Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
PREMIER Soccer League clubs yesterday scored a huge victory over giant sports broadcaster SuperSport over the right to use private camera persons for their matches.
The clubs last week were unanimous in their call for a review of the contract, seen by neutrals as highly flawed as it barred them from hiring private camera persons to film their matches.
In an email response to Chronicle Sport, SuperSport communications manager Clinton Van der Berg said they have since written to the PSL stating that clubs may have their own camera persons to record games “as long as it is for coaching and technical committee use only.”
The broadcaster, however, said it will not make public its contract to the Affirmative Action Group, who last week wrote a letter demanding that the agreement be made public.
“SuperSport is engaged in legal correspondence with the AAG. However, we can’t supply a copy of the contract because of the confidentiality clause. Secondly, SuperSport has written to the PSL stating that teams may have their own camera person as long as it is for coaching and technical committee use only and does not land on any IP television platform, YouTube included,” wrote Van der Berg yesterday.
The use of private camera persons took a nasty turn during a clash between Tsholotsho and Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium early this month when the PSL unleashed police officers on Thandazani Zimbwa, who was hired by Highlanders to film their match as the club is celebrating 90 years of existence.
Bosso wanted the footage for use by their technical department as well as archival purposes.
“We didn’t start this thing of filming our matches now, we have always done that. These things are for our archives, however, we have since formally applied for permission and they have told us that they are looking into the matter,” Ndumiso Gumede, the Highlanders chief executive officer recently told members of the media at a press conference.