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I sometimes despair at the "something for nothing" attitude that prevails on this and other fora, indeed in society in general.
An organisation like RUK pays a not insignificant amount of money to obtain the rights to show racing then they are expected the make said material available for nothing.
I presume those making such calls also happily share possessions they have purchased with all and sundry at no cost. If so I may just pop in to watch your Sky television for nothing, or I may join you for a free dinner – thanks for your alturism chaps.
I’m sorry but if you want something you should pay for it – what gives people the right to demand something for nothing?
Grasshopper,
I have to disagree- just because we have answered your question in the negative on this occasion does not mean that that is the case with every question or suggestion we have received.
We have already received a lot of constructive feedback and ideas which have been thoroughly taken on board.
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RUK already make race replays available for free, Paul, albeit for only seven days, so how would releasing footage for use on YouTube affect their business model given that it would in no way detract from their audience? If anything, slapping a great big RUK logo in the corner of every video would be free advertising of the very highest order.
I sometimes despair at the "something for nothing" attitude that prevails on this and other fora, indeed in society in general.
I sometimes despair at people’s inability to understand the phrase "historical content", and how this is different, in so many ways, to ‘live’ or ‘recent’ content.
Grasshopper,
I have to disagree- just because we have answered your question in the negative on this occasion does not mean that that is the case with every question or suggestion we have received.
We have already received a lot of constructive feedback and ideas which have been thoroughly taken on board.
Fair comment.
Though it does seem like the BHA are choosing to eliminate certain ideas based on presumption, rather than any empirical evidence.
One thing I would like the BHA to provide is online access to photofinish prints.
I still don’t believe that Zidane won the 2007 Stewards’ Cup.
I wonder what Ellen MacArthur would have done if she had not the enterprise to lobby that commercial body Kingfisher to supply a £2M Open 50 yacht to become the fastest and youngest loan sailor to navigate around the World. Worldwide advertising for Kingfisher and a generation of young sailors inspired. (Some connection here?)
Would dear Robb Wilton not have defeated Hitler if he hadn’t "a tongue in his head".
Get on the phone to them all. Nothing ventured, nothing gained – it’s win-win – so BHA stop being so precious.
One thing I would like the BHA to provide is online access to photofinish prints.
I still don’t believe that Zidane won the 2007 Stewards’ Cup.
Photofinish photographs are available from Racetech – £30 each
I sometimes despair at the "something for nothing" attitude that prevails on this and other fora, indeed in society in general.
I sometimes despair at people’s inability to understand the phrase "historical content", and how this is different, in so many ways, to ‘live’ or ‘recent’ content.
I am fully aware of the difference – nonetheless the "historical content" still has a rights owner and they have the right to decide how and where it is exploited – in terms of rights of use there is little difference between current and historical output. .
I beg to differ, Paul.
Unlike "current" content, the "historical" content has no intrinsic value. It sits in storage, taking up digital space, doing bugger all. To all intents and purposes it is worthless, whilst RUK choose to hide it from view. Indeed, it probably represents a small running cost to RUK.
Given that RUK and the racecourses are effectively one and the same, and given that allowing historical content to be viewed might – just
might
– get more people interested in racing………..and therefore through the gates of a racecourse………..heaven forfend, it might even get more people to subscribe to their product!………..it seems somewhat self-defeating for RUK to leave said coverage in storage, when it would cost them the princely sum of fah-call to allow said content to be viewed through online portals.
It is nothing to do with "something for nothing". It is everything to do with the short-sightedness and bloody-mindedness of RUK and the racecourses.
The decision to remove content from YouTube was a kneejerk reaction, from which they obviously can’t be seen to retreat. They thought their copyright was being infringed, when in fact, all that was happening was that their product was being advertised for free.
By all means place a time-delay on historical content to be ‘released’ – say, no uploads until a given race is a month old. But there is no good business reason whatsoever for them to prevent it being uploaded. Indeed, it has the potential to hurt their business more in not having it available, than it does in having it available.
Like I said in a previous thread: ar*seholes.
I do agree that in an age where racing is effectively paying to sustain terrestial TV coverage it jars to see actions like the removal of footage from Youtube.
I think there has to be a paradigm shift in the thinking. Racing footage should be viewed as advertising footage for the commodities that are people through the turnstiles and betting revenues (in all its derivatives) NOT as a commodity in itself.
I’m no fan of ATR, but I’ve just been analyzing betfair pre-race betting volumes. All other things being equal (shape of market, class of race, time of day, day of the week etc), RUK races turnover around 50k or 10% less than ATR races.
All these subscription services are a disaster for racing and the sort of petty mindedness shown in youtubegate just turns the knife. Is there any other country in the world where those showing the pictures, publishing the cards and running the tracks have so little interst in betting turnover? I mean,
even the betting operators
want you to bet on anything but racing and The Rabble lobbied for them to be allowed FOBTs! You really couldn’t make it up.
"historical content" still has a rights owner and they have the right to decide how and where it is exploited .
.. do you mean watched Paul, is exploited a NuLabour type spin word for watched?
I have to agree with Grasshopper here .. these videos aren’t worth anything and removing them from youtube is just idiotic. All it does, is foster is an inward looking downward spiral of interested in racing. A bit like what happened to boxing.
The BHA are basically a waste of time, I’d sack the lot of them. Anyone could be as hopeless as they are, it must be easy. Like Glenn says they helped the bookies with the FOBT revolution and then the bookies shafted them and us once they had got their way. People need to wake up to the fact that racing is in a mess and the BHA were (are) instrumental in the causing the problem.
The BHA are basically a waste of time, I’d sack the lot of them. Anyone could be as hopeless as they are, it must be easy. Like Glenn says they helped the bookies with the FOBT revolution and then the bookies shafted them and us once they had got their way. People need to wake up to the fact that racing is in a mess and the BHA were (are) instrumental in the causing the problem.
I am not defending the BHA or your right to critisize them but what would you do to change things? It’s all well and good slagging them off but you should give your views on how to change and improve things.
I think that the BHA have relinquished their responsibilities over the years for the quick buck. The running of racing is now too fragmented .Too many commitee type groups vying for pole position instead of concentrating on what is best for racing.Happy could you please edit your post above and be careful when attributing quotes in your replies – your cutting and pasting implies I made the quote above – which I did not and I completely disagree with.
Grasshopper / robert99
Many thanks for your comments.
In addition, many thanks for the info about running rails in Victoria. This is very very interesting and I have forwarded this on to our racecourse department- thanks so much, we appreciate your feedback!
Regards
Robin
Robin,
Could you also take up the several issues in thread
https://theracingforum.co.uk/forum/v … hp?t=78933
which does include low cost innovations that BHA could implement.I take it "forwarding on" does mean that you will take the responsibility to chase up prompt responses from the department and reply?
Do BHA intend to provide to punters an information and data service that surpasses that of the Hong Kong Jockey Club? The BHA website is well on the way to catching up – so thank you for that.
I understand that it is already being explained to some clerks that we need to know not that the rails have moved but the change in nominal race distances that the movements have caused. If not, then get on with it.
I sent them a few idea’s I posted on here a few weeks ago. Robin kindly replied earlier today…..
– An average of 4 meetings a day. A landmass and population the size of the UK can easily accommodate this. At the present 363 days racing that 1452 fixtures annually. Have blank days if you want but maintain the 4 a day average.
We are actually working at pretty close to this now- in 2008 there were 1,423 racing fixtures (out of 1,504 scheduled fixtures- 85 were cancelled). I would expect 2009 to show a similar figure to this.
– Tote Win market with a 5% takeout. Given the amounts matched on BF I don’t see why an average pool of 200,000 a race isn’t feasible. As an exchange user I would be happy to revert to pool betting if the percentages were fair. 10 grand a race x 24 races a day x 363 days a year is a before costs 87 million plus for horseracing.
We completely agree with this idea! Unfortunately we have absolutely no powers to regulate bookmakers. However, I believe you have a valid point with this so I am actually going to fire this over to Tote and suggest it to them.
– Bookies – Legally cap overround at 1.5% per runner
– Exchanges – Prevent racing markets from opening until midday. Put the odds compilers back to work again.
Again, unfortunately these suggestions, as sensible as they are, are ones that we have no jurisdiction or power to implement. We can but suggest them to the relevant bodies.
– Housewives – Bring racing to them via the newsagent/supermarket scratch card. 2 races on a Saturday afternoon, card reveals 4 brightly coloured silks. Your silks finish 1-2-3-4 you win a big cash prize. MASSIVE potential imo.
Paul, a fantastic idea but one that I want you to know we are already looking in to!
I don’t know how much you know about Racing for Change and the rebranding of racing initiative, but part of this project is to look into new ways of promoting the sport, and something like this is something which has been discussed many times. Another similar idea we had was a lottery type affair whereby you select, or are randomly allocated, a series of numbers and they all need to win in the Saturday afternoon races to win the jackpot etc- basically piggy backing off this idea of selling the ‘tickets’ in the supermarket.
As yet no specific timescales or set plans are in place for this, BUT that is because this is dependent on the rebranding- racing is going to go through a lot of changes before this can be implemented, but please be assured that it is very much on the radar, we think it is a fantastic opportunity!
– Fixtures – More Pattern races on summer Saturday afternoons. Generally speaking racing is not competing with football for attendance and betting revenue this time of the year.
Again, this is something that is being addressed as part of Racing for Change. It is something that we are well aware of. Racing’s fantastic traditions have been a barrier to this up until now, but it is absolutely basic stuff that the big races should be on a weekend, and the restructuring of racing that will come about as part of racing for change will allow us finally to address this, which is very exciting all round.
– Consultation – Talk to your customers (punters and racegoers) in a meaningful way.
I am hoping that this initiative is the first step in starting to address this. It has had a lot of mixed feedback on the forums and I don’t claim it is the final answer, but we have seen that we have been accused of not talking to our customers enough and that is what has influenced us to kick off this campaign. Like I say, this is very much just a start and I’m not claiming it is the be all and end all to addressing this issue, but we are listening, we are aware of the issue and we are looking to address it, step by step.
– Either a cut grass strip or a white line across every racecourse at the 2 furlong pole so we can take a sectional time for Flat racing.
I have passed this on to our racecourse department, i’ll let you know their feedback to this suggestion.
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Has anyone contacted RUK directly in relation to their desire to hoard historical media?
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