Sports federations and press groups sign a voluntary code protecting the right of journalists to report on sports news

In Monday’s final session of Play the Game 2009, a number of experts gave varied and incisive presentations on football’s finances. In today’s economic climate, they asked, will football survive in its present state? And if not, what changes can we expect?

News agencies AP, Reuters and Agence France-Presse have chosen to suspend the coverage of Australian cricket events. The news agencies feel that the terms of accreditation are limiting the freedom of press.

A new internet TV channel will be transmitting 8 hours of live footage with commentaries daily as well as news from the Beijing 2008 Paralympics Games.

In March this year, a Swiss court produced evidence that in the period from 1989 to 2001, the now defunct International Sport and Leisure company (ISL) paid officials from a number of sports federations 87.5 million euros to obtain profitable broadcasting rights. Yet, when the court’s verdict was published last week, six former ISL executives indicted in the case were cleared of most of the charges against them.

Principles of independent journalism won in the latest skirmish between sports federations and media organisations about the rights to cover sport events. The battle took place in the European Parliament where members voted on amendments to a report on the European Commission’s White Paper on Sport which could have introduced new intellectual property rights to sport events.

Bribery is part and parcel of winning media rights for sports events allege defendants in the criminal trial of six former employees of the ISL/ISMM media group, FIFA's former media partners.

From 1989 to 2001, the world’s biggest marketing company ISL/ISSM paid personal commissions – or bribes – worth an unbelievable 138 million Swiss francs (87,5 million euros) to sports officials and other persons involved in the dealing of sports TV and marketing rights.