BHB STATEMENT FOLLOWING NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION MEETING

05 Dec 2002 Pre-2014 Releases

The following BHB Proposed Press Policy was considered by the NPA today:

“BHB will extend the current licensing arrangements in respect of the use of racecards by newspapers until March 2007, providing that:

1. sponsors’ names are incorporated within the racecard; and

2. subject to appropriate editorial discretion, the volume of coverage given to racecards does not materially alter from current custom and practice.

In the event that sponsors’ names are not included within a racecard, BHB reserves its right to terminate, subject to an agreed notice period, the current licensing arrangements. This right of termination does not apply to the exclusion of sponsors’ names within racecards on an exceptional and non recurring basis, such basis to be agreed between the newspaper and BHB.

BHB acknowledges that the “sponsor’s name” may be edited to include only the sponsor name such that any other wording included in the sponsorship of a particular race is subject to editorial discretion.”

BHB rejects any suggestion that this proposal represents interference with editorial discretion: the proposal explicitly recognises that editorial discretion would apply.

In return for a long-term obligation to supply racecards on the current terms, we believe that it was entirely reasonable to ask for confirmation that sponsors’ names will be carried, which is, we understand, newspapers’ intention.

We will now speak to individual newspaper groups to reach an agreement which can be put to the BHB Board for approval.