RTPI is part of RTP (RTP1, RTP2, RTPN) The problem with the televising the games for the national teams - specifically the WC qualifying is that TVI bought the rights to the Soccer World Cup Qualifyig games. So RTPI is basically at the mercy of TVI. There is no law (never was as some have mentioned) that RTPI has to broadcast the games. FPF auctioned off the rights and TVI won. SuperLiga auctioned off the rights and Oliveira Sports along with RTP won the rights to those where last year it was Oliveira Sports and TVI. We live in a capatalist market - they don't care if you watch the game or not, they care that they fill their pockets with money. :-(
You forgot RTP Acores, RTP Africa, RTP Madeira & RTP Memoria. TVI didnt just get rights to the qualifiers, they got rights to friendlies as well. Correct there is no law that RTP has to broadcast the games but it was a major fcuk up by the FPF giving the rights to TVI without them presenting a plan regarding the rights of international broadcasting of the games.
Actually it may be because the home team is the one who owns the broadcast rights and therefore Malta sold it to Setanta internationally. I think with the TVI deal we will still get all the home games for the WCQ and most if not all away (there were a few away games during the 2006 WCQ's that weren't on RTPi)
Good point regarding the home team owning the rights but not sure if thats true or not. All of the 2006 WCQ's were on RTPi.
Thanks playa, my last class ends at 2 30..I would usually skip it, however it's one of those horrible 2 hour classes in which the course is only 2/3 days a week. So I'll have to record this shit fo sho'.
Sorry bud, I have just noticed in the past that after an eastern standard time was posted some would ask what time pacific.