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Lead story in the Post.
BBC has been offered the above in a move of daring brinkmanship that could save part of their racing portfolio but endanger C4’s increasingly at risk relationship with the sport.
BBC last showed the Guineas in 1968
Andrew Thompson C4’s head of sport has relinquished the job and is now representing C4 in racing negotians as a consultant.
Not sure just how credible the story is – I have also heard reports of the Beeb being offered Cheltenham as well.
If racing wanted to be clever it could market all five classics as a single package for broadcast purposes – which may not be as daft as it sounds considering four of them are already staged by Jockey Club racecourses.
Similarly the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals are also run on JC courses so, again, the broadcasting rights could go as a single package and you could also chuck the Kempton and Haydock big jump features in to make it an even better bundle.
Not sure just how credible the story is – I have also heard reports of the Beeb being offered Cheltenham as well.
If racing wanted to be clever it could market all five classics as a single package for broadcast purposes – which may not be as daft as it sounds considering four of them are already staged by Jockey Club racecourses.
Similarly the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals are also run on JC courses so, again, the broadcasting rights could go as a single package and you could also chuck the Kempton and Haydock big jump features in to make it an even better bundle.
Wise words indeed, Paul. Racing needs network television coverage. Here in the USA we have virtually none – not in small art to the greed of horseman wanting money. It is in everyones interest to have as regular horse racing on network television at a price. Tracks should be cambering for spots on national TV.
Craig
There’s HRTV and TVG for the true lovers of the game though Craig – and from what I hear they’re a darn site better than ATR and Racing UK (though lack special features).
FWIW it looks like we’re cutting our nose off to spite our face in racing.
We have one network who want little/no part of racing yet are offering them the crown jewels over a company who actually do want to show racing. The end result will be C4 not showing Cheltenham, Guineas or Champions Day and the BBC sticking to Ascot, Aintree and Goodwood as they do now.
True lovers of racing, TVG and HRTV are not usually terms that go together much around here.
That said, if TVG or HRTV offer me a job, I will change that!
Craig
There is a petition on the Downing Street site with regards the cut in BBC racing coverage.
The BBC have been a poor supporter of racing for years now unlike C4 who have been committed to it. Quite why certain sections of racing are ignoring this can I imagine only come down to money and has nothing to do with maximizing coverage. Surely it would have been better to approach C4 to take up the jumps fixtures the BBC are culling.
It is a risky strategy as C4 may just decide to pull the plug whereupon racing coverage on terrestrial tv will reduce dramatically.
This unrequited pursuit of the BBC is bizarre. Surely it would be better to can them (let them televise as much of the safe public schoolboy fare that their sports editors seem to love as they like – rowing, a sport with real wide appeal!) and do an exclusive deal with Channel 4, who after all have stuck it out week in week out for 25 years.
The BBC have made there position clear…they want to show racing as much as I want genital warts!
But Channel 4 have been there all along. Every saturday in recent years, even on days when the big races are on the bbc (Grand National, Derby). Without terrestrial tv coverage the game will be in big trouble.
Lets hope that common sense prevails!
If this means the end of the Morning line and the ultra bland coverage that C4 give , then all I can say is
HURRY UP WILL YA
cheers
Ricky
I should think Sheikh Mohammed will have something to say about this. As he’s sponsering C4 and waxed lyrical about their commitment to the sport not long ago, the loss of their flagship meetings would make him reconsider, surely.
There’s HRTV and TVG for the true lovers of the game though Craig – and from what I hear they’re a darn site better than ATR and Racing UK (though lack special features).
ATR is in a different league to HRTV and TVG.
Here is Chris McGrath’s take on the matter in the Independent.
I have some sympathy with much of what he says.
Here is Chris McGrath’s take on the matter in the Independent.
I have some sympathy with much of what he says.
Not impressed with the column myself, much prefer Willoughbys slant on things in todays Post.
If jumps meetings are off because of the weather what would you expect to see? It used to be dogs from Harringay in the old days.
McGrath should have been more specific on viewing figures and cost and doesn’t he know terrestrial coverage will cease for all of us shortly, a very negative column.
What have we on the other channels today? Darts, Repeats of Sky at Night & Animal Park and a couple of old films, one of which on ITV was on last week. Thrilling stuff!Not exactly a jolly article, but he makes some good points, some of which are almost wilfully ignored by many in racing, both those who make their living from the sport as well as fans.
McGrath certainly isn’t sayng that the projected 14 days racing coverage is appropriate or desirable, but he is underlining the point that no one owes the sport a living, and racing’s rulers need to drop the old arrogant attitude that they’re doing the BBC a favour by allowing them to broadcast it.
His figure of a 500,000 audience for racing on terrestrial (leaving aside the Grand National and one or two other days) is about right and tallies with what I’ve seen elsewhere.
The example of the "Sovereign Series" (aka The Dead Parrot Series) is a telling one. One of the worst ideas ever, anywhere, on any matter under the sun, it was actually marketed as though there was a real, genuine chance that terrestrial TV companies would scramble to bid against each other to win the rights to broadcast it.
Much as many within the sport, and indeed on this forum, would like to pretend otherwise, it really is time for those on Planet Racing to make contact with those on Planet Earth
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