EVEN the millions of viewers who are not interested in cricket ought to be concerned that the government may axe the Tests played in England from the list of sporting events which the mainstream terrestrial TV channels have the first call to screen.

For the risk is that they would be snapped up by satellite TV - and viewers forced to pay to exercise their choice.

But what happens when one broadcaster gets a monopoly of the big sporting occasions? Viewers are held to ransom - made to pay more and more often.

One reason why, right now, the whole country is able to enjoy the World Cup is because its is freely available on TV.

Think what it would be like if it was restricted to satellite channels. We would be paying increasingly through he nose as the contest climaxes.

That's the future the monopolistic media moguls want. The government should not be assisting that and should put the viewers' interests first.

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