Bates defends decision on Radio coverage
Ken Bates has defended his decision to give Yorkshire Radio exclusive rights for commentary on Leeds matches.
Last week Leeds United's announced they would not renew their contract with BBC Radio Leeds for the right to broadcast matches live on the radio. From next season, any supporters wanting to listen to a Leeds game will only be able to do so via Yorkshire Radio, founded by Bates in 2006.
And it’s no surprise to discover that the club made this decision in order to make more money. Ken Bates told the Yorkshire Post: "The fact of the matter is we did not think the BBC's offer, which came after the deadline anyway, was acceptable. Times have changed since I first became involved in negotiations on behalf of the Football League in 1986 when the BBC paid £35,000 per year to cover the game nationally. Back then, there was little competition with commercial radio stations only just starting."
The deal with Yorkshire Radio means only listeners with a digital radio will be able to tune into Leeds games from next season, no coverage being available on the FM frequency. Bates added: "Radio Leeds has a smaller catchment area compared to the potential six million people that Yorkshire Radio can reach, so we went with them.
Whenever you make a change, it inevitably upsets someone. People are saying things like 'I don't have a digital radio and I can't get digital radio in my car'. Well, a digital radio can be bought as cheaply as £14.95 and it is also possible to plug a digital radio in as you would when charging your mobile in the car”.
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