(DCMS) Have your say on listed Free-to-Air Television events

TV viewers are today being asked which major national events they would like to see on free-to-air television.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham has appointed ex-FA Chief David Davies to review the list of events that are protected for free broadcast coverage. Mr Davies and a panel of sport, broadcast and business experts are now seeking public views on which events should be included on the list, which currently includes the Wimbledon tennis finals, the Grand National and other major sporting events.

The list was last revised in 1998 and currently includes only major sports events, although legislation does allow the inclusion of non-sporting events.

David Davies said:

"The Panel has already had some lively debates on the issues raised in the consultation and we are very much looking forward to having access to the views of the many people who we know feel so passionately about this subject."

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 public consultation, launched today, is seeking views on three main areas:

* the principle of having a list;
* the criteria against which events may be listed; and
* the content of any list itself, including whether any non-sporting events meet the criteria.

David Davies will be taking part in a live Downing Street webchat on listed events at 3.15pm on Tuesday 21 April. See: http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/webchats