Handshake deal? Foxtel gets $30 million from government, but paperwork doesn't exist
The federal communications department has refused to release details about $30 million in sports broadcasting funding given to Foxtel, because it says documents about the deal "do not exist".
Senior Producer for ABC Radio Melbourne Mornings, Dan Ziffer spoke to Jon Faine about the money, which was allocated to Foxtel in the 2016 federal budget to support "underrepresented sports."
"There appears to be no paper trail for the $30 million contract," Mr Ziffer said.
"Whatever was done about this deal, it certainly wasn't written down."
Director of the Australian Shareholders Association Stephen Mayne said he believed the government gave Foxtel the money to avoid making an enemy with the Murdoch media.
"Because the free to air networks were all getting a licence fee cut in the budget and the government wants to keep sweet with all of the media," he said.
"They didn't want to have an enemy in the Murdoch's so they just gave them $30 million and then had to come up with a reason."
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