The head of a company which has delivered media management services at many of the world’s top sports events says that the dispute between the Indian Premier League and some media groups, which threatened to taint this week’s opening games, has underscored the need for regular dialogue between governing bodies and the media over their changing relationship.

Writing on the company’s website, Nigel Rushman, Managing Director of Rushmans, says that changes within both sport and the media are having a negative impact on what should be a symbiotic relationship.

The IPL row revolved around restriction on the rights to run pictures on newspapers’ own websites and for agencies to supply pictures to stand-alone websites. It follows similar issues around the IRB Rugby World Cup 2007 and elsewhere.

“Yet there seems to be a lack of clear leadership when it comes to pulling together the sort of forum which is required to address these issues,” he writes.

“In November last year I invited representatives of all sides of this issue to a private session during the International Sports Event Management & Security event in London. Although I was delighted with the contributions made by those groups and individuals which were represented, many invitations were, sadly, declined.

“Yet the issues on the table won’t go away and simply can’t be solved without the active involvement of representatives of all those with an interest. For the one thing that is certain in all this is that technology will continue to change the media environment and that each change is likely to have an impact on the relationship between sport and the media.”

Now Rushman, whose company has provided media management services at many of the world’s leading sports events including successive editions of both Cricket and Rugby World Cups, Euro 96, and the Africa Cup of Nations, is to step into the vacuum and instigate a new summit in London this autumn.

“It is disappointing to see how little has been accomplished in sharing information and increasing understanding between the two sides in this continuing debate. Both have a long-term interest in finding solutions and reaching solutions to the issues they face now and in the future. If we are to avoid almost continuous rows on the scale of those we have witnessed to date, there has to be better and more regular dialogue between the sides which take place in an organised fashion.

“That’s why I shall be inviting representatives of the world’s leading sports bodies and media organisations to a behind-closed-doors summit at the next International Sports Event Management conference in London on Wednesday 12th November 2008.”