Grassroots disability sport show interview former Head of Major Events
On Wednesday 15 March 2017, Speed of Sound plans to take a closer look at the ways in which disability sports are being covered now and how this could change. Insights will be provided by Dave Gordon, who was the Head of Major Events at BBC Sport and formerly BBC Director of London 2012 Paralympics and Athlete's Parade.
Speed of Sound, a radio show airing on Disability Sports Network, will host Dave Gordon to discuss the coverage of disability sports: how far it has come and how far broadcasters still have to go.
The interview will be broadcast at 9 PM GMT here
The coverage of disability sport has benefitted from guidelines published by organisations including the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS). Despite growing acceptance of the need to cover disability sports, there are still concerns that it receives less attention compared with mainstream sports and athletes.
Last summer, new research from EFDS showed the public’s desire to see more disability sport in the media. The report flagged the importance of coverage beyond the Games and on a par with non-disabled people in sport. To support journalists and those who provide news content on disabled people in sport, EFDS also released a better practice Guide to accompany the research.
In his career, Dave Gordon has been committed to championing the coverage of disability sport. He initiated a review of the guidelines for disability sport coverage, encouraging programme-makers to heighten commitment towards disability sport, disability issues, and feature more elite disabled athletes. Dave has also led BBC teams in the last seven Winter Olympics and eight commonwealth games, as well as having supported regular athletic events, including the London Marathon. He was awarded Olympic gold rings for the Barcelona and Sidney Olympics and BAFTAs for coverage of Sidney and the Manchester Commonwealth Games.
Harsha Bala, one of the hosts on Speed of Sound, said about the upcoming interview:
"Fiona, my co-host, and I are thoroughly looking forward to talking to Dave. He has driven forward some key efforts to increase reporting on disability sport in Britain and would therefore be the best person to help us through our questions on coverage.”
This interview on Speed of Sound follows a number of episodes in which the show has examined ways to increase the profile of disability sports and participation. Speed of Sound is a project delivered by a Hertfordshire-based charity, Vision 4 Growth, in partnership with Disability Sports Network.
Vision4 Growth is a registered charity ran by blind people for blind and disabled people. They provide access to regular sports, through our blind tennis programmes and by working closely with partners. A weekly internet radio show provides national coverage of disability sport through a range of providers and participants. They develop projects to raise awareness of sight loss and areas of concern around disability.
