Channel 4 is challenging the BBC's dominance of skiing coverage by winning the rights to cover the skiing World Cup, one of the most high-profile events in the sport's calendar outside the winter Olympics.

Alain Baxter to star in World Cup coverage
Alain Baxter, the Scot stripped of his Olympic bronze medal following a controversial drugs test, is to get a starring role.

In Channel 4's first stab at covering the sport, the channel plans to devote more than 115 hours to the World Cup, which runs from November to March.

New public interest in skiing
Skiing has recently risen in profile in the UK thanks to the media prominence of Baxter, who was stripped of his Olympic bronze medal after a drug test proved positive.

Although he failed last week in his appeal to retain the medal, he had a three-month ban lifted by the International Ski Federation after it accepted his explanation that he failed the test because of a substance used in an American Vicks inhaler, which he was taking to combat a cold.

As well as competing, Baxter will also act as a pundit for the programmes, as will legendary Austrian skier Franz Klammer.

Weekly World Cup coverage
Channel 4 is planning a weekly, hour-long Saturday morning programme to cover the Alpine skiing World Cup events, plus two late night programmes featuring the best of the week's action. The events will be shown live, or as live, from locations such as Val d'Isere, Kitzbuhel and Val Gerdena.

"It's a terrific coup to bring the World Cup to Channel 4. The deal is recognition of the channel's track record in covering winter sports over recent years," said Channel 4's head of sport, David Kerr. "It is an exciting time for the sport after the worldwide success of the winter Olympics and we want to capitalise on that, with increased coverage bringing the sport to a new audience," he added.

Ski Sunday to continue
According to the broadcaster, snatching the rights will severely dent the BBC's plans for Ski Sunday, its long-running skiing programme. However, a BBC Sport spokeswoman said the corporation still had plenty of skiing coverage, including the World Championships.

[Source: Guardian]

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