Director general to answer questions before select committee over concerns about rights to show half of live race coverage

This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

Mark Thompson, the BBC director general, is to face questions from MPs about the corporation's handling of its Formula One TV rights deal with BSkyB.

The Commons culture, media and sport select committee will question Thompson and the BBC Trust chairman, Lord Patten, about the deal when they appear before MPs to discuss BBC governance in December.

John Whittingdale, the Conservative MP and chairman of the committee, said in a letter to the Lib Dem culture spokesman, Don Foster, that a large number of people had expressed concerns about the deal, which will result in live coverage of half the Formula One grands prix away from free-to-air TV for the first time.

Sky will broadcast all the Formula One grands prix and practice sessions live from next season, with the BBC broadcasting half of the races, as part of the deal announced in July. Live TV coverage of Formula One reverted to the BBC in 2009 after 13 years on ITV.

Foster raised fears in September that no one was speaking on behalf of Formula One viewers and that there were "glaring problems" with accounts given by the BBC, Sky and Formula One over how the deal came about.

In a letter seen by the Guardian and sent to Foster earlier this week, Whittingdale said: "The committee has received a large number of emails and letters on the subject.

"The new licensing agreement for Formula One coverage is a commercial decision for the BBC and Formula One Management. However, the committee will be holding its annual evidence session with the chairman of the BBC Trust and the director general of the BBC in December.

"It is highly likely that members will wish to explore at that meeting some of the concerns that have been expressed over Formula One."

The BBC said that the decision over who broadcasts the sport is down to Formula One Management (Fom).

A BBC spokeswoman said: "On this occasion, Fom decided that a broadcast partnership between BBC and Sky was in the best interest of the sport."

The seven-year deal to share coverage of the races comes into force from the 2012 Formula One season.

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