Commonwealth Games broadcast deal must be secured to ensure event is televised

Daily Record

2 days ago

The Commonwealth Games is at risk of a TV blackout, with no broadcast deal secured in the UK for its return to Glasgow next year.
Next year's Commonwealth Games will be a slimmed-down effort compared to the last time the event was hosted in Glasgow in 2014.
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Just 11 sports will be contested across four existing venues in the city, with no purpose-built athletes' village. The budget for the event is a fraction of what it was more than a decade ago.
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But the Games will still see an array of sporting talent descend on the city.
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Watching the 100m or 200m sprints at a sold-out Scotstoun stadium is sure to be a fabulous occasion for all those lucky enough to attend.
Tollcross remains one of the best elite swimming pools in the country, with the events held there certain to be thrilling spectacles.
So it's alarming no UK broadcast deal has yet been secured to showcase the Games.
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The BBC said yesterday no agreement has been signed with organisers. We must hope talks reach a positive conclusion soon.
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Glasgow is certain to be an ideal host for the event. And showcasing track and field stars from the likes of Australia, Canada and New Zealand is an opportunity not to be missed.
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And there will of course be the history-making opportunity for a generation of Scots athletes to win gold on home soil.
The Commonwealth Games is still treasured by many sports fans.
It's for that reason that a broadcast deal must be secured to ensure the event is televised across the UK.
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A TV blackout would be a real turn-off.
Cosmetic cock-up
SCOTLAND has long had a problem with backstreet Botox 'pop-ups' offering cheap – but not so cheerful – cosmetic procedures.
Now medics are warning that more and more men are showing up at A&E departments suffering complications from these 'operations'.
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In some cases, men have gone to these unregulated clinics for penis filler injections but have suffered agonising consequences.
There's no doubt the desire for bodily perfection is driven by the online world, where unrealistic images of men and women are being constantly peddled.
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This has created a market for ­unscrupulous operators to cash in on people's hang-ups.
The Scottish Government has rightly announced plans for a crackdown on unregulated cosmetic cowboys.
They are consulting on plans to make it illegal to provide these operations outwith certified medical settings. Such measures are long overdue.
Until then, the message is clear – if you want to avoid horrific consequences, avoid these backstreet operators.