BBC To Announce Changes To Sports Personality Of The Year Awards

The BBC will announce changes to its Sports Personality of the Year awards process later this month "following last year's outcry at no women being included on the 10-strong shortlist," according to Martyn Ziegler of the London INDEPENDENT. It appears unlikely that 'lads mags' Nuts and Zoo will keep their votes as changes are expected to be made to the shortlisting panel. Other changes are also likely to take place, "possibly expanding the number of sports stars on the shortlist and having a panel of experts to then reduce the size of the list ahead of a public vote." A BBC spokesperson said that the changes "would not be dramatic." The spokesperson said, "It will be evolution rather than revolution." In other words, there will be "no move toward having a separate award for men and women nor of giving the Paralympics any special status," both of which have been suggested (INDEPENDENT, 9/12).