STAR Statement regarding local radio broadcast rights

[STAR Voice]

STAR (Supporters' Trust At Reading) the organisation representing Reading supporters, today issued the following statement.

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STAR has always worked closely and impartially with all media organisations, as we believe that the widest possible media coverage of Reading Football Club is important to both benefit the football club and to provide accessibility to Reading supporters everywhere. This, we believe, is even more important at a time when Premier League football means that watching Reading live is harder and more expensive than ever for many.

Therefore we must express our extreme disappointment with the decision announced yesterday that Reading FC has awarded exclusive rights to broadcast live commentaries of Reading's home and away matches to the radio station "Reading 107" - for many years these rights have been non-exclusive, and both Reading 107 and BBC Radio Berkshire have broadcast live commentary of Reading matches.

STAR appreciates the need for Reading FC to maximise revenue in order to compete in the Premier League, but we believe that the negative impact of this decision upon Reading fans, the loss of goodwill it is already causing, and the significant loss of the Reading FC "product" to a large number of Reading supporters will more than outweigh any short-term financial income.

There is no doubt that this decision will make it much harder for Reading fans to hear live commentary of Reading's matches - as an "incremental station" Reading 107's license restricts them to a local broadcast area only. According to RAJAR March 2006 statistics, the number of people over 15 who live within Reading 107's Total Survey Area is 257,000 people, whilst that of BBC Radio Berkshire is 771,000. Similarly, BBC Berkshire, backed by the technical resources of the BBC, provides DAB Digital Radio coverage, whilst Reading 107 has no facilities to offer this service.

Effectively this means that free, non-internet, access to live commentary of Reading's first season in the Premier League will now be unavailable to over half a million people who live outside "Reading and the Greater Reading area" - Reading 107's stated catchment area. This includes the large numbers of Reading supporters (and, of course, potential Reading supporters!) in towns such as Newbury, Thatcham, Hungerford, Didcot, Maidenhead, Slough, Windsor, Bracknell and Basingstoke, etc.

We would therefore call upon Reading FC to review this decision to make live radio broadcast rights exclusive, and to revert to the shared coverage of previous years - so that live coverage of Reading FC is once again as accessible to fans as it has been over the many years when Reading FC were not as successful.
ENDS
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[bobby1413]

Sounds really good. Wonder if they'll give any response to it.

[Royalshow]

I really hope they reconsider there decision.

[72 bus]

Hello
I hope that STAR pursue this issue , This is a very bad thing for the club to do as it limits the exposure of RFC to a very small area.
I struggle to get 107 even before i get to maidenhead while driving on the M4.
Get a petition up on this issue.

[Skin]

Get a petition up on this issue.

Here's one:
http://www.petitiononline.com/BBCBERKS/petition.html

[weybridgewanderer]

don't just let STAR follow this up, the more people that write to Nigel Howe the better

you can take the letter that STAR has written above, modify as appropriate and send it yourself to

Nigel Howe
Chief Executive
Reading Football Club
...

It may be an idea to copy

John Madejski
c/o Reading Football Club
...

[TFF]

I am inspired to come pay my £10. Well done STAR.

[Scrappy]

Well said STAR. Quite a few people have spoken to me today in disgust of this decision so am glad there is a positive responce from the Trust.

[Forbury Lion]

Perhaps STAR can mention this to other clubs at the next Parliament thing, At the very least it may help fans to know they can, for example, log onto a free Liverpool based radio station' site for free coverage of Liverpool games which would mean Reading home and away to Liverpool would be available to those missing out.

In return, should our situation change we can make other clubs aware of any free service available for Reading games (plus premium services which may be cheaper on a single match only option than their local alternatives).

[Slinky]

STAR were spot on there but when do the club ever review decisions and change them, especially ones that involve money!

[Only one Trevor Morley]

I've been cynical of STAR before but this sort of response is exactly what was needed - the completely collbaorative approach may have worked in the Championship but as we have got promoted our voice has incresinagly gone unheard........

and all this despite the fact I never like Huffords commentary!

[shadesrwrf]

RFC, you have a massive opportunity here to show that you are willing to listen and do care about your customers'* opinions. Don't let it slip through your fingers.

*they used to be known as fans.

[RIP ELM Park]

RFC, you have a massive opportunity here to show that you are willing to listen and do care about your customers'* opinions. Don't let it slip through your fingers.

*they used to be known as fans.

Interesting point about customers, if you define customers as organisations or individuals who pay for the clubs product, then like most business's the club should look after their biggest customers first.

Who are the biggest customers if you count the fans as a collective ie. one customer, do they give the club more money than Sky?

Who is the clubs biggest customer?

[CocoPops]

Well said STAR.

Here's hoping RFC issue a decent reply.

[Sam Tubber]

Well said STAR.

Here's hoping RFC issue a decent reply.

[Jerry St Clair]

Well done STAR - perfectly encapsulates my feelings on the subject

(though I, personally, would have added that 107 have proved themselves to be shit - I can understand why you refrained from that!).

[moo]

Lets hope we can all join together and change this stupid desision that has unfolded yesterday.

Unlike bad signings/price increases/hot dog's tasting funny/royalty points/traffic, this problem really affects the fans free choice that we should all have, thats why everyone is so outraged.

STAR do let us know if theres anything we can all do to help.

[bb0118]

Get a petition up on this issue.

Here's one:
http://www.petitiononline.com/BBCBERKS/petition.html

Signed.

[CocoPops]

Get a petition up on this issue.

Here's one:
http://www.petitiononline.com/BBCBERKS/petition.html

Signed.

ditto, the more the better!

[AthleticoSpizz]

Lets hope we can all join together and change this stupid desision that has unfolded yesterday.

Unlike bad signings/price increases/hot dog's tasting funny/royalty points/traffic, this problem really affects the fans free choice that we should all have, thats why everyone is so outraged.

STAR do let us know if theres anything we can all do to help.

is anybody clever enough/annoyed enough/incentive driven enough to explain the benefits to the average Reading fan for this crazy decision?

Failing that, would anybody care to email RFC, BBSC Berks, Two ten fm soundalikes £eading 107 FM the relevant threads on here?.

Funkin seething