Why Setanta going down would not be good for fans and football

Setanta has brought a breath of fresh air to our TV screens since entering the market two years ago.

This week the Irish broadcaster has been fighting for its life, trying to survive Sky's stranglehold over English football.

That is a pretty tough call when the Premier League appears to be in Sky's pocket to the point of almost being like a cartel.

Don't get me wrong. Sky has been great for English football and it has rejuvenated the Premier League.

It has taken coverage to a whole new level, brought in HD, ploughed millions into the game and helped make the Premier League the most exciting and watchable league in the world.

But there's nothing wrong with healthy competition. Just imagine a world with only one newspaper. Only one blinkered view. It's really not healthy.

The European Commission at least can see that and ordered the Premier League to share out the rights. Setanta took two. Sky took the remaining four of the six packages on offer.

The Premier League did it for one round of rights and then, earlier this year, Setanta lost one of their two packages for the sake of £13m. It was an own goal but the Premier League was left happy. The norm had nearly returned.

Sadly for Setanta, investors were left concerned, the recession also hit the channel for six, the station has been left in crisis and it's been almost open season for every Tom, Dick and Harry to take a pot shot.

There even seems to have been a morbid gloating from some quarters about Setanta's demise.

A ridiculous phone-in on BBC Five Live. One blogger on the Guardian website described coverage as "chimpanzees with video cameras." BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch was very quick to tell them where they went wrong.

But what seems to be lost on a lot of people is the human cost of any TV company going out of business, redundancies for journalists with families, mortgages and bills to pay.

Also, Setanta has come a long way in a short space of time. They have top class people at the channel.

Angus Scott is an excellent presenter. Smooth, slick and sharp. Jon Champion is a good commentator. Dan Roan was poached from Sky because he's first class. Their talented reporters are all bristling with enthusiasm.

I should declare an interest here in that I have done a lot of work for the channel and got to know people in front of the cameras and behind them. They're all enthusiastic and work hard to make good programmes.

I sat at home on FA Cup final day and flicked between ITV and Setanta. I have to say that, despite Clive Tyldesley being top class commentator, I think Setanta won the day hands down.

ITV's panel wasn't great. Teddy Sheringham was monosyllabic. Steve Ryder looks outdated. A safe pair of hands, but not much humour.

In Setanta's studio, Steve McManaman is sharp, witty and, again, enthusiastic. He's got something to say.

People complain about having to shell out twice, for Sky and Setanta. But they seem to blame that on Setanta.

They don't seem to realise that Sky charge a lot and also that is down to the Premier League and their greed.

Setanta has been good for the game. I'm not sure that Premier League clubs have always given the same co-operation to Setanta as they do to Sky.

That is typical of people being wary of change. But do you really think that if a new TV company comes in they won't charge, too?

Setanta got rights to England games and the FA Cup. But I think it's the Premier League needs to take a good hard look at itself over this.

The European Commission tried to intervene to break up an unhealthy Sky monopoly over TV rights.

Nearly four years on, Sky's stranglehold is as strong as ever and the Premier League has taken the mickey out of the European Commission. It's bad and sad for football and all those good people at Setanta.

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