Nine undecided about whether the NRL grand final will be in high definition
With less than 10 days to go until the NRL grand final the Nine Network has yet to decide whether or not it will broadcast the major sporting event in high definition (HD).
Under anti-siphoning law the free-to-air TV network is required to broadcast the game on its main channel, but it can also choose to simulcast the game on its HD channel Gem.
Asked if the network would broadcast the game in HD a Nine spokeswoman said: “We are working through some technical issues on the NRL broadcast and cannot confirm whether it will be transmitted in HD at this stage.”
Sports fans have long complained about the free-to-air channels failing to provide HD broadcasts of major sporting events.
Just this week the Seven Network was accused of “backflipping” on a commitment made to an AFL fan pressure group to broadcast this year’s grand final on its high definition (HD) channel 7Mate.
AFL fan Josh Rowe, who runs the website “AFL in HD please” which boasts some 70,000 followers on its Twitter account, this week published emails between himself and Seven Melbourne managing director Lewis Martin which appear to show that the TV network made a “confidential” commitment to broadcast the grand final on the higher quality broadcast channel.
In later correspondence, Lewis said he had not made such a commitment however, when asked to comment on what commitments the network had made Seven declined to comment saying only: “We produce our AFL coverage for our primary channel (Seven) which is a standard definition channel.”
Nine has said it is unable to say when a decision would be made.
Nic Christensen
Are we in the third world? HD is the new standard. If the networks are protected by the anti-siphoning laws they should also have to sign up for compulsory HD broadcast of these huge sporting events.
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Any other developed nation in the world, this would not even be a question. Could you imagine the Superbowl or Champions League Final being broadcast in anything other than the highest definition? Crazy.
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As a betting man I’m gonna say it WON’T be. (edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy)
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After a few bevies no one will even notice whether the broadcast is in HD.
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Australian TV viewers are lucky it’s in colour…
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Disappointing. None of the station promos for the Grand Final so far are stating HD. If it were they would be making a big point about it, given the negative comments about rival Seven.
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Will Harvey Norman still be encouraging viewers to buy those humongous TVs during the ad breaks …. all so that we can watch the footie using last century’s technology?
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