Fiji's government digs in heels over television rugby coverage
The Fiji government says it will not budge over a decree requiring significant events to be broadcast across all television channels.
Transcript
The Fiji government says it will not budge over a decree requiring significant events to be broadcast across all television channels.
Last weekend, television coverage of the Dubai Rugby Sevens was lost because the sport's governing body objected to the decree forcing FijiTV to share its broadcast rights with other stations.
A motion in parliament this week to scrap the decree was defeated.
Koro Vaka'uta reports.
A day after opposition members boycotted parliament's budget debate they were back and to discuss the Television [Cross-Carriage of Designated Events] decree. The finance minister and attorney general, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, opened the discussions, highlighting the public interest.
AIYAZ SAYED-KHAIYUM: So Madame Speaker it is probably one of the biggest issues that face us. Obviously it appeared to be bigger than the budget, at least for those on the other side of the house.
Under the decree, a TV station can attract a 250,000 US dollar fine and a 10-year jail term for failing to share designated events. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum says the law exists to allow everyone in Fiji to view events that hold public importance. And as another World Sevens tournament kicks off this weekend, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum says the government will continue to try to convince World Rugby the law is beneficial.
AIYAZ SAYED-KHAIYUM: We are not here to score cheap political points. I can assure the rest of the House that we will continue to fight for the ability to be able to have this televised to every single corner of Fiji. Every single corner of Fiji and we will continue to do that. Sometimes Madame Speaker, to be able to stand up to these things, to the big boys, you need to take a principled position.
An opposition MP Tupou Draunidalo says the decree tries to use the powers of lawmaking to overide private contracts. Ms Draunidalo says Fiji can only rule within its own jurisdiction and can't control World Rugby.
TUPOU DRAUNIDALO: They own their content. They can do with it as they wish and they have given exclusive licences to various countries. You can have this content and pay us this much but these are our conditions. That's their right, they own it. We can't usurp them. We can usurp people in this country if we have the power.
Another opposition MP and former Chair of Fiji Rugby Bill Gavoka says Fiji should support rules put in place by World Rugby especially as revenue from broadcast rights often goes towards global development of the game.
BILL GAVOKA: We can be principled. We can do many things in Fiji but when you are a part of a global community, you try to observe the rules that apply globally.
But Mr Sayed-Khaiyum says discussions will continue over the broadcasting and says the law even has the support of FijiTV which is owned by Fijian Holdings.
AIYAZ SAYED-KHAIYUM: To their credit of the chairman of Fijian Holdings and to the credit of Fijian Holdings, Madame Speaker, they also sent letters to World Rugby, in which they said we want to share because these events are of national importance. We don't mind the Cross Carriage laws.
FijiTV has not commented on the issue and the CEO was unavailable for comment until he gets board approval.
To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following:
See terms of use.