Fox Sports staff cuts reinforce football is not a high priority

On Wednesday, Foxtel announced a host of cuts to its Fox Sports News division.

Of the expected 20 or so staff to lose their jobs, football reporters Daniel Garb and Carly Adno have confirmed their departures from the company.

Head of Fox Sports, Peter Campbell, told staff in a letter that the decision was based on a thorough review.

“Following a careful and considered review, we have today announced some changes to the programming of FOX SPORTS News which reduces the number of live news hours through the middle of weekdays and which unfortunately have resulted in a number of redundancies within the Australian News Channel (ANC) team that delivers FOX SPORTS News.

“Our customer audience analysis shows viewing of FOX SPORTS News now peaks in the morning and evening and on weekends, with low daytime viewership. Therefore we are going to focus on delivering live sports news and the channel’s marquee programs, including AFL Tonight, NRL Tonight and Cricket AM, during those peak periods.

“This decision is not about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on sport. It simply reflects viewers are consuming sports news in different ways and at different times together with the same challenging conditions in the advertising market that are impacting the entire entertainment industry.”

The company wants to focus their energy on morning sports bulletins and evening shows, which will also perform better on their on-demand streaming service Kayo Sports.

Campbell’s comments reiterate the idea that the AFL, NRL and Cricket are their marquee offerings, therefore it is in their best interests to improve their associated programming for these sports.

On the football side of things, the axing of Garb and Adno is a huge blow to the sport’s presence on the Fox Sports network.

Garb, in particular, has been a prominent footballing voice on Fox Sports News as well as the host of the weekly Fox Football Podcast.

The podcast itself has become more important in recent times, due to the lack of magazine shows on Fox Sports for the A-League.

Magazine shows such as Sunday Shootout and Just for Kicks were all axed by Fox in recent years.

The job cuts come after the news the A-League will play on and try to finish the season, even though there are concerns around the coronavirus outbreak.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, there is a possibility Fox Sports will look to get out of the TV deal they signed with the A-League in late 2016, if the competition was abandoned this season.

If the A-League fails to meet its obligations this season, it could give Fox Sports the opportunity to move its way out of a deal they are currently unhappy with due to the leagues declining ratings.

A-League decision makers plan to condense the season into a shorter timeframe, with the hope of finishing by mid-April.

PFA CEO John Didiluca told SMH: “As it stands now we have no certainty about what Fox will do in the event of the league having to be shut down – whether they choose to withhold funding or terminate the agreement.”

“All of these things are options and we just don’t have an answer about what that will be.

“The players are showing their commitment and good faith by putting their hands up and continuing to play. The nature of their choice is awful, effectively having to weigh up risks to their personal and public health on one hand with the knowledge the football economy could collapse on the other.

“Fox have helped us build our competitions from day one and we now need them stick with us more than ever. We are urging them to match the resilience and commitment that the players and the clubs are showing. This will give everybody within the football community some measure of certainty that the sport has a strong future.”

Although Fox may not be satisfied with their current deal with the A-League, outside of the NRL and AFL there is not a whole of sport to broadcast at the moment.

The A-League would have received pressure from Fox to continue the season, even though there is uncertainty Fox will continue broadcasting the competition in the future.

Fox seems to be using the A-League to boost its current lack of sport offerings on Kayo Sports, despite recently sacking one of its most influential voices.

Football is not a priority for the company at this stage, but rather a pawn they can easily influence in these uncertain times.

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Melbourne Victory’s brand-new infrastructure strategy

Melbourne Victory & SEDA

A-League giant Melbourne Victory has revealed a brand-new extensive infrastructure strategy to foster and support tomorrow’s footballing stars.

The strategic infrastructure plan set out by Victory will aim to develop youth and women’s football programs by providing improved access to world class footballing facilities and player pathways across Victoria.

To achieve this, Melbourne Victory has opted for a campus model to enable players access to connected and consistent facilities across the North, East, South and West of Melbourne, all within an hour’s journey of Victory’s club administrative centre and the A-League Men’s training facilities at Gosch’s Paddock.

The club also intends to build another campus within the Melbourne city centre, with the first campus location to be announced by the club soon, as it continues to review and assess possible sites across the city.

Melbourne Victory Chairman, John Dovaston, explained why the club had chosen the campus model.

“The announcement of this project, and the direction taken, is aimed at ensuring we are best placed to attract and retain football talent across the State,” he said in a press release.

“Our innovative approach will allow us to have a number of campuses with not only an elite focus, but also, an eye on building our community to ensure that all Victorians have an opportunity to participate and engage in our game.”

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the new infrastructure strategy was so important to the club.

“It is well understood that sport and football can influence social cohesion, and it’s our responsibility as a Club to establish infrastructure and programs that can positively impact members of the community, regardless of gender, background or location, whether that be through training the next generation of football stars, or using football as a vehicle to lead, unite, connect and inspire the community more broadly,” she said via press release.

“By enabling Victory to connect with communities across the North, South, East, and West of AAMI Park, our spiritual home, we can truly grow the Victory family and set new standards for elite facilities in our Pathway and community programs.”

The infrastructure project is an important move for the club, allowing it to grow, improve and future-proof its current suite of footballing programs. Currently, Victory operates nine elite and 23 pathway programs, providing services to over 16,000 participants across Victoria. Through the campus model, the club hopes it will be able to more efficiently develop the new generation of A-League and national team players.

“The priority is to provide not just an entry point for individuals to engage and participate in football, but to keep them engaged and provide a holistic journey to grow the Victory family across the State,” Carnegie continued.

“We are excited about the opportunities that the project can provide and the potential for growth for our Club and for football in the future.”

Melbourne Victory will continue to issue updates as it sets on the 5-year-plus journey to complete the entire project. For more information on the club’s major infrastructure strategy, access the plan HERE.

 

WA Community Use of School Sporting Facilities grants open

Soccer youths

The first round of the WA Community Use of School Sporting Facilities Program grants is now open for applications until March 21.

The program is an initiative from the West Australian government aimed to inspire partnerships between schools and community sporting groups to more effectively use sporting facilities and foster a greater sense of community.

Developed in collaboration with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC), and the Department of Education (DoE), the program strives to:

  • improve access to sporting facilities for community sporting groups
  • improve school sports facilities
  • assist schools in developing their facilities for outside hours use without damaging student safety
  • encourage partnerships between schools and community sporting groups

Grants Eligibility 

Program funding is only available to WA public primary or secondary schools, which have partnered with at least one community sporting group under a DoE Community Use Agreement.

Schools applying for funding must prove they need monetary support to develop facilities and assist community sporting groups to use facilities. Additionally, they need an Eligibility Declaration from their partnered sporting grouping to confirm it will regularly access the facilities.

The partnered community sporting group must also meet a range of eligibility requirements:

  • It must be incorporated under the Associations Incorporations Act 2015 (WA),
  • Or it must be an Indigenous organisation under the Corporations (Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth)
  • Or it must be a company limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)
  • It must participate in a classified sport under the DLGSC
  • It must be registered under a DLGSC recognised state sport association (SSA)
  • It must enter teams into a local sport program or DLGSC SSA affiliated competition
  • It must have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • It must comply with the Working with Children (Screening) Act 2004
  • It must maintain insurance to cover the DoE CUA

Grants Funding Parameters 

There is up to $50,000 worth of funding available for successful applicants across four different types of one-off investments:

Minor Equipment or Infrastructure

This includes funding for small scale items such goalposts, equipment storage or other minor items or infrastructure.

Minor Playing Surface or Upgrade of Oval or Hardcourts

This includes funding for minor improvements to sports fields and courts, such as:

  1. Resurfacing
  2. Marking
  3. Reticulation
  4. Returfing
  5. Grass oval rejuvenation works

Minor Improvements to Existing Surfaces 

This includes funding for small scale improvements that make sporting facilities safer for outside use, such as locks, cameras, gates, and lights.

Other Relevant Activities That Enhance Facilities Use

This includes funding for activities that would increase the use of sporting facilities, such as for one off payments for staff and equipment.

How to Apply for Grants

Applications for the program can be completed online on the DLGSC website.

Before applying make sure to read the guidelines and have the necessary documentation ready.

Documents you will need are:

  • Signed Community Use Agreement (or letter of intent to enter at CUA)
  • Community Sport Group Eligibility Declaration
  • Quotes, photos, files and documents to use as evidence to support your claim

Applications for the first round of funding must be completed and submitted before March 21 5.00 pm 2025. If you miss out on this round or are unsuccessful, there are two more rounds of grants occurring later in the year.

The second round of applications will open March 24 9.00 pm and close May 16 5.00 pm 2025. While the third round of applications will open May 19 9.00 pm and close July 4 5.00 pm 2025.

 

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