First step in anti-siphoning reforms - interim anti-siphoning list made

By Kate Jordan, Toby Ryston-Pratt, Mary Still and John Fairbairn

An interim anti-siphoning list has been made by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, which will be in force from 1 January 2011.

The new list, although substantially the same as the current one, does have some changes:

• some Twenty20 cricket matches and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches involving Australia have been added; and
• previously listed events that have traditionally received little or no free-to-air television coverage, such as the British Open golf and French Open tennis tournaments, have been dropped.

The changes are part of the reforms to the anti-siphoning regime, including a two-tier list, announced last month.