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BRUSSELS, Oct 18 (AFP): Europe's top competition official and the head of the FA Premier League moved closer Tuesday toward ending a row over television broadcasting rights for England's best football matches.
The talks, between EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes and Richard Scudamore, come amid an antitrust probe by the EU's executive into the way the FA Premier League (FAPL) it shares out television rights for top flight games.
The commission, the EU's competion watchdog, said in a statement that it had insisted that the Premier League ensure that at least two broadcasters obtain a "viable and meaningful share of live match broadcast rights".
It said the Premier League had made a number of new proposals on how to end British Sky Broadcasting Group's exclusivity in broadcasting the matches.
"Commissioner Neelie Kroes welcomed the FAPL's constructive proposals which move us closer to an amicable result in this case," the statement said.
"The commissioner agreed to consider these proposals and to indicate her position to the FAPL by Friday 21st October," it said.
The FAPL welcomed her position and said it had received a "fair hearing".
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