David Davies exclusive: Selecting the 'crown jewels' is a thankless task

We have achieved our first aim, to get the debate going – with bells on! If I had wanted to achieve short term popularity I could have written an earnest lengthy report that concluded we should do absolutely nothing. That might have received some applause but in a rapidly changing environment in the media and sporting world that would have been indefensible.

As a former journalist of 22 years I understand absolutely the headlines and angles being taken, but the debate for me is wider than that. The governing bodies know what is best for their sports, but we are asking the broadcasters, free to air and pay, to address the issue: what can they do in the national interest? We are asking the government, what could they do to help sports that are fearful, and I stress the word fearful, of the income from their rights plummeting. Then there is the public, 76 per cent of whom, according to our research, believe they have an entitlement to watch certain events free-to-air. Reconciling all this is not easy.

When I took this on it was said to me that this was a poisoned chalice. And after my press conference this morning a friend texted me saying simply: ‘Thankless task.' But I hope we have identified events of true national resonance, like the Ashes, and the strength of public feeling which suggests that there should be a small group of events that are free to air.

Is the price of listing for individual sports too high? That is a political decision for the secretary of state to take. There is an element of frustration that some people have not grasped where our responsibilities took us. We needed to understand the wider picture and the level of fear among governing bodies. But my warning to them is that I worked for a governing body (the FA) whose income dropped by 30 per cent at one stage. It is not inevitable that broadcasting income keeps going upwards. People have to grasp that there is a need for regular review. There are people on the list who want to be on it and people off it who want to be on it – that's the dilemma

If the secretary of state decided to do nothing I would be disappointed. But I will accept whatever conclusion he comes to and that is the spirit in which this should be taken.