Racing "faces a dramatic shake up within days" if Channel Seven goes ahead with a reported A$600M ($488M) bid to telecast Victorian and NSW races, according to Rod Nicholson of the HERALD SUN. After two years of "fruitless talks," TVN and SkyChannel "parted ways at the weekend." The standoff "enables Seven to make its bid to take over the broadcasting of Australia’s two most prolific and lucrative racing jurisdictions." The network is prepared to offer A$600M ($488.7M) for the next 10 years for the vision rights to all races in the two states. If that occurs, "the Victorian and NSW racing industry would be flush with funds, with the racing industry available to more customers through the commercial channel’s free-to-air and digital networks." Seven "already covers 25 days of premier race meetings in the two states free-to-air" (HERALD SUN, 12/21). In Sydney, Patrick Bartley wrote pressure "is now mounting on the board of Racing Victoria to obtain the media and vision rights for this state." Heavy lobbying "in the past 48 hours from major players in the industry has demanded that Racing Victoria, the ruling body, take over the rights currently held by race clubs in Melbourne." Intense pressure "is now mounting" on Racing Victoria Chair Robert Roulston. As one former racing administrator, who knocked back the opportunity to join the RVL board, said, "They've been around for 13 years and what do they control? At the moment they're fighting a huge bushfire with a garden hose. Whatever it takes, the ruling body must have the control" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 12/20).
