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Leeds FC bans BBC journalists

By Press Gazette

Leeds United Football Club has apparently stopped access to all BBC journalists in protest at an upcoming TV documentary.

The BBC’s award-winning regional current affairs series Inside Out is producing a documentary investigating the club’s ownership.

According to BBC in-house magazine Ariel, BBC Radio Leeds reporters were refused access to a press conference at the club last week.

And it reports that the club has said it will not allow coverage of press conferences or allow reporters to interview players or managers on match days, unless it is legally bound to do so – until further notice.

A BBC spokesperson said: ‘We have been informed by Leeds Utd FC that there will be no co-operation with the BBC outside the existing contractual agreements.

‘We would like to reassure listeners that BBC Radio Leeds will continue to broadcast Leeds United match reports, there will be some commentary on Five Live, and goals will be shown on the BBC Football League Show’.”

BBC representatives are due to hold talks with the club tomorrow.

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The latest row comes as national newspaper journalists and major news agencies are locked in a dispute with the football Premier League and the Champioship over new accreditiation rules. News organisations say the new rules would stop journalists live-blogging and providing Twitter updates from games.

Unless a deal is reached in the next few days journalists will be locked out of press boxes as the Premier League football season gets underway on Saturday.

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