Ferguson 'ordered to end BBC boycott'

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will have to end his long-running boycott on speaking to BBC reporters from next season after the Premier League reinforced its new media relations policy.

Last November, a motion was passed at a league board meeting which made post-match interviews with all media rights holders mandatory for club managers.

The new rule, titled Q17, states: "With effect from season 2010/11 all managers are required to attend in person and participate in post-match interviews held by or for the benefit of a UK broadcaster or radio broadcaster and failure to do so without just cause shall be a breach of these rules."

Any managers failing to make themselves available for TV or radio interviews will face penalties, starting with a warning and moving to fines of increasing weight.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp and Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce have also previously refused to give interviews to BBC reporters, but not for as long as Ferguson.

The Manchester United manager has not spoken to the BBC since 2004 when his son Jason, a football agent, was the subject of a Panorama documentary alleging that he used his father's status to exert influence on the transfer market.

Despite Jason never being found guilty of any wrongdoing, Ferguson pledged never to speak to the "arrogant beyond belief" BBC ever again. Currently, the ban means that Ferguson's number two Mike Phelan is tasked with giving interviews to the corporation on shows such as Match Of The Day.

In response, the Match Of the Day production team has long argued that the reason for Ferguson's boycott was never of their making, while "off-court" relations with the Scot remain cordial.

Meanwhile, the Premier League also last week confirmed plans to launch its own worldwide TV channel to broadcast a 24/7 schedule from the 2010/11 season onwards.

The channel, which will not be available in Britain, will be operated by the league's own production company and broadcast news, debate and library material.