Sentinel refused details of BBC NI sports trips abroad

The paper asked for a full itemised list of BBC NI sports reporters’ travel expenses and allowances for covering sports events outside NI for the past three years.

The broadcaster responded: “The information that you have requested is excluded from the Act because it is held for the purposes of ‘journalism, art or literature.’

“The BBC is therefore not obliged to provide this information to you and will not be doing so on this occasion. Part VI of Schedule 1 to the Act provides that information held by the BBC and the other public service broadcasters is only covered by the Act if it is held for “purposes other than those of journalism, art or literature.”

“The BBC is not required to supply information held for the purposes of creating the BBC’s output or information that supports and is closely associated with these creative activities.”

Sentinel readers may never know how much the people are paying for their coverage of sporting events outside Northern Ireland.