SYDNEY, April 10 (Reuters) – The Australian government will begin an inquiry next week that could determine how sports fans around the world follow their favourite events and teams online.

The inquiry, to be conducted by the Australian senate, will delve into the increasingly complex relationship between sporting bodies and the media and could serve as a precedent for foreign sporting bodies.

This relationship has become strained in recent years following a series of feuds over their differing views on publication on the Internet in the digital age.

Some sporting organisations have tried to impose unprecedented limits on media covering their events, saying they are trying to protect their own commercial interests.

Media organisations have fought the moves, arguing their case on the grounds of freedom of speech and the rights of the public to have objective coverage.

“Accurate, unbiased and timely reporting from independent journalists, can neither adequately replace nor be replaced by commercial coverage which is dependent on funding by sponsors, advertisers or subscribers,” Reuters wrote in its submission to the inquiry.

The thorny issue has already resulted in several highly publicised stand-offs in Australia, where sport has always been an emotive subject.

AGENCIES BOYCOTT

Two years ago, international news agencies, including Reuters, refused to cover the Australian cricket team’s first test against Sri Lanka after Cricket Australia demanded payment from media organisations.

The agencies boycotted Australia’s 2008-09 series against New Zealand and South Africa because of another dispute over the terms and conditions for accreditation.

The recent tactic of using accreditation conditions to control the media’s coverage of events is one of many issues the parliamentary inquiry will investigate.

The senate committee’s main aim is to find a balance between the commercial interests of sporting bodies and the rights of media to get fair access to events.

The terms of reference included a look at the nature of sports news reporting in the digital age and the effect of new technologies, including video streaming on the Internet, archived photo galleries and mobile devices.

The inquiry also posed the question of whether and why sporting organisations wanted digital reporting of sports regulated and whether some events should be siphoned off and protected by regulations to ensure the interests of the public were met.

IMPOSING LIMITS

A total of 35 submissions were received before the deadline for the start of the inquiry next Tuesday from a variety of Australian and foreign groups, representing sporting bodies, media organisations, trade unions, television broadcasters, internet companies, law firms, academics and mobile phone providers.

The Coalition for Major Professional Sports (COMPS), which represents Australia’s governing bodies for soccer, tennis, golf, cricket, rugby union, rugby league and Australian Rules Football, argued in favour of imposing limits and restrictions on media for coverage and accreditation.

“The ability of COMPS members to benefit from their content and rights in this new digital environment is being undermined, with diminished exclusivity,” they wrote.

“As a result, their ability to both protect traditional media rights and realise new opportunities from digital media rights is being eroded.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), one of several international sporting bodies who provided submissions to the inquiry, argued in favour of free media, citing their own experiences with Chinese authorities in the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“The IOC fully endorses and encourages a free and independent reporting environment for the media at sports events,” they wrote.

(Editing by Alison Wildey. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)