It would have been premature, perhaps, for senior administrators at the England and Wales Cricket Board to be popping champagne corks at Lord's yesterday. Much hard negotiating over television rights lies ahead. That they should now be able to boost their own investment in the game with television rights at least double the present £18 million a year is, nevertheless, a triumphant outcome for the ECB after a long and skilfully fought campaign to get Tests dropped from the list of national events restricted only to terrestrial channels.
Until very recently some Westminster sources were indicating that Chris Smith, the Culture Secretary, was wavering in his belief that he should follow the advice of Lord Gordon's advisory group and insist only that home Tests should be guaranteed what the report called ``secondary coverage''. The advisory group defined that as ``partial live coverage, delayed 'as live' coverage, extended edited highlights soon after the event, and live radio commentary or score flashes''.
This is the very least that disaffected BBC viewers can expect from next year but the chances are good that they will get at least the Lord's Test almost in full, as now, and it is more than possible that a new team of BBC negotiators will bid much more than before to keep live coverage of all home Tests. The new controller of the amalgamated BBC television and radio sports departments, Bob Shennan, has made no secret of his belief that a successful bid is important to the unwritten contract between the BBC and their public.
Terry Blake, marketing director of the ECB, will lead the negotiations, due towards the end of July, along with Brian Downing, a non-executive director of the ECB Management Board. Their aim will be another three or four-year television contract involving not just the BBC and Sky but possibly also one or two of the rival cable and satellite stations who have expressed an interest.
Next year's World Cup is being shared by Sky and the BBC but the melting pot thereafter also includes the one-day internationals, the new National (50-over) League, the NatWest, the 'SuperCup' for the top eight finishers in this year's County Championship, possibly some championship cricket itself and before long, no doubt, some 'Super Max' night cricket too.
The forthcoming early retirement of Jonathan Martin, formerly BBC television's chief negotiator, means that those now charged with matching or outbidding Sky will be unencumbered by past restrictions. Cricket chiefs have made clear their belief that if the BBC can afford £18 million a year for Match of the Day they can offer at least as much for five or six five-day Tests a year and that this would still be relatively cheap television. But the ECB and the BBC have to keep faith with a public which would bitterly oppose the loss of live Test coverage.
Lord MacLaurin, chairman of the ECB, said yesterday: ``This gives cricket the opportunity to provide much-needed extra investment in the game while still maintaining a good balance in our broadcasting arrangements. We will now invite broadcasters to talk to us about the future. It is not our intention to sell Test match rights to the highest bidder. We must get the balance right between audience and revenue. Clearly terrestrial TV remains the key to us achieving that aim.''
Lord MacLaurin added that the National Development Plan for cricket had identified the need for investment at all levels, especially the grass roots.
Blake said that he was hoping for an ``aggressive'' BBC bid, adding: ``We naturally hope that they can retain what we all regard as a jewel both in their crown and in cricket's.''
The knock-on effect of a satisfactory television deal would be immense. Ironically, Cornhill Insurance are one of only two regular sponsors of major cricket in the UK with a long-term contract at present. Would-be sponsors of the one-day internationals, the National League and the County Championship have been awaiting developments after the withdrawal of Texaco, AXA and Britannic Assurance. Benson and Hedges, forced out of the market after their last final in July, mainly because of Government action on tobacco sponsorship, may yet lend their patronage to next year's experimental SuperCup.