News that Melbourne sports radio
station SEN is under financial pressure and is seeking advice from an
administrator has huge ramifications for the future landscape of AFL
radio rights.

A little digging has produced some fascinating
developments now underway in Melbourne’s future AFL related radio
landscape. AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou hasn’t ruled out the
possibility of the league being interested in operating a radio license
in its own right. This possibility as a factor in the next AFL radio
broadcast rights negotiations; immediately provides Demetriou with some
welcome leverage.

But ultimately the AFL becoming a media
operative in its own right is both dangerous and impractical. By being
an actual stakeholder in radio or TV, the league puts itself in an
untenable position, and provides a climate for enormous mistrust among
future broadcast rivals.

The full story is on the site here.