamonn Holmes
* Penny Hughes
* Colin Jackson
* Michael Pescod
* Nick Pollard
* Hope Powell

Andy Burnham said:

David Davies has assembled a panel with a considerable breadth of experience and expertise covering the worlds of sport, broadcasting and business. I am very grateful to the panel members who have offered their time free of charge to help David Davies establish which events should be protected so the widest possible audience can see them for free.

David Davies said:

I am delighted that we have secured such a range of expertise and I look forward to working with the panel as the review moves forward over the coming year.

The Broadcasting Act 1996 allows the Secretary of State to draw up a list of sporting and other events of national importance, with the aim of giving them the widest possible broadcast coverage.

The current list, which includes events like the Wimbledon Tennis Finals and the Grand National, was compiled in 1998. Andy Burnham announced in December that David Davies, former Executive Director of the Football Association, will lead a review of the list.

The review will cover three main areas:

* the principle of having a list;
* the criteria against which events may be listed; and
* the content of any list itself.

The current list is divided into two groups - group A which protects live coverage, and group B which protects highlights.

The review process will include consultation with broadcasters, rights holders and the public, and is expected to report by the second half of 2009.