OLY: SOCOG faces another legal challenge

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-1999
OLY: SOCOG faces another legal challenge

Sydney Olympic organisers seem set to face another bitter legal sponsorship wrangle,
this time over which commercial radio station will broadcast the Games.

At the centre of the dispute is a contract SOCOG signed with embattled radio station
2UE on Friday night.

The owner of rival Sydney station 2GB, JOHN SINGLETON today vowed to challenge the
contract and spend whatever it costs to get the broadcasting rights.

Mr SINGLETON also quit as Australian Olympic team media director over the signing of
the 2UE deal.

He described SOCOG's chief executive officer SANDY HOLLWAY, who orchestrated the deal,
as weak and hopeless.

Mr HOLLWAY says he won't dignify Mr SINGLETON'S baseless attack with a response.

Mr SINGLETON says he was surprised the 2UE contract had been signed on Friday night
because Mr HOLLWAY had told him the night before that no deal had been formalised.





The row comes just days after sporting goods giant Reebok ended its $10 million Olympic
sponsorship deal, launching a breach of contract compensation claim against SOCOG, which
will go to the NSW Supreme Court on Friday.

Another sponsor, Network Seven, has said it has a number of outstanding issues to resolve
with SOCOG before it signs its contract with the organisation.

ABC Radio today confirmed it had already signed its agreement with SOCOG to become
the public broadcaster of the Games.

AAP RTV km/sb/jds/jn

KEYWORD: OLY SINGLETON (SYDNEY)

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